The summer has ended and my internships with it. I've just completed my first week of junior year. I've jumped into clubs and extracurricular activities, new and old. It seems like things have taken a 180 degree turn!
My world really has been turned upside down recently. I loved both of my internships and got some amazing opportunities and learning experiences from them. I met some extremely kind, smart, funny, and interesting people, most of which were older and more experienced than me. What's more, I didn't have homework!
Now I have a completely mixed up schedule and perspective. Everything is different, down to the smallest detail. Instead of turning right when leaving my building, I turn left. There are people my age everywhere I look. I go to class for a few hours here and there and then I have homework in the evening. It seems so strange to be a student again after working for a full three months.
It's amazing how easily we become accustomed to our roles. I've been a student my entire life, but when I had a different way to occupy my time by working at my internships, I left the role of student behind without even thinking about it. It's nice to go to school again and spend time with my friends, but I can't help feeling as if I've gone backward somehow. The order of life goes "Grade School --> High School --> College --> Work", right? Since I've had my work experience, shouldn't I be done with the school part?
In the working world, you learn through experience; in the college world, you learn through study. They offer different ways of moving forward, but either way brings progress. It really doesn't matter what order you go in, or whether you fully complete every step. Life is certainly not a straight line. That's what makes it so interesting and exciting!
The important thing for me at the moment is not necessarily to follow the exact path I was going down, but to maintain the intensity of the creative energy I felt during the summer. I plan on keeping up with Gerome the Gnome and all his social media projects (he's been a lot of fun so far!), as well as doing social media for the environmental club on campus and singing in the gospel choir. I've started my Chinese class too! It's a challenge, but it's going to be fun.
I can't believe I'm already halfway done with my college experience. Obviously, I'm pretty excited to join the workforce, but I won't forget to enjoy the time I have left as a student. There are opportunities for me here that I won't find anywhere else. The best way to prepare for the future is to fully live in the present.
