我是特伦斯·杜兰特二世. I’m a Skidmore senior from Windsor, 连接icut, and I came here because I wanted to study 艺术管理.

Four years later, I've discovered chess club, the Bandersnatchers (an acapella group), Skidmore Chorus, Vocal Chamber Ensemble, Skidmore’s admissions ambassador program, 还有整个文科课程. Each new discovery presented a chance for a new perspective and an evolving vision for myself.

I’ll graduate as an economics and management business double major with a minor in 艺术管理. I already have my first job lined up as a consultant for a national 保险公司. 

但这些只是要点. 的re’s a lot more to me and my journey here.

With the end of my time here in sight, I’m looking back and sharing three pieces of advice I wish I had as a high school senior.

亲爱的高三学生: 

1. 这种“感觉”可能会让你大吃一惊

People will tell you that you will know which college is right for you. 你会得到 俗话说“感觉”.”

I always thought that was a cheesy thing that only emotional people said.

他们是对的. 我确实有这种感觉. But the first time, it wasn’t at Skidmore: I was dead set on going to a different school.

But when the acceptances came in, I had to take a closer look — at aid, learning opportunities, 课程作业，校园生活等等.

Many pro-con lists later, I had a conflict of head and heart. 火博体育赢了.

Obviously, I’m here four years later and I feel happy every single day with my choice.

我的建议

坚持下去... 你会得到“感觉”.” But it may happen more than once, later, or over-and-over again somewhere you didn’t expect. 做好你的准备 research and giving yourself options, because your final decision may surprise you.

的 Bandersnatchers are one of the reasons I feel happy every day here. 我们到了 在《火博体育》节目中表演. “菲尔秀”. 

2. 别忘了时间

I was a little caught off guard by college-level academics. 我一直都有准备 for the idea that college was the next step after high school. 但我就是这么想的 这是下一步.

It never registered that it might be more than a single step. 

I came in thinking that I could go about my regular high school routines to achieve success in college as well, and I was very wrong!

Your college studies are more challenging than high school. 但不仅如此. It’s also the fact that while you’re getting used to more challenging subjects and assignments, you’re also getting used to completely unstructured time.

For some it was easy, but for me, I struggled. 在早上和晚上的选择之间， focusing on one day of the week and knowing when to study, when to eat, what my best times to work were — it took a lot of experimentation. 

我的建议

Unstructured free time at college is a beautiful thing. 这也可能是一个巨大的挑战 习惯. 你会 need to be both kind to yourself that you aren’t going to be perfect, but also a little tough on yourself because this is a major part of your success and you’ll be better off if you take it seriously.

3. 你会适应的

I’ve been in private school since first grade. 我上的是男校寄宿学校 对于高中来说. With these experiences, I thought going away to college would be 无缝的. 我已经习惯离家在外了. 我甚至习惯了和人同住. College adjustment was going to be really easy.

在某些情况下确实如此. 而在其他国家，则不然.

When I first arrived, the biggest thing on my mind had nothing to do with academics. I felt entirely unprepared to tackle a huge thing — who would I hang out with?

Now I wish I could offer some story about how I found my friends, but I can’t. 的 事实上，我不记得了! I started with people I met in my Scribner Seminar. 他们 lived close by and we all felt the same urgency to connect with people. 但在 这是一片模糊.

我的建议

Fear not, the message here is that it will be 无缝的, natural, instantaneous. 你会 与学生宿舍的人见面. 你会在课堂上认识一些人. 你会遇到很多人 where you work, where you study, where your clubs meet. 你会遇到你从未见过的人 expected, some of my closest friends are international students.

And even more important is that my friends have changed. 这里的增长几乎是指数级的 in both knowledge and personal development. 无论如何，你都不会孤单.