Three Life Lessons I’ve Learned in My Three Years at Carleton
Aleia writes about three life lessons she has learned in her past three years at Carleton College.
Aleia writes about three life lessons she has learned in her past three years at Carleton College.
Important Lessons for College
Coming to College is a huge transition point in one’s life. There is a ton of new information being accumulated. While this is really exciting, it can be challenging to know what information to prioritize. As a rising senior, I want to share three life lessons that I have learned in my academic career at Carleton College that I think every student should know.
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The best piece of advice I ever received was to take one class for fun, one class for a major (or potential major), and one class to fulfill a Liberal Arts requirement.
Carleton College and its Liberal Arts requirements can seem a bit daunting at first. I remember being a first year and being nervous that I wouldn’t be able to complete all of them. I also came into college as an undecided major, so that added another level of worry. By following this advice, I was able to discover that I wanted to major in Political Science. I was also able to get almost all my requirements done by the end of sophomore year!
2. Your friend group may morph and change, and that is normal and part of the college experience!
When arriving at college, there are so many amazing opportunities to meet and socialize with new people! Living on campus, joining clubs, and interacting with new students in your classes can all lead to forming new friendships. You may find yourself in a new friend group in freshman year! This can be really exciting. As you spend time on campus, you’ll continue to meet amazing people who have similar interests to you. This means that your original Freshman year friend group may change, and that’s okay! That is all part of growing as a person throughout college.
3. Going to campus events is really fun, and you should absolutely go to them!
Campus events at Carleton are really fun! Spring Concert, Midwinter Ball, and Hauntcert are a few of my favorite events at Carleton College! The Spring Concert is a campus favorite. It is hosted during the 9th Week of Spring Term in the fields behind the Recreation Center. It is super exciting to dress up for the concert and dance with your friends! It is definitely an event that I wait for all year long.
In the Fall, the campus hosts a Halloween Dance called Hauntcert. This is where you can dress up in your Halloween costume and dance with your friends the weekend of Halloween. We also invite students to be Student DJs and play their favorite songs!
Finally, Midwinter Ball is our biggest formal dance of the year. People usually dress up and we turn the Sayles Student Union into a dance floor. Students also DJ for this event, which means that you’ll always get to hear a song that you like!
Going to campus events is one of my favorite things about Carleton College, and I would highly suggest checking them out! They’re a great place to hang out with friends, meet new people, and say hello to your cool classmates.
Closing Thoughts
Carleton College is full of exciting opportunities to meet new people, learn new things, and have fun experiences. These three life lessons have definitely helped me live my undergraduate life to the fullest. Whether it’s picking new classes, or deciding whether to attend an on-campus event, my biggest piece of advice would be to simply go for it! College, especially at Carleton College, will go so fast and it’s important to soak in all of the amazing experiences!
Aleia ’24 is a Political Science major at Carleton College. Around campus you’ll find Aleia (she/her/hers) competing on the varsity swim & dive team, dancing in Synchrony II, and crafting (Aleia also up-cycles clothes!). Her favorite spot on campus is the Gould Library (aka “the Libe”) – be sure to ask her which floor is her favorite!