Looking Forward

November 16, 2021

Last week, my time in ISM was spent finalizing my mentor. I compiled an exhaustive pros and cons list based off of my initial interactions with the professionals that I had interviewed. I was finally able to settle on the mentor that I am most excited to work with and I will be spending the next few days working towards re-establishing rapport. I would like to (hopefully) have a mentor confirmed by the end of the week and begin planning ahead for the rest of my ISM journey. As the first quarter came to an end a couple of weeks ago, it feels as though the first phase of my ISM experience has come to an end as well. I think I've learned a lot in these weeks; the initial fears and anxieties I had before the Business Symposium no longer control me like they used to. I have more confidence in myself and my communication skills. I think a lot of that has to do with the experience I now have because I have reached out to professionals, and not one person has reacted in a manner that would justify my fear. Although ISM is definitely not what I had expected it to be due to COVID-19 and virtual learning, my philosophy has always been to make the best of what I am given. Complaining about the circumstances is not going to change them, so I might as well take advantage of what I have.

That being said, one of the things that I struggled with last week was finding the motivation to complete my work — both in terms of ISM as well as my other classes. It's really easy to choose to take a nap instead of complete assignments, especially when my bed is four feet from my desk. Therefore, I have decided to make a conscious shift to different parts of my room (like the floor, my bench, and yes, my desk) in an effort to make sure that I am constantly moving and that my learning environment is somewhat dynamic. Overall, I think that this new method will help me stay more alert and less likely to fall asleep.