Changes, schmanges

Hey friends,

How you doin’? (cue the ‘Joey from Friends’ intonation and eyebrow flex) 😎

I moved back onto campus last week to help lead Columbia’s New Student Orientation Program (NSOP)! A couple of reflective questions for those who are starting a new year in school (or a new job, or a new anything):

1. What are you most looking forward to this semester/year?

2. What are you feeling nervous about? Why? Who can you talk to/how can you calm your nerves?

3. What changes do you want to make, if any? How are you planning to go about this?

4. How are you setting your priorities, and why?

It’s a good idea to think about these questions, even briefly, to get yourself oriented in a new environment. Maybe even jot down a few notes for yourself to reflect on in the future!

🎉 Can't stop, won't stop, NSOP!

After three days of training, three days of move-in, and almost a week of making new friends and reconnecting with old ones, I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be an orientation leader for NSOP.

This year, I’m an OL for combined-plan students (not first-year students coming directly from high school). Combined plan in this case refers to the 3+2 program: students study for 3 years in a liberal arts curriculum (for their Bachelor of Art) and then 2 years at Columbia Engineering (for their Bachelor of Science). As a non-engineering major, I’m learning a lot from my new students. 😊

Last but not least: THANK YOU to my subscribers who’ve come to say hi to me on campus!! I TRULY appreciate it, and I’m so glad that my videos have helped you on your own amazing journeys. Seeing you all in person makes everything so much more meaningful. ❤️

😲 Changes, schmanges

While NSOP is filled with fun and games, it is most definitely a time of change—a theme I want to touch on in this issue.

I watched a few (okay, many) episodes of Black Mirror this summer. 🥵 One episode in particular—Season 2, Episode 4: “White Christmas"— still sticks with me because of how it interpreted "change”:

It’s simple, but profound. I agree with this quote a lot. It’s not the new state that causes worry, it’s the “fear of the shock"—the feeling of not knowing what will result from the moment of transition.

It’s a challenge, but something that helps me deal with challenges is to try to find common ground between them and my previous experiences. Try to think about each challenge as a previous challenge, just refurbished and repackaged in a different carrier. This makes the challenge somewhat more familiar—less unknown—which decreases the intimidation factor.

• Did you successfully overcome a similar challenge before? If so, how did you do it?

• Are you satisfied with how you’ve dealt with the challenge previously? If not, seek advice from resources—people, books, videos—on how to improve.

• Is this a challenge you’ve never faced before? How can you adapt to manage it independently? Who/what can you reach out to for help? Remember—asking for help when you need to isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of resourcefulness!

In the grand scheme of things, each "moment of transition” is only a tiny fraction of our lives. Just keep going. You’ve got this.

Change might seem like an insurmountable peak or a daunting trough, but remember, you've overcome change before, and you can do it again. Note that the positive/negative slope doesn't represent good/bad, just the ever-evolving nature of life! 🙂 

🎥 Latest Uploads

I guess you already know I moved in. Teehee. Here’s a vlog about it.

And here’s the latest podcast episode featuring my friend Caroline Juang. Caroline is an Earth scientist 🌎, former NASA project coordinator 🚀, and Brooke Owens Fellow 😎. She is also an artist and co-founder of SpaceInterns.org, a volunteer project aimed to increase accessibility within the aerospace industry. Tune in to learn about PhD applications, the importance of mentorship, and life as a graduate student at Columbia!

That’s it for this issue. Honestly, it’s been really fun getting to see everyone back on campus again. Of course, please make sure to take care of your and others’ health first. As always, cheers to being inbox buddies!

❤️ Caroline

P.S. If you have any feedback/comments for me, please reply to this email or contact me on my website: carolinechen.me. I’m always happy to hear your thoughts on content, what you find useful, and what can be improved with some “re-thinking.” :D