Balancing Act

A YOUNG ALUMNA CONSIDERS LIFE AFTER CORNELL

WALKING DOWN THE HALLWAY in Clara Dickson Hall on any given night, I might pass a couple of guys strategizing the best approach for acquiring prime hockey seats; music would filter into the hall from my neighbors' rooms as they studied; two friends would stand around discussing weekend plans; someone would be strolling down the corridor, recruiting people for a Hot Truck run.

When I walk down the hall of my New York City apartment building, it is strikingly silent in comparison. I resist the desire to knock on neighbors' doors to say hello, realizing that we do not share study sessions, leisurely dining hall meals, and communal teeth-brushing sessions as I did with my dormmates.

Since I graduated in 2005, college memories linger as I compare and contrast those student days with life in the working world. My first year out, I felt like a freshman again. To connect with familiar faces in a new place, I gravitated toward young alumni brunches and museum trips through Big Apple Red, the Metro New York region's young alumni committee, and the Cornell Jewish Connection.

Just as I began to adjust, the next phase of college withdrawal surfaced as the Class of 2006 left Ithaca behind. Reminiscing with these recent graduates, the former Resident Advisor in me recognized this change as universal--yet we lacked an outlet to express this nostalgia while moving forward in our lives. How, I wondered, would the Class of 2007 feel one year from now? Could we help them by sharing our experiences, the adventures mingled with the challenges?

I aspired to bridge these two worlds in the Daily Sun. Throughout the summer of 2006, I interviewed young alumni to see if there was enough material for a column and found many willing to talk. The column, called "One Year Out," debuted in September 2006. Published every other Friday, it has addressed such topics as the metamorphosis of seniors "from baggy jeans to a tailored suit"; the similarities between my undergraduate course-shopping addiction and the possibilities for lifetime learning after college; and the importance of creating your own internship opportunities and pursuing your career dreams.My columns are greatly influenced by my peers; when I have an idea, I run it by several other young alumni. I also hope to receive feedback from readers through my new blog: http://juliaoneyearout.blogspot.com/.

Writing the column has taught me a great deal about myself and my peers. I recognize that life after college has its ups and downs, but that it's what we make of the experience that matters. Despite my nostalgia for hockey games, hallway studying, and latenight snack runs, I am adjusting. I'm not sure when the transition ends, but I know that if I close my eyes, the Frisbee players on the Arts Quad, the chalkings on Ho Plaza, and the chiming of the Clock Tower will never be too far away. As I approach two years out, I wonder what the next few months will bring. For now, I am content, knowing that these two worlds can co-exist: the memories of a Cornell student with the present experiences of an alumna.

-- Julia Levy '05

JULIA LEVY, a government major in the College of Arts and Sciences, writes "One Year Out" for the Daily Sun. She works as a research assistant at Tanner and Co., Inc., in New York City.