What? So What?
What is something new that you learned this year? Why is that learning significant and how has this enhanced your ability to contribute academically or otherwise?
One thing that I learned new this year would be to live independently. I come from India where parents pay for all the expenses and children generally do not have to take part-time jobs pay for tuition as parents have them covered. This was not the case when I came to the United States. Here, I had to manage my own expenses, look after myself, make sure I am eating right and maintaining good health. My parents were not here to tell me to study. I had myself to keep me motivated. The past year has been full of surprises and challenges that I had to overcome myself.
Being more independent has helped me develop a lot, both emotionally and academically. I learned that at trying times, I have be strong enough to navigate through the tough time. There were moments when my friends were going out to but I had to refuse because I had an assignment due. Soon I was able to find a work-life balance.
Many experiences during my first semester made me realize that if I am not diligent enough wit my expenditures, I will end up burning a big hole in my pocket. So I started tracking and managing my expenses on my own with the help of my peers and was finally able to keep a track of money.
Learning to make decisions independently for my own benefit has helped my in many ways. I am proud of my learning and grateful to the others who have helped me reach this stage where I am much more confident and independent.
One thing that I learned new this year would be to live independently. I come from India where parents pay for all the expenses and children generally do not have to take part-time jobs pay for tuition as parents have them covered. This was not the case when I came to the United States. Here, I had to manage my own expenses, look after myself, make sure I am eating right and maintaining good health. My parents were not here to tell me to study. I had myself to keep me motivated. The past year has been full of surprises and challenges that I had to overcome myself.
Being more independent has helped me develop a lot, both emotionally and academically. I learned that at trying times, I have be strong enough to navigate through the tough time. There were moments when my friends were going out to but I had to refuse because I had an assignment due. Soon I was able to find a work-life balance.
Many experiences during my first semester made me realize that if I am not diligent enough wit my expenditures, I will end up burning a big hole in my pocket. So I started tracking and managing my expenses on my own with the help of my peers and was finally able to keep a track of money.
Learning to make decisions independently for my own benefit has helped my in many ways. I am proud of my learning and grateful to the others who have helped me reach this stage where I am much more confident and independent.
What is the most significant event, experience, or challenge you overcame this year and what did you learn from that experience? How is experience influential in terms of how you see yourself today?
There have been many significant events that took place during my freshmen year. While some challenged me, some inspired me, while some just made me sad. On event that I encountered at the start of my second semester is one such part of my life that has taught me a lot.
When the spring 2016 semester started, my co-op advisor announced that Computer Science majors have to get a co-op for Fall 2016 semester. I was shocked at hearing this and nervous.
How would I get a job? Will anyone like me? I do not have a resume ready yet. It is tough for international students to get a job. What if my friends get a better job than me?
Thoughts and questions like these took over me for a few days. After taking some advice from upperclassmen, I made a list of what was required. I got a resume ready and sent it for review to different people including my co-op advisor and Peer Leader. Then I started doing research on different companies and what they look for in a candidate. The Intro to Co-op class was a great help in navigating through the whole process. What I actually doing was ticking each item on the list one after the other. I was not thinking of the next work on the list, just concentrating on the task at hand. This helped me focus and prioritize.
Soon, as I was making progress, the career fair came and I was selected for interviews.; I still did not stop working on my professional profile. I started connecting with people on LinkedIn. I did not let my academics be affected by the whole co-op search process. After a month from the career fair, I got a call from a company I earlier interviewed for an on-site interview. By next week, I got a job offer from the company and I was more than happy to accept the offer as it matched with all the specifications I was looking for in my first co-op. Looking back at it now, I feel proud of myself for what I did during my second semester. Even though I wasted a few days over thinking about the jobs, I took advice from other people and made my decisions and prioritized everything. Now as I embark on many more such events, I know that if I keep a calm mind and focus on what's important, then I will be able to achieve every goal I pursue.
When the spring 2016 semester started, my co-op advisor announced that Computer Science majors have to get a co-op for Fall 2016 semester. I was shocked at hearing this and nervous.
How would I get a job? Will anyone like me? I do not have a resume ready yet. It is tough for international students to get a job. What if my friends get a better job than me?
