The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Sophia, a CCAS sophomore studying criminal justice.
As much as Honors problems surround doing too much or being overloaded with work, in my case, I heeded those warnings a little too much. I was over-aware of how much I was putting on my plate, and I ended up shying away from having too much to do and a rigorous course-load. Midterms and finals do get stressful, but I’ve always felt like my work was manageable. So, I decided to take a leap of faith and apply for a real, corporate-y kind of job, because I seem to always be happiest when I am doing something career-related and future-oriented. I wanted to challenge myself, and get out of my comfort zone, and the GW bubble.
It was scarier for me just to apply and interview, and get my hopes up, even before getting the job itself. Honors students tend to be high-achieving perfectionists, and often, terrified of failure. I am no exception. However, what I’ve learned, is that the only way to grow and change is to face the possibility of failure and accept the consequences. I would have had to grapple with not achieving a goal, but I would have grown from that too.
However, I did get the job, and I started last week! I’m excited to try something new and learn about a completely different sector of the world. My job weaves two subjects together that fascinate me, law and the internet. I have already had intriguing conversations about AI, how wireless kills bees, people can remotely control your dishwasher, and even Sophia the Robot (not me).
I know it will be a challenge to juggle academics, extracurriculars, work and a social life, but I firmly believe that intellectual stimulation helps people thrive, instead of wasting away watching TV or playing video games. I think being very busy will snap me out of the cycle of procrastination. I hope, as go-getter Honors students read this, that you know that it’s good to push yourself and get out of your comfort zone, do something that scares you, conquer something, and you’ll be so much better for it.
