A series of articles written by SCCO Student Ambassadors.

Staying True to Yourself in Graduate School & Beyond

by SCCO Student Ambassador, Titiksha Patel

It’s hard not to lose yourself in a completely new environment such as graduate school. You may feel pressured to be the best academically or socially by making lots of friends, or it’s just that feeling of wanting to make the most out of your experience. This can leave you overwhelmed and make the journey stressful instead of memorable!

I remember this feeling all too well as I was applying and interviewing. I wanted my optometry school journey to be the happiest and most memorable experience. Therefore, I inadvertently put pressure on myself to be the best in every sense, and of course, this included comparing myself to others which led to major burnout. It wasn’t until I got accepted to SCCO that I took a step back and realized that I should be proud of how far I had come and all that I had accomplished, especially as the first person in my family to pursue a healthcare career.

After talking to my peers and faculty, I understood that everyone has their unique journey to MBKU and at some point, all of us have felt a little lost or that we are not good enough. From then on, I realized how important it is to keep my identity and stay true to myself! Here are a few ways I changed my outlook so that I could do exactly that.

• Spend time alone to understand yourself more. Be kind to yourself and slowly you will notice small changes within. You will come to appreciate everything that has led you to this point and made you exactly who you are.
• Do the things you genuinely enjoy. Don’t feel guilty for taking time off. Go watch that TV show you’ve been putting off, reach out to that friend you haven’t seen in forever, or just take a walk and enjoy the beauty of the world around you. I noticed myself getting stuck in the same busy routine of everyday life and this would lead me further astray from all the activities and people that give me joy.
• Celebrate your accomplishments and be kind to yourself in moments of failure. My journey to SCCO has taught me to take a step back and feel proud of what I have gained. It shouldn’t always be right onto the next thing. Take time to celebrate how far you’ve come then continue the hard work to meet all your goals.

Take this moment to congratulate yourself no matter where you are on the journey to graduate school. You have made it this far and that is no small feat. Remember to be confident in who you are and that will shine through in your application and beyond!

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