Thoughts and questions like these took over me for a few days. After taking some advice from upperclassmen, I made a list of what was required. I got a resume ready and sent it for review to different people including my co-op advisor and Peer Leader. Then I started doing research on different companies and what they look for in a candidate. The Intro to Co-op class was a great help in navigating through the whole process. What I actually doing was ticking each item on the list one after the other. I was not thinking of the next work on the list, just concentrating on the task at hand. This helped me focus and prioritize.
Soon, as I was making progress, the career fair came and I was selected for interviews.; I still did not stop working on my professional profile. I started connecting with people on LinkedIn. I did not let my academics be affected by the whole co-op search process. After a month from the career fair, I got a call from a company I earlier interviewed for an on-site interview. By next week, I got a job offer from the company and I was more than happy to accept the offer as it matched with all the specifications I was looking for in my first co-op. Looking back at it now, I feel proud of myself for what I did during my second semester. Even though I wasted a few days over thinking about the jobs, I took advice from other people and made my decisions and prioritized everything. Now as I embark on many more such events, I know that if I keep a calm mind and focus on what's important, then I will be able to achieve every goal I pursue.
Now What?
What piece of advice would you like to give yourself as you prepare for the upcoming year, be that academically, personally, or both?
One important piece of advice I would give to myself is to start taking care of my health more. In the frenzy of classes, interviews, travel, and research, I have neglected my body. My eating habits this past year were not good. I consumed a lot of unhealthy and fatty food. I could have eaten more vegetables and fruits to keep me replenished throughout the day. Also, I did not workout or run regularly. Lack of exercise is not good for one’s health and I would plan a workout routine that I will religiously follow starting this year. I will also include more healthy food into my diet to complement my workout regime.
Lastly, I have been negligent about my sleep. I have had more all-nighters in the past year than I ever had back in school. Lack of sleep is detrimental to my health. I am sure I could have performed better in certain exams had I have had a good sleep before it. This year, I would make it a point to have a disciplined routine where I eat healthy, exercise regularly, and sleep sufficiently. If I am able to keep up with these health goals, I would undoubtedly perform better at my job and academically.
Lastly, I have been negligent about my sleep. I have had more all-nighters in the past year than I ever had back in school. Lack of sleep is detrimental to my health. I am sure I could have performed better in certain exams had I have had a good sleep before it. This year, I would make it a point to have a disciplined routine where I eat healthy, exercise regularly, and sleep sufficiently. If I am able to keep up with these health goals, I would undoubtedly perform better at my job and academically.
How have your thoughts about who you are and what you want to do changed or evolved this year? How will that inform your next steps?
I have certainly evolved a lot from last year since I got my Bearcat card. I have met some wonderful people, made some unforgettable memories, traveled a lot, and worked towards my mini-goals. Becoming more independent has been the highlight from the past year. This has influenced what I am today. Now I am willing to take more risks. I am more confident about myself. This affects a lot of my next steps towards myself and my career. I plan to join more organizations across campus that would help me grow. Also, I would like to take part in more study abroad programs. At the time of writing this review, I am in Hong Kong and have been loving every moment of this program be it the classes or the activities we get to do here.
For example, earlier, I would have been skeptical about travelling, but now I am confident that I will be able to travel and learn a lot from that experience.
For example, earlier, I would have been skeptical about travelling, but now I am confident that I will be able to travel and learn a lot from that experience.
What is at least one goal that you have set for yourself for the upcoming year?
One very important goal I have assigned to myself is to make more connections in my personal, social, and professional circle. I have always mentioned that I love meeting new people and learning about their lives, cultures, and stories. However, I did not socialize as much as I wanted to this year. Part of the reason is that I was very low on confidence when the year started. I was worried about what would people think of me or whether anyone would be able to understand my accent or not. My time in the United States has just proven me wrong as people are very accepting and open to ideas and new cultures, especially in campuses like UC because of its international outreach and diversity. So as this year progresses, i would open up my social wings and try to make as many meaningful and deep connections as possible. I will be confident and warm to people I meet and be more open to new thoughts and interests.