Setting Goals For Myself

Achieve financial stability

Starting off pretty long-term here. Sometimes I wonder what financial stability even means to me. Right now I'd say it includes being able to pay for necessities, like food and a home, while also having some discretionary income to spend on things that bring me joy, such as travel. However, as I grow, my definition might change.

To reach this goal, I have to work my way up to a well-paying position. While it sounds easy in theory, this will take a lot of effort during my time at UCLA, from succeeding academically to finding internships to networking. And even beyond university, I'll obviously have to work hard and persevere as I build towards the future – I don't expect my dream job (and it's dream salary) to fall in my lap as a recent graduate.

It might take some time (I'm talking 5+ years), but I know I'll be able to reach my goal of financial stability eventually.

Remain intellectually engaged

Somewhat tying into my previous goal is my desire to not let my brain turn to "mush" over summer. Okay, clearly an exaggeration – but you know what I mean. When I'm not kept busy by class or a job, I often turn to non-mentally stimulating activities, like scrolling through social media.

To keep myself busy, and thus intellectually engaged, I plan on finding a paid internship this summer. That way I'll always have a task or project to actively work on. And if that doesn't work out, I might enroll in a couple summer courses.

I'm also going to try my best to get back into reading (unfortunately I stopped reading books for fun a while ago). I think at least two books by fall quarter sounds reasonable.

I hope that by following this plan of action, I'll keep my mind active this summer.

Build connections

One of my biggest goals at UCLA is to really put myself out there to meet lots of new people and establish close friendships. I know there's no question of whether I'll walk away from my four years with connections – but because I haven't always been the most social person, the real question is how I plan on cultivating them.

In a normal year, staying on the Hill would have been a great opportunity to build friendships – however, for obvious reasons, I've had to find an alternative. The other clear choice is joining clubs and organizations.

Entering freshman year, I joined two clubs and the Student Alumni Association (SAA) in pursuit of my social goal. I didn't find either of those clubs to be a fit and eventually stopped attending meeting, however my time at SAA is another story.

Being a part of the Spring Sing committee, in particular, has been so fun and inspiring in terms of my potential here at UCLA. From weekly zoom meetings to vaccinated hang-outs in Westwood, I've made some amazing friendships.

From my time in SAA, I see even more the importance of being involved on campus to building connections. Moving forward, I plan to apply to or join other organizations alongside SAA. I hope that in doing so, I'll have the opportunity to connect with even more people!

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P.S. if one of your goals is to feel like a part of the UCLA community, watch Spring Sing 2021 on May 21st!! You don't want to miss this epic bruin tradition. Check out the trailer here!

Talk to you later,

Sara