I can’t believe that I am finished with my junior year of college! As I enter my senior year, I’ve found that junior year really taught me a lot about myself. I know it’s such a cliche to say that “I’ve learned so much” and people say this every single year but I feel that I truly have learned a lot. Junior year was definitely my most transformative year yet.
Fall semester was crazy but looking back, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. This semester was one of my more challenging semesters that I’ve had at Michigan due to academics and recruiting for a summer internship. You really have to have your priorities in check. I had to learn to really nail down time management and be super efficient with my time.
Winter semester was really weird. I didn’t have any classes that were scheduled for me, unlike the 4 classes that were scheduled for me in fall semester. So this semester I took the opportunity to take classes that went towards my minor and elective classes that I was actually interested in. These classes didn’t have as many group projects as my fall semester classes did.
Here are 5 lessons that junior year taught me:
1) Be Intentional
I cannot stress enough how valuable your time is, so be intentional in how you choose to spend your time. You have to really take into consideration what is important to you. I quit a few student organizations because I knew that I could not make the time commitments and give my 100%. My priorities during fall semester were recruiting and academics.
2) Be Realistic
The second thing that I learned is to be realistic. Do not sign up for things that you know you won’t have time for. Don’t overextend yourself. I’m the kind of person who always says yes to things because I don’t want to miss out on anything or disappoint people. But at the end of the day, you need to take care of yourself and prioritize yourself.
I also had to be realistic when it came to recruiting. I recognize that you may want to shoot your shot and cast a wide net in applying to internships. But there are so many factors you should consider in your internship search. You should apply for internships at a company that you would actually want to work for and for a position that you’re actually interested in.
3) Be Present
After the transition to online classes, I found that it’s especially important to focus on being present and living in the moment. Looking back to when things were normal, I should have cherished the simple things, like walking to class and talking to friends in between classes.
But now, being present is something that I try to implement in my everyday life. I want to be more mindful with everything that I’m doing. I have found that I need to take time to slow down and really give my full attention to whatever I’m doing.
4) Have Fun/Put Yourself Out There
I have found that it’s super important to allow yourself to have fun and let loose. College is hard but also an exciting time. I think it’s important to also put yourself out there. Say yes to spontaneous invitations to get lunch after class with friends. We never know when we’re going to get these moments back.
5) Take Care of Yourself
I cannot stress the importance of taking care of yourself, physically and mentally. I set a goal for myself to work out at least 3 times a week and I am happy to say that I was able to achieve this. I find that working out is more so for my mental health than my physical. It gives me time to be more present and clear my head. For example: when I’m running, I’m focused on my breathing and the beat of the music.