WHAT I LEARNED FROM MY FIRST YEAR IN COLLEGE

#NORAGRETS

This past school year, my confidence level (haha statistics reference) has grown exponentially. I realized that the only thing holding me back from doing things that I aspire to do is not my young age, intellectual ability, or lack of motivation… it was myself. Do what you want NOW… or you might regret it later.

How to flip someone over like a pancake

Who would’ve thought I’d take a women’s self defense class? And learn more than any other class I will probably ever take? Shoutout to my empowering coach for teaching me how to defend myself and the people around me. She is the true definition of a woman warrior #queen.

JUST DO IT!

I was determined to pursue research this year so I applied to all the REU internships I could and got a big fat NO from them… I understood because of my lack of experience and the fact that I was only a first year, but I didn’t let that stop me. I sent a myriad of emails, networked, and when I was about to give up, guess what? I got an internship at Scripps! Then 2 offers at UCSF and a different Scripps lab a few weeks after that. I am happy that I didn’t listen to people who told me to wait a few years; I was determined to do it ASAP. Instead of thinking of it as a dream, I thought of it as a goal.

Stop guilt tripping yourself

I realized that I beat myself up too much for taking a break sometimes. When I go out on a Friday night for example, I used to feel bad and tell myself I should be doing homework. But sometimes, you need to have something to look forward to after a long week. Sometimes, you need to hit that reset button to feel alive and conquer what you need to do.

Be unapologetic

This song is it.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable

One of the speakers at the Inspiring Women Leaders Conference I attended said this quote that resonated with me. It is inevitable that when pushed outside one’s comfort zone, they will feel uneasy, but that is when people grow and learn the most. The more you push yourself out of your comfort zone, the more confident you will feel in brand new situations.

Being pretty with no r

People can be P E T T Y. Do not let other people’s successes get to you, make you become an envious person, and one who is constantly longing for what they have and you don’t. Become your own standard. Appreciate yourself for who you are, not for what you have or achieve. And remember: everybody has lovers, everybody has haters.

Take it all in

Don’t forget to take a moment to enjoy what is right in front of you. Take advantage of our picturesque campus, soak in the sun to get some Vitamin D, and appreciate the fact that we have a Chipotle, because when it’s all over, you will miss it.