Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

by Christin

Wow, it’s been awhile since I have posted anything here.  However, this is the interns’ final week at CMU, so I figured I should finish out strong.  I can’t believe how quickly this school year and internship have flown by!  Not to be obnoxiously cliché, but life moves pretty fast.  (Come on, you know my cheesy comment was worth watching a Ferris Bueller clip…)

I’m halfway done with my graduate program.  I’m starting a new internship at the University of Pittsburgh next week.  (Don’t worry, I will be back at CMU and blogging again in the fall!)  In a few months I will start to search for full-time jobs.  Eep!  So many changes.  This is exciting.  And crazy.

As a graduate student, I sometimes feel as though my life is in a constant state of flux.  Every few months I have new classes, new internships, new professors, and new classmates.  I know that I am very blessed to have all of these varied, rich opportunities and experiences.  I also know that they will add a lot of strength to my resume.  But I sometimes struggle, because living with all this change is not my preferred state of being. 

Hair-do, study habits, wardrobe, my order at Chipotle.  For better or for worse, I rarely ever change these.  Or most things in my life, really.

I’m a “J” on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).  This means I like order, structure, schedules, and predictability.  Not only do I simply like these things, but living in a predictable, structured manner is my strong preference.  It helps me to operate best, to get things done, and to exist in a sane manner.

Clearly, change sometimes rattles me.  Therefore, it’s kind of ironic that I am going into such a dynamic field of work.  However, I think my crazy life as a graduate student is preparing me to embrace a changing world and live with the ambiguity.  I’ve found the more I am forced out of my comfort zone, the more I am given the opportunity to grow and become a better version of myself.  

So, I find myself pleasantly surprised in being able to say that I am excited for the changes that lie ahead.  I’m excited to have a new experience at Pitt this summer.  I’m excited to come back to CMU in the fall and have a different experience than I did this year.  I am learning that change is good.  I just need to remind myself that variety is the spice of life, there is a plan, and all of this will benefit me greatly in the end!