Even a few months into the my junior year, it’s still hard to believe I’ve passed the halfway mark to graduation. In the past two years at Naz, the various courses I’ve taken, both courses required as PEQ’s and courses for my Communication and Media and Community Youth Development majors, have provided me with a great deal of knowledge about the world and people around me and insight to the career field I would like to pursue after graduation. However, college is not only a time to grow as a future journalist or future youth worker, but a time to grow as a person. Naz has given me numerous opportunities to learn lessons that I know I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and these are the most important ones I’ve learned over my past two years at Naz.
Sometimes it’s best to just go with the flow.
When I first came to Naz, my teammates, my coach, and my professors all told me, “You need to know how to manage your time, and if you don’t know, you better learn pretty quick.” And for the most part that is true. To a certain extent, it’s great to plan out your day and even your week and organize the big dates in your schedule in a planner. Sometimes, it even helps to color code it.
However, there are always going to be things that will take you by surprise–maybe you catch a cold, maybe your boss asks to schedule you for an extra shift, maybe your parents decide to visit you on a whim. Some surprises are good and others might stress you out to the max, but in my experience, it’s often better not to fight the unpredicted changes and just be flexible. If I had been rigid in my plans, I would have never have befriended students from other schools on a religious retreat and I would have never become the marketing officer of the Community Youth Development Collective. Not only is adaptability a skill that will make the chaos of your professional life a lot easier, but it will also gives you a chance to be spontaneous and stumble upon opportunities you never would’ve expected.
Acknowledge your assets with confidence.
The first week of class this semester, my professor told the class that people love talking about themselves. But for me, talking about myself, especially my accomplishments and things I was good at, has always been awkward. Career quizzes would ask “What are three things your friends like about you?” and I would always immediately turn to my friends and ask them. Making assumptions about my own strengths and talents always felt like I was being arrogant and egotistical.
My Community Youth Development advisor always says that everyone has a unique set of strengths, and it’s important for our social-emotional wellbeing to acknowledge them. And as the semester has progressed, I’ve realized that even if it feels strange, knowing and embracing what I do well is an asset itself. Having confidence in yourself is not only helpful when filling out career quizzes and resumes with the Center for Life’s Work, but it also gives you a boost of confidence in your capabilities as a future professional and as a unique individual. And confidence should not be mistaken for hubris. You can still admit that you have room for improvement in certain areas while knowing you’re good at something else.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.
Speaking of areas of improvement, asking for help was one of mine when I came to Naz as a freshman. As a first-year, I prided myself in being a highly independent and self-sufficient person. I completed my college applications by myself and I never needed help for projects or studying for exams. And I’m still pretty independent. How else would I have made it living across the country from my family? But there are times where you can’t do it all by yourself. In the end, no matter how efficient, how smart, how creative, how multitalented your are, you can’t do everything by yourself.
But asking questions and requesting help isn’t a bad thing. Everyone has different strengths and talents that make them unique, and it would be a waste to be surrounded by such a diversity of individuals not to get help from a peer or mentor. In my experience, asking questions, even simple clarification questions, has made my life so much easier and has helped me pick up knowledge and strategies that I wouldn’t have learned on my own. Whether it’s an academic subject, an athletic skill, or even learning how to take the RTS bus or rent a Bike at Naz, you can always benefit by asking someone who might know more than you. (Worse comes to worse, they can’t answer the question and you look it up on Google.)
Time flies.
Like I said before, I still cannot believe I’m a junior. It feels super strange to say I’ll be graduating next spring. Even though the assignments and responsibilities to my teachers, my coach, my team, my boss, my co-workers, my fellow club officers, and my advisors can sometimes make the weeks drag on, the experiences I’ve had at Naz have changed me for the better and the people I’ve met here have been the good company that makes the clock turn faster with every game, every inside joke, every ice cream trip, every laugh, every vibrant sunset we watch, every adventure around Rochester. Despite the stress that comes with being a college student, time flies when you’re having fun, and I’m about to enjoy every moment I have left at Naz.