I started my freshman year of college only seven months ago, but every step of the way I felt like I wasn’t doing enough. It is hard to look around you at your classmates and peers and see how much they have accomplished. My least favorite feeling is looking at everyone’s LinkedIn and seeing the internships and experiences they have already had, when all mine is filled with is my hobbies and job experience. Don’t get me wrong, I am proud of what I have done so far, but as a pre-law student, my part time jobs aren’t going to cut it. With this, here are some of the ways I have gotten over the creeping feeling that I am far behind in my professional journey.
Focus on what you care about
What I have learned over years of stretching my time and energy between loads of extracurriculars is that the number of things you do simply does not matter. Being involved in a hundred organizations and being a member of a million clubs doesn’t matter in the long run, it’s what you actually put your effort into. Getting leadership opportunities and the position to make a difference in an organization is much more impactful concerning not only applications but also experience.
In recent years, I have developed my experience through working entirely unrelated to my future profession. Through these experiences though, I have developed qualities that a leader in any realm of work must have, such as being able to delegate and be independent. Without going on my own path, which is typically thought to be less successful, I would never have gotten the skills necessary to be successful!
This doesn’t by any means have to be working though. Everybody is different! Focusing on what you care about with the goal of being successful can be through simple things, such as focusing on school or focusing on your health. ultimately, becoming the best version of yourself in whatever way you see fit is the same journey.
Stop comparing
Comparing oneself to others is an action that I believe to be somewhat impossible to stop doing. Whether it be with the experience one has or their appearance, it is a natural thing to do. In some situations, comparison isn’t a true negative action, and can sometimes push you to do better. But in many cases, and especially so regarding ones experience and professional journey, it isn’t always positive.
I recently put together my LinkedIn, and as soon as I started connecting with my peers, I couldn’t help but look at their pages. As I did this, I saw all of their internships and experience within law firms and immediately felt like I was 10 steps behind everyone else in my classes. I have never had an internship or any professional experience in my future field of work, but I always told myself it isn’t something to worry about yet because I am only a freshman. I try to tell myself this still, but it is a bit harder now that I know others have so much professional experience.
So, if I have any advice for you, it’s to not compare yourself with others! It only makes you doubt your capabilities.
Feeling like you are falling behind isn’t an uncommon feeling to have, so don’t feel bad if you feel this way too! It is crucial to remember that everyone develops their skills differently and everyone has a different path.