This school year was definitely the most challenging but I ended it with so many lessons learned. I have grown so much, and I am proud of all the things I pushed myself to do and all my accomplishments.
I remember the beginning of the school year, I was eager to start, hoping to finally be able to enjoy an entire year without any COVID-related interruptions. We were all allowed to get back to campus, take in person classes, and be with our friends again. I was so excited to begin, and I wanted to be involved more than ever before. Thus, I took on multiple leadership positions such as: Resident Advisor (RA), Tribunal Senator for the Lindner Student Association (College of Business Tribunal), Front Desk Assistant Mentor for the Learning Commons as well as PACE Leader for the Lindner College, and the Outreach & Programming coordinator for the UC Center for Entrepreneurship. A total of 5 positions held on campus in addition to being a full-time student and a part-time employee for a multinational consumer electronics retailer company where I was working 24+ hours every week.
Now, when I look back, I realize that I took on too many positions and it was more than I could manage but I learned that the hard way. As soon as the semester started, I started to feel the pressure and I did not have enough time to complete all the things I was supposed to. Between studying for my classes, going to work 3-4 days per week, helping my residents and RA staff, attending meetings, and planning events for the several organizations I was involved in, I barely had time for myself, and I would always sleep 3-4 hours every day. I remember even telling my friends that 24 hours in a day was not enough for all the things I constantly had to do.
At first, I thought that I could easily handle it but as time went by, I started to realize and acknowledge that I was overwhelmed. Thus, as much as it was hurting me to go back on my word, I had to drop my responsibilities from some organizations and learn how to efficiently manage my time. However, I am so grateful for this school year and everything that I have learned! If I had to summarize it into two points, they would be:
Find the leader within you: I decided to get out my comfort zone, take on leadership roles, and develop my communication, teamwork, and critical thinking skills.
Know your limits: While it is important to overcome our fears and look for ways to better ourselves, it is important for our mental health to set boundaries and put our well-being first.
Finally, as I get ready for the 2022-2023 school year, I look forward to developing myself professionally while looking for ways to help my beloved UC community and keeping my well-being as my top priority!