John Terry Caesar is a Georgia Southern senior graduating next week. Originally from Newnan, he writes here about his experience coming to Statesboro to attend college on his own. He also shares about his experience freelancing with Grice Connect.
For people like me, college was my first adventure into the real world. When I first came to Georgia Southern, I was very excited to start my new life as a semi-adult. And while overall, the college experience has benefited me in so many ways, there’s a lot I wish I had known ahead of time.
College can be really fun; for many such as myself, this is your first taste of freedom. But that freedom comes with a lot more responsibility. And while juggling that freedom and responsibility, you’re doing nothing but learning: Learning about life, learning about classes, learning new things in classes, learning how to afford rent and budget, and learning to navigate social situations you may never have been through before.
It’s hard, and it can be exhausting. This is why my number 1 advice as a college student would be not to overwork yourself. When you push yourself too hard and don’t give yourself time to relax, that catches up with you. You can run out of steam just at the halfway mark of the race, and your grades may start to suffer.
Another piece of advice I have is to find your motivation. Make sure, little by little, you’re always working towards the goal after college is over. Never be afraid to try something new if it helps you get closer to your goal, even if you have to think outside the box a little.
Take advantage of the college lifestyle. There’s so much more to college than just books. Find a club, job, internship, or anything that can help you move forward in your future career.
Professors made a difference
I would like to thank some of my more standout professors, like Robert Terry, William Dawson, and Mathew Moogle, for not only being great teachers but in some way, shape, or form each helping me learn life lessons that became crucial to my development as a growing college student.
Grice Connect experience
One of the biggest turning points in my senior year was my experience with Grice Connect. I learned about Grice on accident while researching a story when I had just started out for The George Anne. After honing my craft for a few semesters, I finally managed to get the job, and so far, it’s been the best job I’ve ever had.
Working for Grice Connect has given me tons of local reporting experience and a new respect for journalism. In addition, I got to see different sides to the community I never got to experience before, like when I covered On Target Martial Arts. I never knew there was a martial arts school in Statesboro, let alone one that makes it its mission to give back to the community. And also, they teach stunt work there, which was amazing for me to find out.
I even got the chance to get involved with some of the local activities, like when I covered Taste of Downtown or Little Lotts Creek Cleanup or Statesboro’s first Peach State Show Out Texas Longhorn cattle show, or even covering my first bull rodeo show!
I got to go on so many adventures, all of which were fun. It also helped to have an editor and a boss who are not just great to work with professionally but also supported me whenever I needed help on and off the job.
It can be hard work sometimes, and how I balanced it and taking 18-hour classes at the same time is still beyond me. If I could only count the number of times I had to do an interview in Downtown Statesboro only for me to immediately get back to class in 10 minutes...
I don’t think I’ll ever forget this job. It helped keep my motivation throughout my senior year of school and taught me how being a journalist can be awesome.
Congratulations, John, on your graduation! We appreciate your willingness to always "show up" and get the interview. We wish you all the best!
