New Year, New Me: Putting Myself Outside of My Comfort Zone

by Emily Quintanilla ‘24

Now in my last semester at USC, I’ve learned college doesn’t end all at once. Instead, college ends in stages and phases. Because of this, each new semester and every new year is a chance to start fresh and reevaluate what you want to get out of your college experience.

For me, this means approaching my last semester differently; my goal is to spend more time outside of my comfort zone.

What I’ve Done Before

I feel like I’ve spent most of my college “playing it safe” – routinely attending classes, going to work, etc. While routine is a great accomplishment, falling back on familiar habits had a negative effect on my personal growth. Let’s take an example: my work-study job.

My work-study job was my emotional support blanket. It was where I met some of my closest friends, where I found invaluable mentors, and, honestly, where I would spend most of my time when I wasn’t in class. This was where I was most comfortable. In the end, this was a big problem. 

It’s one of my beliefs that college is where you should pursue opportunities that you’re passionate about. Explore your interests! Find your calling! When I was in high school, this was what I was most excited about for college. When I started working on campus, I was grateful to have a job, and I poured all my energy into it. Yet, the job had very little to do with what I was passionate about. 

Over the last four years, I’ve become enamored with storytelling. Like Joan Didion once said, “We tell ourselves stories in order to live,” so I’ve always been interested in this process – what goes into making a story? It’s my dream to work in publishing – either writing or editing – to have an active part in shaping the stories that define our lives. 

When thinking about the upcoming semester, I realized I haven’t spent much time investing in this dream. From a practical career standpoint, I’ve taken little to no steps to break into the publishing industry. I have yet to have an internship or professional experience in editing, making me feel ill-prepared for the future. I think about this quote from John Green: “I took some pride in 'not fulfilling my potential,' in part because I was terrified that if I tried my hardest, the world would learn I didn't actually have that much potential.” There’s sort of a safety of staying where you are; you can never fail. In that same vein, it’s hard to grow.

Even though I knew what career I wanted to pursue, I never wanted to subject myself to change once I got comfortable; I used my work-study job as an excuse to remain in my comfort zone. “I can’t commit to XYZ because I already have so much work to do here,” I would say, only convincing myself. 

Being outside of your comfort zone puts you in a vulnerable position. You’re subjecting yourself to possible failure, which IS scary. But what is equally important is inside your comfort zone, you are incapable of reaching your full potential. I think operating inside your comfort zone gives you a false sense of capability. How can you test your potential when you know you can’t fail? 

What I’m Doing Now

By the end of last semester, I was burnt out and unfulfilled. Finally, I decided to quit my work-study job. I can’t lie, this was a scary decision. Up until that point, I had a good idea of what my semester would look like. Now, with no job and more time on my hands than I know what to do with, I have no idea what this spring will bring. However, I wanted to dedicate my last semester of college to myself and, more importantly, accomplish what I originally set out to do here: pursue opportunities I am passionate about. I was no longer passionate about work, which was how I knew it was time to go. Yes, I’m putting myself outside of my comfort zone, but I intend to embrace this as an opportunity to grow. My first goal: getting my first college internship. 

In semesters’ past, I casually applied to internships here and there, but had no luck year after year. Since I had my work-study job, I was even a little relieved when an employer would ghost me after an interview – it was another excuse to stay in my comfort zone a little while longer. I knew this would have to be my first step in truly testing my potential: doing something I’ve never done before. On top of that, I was determined to be involved with a project I was passionate about. 

I forced myself to revamp my resume and write an entirely new cover letter that highlighted who I was and why I wanted to join the publishing industry. While it was painstaking, dedicating time to my application materials made all the difference – I received positive feedback on my cover letter, in particular, for its ability to communicate my story. Before fall ended, I sent out a few applications, making sure to only choose positions I could realistically land (another thing I was guilty of in the past was applying for positions I knew I would most likely get rejected from.) And, over winter break, I was offered a position at an online literary review magazine. 

This internship will be my first position in the professional publishing industry. Amazingly, I almost said no, despite this being a gateway to my dream. Did I want this bad enough to put myself out there? I thought. Looking back, what I regret as a current senior is not saying yes to more things because I was afraid. I’ve decided this semester will be my “Say Yes” semester. Of course, I said yes to the internship and start this week. 

The timing of this opportunity is incredible; as soon as I let go of my old job, I had the chance to put my money where my mouth is and take on a totally new role. I am ready to overcome my fear and embrace the unknown. Hopefully, discovering more about myself in the process. My last semester of college is shaping up to be more of a beginning than an end: the beginning of a new era in my life. One where my actions have more intention than before.

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