Although it’s only been two years, I’ve learned a lot of things about myself and the environment around me. Since I am not from Oswego there have been a lot of culture shocks such as the way I speak and the way I dress. I have realized that the people I communicated with in the past don’t necessarily understand my dialect, which is understandable since we are from different places and my parents are from a different country, therefore I picked up a similar dialect. When it comes to clothing, the students in Oswego always wear comfortable clothes which is not a problem but I was raised to wear “college-appropriate” clothing which consists of jeans, sweaters, t-shirts, and more. One of my goals when it comes to networking and making connections is to be extroverted which was my biggest enemy. During my freshman year, one of my short-term goals was to come out of my comfort zone and talk to numerous people from different races and ethnicities. Although it worked and I have met the best variety of people, it became the best and worst thing that ever happened to me. Friendships are one of the most important aspects to have when entering college; you create many memories that last a lifetime. Although it’s good to have friends, too many friends tend to cause many problems and unwanted issues.
From my experience, one piece of advice would be to ask yourself a few questions such as, do you want to be associated with that person? If you said “Yes,” then you should keep on talking to this person. If not, you should look back and see why you are uncomfortable with them. Maybe it’s because you don’t have the same interests, goals, or aspirations, or maybe they are a bad influence. I have learned that sometimes people come and go and that people grow and learn in different pathways. Never beat yourself up if a person randomly doesn’t want to be your friend, you can’t control that at all. Another thing I’ve acknowledged is that you can’t control a person’s behavior, action, or perception; you can only control your behavior, action, and perception.
In my sophomore year of college, I had many opportunities to network with different people. I have many new friends that fit my interests, goals, and aspirations. I have also learned a lot of useful tips and tricks from them and built a huge bond with them. Every day, I aim to be a better version of myself and to always believe that the best is yet to come.