Year 3 of school and co-op has come and gone already!
1. Co-op in the summer of 2014 and spring of 2015.
What I Did:
I worked at SABIC-IP in Mt. Vernon, Indiana for both of these co-op terms. My summer term was spent in a Compounding role (typically a MechE role), and my spring was spent in Central Engineering. In the summer, I lived with another co-op who also goes to UC, and had a blast. I did notice myself getting burnt out towards the end of the summer. My projects and assignments were simpler than I would have liked, and I didn't always see the value in my work, or feel like I owned the projects. I was able to establish good relationships with most members of the team, though, which was helpful in moving my projects forward and overcoming obstacles.
In the spring, I had the biggest assignment of my short career. It took most of my time, and was a rewarding effort. I got to work with a varied team sometimes, and a lot of the work was individual. I became more confident in my projects, and felt ownership of them.
What I learned:
A. Own your projects
When you own your projects and feel accountable for their failure AND success, work becomes more engaging. In the summer, I felt I was just going through the motions most of the time, and my work was inconsequential and unsatisfying. In the spring, I drove my projects (with a lot of help), and felt that if they succeeded, it would be because of the effort I was putting in. If I didn't put in the effort, the projects would fail. That kind of accountability and consequence made me feel responsible, and in turn made me feel like the project owner I was. The sense of ownership increased my satisfaction and happiness at work.
B. Don't sweat it
I learn this lesson frequently, and maybe someday it will stick. I will always make some mistakes. I will always forget to do something that will catch up to me later on. I will always have more responsibility than I feel I have time for. The key to living happily with these realities is to not stress over them. To me now, they are inevitable facts of life; to stress over them is a waste of time and energy. Going forward, I just need to do my best, and that will be more than good enough.
C. Live with intention
Yes, I need to go to school to get a job to get money. In the summer of 2014, especially, I felt that I was a passive participant in my life. But, just because I have obligations does not mean they should make me unhappy, or that I should feel trapped. I have the freedom of choice with what I am studying and what I do with that education. I have the freedom of choice with how I spend my time and who I spend time with. I have the freedom of choice of attitude and approach. I need to embrace this freedom and efficacy. That is what makes life something vibrant, something worthwhile.
This learning is tied in part to The Four Agreement, a book I read this winter. They are: 1) Be impeccable with your word 2) Don't make assumptions 3) Don't take anything personally 4) Do your best. To me, they all mean to be actively, sincerely your best self.
2. School in fall of 2014
What I Did:
I went to class at the University of Cincinnati. I took Transport 1, O Chem 2, Statistics and Probability, and Basic Electric Circuits. I honestly had to check my schedule to remember all of those, which is scary because I was enrolled in them just 5 short months ago. I was president of UC Junoon, UC's premiere Bollywood Fusion A Capella group. I was also a Peer Leader for the Center for First Year Experiences; I led a group of freshmen students through their first semester at UC, meeting for an hour, twice a week.
Additionally, I tried to improve my relationships with others. I went out more. I took trips I would have normally declined. I tried to take control of my social life.
What I Learned
A. There is such a thing as over-studying
I nailed all of my classes this term. I'm happy about this, but I did too well in them. I couldn't draw the line successfully and limit my study hours. This isn't the worst problem to have, but it is out of alignment with my goals.
Yes, I wanted good grades. But, I have goals outside of school, too. I want more intimate friends, I want to have a sense of self outside of the classroom or work. My studying can interfere with these other goals if I am not careful.
B. People can bother me
It's a funny habit I have. The people I end up spending the a lot of time with at school end up driving me the most crazy. I think part of me likes arguing with these people. This is weird to me, because normally I don't like to argue. It's only with a certain personality type, but it definitely happens. I don't agree with it, though. I would love to not feel compelled to argue with these people. That's a goal moving forward.
C. Just because you're not perfect doesn't mean you failed
I am very hard on myself. This fall, I felt I could have been a better president for my A Capella group. I didn't put in as much time as I could have, and I felt sometimes that rehearsals and composition times were a chore. For this reason, I thought I had been a less-than-great president. My group disagreed when I brought it up.
This tells me that I focus too much on the shortcomings and not enough on the successes. I would say this is probably true of most of my school, work, and activities.
Experiences
What I Did:
A. I kept recording music, available at grantcothrel.bandcamp.com. I further developed my ability to write, play, and record.
B. I participated in a Serve Beyond Cincinnati trip, partnering with Casa Hoy, to NYC. See the NYC section under the Honors tab for more!
C. I was a Peer Leader for the FYE. See the Peer Leader section under the Honors tab for more!
Conclusion
This has been a very fulfilling year. I got two co-op terms completed, as well as a semester of school. I formed new friendships at school and on co-op. I learn everyday to place more importance on relationships, and to dedicate more time and effort to them. I have to actually try to maintain relationships. No, I don't always want to talk to someone, but that does not give me an excuse to blow them off or act unkindly. I need to keep trying to be my best self around others, to be actively, sincerely myself. As far as responsibilities are concerned, I have a busy summer, but I'm not going to stress. I know I can handle it, and I have a network of people I can rely on if I need them. I will focus on the successes, not on the failures. I will have patience with myself and with others, and I will be my best self.
