Looking back at who I was two years ago, it scares me to see how much that person has changed. Imperial has challenged me in ways that I could not have imagined before coming to London. People around me are constantly driven to create changes and to do great things. It is only natural for me to feel the need to constantly keep up with everyone’s progress and to give my all in everything as well.
What Went Wrong?
During my first year, I had no expectations of what to expect coming to Imperial. I submerged myself in my course and in various societies which I felt could help me develop as a person. At the end of the year, I felt like even though I have put in so much time and commitment to these societies, I wasn’t proud of what I was achieving. It felt to me that the tasks which I had completed did not balance up with the reward & satisfaction that I received. That’s when I realized that throughout the year, I had been neglecting a lot of my hobbies and passions to make time and space for these new activities.
Finding My Feet Again
Moving on to my second year, I decided to make a change in how I make use of my University life, and to try and excel in things which I truly enjoy working on. I have always been a music person, and enjoyed singing in groups or in choirs. That’s how I decided to audition for Imperial’s A Cappella Society. It was after that when I instantly felt a change in my life. After a full day’s worth of studying and working on projects, my reward lies within all the rehearsals with my fellow groupmates. We would spend 4 hours a week rehearsing, plus the occasional gigs and busking sessions at Covent Garden.
This group of people have also moved on to become like a family to me here in Imperial, and I find it easy to converse with them on many different topics despite our cultural differences. Because of the support which I have received from them, I realized that I started to enjoy working on a lot of different things much more as well! It was easier to focus in my classes knowing that there’s a clear reward at the end of the day. It makes me feel proud to also be able to make the most out of my passion in music.
There comes the time where we will have to think about our careers and our future, and constantly worry about what we want to achieve in life. But looking at where we are right now – in one of the busiest cities and one of the most diverse universities in the world, why not make the most out of it by doing what we enjoy as well?
