Jenn Nguyen (she/her)
Sophomore, Duncan College
Oddball, Fun, Warm
Majors: Sociology, Business
What is something you’re proud of this year?
While I’ve contributed to many projects this year–from the art gallery at CSA’s Lunar New Year Gala to Fondren Fellow’s comic study guide to even placing at a Deloitte comp–one of the things I’m most proud of is performing with Rice’s K-pop/hip hop dance group, BASYK. I’ve wanted to join BASYK since freshman year. However, I always managed to shirk out of it, using “I’m too busy” as an excuse. This past semester, I finally pushed myself to ask for days off of work to attend practices (alongside a weekly 3 hour block for VSA’s fan and shadow dance whew), which gave me a glimpse of the tight-knit culture within the club while also reminding me of two things that brought me joy during my late elementary years: Korean music and performing. Feigning confidence on stage, especially during a time when I was stressed out of my mind, was a cathartic experience, and I loved adding to the cheers when it was time for my friends to perform. Although this isn’t necessarily a time when I was leading, making time for an activity that wasn’t solely for my academic or professional advancement was one of the most uncharacteristic things I’ve done at Rice, and I’ve never been more rewarded.
What advice would you give to your freshman self?
Speaking of activities that aren’t for academic or professional advancement, my advice would be to do them. Being a student at Rice, it’s been extremely hard to find time to put energy into something that isn’t meant to be measured by how effective it is, like homework assignments or an organized event. As someone who (unhealthily) predicates their self-value on their level of success, it helps to balance out high stakes activities with ones that aren’t explicitly being judged. If anything, having something interesting to say when someone asks, “What are your hobbies?” is a nice feeling (:
How have you utilized the SSI office this year? How has SSI been beneficial for you this year?
Through such an erratic semester, the SSI office has been a constant for me. I reached out to my advisor initially to pinpoint and talk through general issues I had with public perception, perfectionism, and lack of energy that interfered with my ability to perform as a student. After understanding my habits, my advisor helped me create study plans for upcoming weeks, and eventually, our recurring meetings turned into body doubling work sessions. Throughout my time with my advisor, the one thing I valued most was how flexible their guidance has been. Even when I felt as if there’s nothing more to take from the office, we’ve naturally adjusted the structure of our meetings to better suit my needs, and I really appreciate the time and attentiveness my advisor has dedicated to supporting me this year.
Any advice for other students?
1. Utilize on campus resources. There are so many helpful offices that Rice offers with your tuition, so you might as well use them. If you’re not as comfortable with the “adults”, there are also student reps you can reach out to! Truly, hearing different perspectives and new strategies to try when tackling a problem can be revolutionary.
2. Have someone to talk to. I’m serious. This goes hand in hand with the first point, but college is hard enough to navigate as it is, don’t make it harder by being on your own. Whether it’s your mom, a best friend, or a trained professional, let someone hear and interact with your thoughts. It’s very comforting (and very necessary).
3. Apply for everything. As a FLI student, I’ve psyched myself out of scholarships, internships, leadership positions, everything because I assumed there would be better competition. Let me remind you, you are the competition. There are countless times when I was so confident I wouldn’t get something… and I did. Imagine how many more opportunities I (and you!) could’ve gotten had we only applied.