Three Years, Three Lessons
SNEHA RAMESH, GWI ‘20
SNEHA, A 2020 OIP ALUM AND CURRENT SENIOR AT UC BERKELEY STUDYING ECONOMICS, SHARES THREE IMPORTANT LESSONS SHE’S TAKING WITH HER AS SHE ENTERS HER FINAL YEAR OF COLLEGE.
I’ve always been a skeptic. I guess that’s why when people told me college goes by fast, I never believed them.
But now, as a rising senior, I can attest that the past three years of my life have whizzed by in a blur of all-nighters and midterms. In between all the studying, working, and going on spontaneous adventures with my friends, I also managed to do some soul-searching and learned some valuable lessons that I think I could have benefitted from knowing sooner. Here are the ones I plan on taking well into the future with me:
1. Stop self-rejecting.
Rejection, especially in the professional world, happens way too often and is more than okay. However, rejection has the potential to turn into regret when it comes from yourself. By now, several articles have mentioned how many women don't apply for a job if they don't meet 100% of the qualifications. This is just one example of how self-doubt leads to missed opportunities, and, by extension, a failure to capitalize on your full potential.
For instance, when I first heard about GWI, I was intimidated by the applicant pool but still decided to throw my hat in the ring, for I had nothing to lose. In hindsight, I am glad I acknowledged that fear and still went for the opportunity because my summer with GWI turned out to be instrumental in helping me figure out the trajectory of my professional life. At the end of the day, you are your best advocate, so it is imperative that you always stay on your side. Yes, rejection is scary and sometimes downright embarrassing, but I will take temporary shame over lasting regret any day!
2. Help can be found anywhere—all you have to do is ask!
Having grown up in competitive environments my whole life, I always viewed asking for help as a sign of ineptitude. I thought asking for help would lead to people undermining my knowledge or skills and paint me in an incompetent light. However, the truth is, the playing field (especially in finance) is not level, and, sometimes, you have to rely on a community (like GWI!) to help you feel less alone in the process. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness but rather an indicator of your willingness to grow. So go ahead, ask for help! At the very least, you will end up making new friendships in the process. :)
3. Grieving what might have been and looking forward to the future are not mutually exclusive.
This past year, as the pandemic hit, I was devastated to know that I would have to forgo many of the opportunities I wanted to pursue professionally. Planner that I was, for the longest time, I thought this would wreck the perfectly curated five-year plan I had for myself. With every aspect of my life—from my immigration status to what majors I wanted to pursue—up in the air, it was pretty hard for me to stay optimistic about the future.
My Senior Year
Now, as I enter my senior year, I find myself being filled with the same hope and excitement for the future that I once held. Granted, there are some days when I think about how different my life could have been if the pandemic had never happened, but at this point, I have come to realize that embracing—rather than flat out denying—uncertainty will help you move forward faster and make peace with yourself.
This past year has involved a lot of changes for the world, and we should all be proud of ourselves for persevering through it. Here’s to a new school year of growth, happiness, and new friendships!
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