Second Year
In my Year-in-Review for my freshman year, I described it as my “figuring stuff out” phase. Ironically, I feel like I have even less figured out now than I did then! The difference is, while this thought would previously have filled me with dread, I now find comfort in the unknown. I am much more at peace with myself and with the world around me. The fascinating and thought-provoking honors seminar "The Good Life and How to Live it" provided some much-needed clarity that helped me tweak and expand my entire outlook on life. But just as important were my everyday experiences - the successes and the failures, the mundane and the exciting moments, all of which played a role in shaping my character and helping me end this school year in a better place than I started it.
Perhaps the most significant change I underwent in the past year was my first semester of co-op. The application process was stressful, frustrating, and discouraging. I was raised with the typical American mindset of, “If you work hard enough at something, you’ll get it.” But for the first time in my life, my hard work didn't pay off, and I began questioning whether everything I had done to get to that point had been a waste of time. Were all those hours I spent studying and volunteering and holding leadership positions worth it? When months went by without any offers, I had my doubts. Fortunately, less than a week before spring classes were supposed to start, I finally got a co-op position at a medical device company in the Louisville, Kentucky area. While the location and company wouldn’t have been my first choice, it was nevertheless a mostly positive experience. It was my first time living on my own away from home, and I didn’t know anyone in the area. Being completely alone really made me appreciate my friends and family back home more. My isolation did have some benefits though. I was able to read many interesting books, which I hadn’t had time to do since I started college. I also began meditating, a practice that has brought me enhanced mindfulness and inner peace. My favorite thing I did, however, was take an art class at a community center in Louisville. I’ve always loved art but felt like I had to give it up in favor of a more pragmatic career path in the sciences. But getting back into drawing and painting made me realize that I’m passionate about art, and that just because I’m not majoring in art or design, I don’t have to completely ignore that interest. For my next co-op, I hope to find a position that somehow utilizes art or design, so that I can continue exploring my creative side.
So here I am, back in Cincinnati taking summer classes, almost halfway through my undergraduate career. I saw an orientation group on the grass in front of McMicken Hall today. My own orientation feels like a lifetime ago, even though it’s been less than two years. I recently found an old journal that I wrote in when I was in middle school. It was amusing to read about the "hardships" I faced, which now seem utterly trivial! Just as the trials of my childhood seem mild now, I hope I can look back on the struggles of sophomore year with a chuckle, knowing that they were important learning moments, but nothing to get too worked up over. For if there is one thing I learned in the past year, it is that we are not defined by the misfortunes that befall us, but rather how we react to them. Over the next year, I intend to greet every challenge I face with resilience and optimism, knowing that the University Honors Program will be there to support me on my journey.
Perhaps the most significant change I underwent in the past year was my first semester of co-op. The application process was stressful, frustrating, and discouraging. I was raised with the typical American mindset of, “If you work hard enough at something, you’ll get it.” But for the first time in my life, my hard work didn't pay off, and I began questioning whether everything I had done to get to that point had been a waste of time. Were all those hours I spent studying and volunteering and holding leadership positions worth it? When months went by without any offers, I had my doubts. Fortunately, less than a week before spring classes were supposed to start, I finally got a co-op position at a medical device company in the Louisville, Kentucky area. While the location and company wouldn’t have been my first choice, it was nevertheless a mostly positive experience. It was my first time living on my own away from home, and I didn’t know anyone in the area. Being completely alone really made me appreciate my friends and family back home more. My isolation did have some benefits though. I was able to read many interesting books, which I hadn’t had time to do since I started college. I also began meditating, a practice that has brought me enhanced mindfulness and inner peace. My favorite thing I did, however, was take an art class at a community center in Louisville. I’ve always loved art but felt like I had to give it up in favor of a more pragmatic career path in the sciences. But getting back into drawing and painting made me realize that I’m passionate about art, and that just because I’m not majoring in art or design, I don’t have to completely ignore that interest. For my next co-op, I hope to find a position that somehow utilizes art or design, so that I can continue exploring my creative side.
So here I am, back in Cincinnati taking summer classes, almost halfway through my undergraduate career. I saw an orientation group on the grass in front of McMicken Hall today. My own orientation feels like a lifetime ago, even though it’s been less than two years. I recently found an old journal that I wrote in when I was in middle school. It was amusing to read about the "hardships" I faced, which now seem utterly trivial! Just as the trials of my childhood seem mild now, I hope I can look back on the struggles of sophomore year with a chuckle, knowing that they were important learning moments, but nothing to get too worked up over. For if there is one thing I learned in the past year, it is that we are not defined by the misfortunes that befall us, but rather how we react to them. Over the next year, I intend to greet every challenge I face with resilience and optimism, knowing that the University Honors Program will be there to support me on my journey.
