My first semester at Dynamy was full of trials and growth.

My first major struggle was my mental health. I no longer had the direct support of my family to help me get through rough patches, and I had to learn how to manage my depression by myself. This process was not an instantaneous one. It took many sleepless nights, late-night phone calls, and gray days to teach myself to push through it. However, I was not alone in my journey, the Dynamy staff helped me immensely! They offered me support and helped me push through and go to work on the days where I didn’t think I could get out of bed. I will be forever grateful for that.

Another struggle of mine is money management. Long story short, I worked at an amazing retail store, bought a lot of cool things, then realized I only get $120 a week and had blown through my money from my summer job. Now I am way more conscious of the money I have as well as how much I am spending and what I am spending it on. I make a grocery list that accounts for most of the food and items I’ll need for the week. I try to purchase groceries as early in the week as I can so that I don’t end up going to the store a bunch of times. Then if there is something non-essential that I want I figure out how much I can spare and then wait until the next week to make sure I want it. 

Some advice I would have given myself last semester is this; first, believe that you can push through. Losing hope, and shutting down is never going to help the way you feel. Second, always try to keep busy when you are at work. You will have more fun and the day will go by faster. Third, don’t be afraid to try new things and embrace new opportunities. Some of the most interesting growth only showed itself when I returned home for Thanksgiving break. I was suddenly no longer afraid to speak to strangers on the phone. I was more comfortable in a professional setting. I didn’t feel like I had to rely on others for my happiness. I decided how I was going to operate instead of waiting for someone to tell me what to do.

After seeing all the change in myself and learning what I have, I would tell my future self is this; don’t forget to make time to keep your space clean, don’t eat too much junk food, and always remember you have people to support you. I am excited to see what I learn and experience this semester. Things are already going more smoothly than when I first came here. I want to learn to budget better, cook more, be a professional, manage myself, and create my life.  Dynamy has made me a stronger and more confident person; professionally and personally. I would also like to add a huge thank you to the Dynamy staff and my wonderful roommates.