After my final tomorrow, I will be graduating from university with my second bachelors degree. My first graduation was in the spring 2019 semester, and I will graduate again this Sunday. My first degree is a BS in Criminal Justice and Criminology with an undergraduate certificate in Homeland Security and Terrorism. The second degree is another BS in Computer Science and Cybersecurity with emphasis in Secure Software Programming. I will admit that I am slightly torn. Part of me has the feeling of "Thank the Gods I'm done with this crap!" and the other half of me is "Oh God. I now have to find a job during COVID."
Looking back on my time in university and getting two degrees, I would have to say that if I had all of it to do over again, there are some things that I wish I would have known when I first started and I'd like to share them with you.
The first thing that I wish I would have known about is that it is okay to fail. I was told by one of my teachers that failure is inevitable, and that is okay. Another professor told me that if you give 110% to a class, and still fail, get back up and try again. At least you know that you went out guns blazing. The only issue is if you fail and you didn't give it everything that you had. Either way, failure is unavoidable; so get back up and take the class again.
The second piece of advise that I was given was get to know your professors and make yourself known to them. I had a professor by the name of Dr. James Loch. During my sophomore year, he pulled me aside and gave me a reality check. He told me that there was no way that I was going to pass his class, and that I just needed to drop out of his class. This was harsh at the time, but he explained that it was better to take the W on my transcript than to have 2 F's worth 4 credits (Lecture+Lab) on my transcript. Years later, I had asked him why he did that with me, and he explained that he actually got to know me, my strengths, weaknesses, etc. He knew I loved the sciences, but I wasn't the greatest at it, so he told me to swallow my pride and save my GPA. Furthermore, there are some benefits to getting to know your professors on a more personal level. If they can see that you're putting in the effort, going to office hours, asking for tutors, asking questions, asking for advice, and talking with them outside of class, just doing that simple stuff was sometimes the difference between a C or D, or a B and C. If you get to know your professors, and they get to know you, they may even bend the rules and allow you to submit missed assignments in late for reduced points.
The third thing that I would advise you do, is to get rid of the mindset that you can do it on your own. ASK FOR HELP!!!! If you don't understand something, don't be afraid to ask for help, send an email, stay after class, go to office hours, ask it in the middle of class. The other part is if you're not doing as good as you'd like in a particular class, DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST TWO WEEKS TO ASK YOUR PROFESSORS ABOUT "WHAT CAN I DO TO BRING UP MY GRADE?" It annoys the hell out of the professors and they find those emails extremely funny because there is literally nothing that they can do to help you out in the last two weeks of class. You need to ask around the midterm, the moment you see your grade slipping, ask what can be done. They have more flexibility to help you when there is 20 assignments outstanding than just having the final left. In a similar fashion, turning in something late is always better than not turning it in at all. 50% of a grade is better than nothing because trust and believe it when I say this. Firstly, it makes calculating your grade at the end of the semester extremely difficult, and that 50% that you could have earned is the difference between you passing a class and failing.
The fourth thing is that it's okay if you have to take some time off from school. I started my college education in 2011. I took 4 years off between 2013 and 2017. I needed that time to mature as an adult. After starting school again, I went from a 2.01 to a 2.85 cumulative GPA, and a 2.5 semester average to making the Deans List with 3.5+ semester GPAs. It does not matter how long it takes you to get your degree as long as you get it in the end. My first degree took me from August 2011-Spring 2019 to get. Stop comparing yourself to others because it doesn't matter in the end.
This next one, no one had to explain to me, but I'm going to tell it to you in case you didn't know. The degree you get is directly linked to how much you'll be making in the job field. Your degree does matter, and it will have an impact whether you want it to or not. At the very bottom is a General Studies Degree. This degree is the worst for employment prospectives, and ultimately is a waste of money. This degree is given to those who earned 120 hours, but they did not focus on any one subject. Just above that is an independent study degree. This means that you designed your own degree, but has the same effect as a general studies major. The next tier up is anything with the word 'Studies' in it. This includes, but is not limited to Religious Studies, Gender Studies, African American Studies, etc. This degree will only pay you dividends if you get up to, and earn a PhD in this area of study. It is only good for teaching at universities; however, if you're interested in this field of study, then minor in it. Do NOT get a BA in it. The next tier up is an Arts major. The job field is very tight for these majors, and typically, they don't end up getting a job in their major. Above this is the humanities. This includes, but is not limited to Criminal Justice, Sociology, Social Working, etc. The jobs that will typically get you a public sector position. Finally, at the top is the true sciences. Chemistry, Biology, Geology, Physics, Computer Science/IT, etc. These degrees are difficult. Not a lot of people can make it through them; however, for those that do? It pays off in the end.
The final piece of advice that I can give you is that the extra curricular activities that you join do not matter in the end. I joined a fraternity and was a part of my Student Government; however, it hasn't done anything to help me out in the end. Do not waste your time or money. You're in college to get a degree. That is it. Focus on that, and you'll do just fine.
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