Halfway Through College Review

Today, I spoke at my high school to juniors about the college application process. Most of the students asked the same questions: effectiveness of grades, AP exams, and sometimes dorm life (my high school was pretty nerdy). I was in the same room as someone who is currently attending Columbia University and all the students seem to be more interested in him than me. To be honest, two years ago, I was in the same position as them. I wanted to go to a prestigious university and never expected to end up in Syracuse. Well, I did and I do not regret it.

I was an overconfident freshman. Coming from a large city and from an advanced high school track, I felt like I can do anything at Syracuse. I always had a hard time talking about transitioning into college because I never had issues in doing so. As heartless as this may sound, my mindset fueled me to get involved on campus and do well academically. This coincided much with my involvement in Student Association. After I accomplished my first initiative, I felt like I can do anything on campus in terms of influencing changes on behalf of students. I did accomplished many initiatives afterward but it became more about the experience and that helped me grow to love the school. It was not just about me leaving my mark here but how I can make it a better place. As a student at Syracuse University, I was given the chance to not just grow academically but to tailor make my experience here. I probably would not have received these opportunities at another institution.

Now that I am officially done with everything, it just hit me that I am in the limbo stage between sophomore and junior year and the feeling is a bit surreal. How have I changed these last two years? For one thing, my overconfidence has tapered off and into different directions where it became more about the people around me. That was a result of my experiences and the people I had the pleasure of knowing. For another, I gained a greater awareness of my capabilities- what I can do and cannot do. Together, I hope to use what I have learned and apply it to issues beyond the hill for my last two years of college.