1. Co-op in the summer of 2014 and spring of 2015.
What I Did:
I worked at SABIC-IP in Mt. Vernon, Indiana for both of these co-op terms. My summer term was spent in a Compounding role (typically a MechE role), and my spring was spent in Central Engineering. In the summer, I lived with another co-op who also goes to UC, and had a blast. I did notice myself getting burnt out towards the end of the summer. My projects and assignments were simpler than I would have liked, and I didn't always see the value in my work, or feel like I owned the projects. I was able to establish good relationships with most members of the team, though, which was helpful in moving my projects forward and overcoming obstacles.
In the spring, I had the biggest assignment of my short career. It took most of my time, and was a rewarding effort. I got to work with a varied team sometimes, and a lot of the work was individual. I became more confident in my projects, and felt ownership of them.
What I learned:
A. Own your projects
When you own your projects and feel accountable for their failure AND success, work becomes more engaging. In the summer, I felt I was just going through the motions most of the time, and my work was inconsequential and unsatisfying. In the spring, I drove my projects (with a lot of help), and felt that if they succeeded, it would be because of the effort I was putting in. If I didn't put in the effort, the projects would fail. That kind of accountability and consequence made me feel responsible, and in turn made me feel like the project owner I was. The sense of ownership increased my satisfaction and happiness at work.
B. Don't sweat it
I learn this lesson frequently, and maybe someday it will stick. I will always make some mistakes. I will always forget to do something that will catch up to me later on. I will always have more responsibility than I feel I have time for. The key to living happily with these realities is to not stress over them. To me now, they are inevitable facts of life; to stress over them is a waste of time and energy. Going forward, I just need to do my best, and that will be more than good enough.
C. Live with intention
Yes, I need to go to school to get a job to get money. In the summer of 2014, especially, I felt that I was a passive participant in my life. But, just because I have obligations does not mean they should make me unhappy, or that I should feel trapped. I have the freedom of choice with what I am studying and what I do with that education. I have the freedom of choice with how I spend my time and who I spend time with. I have the freedom of choice of attitude and approach. I need to embrace this freedom and efficacy. That is what makes life something vibrant, something worthwhile.
This learning is tied in part to The Four Agreement, a book I read this winter. They are: 1) Be impeccable with your word 2) Don't make assumptions 3) Don't take anything personally 4) Do your best. To me, they all mean to be actively, sincerely your best self.
2. School in fall of 2014
What I Did:
I went to class at the University of Cincinnati. I took Transport 1, O Chem 2, Statistics and Probability, and Basic Electric Circuits. I honestly had to check my schedule to remember all of those, which is scary because I was enrolled in them just 5 short months ago. I was president of UC Junoon, UC's premiere Bollywood Fusion A Capella group. I was also a Peer Leader for the Center for First Year Experiences; I led a group of freshmen students through their first semester at UC, meeting for an hour, twice a week.
Additionally, I tried to improve my relationships with others. I went out more. I took trips I would have normally declined. I tried to take control of my social life.
What I Learned
A. There is such a thing as over-studying
I nailed all of my classes this term. I'm happy about this, but I did too well in them. I couldn't draw the line successfully and limit my study hours. This isn't the worst problem to have, but it is out of alignment with my goals.
Yes, I wanted good grades. But, I have goals outside of school, too. I want more intimate friends, I want to have a sense of self outside of the classroom or work. My studying can interfere with these other goals if I am not careful.
B. People can bother me
It's a funny habit I have. The people I end up spending the a lot of time with at school end up driving me the most crazy. I think part of me likes arguing with these people. This is weird to me, because normally I don't like to argue. It's only with a certain personality type, but it definitely happens. I don't agree with it, though. I would love to not feel compelled to argue with these people. That's a goal moving forward.
C. Just because you're not perfect doesn't mean you failed
I am very hard on myself. This fall, I felt I could have been a better president for my A Capella group. I didn't put in as much time as I could have, and I felt sometimes that rehearsals and composition times were a chore. For this reason, I thought I had been a less-than-great president. My group disagreed when I brought it up.
This tells me that I focus too much on the shortcomings and not enough on the successes. I would say this is probably true of most of my school, work, and activities.
Experiences
What I Did:
A. I kept recording music, available at grantcothrel.bandcamp.com. I further developed my ability to write, play, and record.
B. I participated in a Serve Beyond Cincinnati trip, partnering with Casa Hoy, to NYC. See the NYC section under the Honors tab for more!
C. I was a Peer Leader for the FYE. See the Peer Leader section under the Honors tab for more!
Conclusion
This has been a very fulfilling year. I got two co-op terms completed, as well as a semester of school. I formed new friendships at school and on co-op. I learn everyday to place more importance on relationships, and to dedicate more time and effort to them. I have to actually try to maintain relationships. No, I don't always want to talk to someone, but that does not give me an excuse to blow them off or act unkindly. I need to keep trying to be my best self around others, to be actively, sincerely myself. As far as responsibilities are concerned, I have a busy summer, but I'm not going to stress. I know I can handle it, and I have a network of people I can rely on if I need them. I will focus on the successes, not on the failures. I will have patience with myself and with others, and I will be my best self.