Dear Future Boothies,
If I had to give you one piece of advice, all I would want to say is get uncomfortable.
I heard it so much my first year – that it would be easy to gravitate towards people like you and to do what you know, but this was the time to push yourself out of your comfort zone. I can confidently say both of those are true.
Yes, it is easy to find your people and stick with them. We all want to find our tribe and have a safe place to escape to when things get tough. I did, and it’s been a breath of fresh air when everything feels like too much. But you also have to push yourself out of that comfort zone. If the idea of doing something makes you feel uncomfortable or nervous, you should do it.
Operating within this mindset made the last year one of the most overwhelming but amazing experiences of my life. I’ve met people I would have never met under normal circumstances, and learned about the million different paths you can take that will all lead you to a Booth MBA. I have seen a business idea be thought of and actually developed into something people want to invest in. I even learned that horseback riding can actually be incredibly scary and is not not something I necessarily need to do again.
The point is, you have two years to try things you never thought to do before. There’s a lot of beauty in knowing who you are and doing what you like, but there’s also a lot of growth that lives within that space of discomfort. I plan to push myself into it as far as I can this next year and I hope to see you there.
See you soon!
Pallavi
