St. Thomas Students Reflect On School Year, Look To Future

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – It's a bittersweet time for high school and college seniors as they each get ready to jump into a new chapter of their lives. WCCO's Christiane Cordero got some sound advice from University of St Thomas students about making the transition.

What better way to spend a quiet spring day than to take a little time for reflection? We sat down with two groups of Tommies wrapping up the school year.

"The first week, just get out of your dorm. Don't hang out in your dorm, keep your doors open," said Kristian Schow, a freshman.

"I'm a commuter student, so already off the bat I knew that I had to put myself out there more than students who are living on campus," freshman Jasmine Kaur said.

Both classes suggest joining a club. Anna Starks did early on, and she'll leave as its president.

"It just shows how if you really commit to something and if you are really interested in something, you can excel in it," said Starks, a senior.

Change is hard, of course – from comparing yourself to high school friends to knowing home is just a phone call away.

"They really found their friends right away and that put a lot of pressure on myself because I felt like I needed to be like them. I felt like I needed to have those close friends right away and I didn't," senior Shonni Krengel said.

"You know you go from living 18 years at home and seeing your parents every day. Parents, siblings, dogs. Dogs are – a lot of people miss their dogs," Schow said. "But no you're not the only one. You have to understand that. Everyone's going through that."

Life is different after high school, then again after college.

"I'm gonna miss being in really close proximity to those I really care about here at this university," said Katie Coyne, a senior.

And at some point, you learn the process of "figuring it out" can be half the fun.

"Just as it was hard to leave high school and find a community in a university, I'm hoping I'll be okay when I leave my university and find a community at my workplace," Coyne added.

Cordero asked several professionals from Best Buy, Mayo Clinic, superintendents' offices and many more to share their best advice for 2019 college graduates. See the full clip below: