in need of an academic reality check
hello!!
i’m a rising sophomore studying nuclear engineering, and i currently have a 3.7 GPA. of course, this is far from terrible, but also, as someone who’s been used to getting straight As in high school, my performance has been freaking me out a tad.
i feel like i quite stretched myself thin last semester. i took 15 units of four technicals (which, imo, weren’t terribly difficult besides Physics 7A), and i feel like i was working fairly constantly for a large part of the semester. there were a couple of days here and there where i’d procrastinate/slack, but the root of my procrastination is something i’m currently working on separately and hope to solve. (the root of this procrastination is anxiousness at not being able to overcome challenges in what i am studying)
i’m in a couple of clubs and have board positions in them. all of these clubs are non-technical, but are related to my major. i’m technically in a research group, yet, despite my pushing, i still haven’t really received much of a project yet. (i participate in the clubs in which i have non-technical board positions because i care a lot about nuclear outreach and advocacy. i’m very happy with where i am in these clubs because i feel like i’m working towards a cause i care a lot for. i’m just afraid it won’t be useful when applying to jobs.)
i’ve been slacking on applying to jobs. i just don’t feel like i have the skillset for any nuclear internships (which i firmly stand by), but also, i should at least apply to on-campus jobs which i need to overcome my fear of doing as well. (the same anxiousness i had mentioned prior with regards to academics is relevant here.)
the reason i lay all of this out is because i want to do better. although i’m seemingly doing generally well now, i want to perform at the same high level my peers seem to perform — not because i want to be better or as good as them, but because i want to be happy with myself and what i achieve at berkeley. again, despite seemingly doing generally well, i’ve come out of my freshman year disappointed, and i was wondering whether any of you would have any advice on what i can switch up in what i do in the future.
thank you for all and any advice! as nerve-wracking as my first year here has been, i really, really love this school. go bears!