Winter Dube

Campus Life Editor

Graduation is quickly approaching. In exactly two months from today, well… 61 days, I will become an alumna at VSU. This last semester of college has already been a great reality check for me. As my time closes here, I can safely say this semester is the most self-reflective experience I have had while at VSU. 

This is my story and I am not afraid to get personal about my time here. To be honest, when I came into college I was in a relationship that did not end too well. I missed out on many opportunities because I was giving all of my time and energy to someone else. To add, I feared trying new things. And at the time, I did not have a job or a car, so I was heavily dependent on others around me. I was in a tough situation and did not pick up a job until my second year. I also had a bit of insecurity in me and did not have any friends. I was not that social and my boyfriend at the time was all I had.  

I never regretted any relationship or experience I’ve had in life because I learned something about myself from everything I go through, and I think that is the best way to grow. What I do is regret is not giving myself enough self-respect or setting boundaries to enjoy my life. Many people can balance their relationship, school, work, and everything else… but for me I learned recently that I have to have my life in order first. 

I used to focus my whole life around men, and this is my first semester of college where I have decided I do not need anyone, but myself. Which is super cliche, but it is the best boundary I have made for myself in a while. I’ve focused this semester on my capstone for graduation, working at SGMC, spending time with my friends, frequently traveling, and really getting to know myself. In January, this transition of life was a bit difficult for me, since being in a relationship was all I knew. And about that job, I got my second year, yeah… I can be independent now. My advice so far for a freshman is simple: Get a job if you can, find ways to be independent, and spend time meeting people. 

I can write a whole diary about my experience at VSU, but I want to focus this story about the importance of connections. I have got so many opportunities at VSU and jobs, just by talking to people.  

When you become a “friend” with someone, the conversation must go below surface level. At that point, you are really just an acquaintance. I know people who avoid deep conversations and decide not to be friends with someone because of opposing opinions. It is important to just listen and understand, even if you do not support the mindset. And this goes the same way for them. If both parties can do this without fighting, then you can be friends. Although their thinking may be different, there is always something you can learn and potentially give or take from them. A connection.  

The relationships you have with your peers can shape your future and may even open the door to your success. When I say connections, I mean personal, emotional, or workplace relationships. In the workplace, you may not be personally close to someone, but many opportunities exist. For example, the reason I got my job at SGMC was through my friend I met in junior year then eventually reconnected with the following year. And now that I work at SGMC, I have been invited to many opportunities and a full-time job position after graduation. I have also been able to expand to eight different states for job opportunities, just by talking to people. As life continues, you should make sure to have as many connections as you can. 

From personal experience prior to college, I have had many memorable moments in my life through people I met years ago. When I was in a dark place, these people shined a light on my realization of connections. As I thought on this subject, I realized how many of the things I achieved would have been much harder without those in my life, and it is hard to go places without connections, but not impossible. Building relationships not only benefits knowledge you gain from other perspectives but teaches you the importance of fair treatment to all and makes communities more inclusive. This in the end can support really any goals in life by making it clear that there will always be a diverse set of people in your life, and that you need to work with everyone. Not working with them once, but to always be there for them. The people who are your colleagues or coworkers now may become your future partners in the workplace, so it is important to always be welcoming and treat them the way you want to be treated.  

Not only does building these relationships help in education or the workplace, but it also strengthens you as a person, builds opportunities, and gives you resources – to learn and connect made experiences to new ones you may create. Believe it or not, building relationships also builds your respect, care for others, integrity, and support. So, this one value can help many attributes of your life.   

Exploring different types of bonds can benefit any environment. Once again, my personal experience building bonds allowed me to have connections to people, opportunities, and resources. When relationships are formed, I am given the opportunity to collaborate with peers, work in group projects, ask questions, and receive advice for overall self-improvement. It allows me to better understand a community and provide opportunities to work with people of different backgrounds.  

To add, you can be more flexible when you have built relationships with others. Building bonds can benefit you academically by allowing you to get references for jobs and colleges and further explore your own knowledge. By providing positive interactions with people who surround your goals, you can learn more about things you need to work on and gain advice from all different aspects.  

Essentially, building connections is networking. People can exchange data and share resources with each other. Like a connection, networking allows you to have wider access to job opportunities, professional connections, advice, ideas, and valuable information. Through networking you can grow personally and in your business by building relationships and being able to get competitive. What do I mean by all of this? Simply, networking is important if you are trying to get out there. It is possible to build something and get to a higher status by yourself, but it may take longer time. Which is why if you can find people to help you get out there, you are in luck. Sometimes knowing a lot of people in your life is very useful.   

My best example of having someone to help me is my mentor. Although she is a family friend, I found my mentor through connections. To be honest, my family had drifted away from her but one night after not talking for many years, I reached out to her, and she changed my life. She guided me in exposing myself to new things. I love having her as a mentor, and I think it is important for everyone to have one. If it had not been for my mentor, I would have never been able to discover so much. Actually, had it not been for many people in my life, I would not have the knowledge or resources I do today. 

After reading this, I hope this gives a reason why you should begin to connect with people. You can connect literally everywhere and anywhere. Sometimes the person you meet by chance can become the connection that changes your life.