As freshmen, students usually arrive on campus with plenty of good intentions. However, by the time senior year comes around, they’re often unfulfilled. Many seniors graduate regretting they hadn’t done certain things, but also pleased with the goals they did fulfill. Here are the stories of two UW seniors and their do’s and don’ts for underclassmen.

Cathy Welch

A biology major, Cathy Welch is about to graduate and is headed for Seattle University Law School next fall. She said she feels proud of the things she did accomplish as a Husky, especially her extracurricular activities. Among these was her decision to join a sorority.

“[Going Greek] helped me to transition to college and introduced me to a lot of experiences I would not have had otherwise,” Welch said. “I’m still friends with people I met freshman year, and some of my best times in college were through the sorority and being a part of the Greek community.”

Welch also looks back fondly on her decision to become a Freshman Interest Group leader, which she said not only boosted her confidence, but also proved to be a lot of fun.

“I wish I had done this my sophomore year,” Welch said. “It’s an amazing and rare opportunity to be a peer instructor, and not to mention fun. I feel much more confident in myself as a person and as a leader after teaching a class.”

Welch said she’s glad she pushed herself to find internships while in college, which helped her résumé as she applied for law school, but also pushed her personally and professionally.

“I have been in research labs since halfway through my junior year and was able to learn a lot of interesting techniques and knowledge that I never would’ve outside of class,” Welch said. “Internships, whether research labs or something else, are a great way to see if this is something you can see yourself doing professionally or even just because you enjoy the field.”

Among her regrets is her decision to overload on difficult science and math courses at the same time, instead of breaking it up and balancing scientific courses with less technical ones.

“It’s usually not a good idea to take chemistry, physics and calculus in the same quarter unless you are a mathematical-scientific genius, which I am not,” she said.

Welch wishes she’d worked less in college and focused more on academics, particularly because of the demanding nature of her major.

“While overloading my courses freshman and sophomore year, I thought I could handle working a part-time job,” Welch said. “In my experience, the first two years of college taught me how to study more efficiently so that I could handle working a job on top of school. So, don’t work unless you have to.”

Tim Harris

Tim Harris came to the UW with a specific plan in mind: to get into medical school. He focused heavily on academics and pursued the right course requirements. However, today he said he has learned that activities outside the classroom are just as important — if not more so — than those in it.

“Like most pre-med students, I became a Husky with the mentality that being a doctor is the be-all-end-all pursuit,” Harris said. “However, UW creates an environment outside the classroom that sparks student innovation and curiosity. I have learned a lot more about why I pursue medicine through volunteering and extra curriculars than I have in the classroom.”

Harris said one of the most important things he learned academically was the importance of office hours and attending them when he needed help.

“I realized that professors are genuinely interested in their students,” Harris said. “They want to hear your stories. Also, you never know what opportunities professors can connect you to.”

He learned the importance of showing Husky pride and not being afraid to.

“It’s important to remember that you are a Husky,” Harris said. “Whether you go to the football games or not, this is your university. So take advantage of it, and show your pride for our school.”

As far as regrets go, Harris wishes he’d done certain things differently but wouldn’t go as far as to express them as such.

“I don’t really believe you should have true regrets,” Harris said. “Every opportunity and experience happens for a reason.”

Do’s and don’ts for Husky underclassmen

Do: Get involved. The UW has nearly 700 clubs and many more departments that accommodate for everyone’s interests. And if there isn’t an organization that is available, you can start your own.

Do: Ask questions. The biggest amount of learning comes out of a natural curiosity. Whether you ask questions in lecture or ask questions about larger social issues, speak up. There are 40,000 people on campus; there are at least five people who will listen.

Do: Go to office hours. Not only will they help academically, but you may actually bond with your professors. Not to mention, you never know when you may need letters of recommendation down the line, such as for graduate school.

Do: Show Husky pride. Even if you don’t attend sporting events, find some way to express pride in your university.

Don’t: Have regrets. Every opportunity and experience happens for a reason.

Don’t: Overload your courses. Balance tougher science or math courses with lighter, less technical ones.

Don’t: Forget that time is short. Soak up everything you can, while you can. Try as many new things as you can, and don’t be afraid if they don’t all work out. The journey is as important as the destination.