263 Days
About thirteen months ago, I made a decision that changed my life. I know that sounds ridiculously melodramatic, but I believe it absolutely and completely. At the time, I knew it would be an important decision, but I didn't truly realize just how important.
I mentioned before that I learned so much and it was one of the scariest years of my life. One of the biggest challenges I had and have faced in the past was being confident and carrying myself well. I did a lot that pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to become more comfortable with myself--joined a sorority, took part in interviews, conducted research experiments, talked to the strangers in line at Starbucks or sitting at the table next to me. Some of them are the smallest things, but sometimes it's the most insignificant moments that show us what we can't see. It just amazes me that so much can happen, so much can change, in 263 days.
Obviously a huge part of this amazing year has just been the fact that I am at Georgia Tech. For two semesters, I had the great honor and pleasure of being surrounded by some of the most intelligent, well-rounded, personable, and genuine people I will probably ever meet. As a freshman coming into this huge new world of college, I was overwhelmed by all of the people who are doing and have done so much. It is impossible to believe that any of them were once in my shoes--young and excited, but unsure of what to do. I love that action is so important at Georgia Tech. These young adults I met don't just talk about how they're going to make money or help people once they graduate, they do it now. (For a fantastic example check out Team Sanivation and the Safichoo toilet they designed and created to implement in third world countries). And how about the tons of student organizations on campus? They were started by and are completely run by students who believe in something.
Despite the fact complaining about the challenging academics and course rigor is a norm, Georgia Tech students inspire me because they love what they do (at least most of the time). I've spent the past year trying to figure out how I can do that--how I can figure out what I'm passionate about and use that to actually make a difference in the world. I know that upon graduation in three (or four or five) years, I will value my degree--even if it's in an Economics and Public Policy (yes, I am a liberal arts major at an institute of technology and proud of it!)--but I will value the time I've had, the dreams I've achieved, and the memories I've made with the fantastic people I've met. It took 263 days (and it may even take a few more), but I've finally learned that as long as I'm confident in what I'm doing, it is all going to be worth it.
I mentioned before that I learned so much and it was one of the scariest years of my life. One of the biggest challenges I had and have faced in the past was being confident and carrying myself well. I did a lot that pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to become more comfortable with myself--joined a sorority, took part in interviews, conducted research experiments, talked to the strangers in line at Starbucks or sitting at the table next to me. Some of them are the smallest things, but sometimes it's the most insignificant moments that show us what we can't see. It just amazes me that so much can happen, so much can change, in 263 days.
Obviously a huge part of this amazing year has just been the fact that I am at Georgia Tech. For two semesters, I had the great honor and pleasure of being surrounded by some of the most intelligent, well-rounded, personable, and genuine people I will probably ever meet. As a freshman coming into this huge new world of college, I was overwhelmed by all of the people who are doing and have done so much. It is impossible to believe that any of them were once in my shoes--young and excited, but unsure of what to do. I love that action is so important at Georgia Tech. These young adults I met don't just talk about how they're going to make money or help people once they graduate, they do it now. (For a fantastic example check out Team Sanivation and the Safichoo toilet they designed and created to implement in third world countries). And how about the tons of student organizations on campus? They were started by and are completely run by students who believe in something.
Despite the fact complaining about the challenging academics and course rigor is a norm, Georgia Tech students inspire me because they love what they do (at least most of the time). I've spent the past year trying to figure out how I can do that--how I can figure out what I'm passionate about and use that to actually make a difference in the world. I know that upon graduation in three (or four or five) years, I will value my degree--even if it's in an Economics and Public Policy (yes, I am a liberal arts major at an institute of technology and proud of it!)--but I will value the time I've had, the dreams I've achieved, and the memories I've made with the fantastic people I've met. It took 263 days (and it may even take a few more), but I've finally learned that as long as I'm confident in what I'm doing, it is all going to be worth it.
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