Written by Annalise Mara, Director of Internal Affairs
Looking back on my Penn State experience, there are so many people, places and involvements that have helped shape me, my work ethic, and my future goals. I know my time here has prepared me for the next phase of my life, but knowing that my time as a student is about to end feels bittersweet. Here, I want to share some of my tips that can apply to any other students, no matter where you are in your college journey.
Quality over Quantity
Undeniably, there is a lot of pressure to land lots of internships and hold countless leadership positions. Striving for these goals can be useful in pushing yourself, but you do not want to let it consume you. Especially in the world of communications, I have found myself comparing myself to so many other people over the number of internships they have had or how “successful” they are in comparison to me. However, I have come to realize that a number on your resume is far less impactful than being able to share a smaller amount of involvements that contain substance. It is great to try new things and test the waters, but try not to force yourself into a certain number of activities if they are not serving you.
Plan as Best as You Can, But Be Prepared for Change
My academic advisers definitely got sick of me, but I am so thankful I took advantage of that resource during my time at Penn State. Even during times that I did not necessarily have any questions, I always found myself scheduling an appointment to talk through my plan and what I wanted to get out of college. We would sit down together every semester and map out my course plan, updating it as my goals shifted. Because of this, I was able to fit a lot into my classroom experiences. Adding the Spanish major and TESOL minor specifically have been super impactful for me. I would not have been able to fit these into my schedule, therefore never knowing my passion for these areas, without the help of my advisers! Meeting with your adviser is an excellent way to advocate for yourself, and I think that is relevant no matter where you are in your college experience.
Get Outside of Your Comfort Zone
Realizing that I would never regret trying but would always regret holding myself back has helped me find some of the things I love most. Imposter syndrome definitely made me question putting myself out there at times, especially early on during college. I know this feeling can plague so many students, so trying your best to worry less about the outcome and more about the growth in the experience can help encourage you to try new things. You truly will never know unless you try, so you deserve to give yourself that chance.
Get Involved in Whatever You Love
Towards the beginning of college, I remember I often felt guilty for getting involved with non-communications related activities. I felt like I had to meet a certain quota of activities that would perfectly align with the future I thought I wanted. However, branching out and finding involvements that were not necessarily in the College of Communications has helped provide depth to my experiences. Studying abroad was a huge part of that for me. Initially, I was anxious about missing a semester’s worth of work with my jobs and organizations here in State College. However, I am so glad I did not let that stop me. Studying abroad not only gave me a more global perspective on why I want to work in the communications sphere, but it was a dream I held for so long, and I think it’s only fair that I honored that when the opportunity arose.
Happy Valley Comm 