When I first came to SJSU, I found myself lost and super anxious about myself and the direction of my life. Coming from high school where there was a lot of community and people I had known for years, I found myself pretty out of place with all the new people in college, causing lots of insecurity and self-doubt.
Becoming a more stable person has been a tough journey of figuring out who I am. If I could start over as a freshman, I would focus on being kinder to myself and not changing myself to fit in because it doesn't woprk nor does it make you happy. As for community, joining clubs has helped so much in so many ways.
I've learned that it's important to be open-minded and connect with lots of people but necessary to understand that authenticity usually results in only a few close friends. Those connections, however, are more than enough to keep you going. I am so grateful and lucky for my friends. I aspire to be like those around me.
Building and maintaining these relationships is life-changing, and I think it's what college is about. Keeping good character goes a long way and will open you up to so many opportunities.
College has countless resources to offer. I have wasted a lot of time sitting around, but that has ingrained in me the motor that I want to make the most out of this once-in-a-lifetime experience. I will do this by continuing to meet people and strengthening relationships with the people I love. I also want to be disciplined with living a healthy lifestyle and be involved around campus. Creating this type of structure for your life is so important, and I strongly believe that a lack of structure is how many people end up hitting rock bottoms.
To move forward with my career, I want to take on more leadership roles and join more clubs; my goal is to experience as much as I can. I'm genuinely curious to learn and gain these different experiences. My major classes are super useful, and I've fallen victim to skipping many of my classes. I am committed to attending my classes.
With all this growth mindset stuff, I need to remember to take a step back sometimes, take in the moment, and enjoy the ride. Time is flying by already, and I do not want to graduate from college without any good memories to look back on.
Most importantly... the root of real success comes from: finding God and a community to praise God with
