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Tuesday, March 10, 2015

An EPPS Senior Reflects on her UT Dallas Journey

By Vinni Anandham, EPPS Blogger

I can’t believe it! It’s been three years and it’s my last semester at UT Dallas as an undergrad. I knew I wanted to major in Political Science since I was a freshmen in high school, and in less than three months my dream of graduating with a degree in Political Science will be coming true! But now that I’m so close to walking across the stage to receive my diploma, I can say that while my degree had always been the goal and I will be proud of it, I know that it will not be the highlight of my years at UT Dallas.

I have gotten SO much more from UT Dallas than just a degree. I have gotten to work with Dr. Daniel’s staff that set the perfect example of an ideal workplace in my eyes. I have gotten to serve the student organizations of UT Dallas and watch student leaders emerge, creating 180 student orgs to 275 in just two years! I have been able to assist in planning some university events with the amazing people that dedicate every day to UT Dallas students. I have been encouraged by my peers to thrive in volunteer work that lead to being accepted into the Clinton Global Initiative University Conferences and actually shaking hands with former President Clinton! I have met professors and staff members who believed in my abilities more than I did to one day discover that they were right, when achieving success in Moot Court Tournaments. 

I have been given more than words could express in just one blog but meeting all of the people that made these three years so worthwhile, serve as the true “highlight” of my undergraduate experience.


If someone were to ask me to change something then most likely I’d say no because I believe that even the mistakes I made were crucial in order to gain all that I did. That being said, if a freshman were to ask me about something I did that they sh
ould make sure not to do then my BIGGEST advice to them would be “DON’T REFRAIN FROM GETTING INVOLVED!”

This is my advice to anyone who’s a student in an institution, but especially if you are a freshmen in college, don’t hide yourself in your dorm. Go get involved in clubs and/or greek life, find out what all your university offers, figure out the various resources offered there but just don’t go to class and straight back to your dorm. 

Since I played an active student leader role in high school, I thought that getting sucked into it again would decrease my GPA, but I was wrong. Freshmen year was my worst year in college, academically and socially because while I was lucky to have met a professor that encouraged me to become an EPPS blogger, and a few friends that got me involved in a club to volunteer, I did nothing but go to class and work. The only thing I showed real initiative towards was finding an on campus job and was privileged to work in one of the best offices on campus, learning from some of the most amazing women I have ever met. 

BUT, if I showed the same initiative towards other activities on campus, then I would have been able to do some other things I can no longer do because once you get into junior/senior year, you will find yourself with having free time. So show some initiative to explore your campus and find what suits you best! J