You can (and should) go back

Staci

If you're graduating from college this spring, you probably can't imagine not being on campus — hanging out in the dorms, roaming the library stacks, playing Frisbee  on the green. But once you graduate, why would you go back?

That's a question I've struggled with for a long time.

I've been out of school for awhile, and until recently I hadn't set foot on my college campus in about five years. Considering that I live in the city where my college is located, that's pretty sad. But I figured I'd already had my four years, and there was a whole new generation of students to whom the campus now belonged. I guess I didn't think I was welcome.

A few months ago, though, things changed: I was recruited for a leadership board at my alma mater . Since then I've had a chance to spend some time on campus, with recent graduates, and with this year's graduating class. I've reconnected with some of my own college classmates on Facebook . And I've been asked to help with a Class of '93 tailgate at homecoming — my 15-year reunion, gasp! — this fall.

After all this time away, it feels good to be back.

As you're graduating, you're probably experiencing two emotions, maybe even simultaneously: that you can't wait to get out of there, and that you're so sad to go. I think that's completely normal.

But I also think that as you move on, it's important for you to stay connected to your college in the ways that matter to you, whether it's through your relationships with friends and professors, your support of arts or athletics, your gifts to the annual fund, or your participation in the alumni association.

So my advice to you, new graduates, is this: After giving yourself some necessary time and space away from college, you can — and should — go back. You are welcome, and you belong there. Don't wait as long as I did.

Congratulations to the Class of 2008!