So if you’re feeling that familiar post-grad panic, I get it — I really do. But I also want to say: this open-endedness isn’t a failure. It’s potential. And that’s pretty exciting when you let yourself see it that way.  

If you’re earlier in your college journey, consider this a completely honest list of what I actually would’ve done differently (and a few things I’m really glad I got right).

It’s pretty common knowledge that when your third or fourth year hits, it’s time to look for an internship. However balancing school and an internship can be a lot – and often this balance is not talked about. 

As a Cinema and Media Studies major, there aren’t a lot of students who are interested in law school within my major nor within SCA. As someone who untraditionally chose the Pre-Law path, one of the first things I considered was if I really needed to major or minor in a traditional pre-law subject for law school. To cut the chase: no, you don’t need to.

I recently did a student panel for SCA Admissions with prospective students and felt like I was transported to freshman year. I remember what it felt like to be a freshman in SCA. You are fed compliments about how you got into one of the best film schools in the country, itching to be on set, and daydreaming about winning an Oscar. I don’t mean to come off as a debby-downer when I say this, but the reality is that most students enter SCA with a strict plan on where they want to be after college is over and then a few semesters into the program realize that their initial path isn’t what they want anymore.

For those who’ve tried Notion, physical planners, or just Google Calendar, sometimes it can be hard to choose and stick with a platform for that one-stop place for all your tasks. For me, since freshman year, I've created a google sheet listing out all of my assignments and deadlines for the semester and it's been a game changer. 

Fall semester typically brings an exciting aura into the atmosphere: tailgating, the smell of the street hotdogs after a football game, waiting in long lines at Dulce, joining new clubs, etc. But for those who embarked on a full-time Summer internship, going back to school brings a weird mix of feelings. During the last week of my Summer internship, my team gave me words of wisdom for approaching my senior year like, “have fun,” “live in the moment,” “treasure it!” I took these pieces of advice to heart but internally made a duh face. Of course, I’ll enjoy going back.