From confusion to confidence: A Miami alumna’s advice for making the most of four years

Move-in day 2021, Peabody Hall. My parents dropped me off, and I sat in my dorm room full of fear. Will I ever find a major that fits? Will I make real friends? What am I supposed to do with myself for the next four years?

May 18-19, 2025, Cook Field. Some of the senior class pulled an all-nighter from Sunday night to Monday morning to watch the sunrise together. My friends and I were dreading the move-out and the drives home. I shed endless tears saying goodbye to my best friends and the place I called home, Oxford. After four years of risk-taking and growth all in a 7.5 square mile radius, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Now, think about the moment your parents dropped you off at Miami: You’re excited, a little exhausted and filled with freedom, but with zero experience at this new life. Now what?

This is your time. You have independence, but with that comes responsibility. You’re in charge of getting yourself to class, studying, making time for friends and … wait for it … putting yourself out there.

At the end, you might look back and realize the biggest lessons weren’t taught in a classroom. Learning about yourself can’t be assigned. It comes from showing up, experimenting and sometimes failing.

Putting yourself out there: Early and often

If you told my first-year self that one day I’d be teaching group fitness classes at the rec center or writing for The Miami Student, she would’ve laughed. Back then, I was stuck in a rut of loneliness and stagnation; I could barely envision what college had in store for me.

I wish I could say I woke with confidence one random morning in my Peabody single dorm, but it came from taking baby steps out of my comfort zone: signing up for group fitness training after thinking it was a “crazy idea” for years and showing up to club meetings that interested me. Something I chose to live by was “risk is where growth lives.” I honestly can’t remember where I heard it first, but it stuck with me and ran through my head every time I feared trying something new.

Maybe it’s participating in sorority recruitment, joining a campus organization or taking on a part-time job. Even a seemingly silly job on campus can help you learn soft-skills like multitasking under pressure, connecting with people and so many others that can’t be taught or experienced in a classroom.

Finding a balance: Academics, activities and you time

Academics come first, but that doesn't mean they are everything. Show up to class, study hard and learn. But if you don’t carve out social time, or simply breathe, you will burn out fast.

Think of your week as a schedule that you get to build from scratch – around your classes, of course. Build in recharge blocks, both with friends and alone, which are just as important as study time.

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More than anything else, be present. Don’t spend your college years waiting for the next weekend, event or break; it flies by quicker than you’d ever imagine.

Looking back: What I’d tell my first-year self

It’s OK not to know your major or your future; Classmates I spoke with during my time at Miami didn’t. You might feel out of place right now, far from home and missing your “normal.” But now is the time to build your new “normal” and pursue passions or try things before you step into the real world.

You’ll learn the most about yourself and the world around you by taking on little “side quests” to pursue your passions and interests, more than you’ll ever learn in a course.

Takeaway: Own it and grow!

My formula was simple: curiosity + involvement = self-knowledge and readiness for whatever comes next.

If you finish your Miami story feeling like you pushed past comfort zones, learned more than any course could teach, built friendships that last and can say you’re proud of what you gave and gained, then congratulations, you did it “right.”

This chapter will bring the most change and growth, and you’ll come out a better version of yourself. Don’t stress about timelines and what comes next. Just enjoy the moment you’re in right now.

A few years after that shaky move-in day, you’ll be walking across a stage, diploma in hand, realizing how far you’ve come. You’ll glance out the car window, emotions and maybe tears flowing, as you take your final look at Oxford. Memories will flood in, and you’ll barely remember the time that you sat on your first-year dorm bed, anxious about this next stage of life.

You might feel lost now, but throw yourself in, say yes a little more than you should and don’t overthink perfection. “Love and Honor” this time. It’s one of the best chapters in the book.

granthalle23@gmail.com

Halle Grant graduated from Miami University in May with a bachelor’s degree in strategic communication and a minor in marketing. She’s moving from her hometown, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Chicago, Illinois.

At The Student, we are committed to engaging with our audience and listening to feedback. This includes publishing a diverse array of guest editorials. For more information on guidelines and processes, email Taylor Powers, The Student's opinion editor, at powerstj@miamioh.edu.