My thoughts, feelings and experiences
Even though I still can’t believe that I’m already a junior in college, I can confidently say that I have grown so much as a person, student and friend throughout the past two years. While college comes with endless assignments, stressful nights and meeting countless amazing new people, it also serves as an important transition period into adulthood. I have learned some valuable life lessons in my first two years of college, and truly cannot wait to see what the next two will bring.
While I have explored the possibility of various majors in my time here, I ultimately decided on a double major in biology and environmental studies. In this decision-making process, I have learned that switching majors and career paths is completely normal and a part of the journey that should be embraced. Along with this, exploring different areas of research has been extremely rewarding, both in the opportunity to collaborate with other students and learning how to create a scientific approach to understanding and solving real-world problems. Working in research has taught me that the ever-changing world of science has endless opportunities and fields, and has opened my eyes to areas of research that I didn’t even know existed. Though I am not entirely certain what the future of my career holds, engaging with undergraduate research has shown me that there is space in the world for me to find a career path that truly aligns with my goals and interests, regardless of how long it takes to get there.
Aside from the academic part of college life, I would also like to reflect on the personal growth I have experienced within these past two years. The transition into life in a completely new city, on a campus with tens of thousands of students, came with many challenges that I was not prepared for. One being that I entered my freshman year not really knowing how to be confident in myself. Because of this, I spent a lot of time feeling insecure and comparing myself to others. After a year of working on this through therapy, surrounding myself with incredible people who uplift me and learning how to let go of the need for external validation, I can now say that I am a much more confident person than I was my freshman year.
With my first two years of college embodying academic and personal growth, I aim for my next two to consist of getting out of my comfort zone, embracing change and just enjoying every moment on campus. Even though my freshman and sophomore years have practically flown by, I still have so much more to explore and learn in my undergraduate years, and know that I will cherish every day in this stage of my life. My first two years have taught me to embrace the unknown, while finding peace and enjoyment in the process of discovering what my future holds.