I had the opportunity to talk with my mentor again this week. Brian and I continued our conversations about life and shared what was currently on our minds. We were able to have a long conversation which was nice because usually we are interrupted by our busy schedules. To recap, last week was an awesome talk and Brian actually started to talk to me about his life, rather than just mentoring me. However, this week the roles kind of switched again.
As everybody knows, this is the least anticipated two weeks of the school year. From multiple exams, to group projects, presentations, papers, and more; I, as well as everyone else, am swamped with school work. This week in particular, I have many exams already combined with a few projects and presentations. So basically I am starting to feel the stress of finishing the semester strong. I made all of this known to Brian and he just encouraged me and shared the bigger picture.
The thing that Brian really emphasized to me was that grades don't define you. Not that I am struggling in any of my classes, but just the fact at how small-scale school assignments can be. He wasn't saying that its not important, but rather showing me the bigger picture. Ultimately, this relieved some stress and I am now able to work in a more relaxed manner, which has really helped.
Along with all of this, I have really bee thinking about my future career path, and what field in thus business industry would be the best place for me. Brian gave me some great advice and told me that there was no rush. He told me how I shouldn't be too quick in making that decision, and that it may tike a long time to really find out what path is the best for you. Brian then told me how it took him over 20 years for him to really pinpoint the exact field he wanted to work in. This was all great advice and has really motivated me for the upcoming week. Overall, I am grateful for our conversations and the rich insight that Brian has been pouring into me over the past month and a half.
James,
ReplyDeleteThat is such great advice Brian have you. I think it is really important to be patient when it comes to our futures and what to do. To have someone who had been in the exact same place as you have and has overcome the challenge of it is awesome. Continue to cling to him and seek him out for advice, as you will learn a lot from him.
Daniel
Garret,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had a really nice talk with Brian. Not letting grades define you is really hard to do, especially at Wheaton. I want to encourage you to work diligently but don't lose yourself in the grades. Also, it is so hard to not worry about what our future careers will look like at this point, but my mentor has given me similar advice as Brian. Work towards what you want and enjoy college.
James,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your conversation with Brian. I am glad that you have someone to give you advice when you most need it. While working hard, he is right that you need not stress. Sometimes we get so caught up in our grades that we forget that we are at school primarily to learn. It has been nice being able to read your blog posts and see your mentorship develop. I hope this continues even without a mandate.
Tyler