First Year

When I look back on my first year of college, I realize how much I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone and grown as a person.  In high school, everything was familiar.  I had a set routine that I followed, and I was comfortable with the structure of my everyday life.  However, I was in for quite the surprise when I came to college.  I knew going in that I should try to get involved and take advantage of the many opportunities that UC has to offer, but I wasn’t sure where to go from there.  At the fall org fair, I decided that I was going to join any club that interested me because I wanted to get involved in as many things as I could as early as possible.  This ended up being a total of 32 different clubs and organizations, which quickly became overwhelming.  In addition, very few people from my high school were in my major, and none of them were in my classes, so I had to work hard on branching out and making new friends. 

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I struggled to find balance in the first semester because I wanted to split my time in so many ways, but it just wasn’t possible.  However, making it through the first semester toughened my resolve and drive, giving me more motivation right when I was starting to feel burned out.

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I used winter break as a reset and came back feeling ready for the second semester.  Fall semester ended on a high note, and my focus was keeping that mindset going throughout spring.  Instead of being semi-involved in as many things as possible, I chose quality over quantity and picked a handful of orgs with which I felt a true connection and purpose.  I had a specific and well-thought-out reason for each of the ones I stuck with, and I felt passionate about each of my choices.  I learned the value of prioritizing in the fall, and it really improved my outlook on college.  

 

The groups that I chose to commit to were Phi Sigma Rho, my sorority; CEAS Tribunal, the student government for the college of engineering; Habitat for Humanity; and Cincy Cru, my Bible study.  I felt that these four orgs gave me a combination of academic and social friends, and I was able to be involved in things that were important to me.  I ran for a position on the exec board of CEAS Tribunal and got it, which was very exciting!  Since I was able to put more time into each of the groups that I cared about, I felt myself wanting to take more of an initiative in each of them and be a leader, even if I didn’t hold a titled position. 

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If I were to tell my high school self all that I accomplished during my first year, I don’t think I would have believed it.  College was the first time I really went for what I wanted and saw the tangible results of my own hard work.  Next year, I want to continue to get more involved in the orgs that I have chosen to be a part of.  I’m looking forward to gaining the experience of my first co-op because I feel that this will more so improve my initiative and leadership skills.  Mainly, I just want to continue to push myself outside of my comfort zone and expand my horizons with new experiences.