By Sneha Singhi
It’s that time of year when everybody seems to have their summer internships lined up and ready, and they can’t seem to talk about anything else. LinkedIn is flooded with announcements: “Incoming Investment Banking Summer Analyst at Goldman Sachs” or “SWE Intern at Google.” The achievements of Cornell students are impressive, to say the least.
But it’s important to remember: not everyone is there yet. Many students are still searching, feeling disheartened by the fact that internships begin in just two months and they still haven’t found anything. Feelings of jealousy, disappointment and self-doubt begin to creep in. Worried that they’ll never find anything. That they’re falling behind. That maybe they’re not where they should be. They question their own performance, wonder if they’re good enough and feel that familiar sinking feeling in their stomach when a friend gets their dream internship. And then comes the guilt — for feeling jealous in the first place. For many, this is one of the most stressful times of the year.
Cornell is filled with the best of the best. Every student here was specifically chosen because of their talents, their interests, their potential. Every admissions officer saw something in us. But when you’re constantly surrounded by incredibly accomplished people, it’s easy to question your own power. And because this school is full of success stories, it inevitably fosters competition. The truth is, there are only so many internship offers. And whether we say it or not, we’re often competing against each other to get them.
So, we keep our cards close. Secrets, half-truths and quiet strategic moves are exchanged in place of transparency, all in the name of getting ahead.
And Cornell doesn’t exactly make this easier. Our culture of academic intensity and our infamous grade deflation, curved classes and competitive clubs only adds fuel to the fire. In some classes, only a set number of students can receive an A. That creates an environment where students aren't just trying to understand the material; they're trying to outperform their peers, who are also some of the most brilliant students in the country. At times, you start to wonder: What’s the point of going to a school where learning feels like a constant competition?
It can feel like there are only two types of students here: either those who are thriving, doing every club on campus, who had their internships locked in last spring and still somehow have an active social life or those who are just trying to get by. If you don’t see yourself fitting into either group, it can feel incredibly isolating.
My first two years at Cornell, I often felt lost. Everyone around me seemed to have a plan, a purpose, a polished resume. Meanwhile, I was struggling to figure out who I was and what I wanted. It took me a while to realize that was okay.
From my own experience, I now know that I spent more of my college life trying to fit in with the people around me than actually making the most of it in the way I had envisioned. It’s hard to admit this, but I feel like the little, innocent high school version of myself, the one who had so many dreams, got buried beneath the pressure to adapt, to prove myself, to measure up.
So, to any student reading this who feels the same way, I have one piece of advice: I know college is supposed to be this magical place — your first real taste of freedom — but in the rush to make the most of it, don’t lose sight of the part of yourself that brought you here. And everything you wanted to learn and do.
It’s okay to feel behind. It’s okay to feel uncertain. It’s okay to not be thriving all the time. Because behind all the LinkedIn posts, the fancy job titles and the curated smiles, most of us are just 20-somethings trying to figure it out.
Some of us will become scientists, analysts, artists, entrepreneurs or whatever else we decide to be. Some of us will find ourselves in cities like New York, following the “typical Cornell path.” And some of us won’t. And that’s okay, too.
The passion, the ambition, the life you once imagined for yourself is still within reach. And it’s never too late.
Or at least, as an almost-senior, I sure hope it’s not.
Sneha Singhi is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at ss3298@cornell.edu.
