By Steve Ryan
Starting a new year and a new term is both exciting and scary at the same time. Looking forward to new classes, a new term, and new instructors is a fresh start for you. You are taking another step forward. I see my former students and wave. We chat and share your exciting progress. I greet my new students and I am excited to help them succeed at take the next step.
But at the same time, this brings challenges. That can be scary or exciting. It’s all about your mindset. Are you looking forward to your new classes or are you scared to take the next step? It’s up to you. All of this is being done for your future.
Your Future is in Sight
Stepping into life after college can feel both exciting and unsettling, and that combination is completely normal. The next step doesn’t have to be a perfect or permanent choice; early experiences are about learning, building skills, and discovering what fits. Whether in a first job or further study, showing up consistently, asking questions, and being open to feedback will matter more than having everything figured out.
Relationships continue to be important—staying in touch with mentors, treating peers with respect, and approaching networking as genuine curiosity rather than self-promotion can open unexpected doors. At the same time, it’s important to manage practical realities like finances, time, and well-being by living within your means, reading the fine print, and recognizing that rest and balance are essential, not indulgent. Feeling uncertain or behind compared to others is common, but comparison rarely tells the full story. Growth comes from being willing to try, reflect, adjust, and sometimes start again.
You don’t need a detailed long-term plan; you need the confidence to take the next step, learn from it, and keep moving forward with intention.
Starting Your College Career:
Starting your college career with a future profession in mind is an exciting opportunity to be intentional about your time and growth. Begin by exploring broadly while staying curious—your major may shape your path, but the skills you
