Would you like some advice?  If you’re young, you may feel as though you have heard way too many hints, tips, and suggestions about how you ought to live.  Before Devarte’ Posey even stepped foot on campus, the Stillman freshman from Leeds, Alabama got enough advice to carry him through the next four years—or maybe a decade or two.

Although Devarte’ never got in trouble in high school, he knows that he could have done better academically.  “I always did okay in school.  But near the end of high school, I started applying myself and I realized that I probably could have been an A student all along.” 

Unlike many freshmen, who might be tired of getting unsolicited advice, Devarte’ is already taking some of the advice he was given about succeeding in college. “My father said, “If you’re going to do something, do the whole thing.  Don’t half do it! Don’t slack off.  Find something you love and do it right.” My mom said, “Stay on the right path. Make sure you study and work hard in college.”

Even his big sister had some sage tidbits to share.  “Think about what you need versus what you want.  Make sure you keep your mind focused.  Limit the things you love to do and focus on the things you need to do,” she said.

During Freshman Orientation, Devarte’ had time to play, relax and have fun.  Once classes began, he started thinking about his big sister’s advice.  “I know I need to get an education, so I need to study.  Sometimes I may want to hang out at McDonald’s or in the gym, but I have to think about what I need to do.”

Devarte’ felt a little nervous on the first day of classes, but he remembered his father’s warning about not “half-stepping” and his mother’s advice about working hard.   When his professor told the class to write an essay about freedom, Devarte’ got so absorbed in his exposition that he was still writing when the class ended.

While learning and getting good grades will be a priority for Devarte’, he would also like to be involved on campus. “I might join a Christian organization. Going to Bible study really helped me in high school. Also, I may walk on the basketball team,” Devarte’ says. “But I won’t ignore the advice my family gave me, because I’m here to get a good education, pursue a career and be successful.”