WORDS OF ADVICE
FROM SOMEONE WHO’S BEEN THERE...
HEY THERE.
Let’s face it. Starting college will be fun, scary, exciting, difficult, and completely new, all at once. We know—because we’ve been in your shoes—that it might get a bit overwhelming at times. But you’re not alone. Thousands of alumni have stood where you’re standing right now. And we were all just as excited, just as motivated, and just as ready as you are to meet the challenge that college will present. In fact, everyone at Columbia wants you to succeed. That’s why we’ve asked alumni, faculty, and staff to share their best advice on everything from academics, to managing your time on-campus, to making friends and meeting people. Take it from those who’ve been here before… this will be the best time of your life. For more words of advice check out colum.edu/alumni Have fun and good luck!
Alumni Relations
“STEP INTO THE EXPERIENCE FREE OF FEARS, EMBRACE EVERY CHALLENGE AND TAKE PART IN THE COUNTLESS OPPORTUNITIES MADE AVAILABLE TO YOU.” Nya Sade (BA ’10), Broadcast Journalism
“ALWAYS GO WITH YOUR GUT.” Morgan Mack (BA ’09), Journalism
“YOU DON’T HAVE TO FIGURE IT ALL OUT AT ONCE.” Richard Chwedyk / Faculty (BA ’79), English
“TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EVERYTHING COLUMBIA HAS TO OFFER ITS STUDENTS AND ENJOY THE BEST COLLEGE CAMPUS IN THE NATION!” Grace Wiley (BA ’14), Photography
“IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO START YOUR PORTFOLIO.” Julie Ford / Staff (01’), Film & Video
“TAKE CLASSES THAT INTEREST YOU AND HAVE FUN!” Jessica Whitehead MacPhail (BA ’73), Writing / Humanities
“CHICAGO WINTERS ARE NO JOKE. TAKE THIS TIME TO STUDY ABROAD IN A WARMER CLIMATE.” Jenny Adkins (BA ’14), Television
“MAKE IT YOUR BUSINESS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL OF THE THINGS COLUMBIA HAS TO OFFER; EQUIPMENT RENTALS, LOCATIONS, SUPPORT GROUPS, FILM SETS, LIGHTING STAGES, TEACHERS AND CLASSMATES. BECAUSE ONCE YOU’RE OUT OF SCHOOL ALL OF THIS STUFF IS GOING TO COST YOU A BOAT LOAD OF MONEY SO USE IT WHILE YOU CAN AND BUILD STRONG CONNECTIONS WITH THE PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH.” Jonathan Makrinos (BA ’11), Film & Video, Photography
“BE ON TIME! ” Lauren Linscott (BA ’14), Music Business
“KEEP LOOKING UP.” Dawn Jones / Staff (’12), Theater
“TAKE A DEEP BREATH, TRY EVERYTHING AND HAVE NO REGRETS.” Lauren Linscott (BA ’14), Music Business
“ALWAYS VOLUNTEER TO WORK ON OTHER STUDENT’S PROJECTS, AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.” Benjamin Pfeifer / Staff (PCRT ’06), Film & Video
“YOU CAN’T HELP HOW YOU FEEL, BUT YOU CAN CONTROL HOW YOU REACT. ” Andrea de Fraga / Faculty (MA ’04), AEMM; Media Management
“ TAKE EVERY MOMENT IN, EVERY CLASS, EVERY PROJECT, AND EVERY CRITIQUE AND CHERISH THE TIME YOU HAVE TO BE AS CREATIVE AS YOU CAN. ALWAYS THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX AND NEVER BE SCARED TO TRY SOMETHING NEW! ” Jenna McGraw (BA ’11), Art & Design
“NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK, AND FORGE A PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL YOUR INSTRUCTORS.” Toby Lane (BA ’05), Journalism
