By Meira Berkowitz, Staff Writer
We all absorb repetitive and cliché advice from advisors and upperclassmen regarding a meaningful college experience. Get involved, go to events, put yourself out there. We’ve all dismissed those notions at first, but such advice tends to feel different after a few semesters, once we realize how different opportunities and interactions can shape our experience.
Seniors at Yeshiva University were asked to reflect on their transition to college life and what they wish they had known sooner. Their answers point to a few consistent lessons about growth, hesitation and the unexpected ways meaning is built over time.
One recurring theme was the value of simply saying yes. Shoshana Fisher (SCW ‘26) recalled a piece of advice she once heard from Rabbi Yosef Blau. “I try to say yes to things,” she told the YU Observer. That mindset, she explained, became a guiding principle. “You have more time and energy and effort to give than you think.”
In a new environment where it is easy to stay comfortable or isolated, the simple act of choosing participation can quietly shape everything that follows. Looking back, Fisher described how many of the most meaningful parts of her Stern College for Women experience began with small decisions to show up. “You never know what saying yes will lead to,” she said. “I can trace which friend I made because I worked at the Seforim Sale, the events I’ve learned about because I decided to sit in the caf, and countless other examples…Mitzvah Goreret Mitzvah, and saying yes to an experience will lead to another.”
At the same time, Talia Feldman (SCW ‘26) emphasized that growth doesn’t have to happen all at once. Adjustments and transitions are not something to rush through. College is not only about what boxes you check and what tasks you accomplish, but also about gradually learning to exist within a new space, building relationships and identity across time and experience. “Relationships with teachers and with people in general are very important but take time to build,” she told the YU Observer. “You don’t need to grow up so fast; it’s okay to take time to adjust.”
Sofia Rauh (SCW ‘26) reflected on how easy it is to underestimate the importance of involvement early on. “I wish I had gotten involved sooner,” she told the YU Observer. “I came in a little hesitant and needed time to find my footing, but once I started putting myself out there in my second semester, my entire experience shifted.”
What changed was not just Rauh’s schedule and availability but her sense of belonging. “I found community, purpose, and so many opportunities that I hadn’t even realized were available to me. Looking back, I wish I had trusted myself earlier, because being proactive really makes all the difference.”
Dvir Sabag (YC ‘26) reflected on how much time he lost to hesitation early on. His advice is simple: stop overthinking, start doing and make the most of what’s around you. “I wish I had spent less time overthinking things and more time just doing. Trying things, meeting people, putting myself in new situations without worrying so much about how it would go,” he told the YU Observer.
Over time, Sabag realized that what mattered most wasn’t just close friendships, but also his peripheral connections in the environment around him. “Random conversations, relationships with professors, and just being around people who push you in different ways.”
Aiden Harow (YC ‘26) emphasized the value of stepping outside of comfort zones, even when it feels uncertain. Some of the most meaningful experiences came from decisions that initially felt unexpected or intimidating, from taking unfamiliar courses, to joining new groups and saying yes to opportunities without overthinking them. “I dove in, and ended up having incredibly fulfilling experiences that gave me skills and memories I’ll take with me for life,” he told the YU Observer.
His mindset also shifted in a deeper way as he became more intentional about his studies and personal growth, finding greater balance and meaning in his YU experience. If he could offer one sentence of advice to his freshman-year self, it would be to focus less on outcomes and more on the process itself.
Looking across these reflections, a clear pattern emerges. The most meaningful parts of college rarely come from carefully planned decisions, but from small and often uncomfortable ones. Whether it’s getting involved earlier, slowing down and avoiding the rush or learning to stop overthinking, each student pointed differently to the same idea: college becomes what you’re willing to participate in. In hindsight, it’s less about doing everything “right” and more about being present enough to let things happen.
Photo Credit: Yeshiva University