To the incoming UC Bearcats,

Hello and welcome to your new home! You'll be really glad that you decided to come here. Like life and other experiences, college is not a one-track adventure especially not as UC.

If you feel left out or excluded, don't worry. I was just in your shoes not too long ago. You'll find your home. No Bearcat gets left behind. That much I can promise.

As a recent UC graduate, I can really only share some advice I wish someone gave me my first year of college. Especially as a first-gen student, I had no clue what I was in store for while I arrived at Calhoun Hall.

First of all, if you decide to live on campus that first year, let your parents unpack your stuff. To me, it was one of those moments in life where you could feel a transition happening. This is when you leave the nest for the first time and become an adult and not just a teenager. Please give them that special moment. Let your mom make your bed one more time because you don't know if that'll be the last.

Next comes the cliche "enjoy it while it lasts" speech. Seriously, you'll find your friends and peers in so many places on campus. Even with each semester, you really do not know who will be back for the upcoming term whether they transferred, studied abroad, or another life moment. Spend a late night at the library working on a study guide for a hard exam. Go to the dining hall and joke about the weekend. Enjoy the truly little things even if it's just saying hello. A little bit of kindness goes a long way and the little things add up.

It's okay to not know what you want to do when you turn 18.

Seriously, even as a recent graduate, it took me at least three years of college before I really figured out what I wanted to do or what my next direction looked like. I still have friends who switched majors two years into their programs simply because they weren't happy. I understand that college is a financial burden and privilege; however, don't end up in a career or job that you are unhappy with after college.

It's okay to not study what your parents want you to study.

I see this happen more times that I would like. However, if you're not interested in biology and you're interested in writing or chemistry, but your parent told you that you "have to " become a doctor, then change your major. Go study chemistry or communication or sports management. Do what makes you happy, not your parents. They need to love you regardless if you don't follow their "plan" for life. I can't begin to tell you how many intense conversations I have had in my four years as a journalism major, especially after my double major in political science, kicked in fully in January 2017. We have an Exploratory Center to help find your best fit for a reason.

My main lesson? It's that, like Fleetwood Mac, you can go your own way. Seriously, I am proof that if oyu work hard and you're passionate about something, you'll earn it. I see myself and have always viewed myself as someone different before and during my undergraduate career. I felt different. Shoot, my graduation cap paid tribute to one of my favorite WWE wrestlers. My point is, be yourself. Embrace what makes you who you are because someone will put their faith in you because of your uniqueness.

Statistically speaking, I shouldn't even have a bachelor's degree yet as only 27 percent of first-generation college students finish college in four years. However, this piece isn't about me. It's about you.

The moral of the story is be yourself as super cliche as it sounds. Be like Stevie Nicks and go your own way. Every person has a unique adventure at UC and I am sure proud of mine. Cherish the memories, go get Skyline at 2 a.m., take on the opportunities to learn and grow, and just see where the next adventure is.

If I had to describe UC in one work, it would be this: opportunity.

That's why I decended to attend UC. I saw programs that would fill me up with passion and I hope to some day give it back. For now, the stage calls my name and graduate school is upon the horizon. Enjoy UC, welcome to Cincinnati, and get ready to call UC home.

With Bearcat Pride,

A recent UC grad