A documentary to reflect my learnings from 4 years of college
Hey everyone, I’m back to share the rollercoaster that was my third year of college. This year was filled with significant milestones, lessons, and moments that tested my strength, both physically and mentally. If you haven’t read my sophomore journey yet, where I talked about my struggles with mental health and being overweight, feel free to check it out:Sophomore Journey.
One of my biggest updates is that I've been consistent with working out, and I now have a healthy weight. I'm feeling really confident about myself, which is great.
Let’s talk about rejections—over 20 companies said no to me this year, and some didn’t even bother to reply. It stung, but I’ve learned that rejection is part of the process. All it takes is one yes to change your trajectory, and I realised life doesn’t always follow the roadmaps we create—it sometimes has better plans in store.
I mentioned my second internship at Wellness Connection, where I worked for nine months. It was the best organization I've ever worked with, and we had an amazing manager and lead. The experience was remarkable. After that, an unexpected and unplanned opportunity came into my life.
Growth Through Challenges and Change:
Teaching: A Serendipitous Experience:
An unexpected opportunity to teach came my way when one of my former teachers contacted me urgently. They needed a substitute teacher at my old school, and I taught Python to students for a few months. It was my first experience teaching kids, and honestly, it was much tougher than I expected. School teaching is no joke—it’s mentally exhausting yet rewarding. I enjoyed the experience but declined a long-term offer to join as a full-time teacher. This chapter gave me a newfound respect for educators and showed me how versatile my skills could be.My Foray into Frontend Development:
I landed a Frontend Developer internship at a startup where I worked extensively with Next.js. During my time there, I built an end-to-end dashboard, implemented animations, and honed my frontend skills. Slowly, I realized that I enjoyed working on user interfaces more than backend development.Contrary to what some believe, frontend development isn’t just “easy.” It’s a nuanced field where you juggle state management, design principles, user experience, and even strategic placement of CTAs to enhance engagement. Unfortunately, the workplace environment turned toxic. I struggled to find support while coding, and when I asked for help, I was often mocked. It eroded my confidence, and after much deliberation, I decided to leave. This experience taught me the importance of a positive work culture and the value of self-respect.
A Major Upgrade: My New Laptop:
One of the highlights of this year was finally upgrading my laptop. My trusty five-year-old device from 11th grade had been struggling—it restarted every 30 minutes, apps slowed to a crawl, and basic tasks became impossible. Thanks to my savings from internships, I treated myself to a MacBook Air M2 in the stunning starlight color. It’s a powerhouse, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. It felt like a reward for years of hard work.
Finding Joy Amidst the Chaos:
College life isn’t complete without some fun, and I made sure to enjoy it despite the chaos. I went on multiple trips with friends and family, participated in a flash mob during our college fest, and even attended my first concert. I went to my first onsite Hackathon with friends and enjoyed there so much. These experiences added so much colour to my year and reminded me of the importance of balancing work and play.
Academics: A Challenging Year
Academically, this year was tough. During my 5th semester, I was juggling teaching at school, preparing for exams between classes, and barely getting time to breathe. It felt like living the “It Girl” moment, but in reality, it was overwhelming. I was worried about getting a backlog, but thankfully, I passed all my subjects with a GPA of 7.57.
The 6th semester wasn’t any easier. I was dealing with health issues and managing an internship simultaneously, which resulted in a GPA of 7.61. While these grades aren’t my best, I’m proud of making it through such a demanding period without breaking down completely.
The constant stress of this year took a toll on my health. I became very skinny, dehydrated, and was diagnosed with PCOD again, a condition I had managed to cure during COVID. It was a wake-up call to prioritize my health alongside my goals.
Lessons Learned
This year taught me several valuable lessons:
Resilience in the face of rejection: Rejections don’t define your worth; persistence does.
Work culture matters: A supportive environment is crucial for growth and productivity.
Balancing health and ambition: No achievement is worth sacrificing your well-being.
Embracing change: Unexpected opportunities can lead to fulfilling experiences.
As I write this, I’m in my final year, and I can happily say that things are looking up. My health is improving, I’m feeling more confident, and I’ve grown significantly, both personally and professionally. Stay tuned for my senior-year story—it’s shaping up to be the best chapter yet.
Thank you for following along on my journey. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that every challenge brings growth. To anyone reading this who might be struggling: trust the process, and know that better days are ahead.
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