Welp. Shit. You’re not quite sure how it happened. Somehow, while you were busy studying and cramming and skipping class and getting drunk and dating guys and hating guys and partying and laughing and loving and living, time went by. Now all of a sudden, you’re standing at your university, in a room surrounded by letters and pictures and memories you don’t quite remember, and facing the really, really hard truth: this is it. Your last semester. The end of your college career.

And while I could tell you to get drunk every night, and hook up with that guy (or girl. Experiment while you can) you’ve always had a crush on (and I still totally support this), there are a few other things you might want to consider doing while you multitask getting “freshman year drunk.” Here are a few tips, tricks, and pieces of guidance to help you as you embark on the most stressful semester ever. It might seem impossible, but trust me. If we can make it, so can you.

1. Get an internship.
   This is the key to landing a job before graduation day.
2. And kick-ass at said internship.
   Now isn’t the time to arrive late and avoid doing actual work.
3. Clean up your social media.
   So long pictures of drunken makeouts, hello photos from your volunteer work at the humane society. 
4. And understand how to utilize it.
   If you haven’t grasped the best ways to used LinkedIn, Twitter for business, or Instagram for promotion, do it. Social media is the future, so you need to be smart about it.
5. Organize, tidy, and perfect your resume.
   Take it to someone who knows their shit, and have them edit it for you.
6. Figure out how to write a fire cover letter.
   Trust me, it’s one of the few things that will set you apart from everyone else.
7. Read up on how to impress at an interview.
   Because not having any questions, not making good eye contact, and forgetting your interviewer’s name isn’t the ticket to success.
8. And invest in a nice suit, some sensible shoes, and a portfolio.
   That Forever 21 blazer just won’t cut it anymore.
9. While you’re at it, buy some more professional clothes.
   You won’t need crop tops and body chains where you’re going. 
10. Attend those lame networking events at your school.
    Sure, spending a day in your school gym talking to people in suits sounds like hell. And it is. But it’s also the key to landing a 401(k) and being able to buy a shit-ton of Kate Spade. 
11. And actually send emails and thank you notes to every company you’re interested in.
    If you spoke to them at an event, interviewed with them, or just got their card, send them a thanks. It’s the easiest way to woo them. 
12. Visit with your guidance counselor, ask for help.
    It’s their literal job.
13. Visit with your favorite professors, ask for help.
    They know you best, they have the connections, and most of them actually want to help. 
14. Visit with your families or trusted adults who actually have jobs, ask for help.
    Trust me, dad is just waiting to explain documents, job applications, and retirement plans to you. 
15. Make applying for jobs a full time job.
    Sure, Netflix is great. But being able to afford Netflix is even better.
16. Be aggressive, and don’t be lazy about the search.
    Applying to two jobs a week with a generic resume isn’t the way people find their dream jobs. 
17. Start applying for jobs like, last semester.
    But if you haven’t started, do it now. You want a job BEFORE you graduate, not a year after.
18. Plan your next steps, and have some backup plans.
    Whether it’s find an apartment, move back home, or take a year to travel, figure it out and do it. 
19. Evaluate your college relationship.
    If your visions for the future don’t match up, it might be time to call it quits. 
20. And your relationships with friends and sisters.
    Stop wasting your precious time on people you don’t care about. Trust me, you’ll lose contact with most of them in six months. 
21. Throw out the hooker heels and trade them for timeless pieces.
    Your grandma, and your future HR rep will thank you. 
22. Consider all of your options.
    Apply for lots of jobs, in different categories, in different places. Who knows? Maybe you think you want to be a television producer in California, but you really want to be a writer in Texas. 
23. And throw out a wide variety of bait.
    You won’t get nibbles without dedication, patience, and skill (P.S. I hate this fishing metaphor just as much as you do. Sorry). 
24. Make the most of your college resources.
    That writing lab? The career center? All of the courses you can casually drop in on? Yeah. Once you walk across that stage you’ll wish you would have utilized them more. 
25. And get involved in everything you want/have time to do.
    That dance class, the 24 hour gym, the club you’ve always been sort of embarrassed to join but really really wanted to? Do it now. Trust me, you’ll learn something from it. 
26. Have the hard conversations with your boyfriend/parents/friends.
    Whether it’s about what you want to do, where you want to go, or how you’re going to get there. Be honest and open and get it over with. 
27. Figure out “your drink.”
    Because if you order moscato at a work happy hour event, you will never be taken seriously. 
28. And how to handle your alcohol.
     Throwing up on the dance floor and making out with your coworker while simultaneously crying into your drink is also not the way to be taken seriously. 
29. Take tons of pictures, but stop posting them.
    The less photos of wristbands and cleavage, the better.
30. Learn how to budget your money.
    It’s not fun, but it’ll be necessary when you realize you have to pay for cable, rent, water, electricity, your student loan, your car loan, your credit card bills, and your phone bill all in the same month.
31. Learn how to manage your time.
    It’s all about priorities. Working out and sleeping might be ones you have to knock out. 
32. Get a credit card, and practice being responsible with it.
    Please see again: learn how to budget. 
33. Research any companies you’re applying to, people who are interviewing you, and places you might move before taking the next step.
    Nothing is worse than showing up someplace new and being unprepared. Besides, now you can put your stalking skills to good use. 
34. Be open to the unexpected.
    It’s okay to do something different than your exact plan.
35. But push for your dreams.
    If you don’t do it, someone else will.
36. Get business cards, give business cards, and network everywhere.
    You never know who might be looking to hire you.
37. Take a deep breath, go one step at a time, and make the most of it.
    It only gets better from here. Promise.

Trust me. You got this..

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Rachel Varina

(yeahokaywhat) Aspiring to be the next Tina Fey, Rachel spends her free time doing nothing to reach that goal. While judging people based on how they use "they're" vs. "there" on social media, she likes eating buffalo chicken dip, watching other people's Netflix, and wearing sweatpants way more than is socially acceptable.

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