As we quickly approach the 100 day mark before graduation, I’ve found myself frequently reminiscing about my last 3.5 years at Scripps.  It’s hard to believe that it was nearly five years ago that I first stepped foot on this campus as a prospective student, enchanted by the beautiful campus and academic possibilities.  I am grateful every day that I chose to spend my undergraduate years at Scripps, and I would like to take this post to offer a few pieces of advice to all of the underclasswomen, prospective students, and others.

1. Make the most of your academic career

Some people enter college knowing exactly what they want to study, and some wait until the declaration deadline to finally settle on an academic path.  Regardless of which group you fall into, it’s important to enjoy your classes and make the most of your learning experiences.  Even now, in my senior spring, I’m overloading to take classes that I love.  Most days (well, so far) it doesn’t even feel like too much because I’m so excited about what I’m learning.  That’s a great feeling to have, and I hope that you will feel the same!

2. Love the ones you’re with

One of the main reasons that I have loved my time at Scripps is that I have found my people here.  Without my friends, I would not be who I am today, and I sure hope that they can say the same! Through extracurriculars, classes, mutual friends, jobs, and so many other venues, I have met some of the most inspiring, intelligent, and courageous individuals.  Daily I am reminded what incredible folks live and learn in this space, and I encourage everyone to embrace the communities that we have built here.

3. MAKE MEMORIES!!!

Someday, you could look back on that weird interaction with a Claremont squirrel with a fond sadness and wish that you were back here.  I wish every day that I’d gone to the pool more, blown off a reading to walk down to the village (sorry profs!!), or savored the college moments while they lasted.  But hey, senior year isn’t over yet, so no matter how much time you have left in the city of trees and PhDs, make every moment last a lifetime!

I have always been extremely close with my family.  I am the oldest of four kids, and my parents and siblings are some of my best friends.  I love them dearly, and I am so lucky to have them all as my constant support system.  My family lives in Ventura County, which is roughly an hour and a half west of Claremont.  I typically see them every two to three weeks, and I love meeting up with them for meals and special days at Disneyland.  Those days are filled with laughter and emotional warmth, and those feelings are even more heightened when I go home for semester breaks.  As most college students do, I relish the comforts of home: home cooked meals, a familiar mattress, my own space, and the list goes on.  There is a feeling of wholeness that I associate with being home, and the warm and fuzzies get me every time I walk through the front door.

However, when I go back home for breaks, I have an incredibly difficult time saying goodbye to my family when returning to school, even as a senior who has gone through this process what feels like a million times.  If I’m being honest, going abroad to Ireland last semester was easier than coming back to campus this Thanksgiving.  When it gets to the end of the semester, this process gets even more difficult because it feels like a prolonged break is so close but still just out of reach.  I return to campus feeling numb, overworked, exhausted, and overwhelmed.  Basically, I get back feeling either the same or worse than I felt upon leaving for a supposedly “restful” break.  Yes, break is restful, but it instills in me a sense of dread upon returning to a stereotypically restless space.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Scripps.  I have wonderful friends, feel intellectually and personally supported, love my room and my classes, and overall, have had a very positive college experience.  But as I’m sure many students can attest, growing and learning at such an academically rigorous institution can feel all-consuming and completely exhausting.  These feelings are important to recognize, at least for me, because accepting and acknowledging them as valid and real helps me to deal with them healthily and productively.

I have tried for years now to tell myself to buck up and pull myself up by the laces of my Keds upon my return.  I tell myself to stop crying, focus on my work, pour my heart and soul into classes and finish out the semester strong, but this process has never really worked for me.  If anything, this mindset just makes me feel even worse about coming back to school.  Beating myself up about being sad just beats me down further, and this is incredibly counter-productive to my jumping back into my school routine.

