I have no idea what I’m doing. I never knew what I was doing. As it turns out, you needn’t know much to stumble upon great success and happiness. Your worst mistakes and moments of trying uncertainty will not be the end of you, so long as you face them with people who care while wearing your most comfortable clothing. I’ll address that later.
I chose Binghamton University somewhat blindly and stumbled around slightly impaired for the entirety of my four years here. It was the friends who were willing to allow my emotions to become their emotions (I feel a lot) and the jobs I had been granted that both stabilized me and morally aligned me during the process.
Knowing how to pen my own name quite well, I signed up for a Pipe Dream GIM my freshman year. That decision has given me a great deal of what I am most proud to boast about when I look back on my time at BU. The office simultaneously became a home while it attempted to teach me how to behave professionally. Thank you, Jim, for allowing me back onto staff on two separate occasions. I’m the best.
Knowing how to mumble nervously to the people I sat next to during class and encountered in my living quarters, I formed amazing, interesting, engaging and beautiful friendships. I love every weirdo I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know (except you. You know who you are) and I hope to pick all of your brains for years to come.
Should you choose to declare majors in English and art history, push yourself to engage beyond the material. The unexpected relationships you create and the assignments you experiment with until it’s almost too late will make your degrees something to be proud of, rather than paper for incredibly valuable origami.
Pipe Dream Staff 2013-14: Thank you for putting up with me. I deeply care for and respect all of you for all of the hard work you put in despite the challenges we faced. Nick and Geoff: Thank you for essentially doing all of headlining. I hope I don’t have to headline this article. Rachel: I was the assistant you never wanted. Thank you for always being happy to see me anyway. Christina: Thank you for being so forgiving and so admirably patient in some really trying times. You’re all amazing.
To the women of Oneida 5J: I will never live with five other females again. Ever. But that is probably because I will never find five other humans who are wholeheartedly down to raise a stray caterpillar with me, no questions asked. I love you all. We love you, Liam.
Katie, Amanda, Rachel and Carla: You give me life. You hold my hand. You give me your clothing. You feed me food. I don’t deserve your lovin’ but I need you never leave me please I’m begging.
Mom and Dad: I have kindly provided you both with enough stress to last a lifetime. Inexplicably, you show me love and let me live in your house anyway. I am who I am because you two have given me everything you have.
Keera, my Didi: I am so excited to live out the next few years of my life on your futon. I’m kidding. Am I kidding? Haha. You have always been and will always be the only and the strongest role model I’ll ever need. Thank you for teaching me how to be cool. You did a horrible job.
I want to stress something, and I want to stress it to no end: It is okay to have no idea what you’re doing. Your indecisiveness and reckless decision-making — you may be mistaken for a free spirit. Your friends will know better — will lead you to some of your greatest and most rewarding experiences. Forgive yourself for making what might be regarded as bad decisions; I am convinced they are the key to your success at this University. Nobody knows anything and you’ll be OK.
If you’re from Long Island, I might advise admitting it rarely, if at all.
And finally, avoid wearing “professional” and “respectable” clothing for as long as you can. Buy a blazer, sure. Invest in a lime green pantsuit, if you must. But do bask in the days when no one expects you to behave or look like a “real person.” I promise that comfortable footwear will bring you to beautiful places.
Don’t ask me about the things I’ve said. Be your best potato.