“NEVER GO INTO ANYTHING WITH A CLOSED MIND, THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.” Bryan Charles Butt (BA ’11), Film & Video
“PUT DOWN THAT PHONE; PLEDGE TO MAKE ONE NEW FRIEND A DAY BY HAVING A CONVERSATION IN PERSON!” Susan L. Smith / Faculty (‘04), Art + Design
“TAKE EVERY TOUR THE CAMPUS OFFERS.” Timm McIntyre (BA ’91), Film & Video
“NEVER SAY NEVER! YOU MAY JUST BE CLOSING A DOOR TO SOMETHING AMAZING!” Cara Dehnert Huffman / Faculty (MAM ’04), AEMM: Visual Arts Management
“THE HARD WORK BEGINS WHEN CLASS ENDS. HONE YOUR SKILLS IN CLASS, BUT CREATE YOUR PORTFOLIO AND FUTURE EVERYWHERE ELSE.” Bill Anthony (BA ’12), Radio
“COLLEGE IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT, ESPECIALLY COLUMBIA COLLEGE. NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK AND YOU’LL HAVE AN AMAZING COLUMBIA COLLEGE EXPERIENCE!” Angela Nicole Melpolder (BA ’08), Theater
“COLLEGE IS LIKE LIFE: IT GOES BY QUICKLY AND THE MORE YOU PUT INTO IT, THE MORE YOU WILL GET OUT OF IT.” Blaine Gemeny (BA ’96), AEMM
“JOIN GROUPS, TAKE AN UNUSUAL CLASS AND PUT 110% INTO EVERYTHING YOU DO FROM DAY 1. EVERYTHING YOU CREATE MATTERS.” Sheila Sczepanik (BFA ’13), Advertising: Art Direction
“TRY EVERYTHING AT LEAST ONCE, KNOW THAT FAILURE BREEDS SUCCESS, AND IF ANYONE EVER SAYS TO YOU ‘THAT’S NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE’ DO NOT STOP.” Mark R. Jones (MAM ‘07), AEMM
“WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE BURSTING WITH NEW INFORMATION, IDEAS, AND EXPERIENCES... TAKE SOME TIME TO CREATE SOMETHING AND YOU’LL FEEL A LOT SANER.” Nikki Jones (BA ’11), Marketing Communications
“PURSUE THE UNKNOWN. THE GREATEST ARTISTS IN HISTORY ARE KNOWN FOR DOING THINGS NOBODY HAD DONE BEFORE.” Jim Lordeman (MFA ’13), Music Composition for the Screen
“NEVER, AND I MEAN NEVER, PUT KETCHUP OR CATSUP ON A CHICAGO DOG, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR INSTINCTS AS IN THE END THE ONLY PERSON YOU HAVE TO ANSWER TO IS YOURSELF.” Brent Lesko (BA ’96), Sound Recording
“TAKE AN INTERNSHIP AND HUSTLE. MAKE AN IMPACT AND LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. AFTER A MONTH OF HARD WORK AND DEDICATION AT MY INTERNSHIP, I WAS OFFERED A FULL-TIME POSITION.” Giselle Gonzalez (BA ’10), AEMM: Music Business Management
“ALWAYS BE THANKFUL YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO STAND IN THE STAIRWELL FOR HOURS ON END FOR REGISTRATION LIKE WE DID.” Brian Salata (BA ’96), Radio/Sound: Sound for Pictures
“TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE COMMUNITY THAT COLLEGE GIVES YOU. LET THOSE PEOPLE HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE QUALITY AND CONTINUATION OF YOUR WORK DURING AND AFTER SCHOOL.” Andi L. Crist (BFA ’11), Fine Arts
“DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE DIFFERENT OR INNOVATIVE OR NOT LIKED FOR WHAT OR WHO YOU ARE, THIS IS THE BEST PLACE TO BE WHAT YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO BE BUT WAS ALWAYS TOLD NOT TO!” Antonio ZerLun (BA ’98), Sound Reinforcement
“TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LISTENING TO THE ADVICE OF THOSE WHO MAY BE STEPS (OR, LEAPS AND BOUNDS) AHEAD OF YOU. WHILE YOU MIGHT NOT USE IT RIGHT AWAY, IT’S ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE A LITTLE GEM IN YOUR POCKET... ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’RE FEELING A LITTLE LACKLUSTER. ALSO, BE PATIENT, PRESENT AND TRY TO ENJOY THE PROCESS OF EXPANDING YOUR HORIZONS. GOOD LUCK!” Emily Cresswell (BA ’01), Early Childhood Education
“TRY NEW THINGS AND SEEK FEEDBACK, IMPLEMENT THE FEEDBACK AND GET MORE FEEDBACK. THIS IS A TIME TO DISCOVER WHAT YOU LOVE AND DO WELL...IT COULD BE SOMETHING YOU NEVER IMAGINED.” Aja Rutledge (BA ’05), Television
“INSTEAD OF PAYING A ZILLION DOLLARS FOR A BOOK, CHECK THE COLUMBIA COLLEGE LIBRARY BECAUSE, IT MAY SAVE YOU SOME MONEY.” La’Quan Saxton (BFA ’14), Music Composition
“CONGRATULATIONS ON TAKING THE FIRST BIG STEP! VICTORY IS AT THE END BUT MAKE FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY-ENJOY YOUR JOURNEY.” Elbert Struthers Phillips (BFA ’07), Advertising Art Direction
“MAKE SURE TO SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY THE MOMENT, THE NEXT FOUR YEARS WILL GO BY FASTER THAN YOU THINK.” Chuck Lira (BA ’08), Journalism
“ALWAYS STRIVE TO DO YOUR ABSOLUTE BEST ON EVERYTHING YOU WORK ON, BUT BE KIND TO EVERYONE WHILE DOING IT: TO PEERS, TO PROFESSORS, TO THOSE LESS FORTUNATE, AND TO THOSE YOU DISAGREE WITH.” Tom Radovich (BA ’11), Film & Video
“BRANCH OUT AND DO THINGS THAT ARE ENTIRELY OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. YOU WILL LEARN THAT AFTER COLLEGE, EXPERIENCES WILL HELP YOU MORE THAN ANY TEXT BOOK YOU READ. NETWORK, GET INVOLVED AND CREATE CHANGE. INCREDIBLE SCHOOL, GOOD LUCK EVERYONE.” Amy Miller (BA ’11), Marketing Communication
“ALWAYS STAY TRUE TO WHO YOU ARE AND BE YOURSELF. IT’S EASY TO LOSE YOURSELF IN COLLEGE SO IT’S IMPORTANT TO STAY GROUNDED. PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE YOUR FRESHMAN YEAR AND TAKE RISKS! TRY EVERYTHING AND DON’T BE AFRAID TO FAIL. THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN MAKE MISTAKES AND FALL IN LOVE WITH THEM. IF YOU’RE A THEATER STUDENT, AUDITION FOR EVERYTHING.” Samantha Garcia (BA ’14), Acting/Theater
“DON’T JUST COME AND GO. SPEND TIME GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CLASSMATES AND PROFESSORS INCLUDING THOSE WHOM YOU FEEL YOU HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON.” Leslie Ramos (BA ’98), Journalism
“SCHOOL WILL ALWAYS BE SCHOOL! BEING IN THE CITY, IS FULL OF KNOWLEDGE TOO TAKE ADVANTAGE AND ENJOY IT PURELY!” Patricia Michelle Toto (BA ’05), Marketing Communications
“COLUMBIA IS THE MOST CREATIVE PLACE YOU CAN POSSIBLY BE – SUCK THE MARROW OUT OF IT AND STAY IN TOUCH WITH PEOPLE YOU MEET ALONG THE WAY.” Sara Wadford (BA ’00), Fiction Writing
“COLUMBIA COLLEGE! WELCOME YOU PICKED THE RIGHT SCHOOL IF YOU WANT TO EXPLORE YOUR CREATIVITY BECAUSE THIS SCHOOL HAS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO GET IT STARTED. HONESTLY I DON’T KNOW WHAT OTHER SCHOOL IS GOING TO LET YOU TAKE A WRITING CLASS THAT EXPLORES THE SIMPSONS TV SHOW.” Sarah Cocos (’10), Fashion Design
“YOU ARE SO FORTUNATE TO BE STUDYING FROM TEACHERS WHO WORK IN THE FIELD AND HAVE SO MUCH KNOWLEDGE. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES/INTERNSHIPS!” Kristina Balais Bollhoffer (BA ’94), Marketing Communications
“LEAVE YOUR INHIBITIONS BEHIND AND UTILIZE THE TOOLS NOW AVAILABLE TO YOU TO EXPLORE YOUR CREATIVE.” Kristofer Kolpek (BA ’03), Film & Video
“THIS IS YOUR TIME – INVEST IN YOURSELF BY MAKING TIME TO MAKE FRIENDS AND MAKE FRESH, INSPIRED WORK.” “IF IT’S STILL OFFERED, CONSIDER STUDYING ABROAD.” Tamale Sepp (MFA ’10), Interdisciplinary Arts and Media
Quinneidrah Mines (BA ’07), AEMM: Small Business & Entrepreneurship
“YOU BELONG HERE. DON’T LET ANYONE CONVINCE YOU OTHERWISE.” Vera Washington / Faculty (BA ’08), ASL: English Interpretation
“CHICAGO’S A GREAT CITY AND COLUMBIA IS LOCATED RIGHT IN THE HEART OF IT -- TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS VIBRANT URBAN CAMPUS!” Albert Williams / Faculty (BA ’73), Music
“IF YOU ENJOY LEARNING FOR THE SAKE OF LEARNING, IF YOU ACTIVELY SEEK KNOWLEDGE RATHER THAN EXPECT IT TO BE PLACED INSIDE YOU, IF YOU BEGIN TO SEE SCHOOL AS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN FOR YOURSELF RATHER THAN SOMETHING YOU’RE EXPECTED TO DO FOR OTHERS ... YOU WILL GET SO MUCH MORE ENJOYMENT AND VALUE FROM YOUR EDUCATION.” Chris Schneberger / Faculty (’98), Film & Video
“EXPLORE AND DISCOVER THINGS OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE; LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING.” Keith Horvath / Faculty (BA ’11), Interdisciplinary: Fiction Writing/Theater
“WELCOME TO COLUMBIA! DON’T BE ORDINARY, BE EXTRAORDINARY; FOLLOW THOMAS EDISON’S FORMULA “GENIUS IS 1% INSPIRATION AND 99% PERSPIRATION.” Frank Sparano (BA ’87), Television
“TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF ABOVE ALL GET ENOUGH SLEEP, EAT, DO YOUR LAUNDRY, AND IF YOU KNOW YOU’RE NOT A MORNING PERSON, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON’T TAKE A MORNING CLASS.” Chris DeGuire (MFA ’08), Creative Writing
“YOUR NETWORK IS YOUR NET WORTH. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NETWORK, BUILD STRONG, LONG LASTING RELATIONSHIPS THAT WILL ASSIST AND GUIDE YOU AS YOU PURSUE YOUR DREAMS AND PASSIONS.” Sara Anwar (BA ’06), AEMM
“I DOUBT YOU’LL FIND A MORE WELCOMING COLLEGE EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF THE PEOPLE WHO WILL ENRICH YOUR LIVES OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, AS WELL AS THE CONTENT YOU WILL BE EXPOSED TO, SO RELAX AND ENJOY YOUR TIME HERE— JUST DON’T FORGET TO STUDY TOO!” Brett King / Staff (BA ’13), Cultural Studies
“COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO IS LOCATED IN AN AMAZING CITY—GET OUT AND EXPLORE THE ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE CITY PROVIDES US!” Laura Allen /Faculty (MA ’06), Dance/Movement Therapy & Counseling
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