In life there are always trade-offs. It never seems like we have enough time to get everything we want accomplished, especially for college students. Many find that they end up having to choose between bettering their job experiences or focusing on school. However, Jenna Belous, a senior in Political Science with a certificate of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, refuses to choose. She has found there’s a way to do it all.
Wanting to graduate a semester early, Jenna knew she would have to work hard to balance internship experience while taking summer classes. The summer after her sophomore year she interned at Geico in Indianapolis and decided to take two online accounting courses. She was told that it would be too much and that she would need to choose between classes or her internship but she believed she could accomplish both. “At first it was really difficult. However, I found that because I was really busy, it became easier for me to manage my time because I had to plan everything out. I no longer had wasted time because I knew what I was supposed to do every hour of every day.” She focused on making sure she completed her studies immediately following work, and was diligent about working ahead when the opportunity presented itself.
Determined to continue on this path, Jenna decided to hold an internship and take classes this past summer. This time interning at Liberty Mutual in downtown Manhattan, while taking macroeconomics. She was concerned that not putting all her attention on her internship would lower her chances of receiving a full time offer later on, but the exact opposite happened. Looking back on the summer she said, “The more classes I took, the better off I was. I found that keeping myself busy, kept me on track and motivated. It was when I had nothing to do, that I really started to slack off. Plus it gave me a great experience to talk about in interviews, when companies would ask me about my ability to time manage!”
Jenna plans to graduate in December with a high standing GPA and a job offer in underwriting from Liberty Mutual. When asked what advice she would give to underclassmen that feel like they don’t have enough time to accomplish everything they want; she said, “It’s hard at first to juggle multiple things [an internship and classes] but you just have to be diligent and plan ahead. If you do, there is no reason why you can’t be successful.”Jenna has taken her drive and ambition to complete her goal and prepare herself for a bright future in her career.
Have you been able to defy the odds to complete your goals? Tweet or Facebook us @PurdueCCO using the hashtag #iamgolden to tell us how you’re making an impact.