Because I pride myself on being a driven, motivated person, I have now learned how to work within my own parameters and support myself to most healthily streamline my return process.  At the core of this type of self-care is the idea of listening to my body and its needs.  If I need to cry, I cry.  If I need to sleep, I sleep.  If I need to pass on a “welcome back” dinner with friends, I do so.  I give myself time and space to adjust, and by being honest with myself about my needs, I am more easily able to transition back to life at Scripps.  Through providing myself with the support and comfort that I obviously need, I can spend one day recouping rather than three weeks in denying my needs, breaking down, and subsequently having to piece myself back together.

I have a hard time leaving my home, pets, and family, and that is okay.  For all of you that don’t, that’s okay too.  When it comes down to it, it’s not a competition of who can hold it together and who can’t at any given time.  It’s about how we understand our states of wellness, and the healthy methods we use to restore ourselves to our most positive states of wellbeing.  Self-care is so incredibly important, and I encourage all of you reading this to listen to your bodies and care for their needs.  Be gentle with yourselves going into the end of the semester, and remember that even through exams and papers, there is an end point, and getting yourself across that finish line is the real goal.  When it comes down to it, we are more than the sum of our grades, GPAs, and resumes, so supporting the beautiful person that creates those things is the first, last, and most crucial piece of the puzzle.  Be gentle, be supportive, and ultimately, just be you.

There are always things that we look for in a workplace, both subconsciously and consciously. People look for friends, great benefits, nice facilities, fancy offices, and the list goes on and on. I know that I have certain things that I look for in a new work environment, and I’ve taken the time to compile some of these things into a list just for you! Let’s take a trip through the five Cs and talk about the specific things that I look for in a new workplace.

Communication

One of the first factors that I look for is how mush office staff converse with one another. I believe that communication is one of the pillars of good office relationships, both in terms of leadership and comradery. I like to feel comfortable communicating with my peers and managers, and I want them to feel the same way. Open communication lines significantly minimize misunderstandings, and misunderstandings that are minimized lead to better work environments. Hence why I look for the best communication strategies and communication styles that are compatible with mine when looking for a new job or employer.

Comfort

Comfort is the second thing that I look for in the workplace. If I’m going to be spending an abundance of my time working in a space, I want to feel comfortable in it. No, comfort may not come right away, there of course is a learning curve when it comes to any new work environment, but I look for spaces that I could see myself residing in for prolonged periods of time. No one thrives in a space where they feel threatened, so comfort plays a large role in the success of me and my peers.  I want my hours to be fulfilling and productive, and I know that I can do this in a workspace that is comfortable both physically and mentally.

Compassion

Compassion, along with communication and comfort, makes a workplace a much safer space for me.  I am a very compassionate and empathetic person, and I want to work with people who are supportive in a similar way. If I’m having a hard day, I want to be able to talk about it with my peers without the fear of negative repercussions.  A supportive workplace is a more productive workplace because it is a safer space for both employees and leaders. I like to support my coworkers, and I look for spaces that will be supportive of me in my personal and work life simultaneously. Sensing compassion in a workplace and it’s employees is an integral part of this, hence why the next C is just as important.

Culture

Office spaces have different vibes, or cultures, if you will.  A culture is defined by a community of people that belong to a common space intellectually or physically.  In a workplace, this community is both physical and intellectual.  I look for office cultures that stress positive feedback and long term success because I want people to believe in one another and create lasting relationships.  Accountability, compassion, and communication all contribute to create a productive office culture, and I prize these aspects of office community above all else.

Care

Finally, the last thing that I primarily look for in the workplace is passion for the work being done.  As I go into the world of animal care, I am extremely passionate about my future, and I want my coworkers to be too.  Passion inspires passion, and I want to feel fired up about my work and workplace when I step into the office every day.  Being in  a workplace that cares about its employees and clients is the core of this.  If a caring atmosphere is not present, and I don’t care about the work being produced, then I know that it is time to find a new career path.

Thanks for following along on this journey through the workplace! What do you look for in a new employer or job?  Comment below and share!