I’m wrapping up my sophomore year at Boston University, and I find it hard to believe that my time here is halfway done. It’s been a wild ride so far, but so amazing! I wanted to reflect on four goals I have for myself in college: two that I believe I’ve done an amazing job fulfilling so far and two that I hope to accomplish in the remainder of my BU run.
- Getting out of my comfort zone
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As many other students experienced, my transition to college was a big one, requiring my first ever move—not to mention across the country! I found that remembering names is very difficult for me, something that I never had to worry about when going to school with the same kids my entire childhood.
For the first time, I felt immense pressure to make friends (and quickly), so I joined loads of clubs during my freshman year. Amidst roommate struggles, this kept me afloat and feeling like I could have other people to be around. One club was Her Campus, of course, which gave me the platform to write and publish my own articles. It also made me more conscious of my time management skills and the need to write succinctly and professionally while maintaining my voice.
Another was BU College Democrats, which allowed me to get involved in my community in a way that was not accessible in my small hometown. In my freshman spring, Dems chapters all over Boston, including Harvard and Suffolk Universities, gathered at the Boston statehouse to lobby for bills. I was so nervous that when we spoke to the staffer, not even the representative, I totally forgot the key points I was supposed to say. However, I am confident that in the future, I’ll be even more prepared to speak up for what is important to me.
- Making connections
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My sophomore year has been full of amazing people. I have such a special friendship with my roommates, even traveling to New York City together during spring break. We prove that living in a triple can be a lot of fun, despite fun curveballs such as bedbugs and power outages every time we try to use the microwave.
I also met my boyfriend this year, which has been so amazing. Because he goes to another university, spending time with him and his friends has exposed me to completely different experiences and fields of study. I am really struggling to recall the highlights of my AP Macroeconomics class from high school so I can keep up with their finance conversations. I am sorry to say, but I ask a lot of follow-up questions: it’s just part of my charm.
I spent a lot of time on student film sets last year, but my experiences took on a whole new level this year. I held a wide variety of roles for many different productions, as well as working on my own projects. I recently wrote and directed my final project for my Production I class, which proved how much I enjoy running an organized, efficient set. I loved engaging with my “actors,” aka my poor helpful roommate, and keeping everyone happy and on the same page.
- Exploring new opportunities
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As for next year, cheerio! I am London-bound for the fall semester and will be completing an internship study abroad program there. I have absolutely loved Boston so far and can’t wait to see what yet another city holds for me. Living in a new place, cooking for myself, navigating public transit, and weird spellings of our favourite words… What more could a girl want?
When I return to Boston, even more new things await! My sister will be joining me here as she begins her freshman year at Northeastern. I’m not sure exactly where I will be living or what classes I want to take in the spring, but I know that wherever I am, it’s a big goal of mine to keep exploring Boston. Maybe I’ll even take a camera with me and let my experiences inspire a short film!
- Building my career
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Looking forward to my impending doom—I mean graduation—I realize that my post-grad life will be starting in no time at all. Another one of my goals is to start prepping for that by getting involved in as many student sets as possible and posting about my experiences on LinkedIn. I can only avoid that one for so long! It’s time to be cheesy online.
My internship in London will give me some great professional experience abroad, but I also know that it’s time to start looking for things here as well. This summer will be my last year working at a kids’ sleepaway camp in California, where I have been a counselor for a while. That means finding a real job or internship for next summer. I can’t wait to apply, apply, apply, and show that I know what I am doing with my creative work—and love it too!
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I don’t know exactly what the future holds for me, but I can’t wait to find out!
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