Twords of Twisdom: Advice from 2009 graduates for the incoming Class of 2013 – in 140 characters or fewer
UNO Alum (Summer 2009)
By Wendy Townley

More than 1,400 UNO students earned degrees during May’s commencement ceremonies at Omaha’s Civic Auditorium. While they donned their caps and gowns, they undoubtedly walked the stage different individuals than when they first set foot on campus.

The lessons they learned, the experiences they’ve shared, could easily fill several pages of a book. Yet Americans live in the information age, where Web 2.0 means keep it short and simple, but make it meaningful.

To that end, UNO sought advice from recent graduates for the university’s anticipated 1,850 freshmen students who are campus-bound this fall.

The catch: the advice provided could only be the length of a Twitter update (also sweetly referred to as a “tweet”), which is 140 characters (with spaces).

Below are words of wisdom from these recent graduates, along with their Twitter usernames – should you wish to keep tabs on their progress post-graduation.

“Remember that the whole point of being here is to learn. Find a subject you love and pursue it as far as you can.”
– Jesse Andersen, @gotosleep

“Say yes to new things, say no to vices, stay involved, take a break when you’re overwhelmed and enjoy! Time will pass quicker than you know.”
– Jackie Chavez, @jackelina08

“Here’s your chance to prove them all wrong. First, find your purpose. Then, have the courage to become the person you’re destined to be.”
– Kristyna Engdahl, @kristynaengdahl

“Get ready to go back.”
– Di Kang, @dikang

“Find people to take classes with, to study with, help you along the way, and keep you accountable. The people you meet will be invaluable.”
– Meredith Klein, @merklein

“Freshmen should hunker down the 1st year to get good grades; it’s much easier to maintain your GPA than to bring it up later.”
– John R Nixon, @johnrnixon

Finding your way around Twitter

If you can type, you can Twitter.

Developed by a Nebraska native, Twitter is an online application that’s free, allowing its users to post brief updates about absolutely anything. To date, Twitter has nearly 5 million users around the globe.

If you’re familiar with the status update feature on Facebook, you’ll be “tweeting” (the act of updating your Twitter account) in no time.

However, your update can only be 140 characters (including spaces) or less.

Now, let’s try Twitter.

(1)    Visit www.twitter.com and create a username and password.

(2)    Remember your username and password, as you’ll need it each time you login to Twitter.

(3)    What are you doing? Simply type anything in the update box and click the “update” button. Consider mentioning your plans for the weekend, your thoughts on the latest headlines or even what you had for lunch.

(4)    As you type, pay close attention to the number toward the top left of the update box. It keeps a running count of how much space you have left.

(5)    Share your Twitter account with friends and family. The Web address will be http://www.twitter.com/YOURUSERNAME

As you navigate the Web, you’ll find other Twitter users (also referred to as “tweeples”) whom you may wish to follow. When you are logged into Twitter, simply click the “Follow” button that appears under their user icon. Their Twitter updates will automatically be fed to your Twitter homepage.

Consider following these UNO Twitter accounts. Remember: after you’ve logged into your Twitter account, just click follow under the user icon.

• UNO: www.twitter.com/unomaha

• UNO Alumni Association: www.twitter.com/unoalumni

• UNO Athletics: www.twitter.com/omavs

• Classical 90.7 KVNO: www.twitter.com/kvno

• UNO Criss Library: www.twitter.com/unolibrary

• KANEKO-UNO Library: www.twitter.com/kanekolib

• The Gateway: www.twitter.com/unogateway

UNO, several UNO colleges and even UNO Athletics also have a home on Facebook. Visit www.facebook.com to conduct searches using the full names of each group on campus. Become our “friend” and remember to keep in touch.

UNO Alum on the Web: www.unoalumni.org/magazine