What I Learned From My Sophomore Year
By: Claire Wong ‘23
This year was definitely a very untraditional college year, and there were many unexpected challenges with virtual learning. Despite the different experiences, there were many lessons and takeaways to the year! Here is what I learned from my sophomore year.
Embrace Imperfection
In this world of professionalism and as we grow into our careers, there is a large pressure to be perfect. I have definitely felt this pressure to not mess up. It can become very consuming and puts an unnecessary pressure for success on yourself.
In reality as humans, we are not perfect—it’s impossible to be perfect. We are in college and this is the time to find ourselves. Embrace this and take advantage of this time!
Here are some things to remember when growing into your career and profession:
It’s okay to feel scared or anxious or sad
No one is perfect (even if they seem to have it together, SOCIAL MEDIA IS DECEIVING)
Be ready to learn, be OPEN to learn
Be your authentic self and be genuine! That’s the best you can do
You Need Failure
Relating to my last point, part of embracing imperfection is failure! We need failure because without failure there is no room for growth. And in order to grow, there needs to be something we can learn from. College is a time to figure out your interests, your strengths, and your weakness. Do not be afraid to failure! Use it as a tool to shape your future! Here are some ways in how you can seek failure:
Do not be afraid to take risks
Try something new, pursue curiosities - Take a class or apply for a role you find intimidating
Take time to sit and reflect on your self values and how your failure could build upon that
You Don’t Need to Figure Out Your Career
After speaking with many professionals in the working world, I learned that many of them had changed their career paths multiple times (and they are still very successful!). The takeaway here is that YOU DO NOT NEED TO FIGURE OUT YOUR CAREER! LinkedIn has created this culture that you need to have everything figured out and that success is defined through your career.
You have time now to learn and be curious. Even after you graduate, you have years to work and years to figure out what you want to do with your life. And as you move on with life, your interests will shift and change yet no change will not ruin your career path. There will be no point in which your path can be 100% set and certain and that is OKAY! Do not be afraid to explore!
Rest
This is always so so important! Rest! Take care of yourself! Especially as you progress in your education and career, time for rest will become more crucial but more difficult to prioritize. Here are some ways that you can rest:
Do something you love (e.g. cook, watch TV, draw)
Take at least 15 minutes before bed to decompress (put your phone down!)
Try out the Pomodoro study technique that implements frequent breaks
Take a summer off of work (sounds daunting but may be necessary!!)
This blog is a continuation from my first year. Check out my blog on What I Learned From My Freshman Year!
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