What the Seniors Know Now
I’ve known I would write this piece since my first year, when I wrote a similar piece interviewing my fellow first years on what it was like to come to college, and what I wish I’d known. I’d thought back then that I’d mirror the piece when I was a senior, but that time felt so far away then, and now, here it is. I came in as an Undeclared first year, using she/her pronouns, and had only been out of the country to just across the Canadian border. Now I’d like to reintroduce myself. Hi, my name is Zara Peters, I use she/they pronouns. I am a Senior BFA Acting Major with a double minor in Creative Writing and Psychology, and have traveled to Athens and Crete, Greece for Preview, and spent a semester living abroad in Gold Coast, Australia. I am not the same person I was when I started at Arcadia, and I know the same is true for my peers.
We have grown so much, so I asked a few of them what they wish they had known, or what advice they would give to their younger selves before coming to college, and here’s what they said.
My dear friend Dakota Lewis ’26 (who was also interviewed in the first year iteration of this interview!) states, “I think I would tell my younger self to talk to more people and not be afraid to try things even if they don’t end up going well,” and I can echo that statement. A lot of growth comes from trying new things. You never know what you will attach to before you try it; you might find something or someone who ends up being important in your life, but if you’re afraid, you won’t ever find that growth.
Ven Mubarak ’26 wants to tell their younger self: “You will have endless chances for growth, change, and opportunities, so don’t try to prove yourself to others. You will know when it’s time to move on to the next big thing.” We worry so much about what others think that we sometimes forget that we are the ones living our lives.
Isaiah Sassine’s ’26 advice to their younger self is to “always take care of yourself. In order to do the things you need to do, you need to eat, sleep, and give yourself time to take in the things around you. Live in the moment and stay true to yourself.” Self-care can often go neglected when so much is happening coming into adulthood and your 20s, it is essential to listen to yourself, your body, intuition, emotions, etc. You come first.
And lastly, some advice I would give my younger self. I actually have been thinking about my younger self a lot lately, as it relates to my thesis. I was terrified coming into college, and I think that’s because I had no idea who I was then. I naturally still have a long way to go, but I have a much stronger grasp on my own sense of self. I know what I value and have surrounded myself with people who make me feel safe and loved. My advice? Be vulnerable. Vulnerability has led me to people who I feel understand me, professions I feel connected to, and to immense personal growth. Being vulnerable enough to express myself both in private and in public has changed my life. It’s led me to trust myself more and worry about people’s opinions of me less. It’s absolutely terrifying, but I beg you, be vulnerable; it will show you the right path to take.
