Year 2: Recap
Second year was better than my first but I still encountered many challenges. From mental struggles, to roommate struggles, I learned a lot about the kind of person that I am during my second year of college. It's crazy to think that I'm already half way done with my Undergrad experience because I know that I still have so much left to learn.
First semester went extremely well academically. I received decent grades in all of my classes and I never felt like I was drowning in homework until finals rolled around. However, how I was doing socially was another story. Being a transfer student, I found it difficult to make new friends. At least, I felt like it took a while. I was still really struggling with my mental health which led me to filling my weekends with planned trips and adventures to hang out with old friends and filling my weekdays with Netflix by myself in my dorm room. It was incredibly difficult for me to try to get myself out there to meet new people and make new friends during my first semester at my new school. I didn't feel like anyone I knew would want to hang out with me. And frankly, after being such a homebody to the point where it was unhealthy for the past 8 months, I had completely forgot how to even begin the process of making new friends. I was starting from scratch. I made a few attempts but it wasn't until the very end of the semester that I felt like I had a chance at calling a small group of people my "friends".
During my first semester, I also had my first experience with a living situation that didn't work out. It caused me a decent sized load of stress that resulted in me commuting from home and spending most days studying in my car. At the end of the semester, I decided to start therapy. I was tired of feeling the way that I did. I tried so many different ways to regain my positivity and climb out of the hole that I felt like I was sinking in, but nothing was genuinely working. Yes, a Disney trip here and there always lifted my mood. But then I had to go home and I'd slowly fall back into the same state that I was in before. I was exhausted of being emotionally exhausted. This was the only thing left to try. I'm glad that I took that step because it has truly helped me and led to my second semester being better.
Second semester had improved in the social department but I wasn't doing as great in the academic department. I decided to take more classes than I ever had taken so far during my college experience, and I can honestly say that I will never do that again. I passed my 5 classes and a lab, however I never had a break from any homework since the beginning of March. I had multiple papers due a week with many late nights for all of my classes, and endless reading on top of that. I took more naps this past semester than I had in the past 19 years of my life. Again, thank the lord that I passed all of my classes.
Socially, I found some people that I am lucky enough to call my friends. I also joined a sorority that has helped me meet so many girls that I can continue to get to know in the upcoming semesters. Clubs that I'm involved in have also led me to meeting some incredible people who share similar interests as me. Although it took me a long time to put myself out there more, I realized that it's so important and beneficial for me to get involved. If I hadn't had joined the clubs I did or got involved with the things I'm interested in, I would have never met the people that I have. I know I've only completed one year at my new school, but I still have so much left to get involved with and so many people that I have yet to meet. I still have slumps every now and then where I have trouble getting myself out of the house, but I've come so far this past academic year with motivating myself to do more of what I love while pushing myself to meet new people along the way. I still have quite a way to go, but progress is progress.
Looking back, I was constantly learning during my second year of college. Besides learning in the classroom, I learned about where I should and should not focus my energy. I learned about other people. I learned about taking care of myself. I learned about challenging myself as well as conquering those challenges. I learned about maturity. I learned about myself. These are things that I will never finish learning about as new lessons and challenges are constantly being brought into my life. I will never stop learning and I hope that these lessons help me evolve into the best version of myself that I could possibly be. I'll never know everything. But luckily, I'll never stop learning.
See you in 3 months, Year 3.
- Jillian
...College? I think I might be getting the hang of this.
Latest YouTube Video: Happy Place Vlog - https://youtu.be/qGSs4kaUvTE
Instagram: @jillianybarra/@jkyinthesky
First semester went extremely well academically. I received decent grades in all of my classes and I never felt like I was drowning in homework until finals rolled around. However, how I was doing socially was another story. Being a transfer student, I found it difficult to make new friends. At least, I felt like it took a while. I was still really struggling with my mental health which led me to filling my weekends with planned trips and adventures to hang out with old friends and filling my weekdays with Netflix by myself in my dorm room. It was incredibly difficult for me to try to get myself out there to meet new people and make new friends during my first semester at my new school. I didn't feel like anyone I knew would want to hang out with me. And frankly, after being such a homebody to the point where it was unhealthy for the past 8 months, I had completely forgot how to even begin the process of making new friends. I was starting from scratch. I made a few attempts but it wasn't until the very end of the semester that I felt like I had a chance at calling a small group of people my "friends".
During my first semester, I also had my first experience with a living situation that didn't work out. It caused me a decent sized load of stress that resulted in me commuting from home and spending most days studying in my car. At the end of the semester, I decided to start therapy. I was tired of feeling the way that I did. I tried so many different ways to regain my positivity and climb out of the hole that I felt like I was sinking in, but nothing was genuinely working. Yes, a Disney trip here and there always lifted my mood. But then I had to go home and I'd slowly fall back into the same state that I was in before. I was exhausted of being emotionally exhausted. This was the only thing left to try. I'm glad that I took that step because it has truly helped me and led to my second semester being better.
Second semester had improved in the social department but I wasn't doing as great in the academic department. I decided to take more classes than I ever had taken so far during my college experience, and I can honestly say that I will never do that again. I passed my 5 classes and a lab, however I never had a break from any homework since the beginning of March. I had multiple papers due a week with many late nights for all of my classes, and endless reading on top of that. I took more naps this past semester than I had in the past 19 years of my life. Again, thank the lord that I passed all of my classes.
Socially, I found some people that I am lucky enough to call my friends. I also joined a sorority that has helped me meet so many girls that I can continue to get to know in the upcoming semesters. Clubs that I'm involved in have also led me to meeting some incredible people who share similar interests as me. Although it took me a long time to put myself out there more, I realized that it's so important and beneficial for me to get involved. If I hadn't had joined the clubs I did or got involved with the things I'm interested in, I would have never met the people that I have. I know I've only completed one year at my new school, but I still have so much left to get involved with and so many people that I have yet to meet. I still have slumps every now and then where I have trouble getting myself out of the house, but I've come so far this past academic year with motivating myself to do more of what I love while pushing myself to meet new people along the way. I still have quite a way to go, but progress is progress.
Looking back, I was constantly learning during my second year of college. Besides learning in the classroom, I learned about where I should and should not focus my energy. I learned about other people. I learned about taking care of myself. I learned about challenging myself as well as conquering those challenges. I learned about maturity. I learned about myself. These are things that I will never finish learning about as new lessons and challenges are constantly being brought into my life. I will never stop learning and I hope that these lessons help me evolve into the best version of myself that I could possibly be. I'll never know everything. But luckily, I'll never stop learning.
See you in 3 months, Year 3.
- Jillian
...College? I think I might be getting the hang of this.
Latest YouTube Video: Happy Place Vlog - https://youtu.be/qGSs4kaUvTE
Instagram: @jillianybarra/@jkyinthesky
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