I prefer stability and familiarity because change is hard for me. New situations and new people give me anxiety, to the point where I resist change even when I’d benefit from it. However, stability is not always possible. Outside circumstances can eliminate familiarity and stability and force change. For example, losing a job or going through a breakup. As much as I prefer familiarity, I need to be able to change, as being open to change creates greater adaptability when change is necessary. Additionally, how does one know whether stability is right without ever experiencing change? A variety of experiences is important to determine when to choose stability.
This past summer I learned that I have to be willing to change when necessary. I craved familiarity and wanted to remain at Bryn Mawr this summer through the Summer Science Research program, which I participated in last year. However, positions in the program were limited this year, so my professor recommended applying to outside opportunities. I wasn’t entirely opposed to doing research outside of my current group. But I was anxious about meeting new people, learning an entirely new project, and living in another part of the country. Since I wanted to continue my research, I chose to accept change for once and apply to outside research programs.
After applying to a couple of research sites at other schools, I was accepted into a program in Orlando, Florida, one thousand miles and a sixteen-hour drive from my home. I had never lived further than three hours from my home, so this was a big change for me. Florida was very different from Pennsylvania. The summer was brutally hot and humid; lizards were everywhere; and the university I worked at had forty-one times as many students as Bryn Mawr. Furthermore, the work I did in Florida was interesting, but I didn't like it nearly as much as my work at Bryn Mawr. Overall, I didn’t have a great time in Florida.
Although I didn’t enjoy Florida much, I was still grateful for the opportunity to experience change, and I learned a lot. Being open to change let me attend the program in the first place, where I made friends and learned something new; it wasn't an entirely negative experience. Experiencing change also helped me understand that Bryn Mawr is the right environment for me, confirming my preference for stability. While stability is nice, being open to change is an important skill and can determine whether an environment is right for you.