And So It Begins... Again

Second-year at Darden is off to a furious start. What I had expected to be a more leisurely pace has turned out to me much the same as first-year. I'm not sure it feels like drinking from a fire hose but it is at least like taking a sip from a waterfall. I ask myself "didn't I learn anything from last year that helps?" The answer is confidence. The learning is still challenging, the pace is rigorous but I am much more confident in my ability to absorb, process and ultimately respond to the challenges ahead.

It amazes me what a difference this confidence makes. The first-year community seem in awe of our experience and asks for answers to "how do I manage it all?" and "do I really need to study all of this?" Second-years love to profess profound knowledge and words of wisdom but I have to wonder if we are really so much wiser after eight months of classes. Perhaps a bit wiser, a lot more cynical, but definitely more confident.

As a second-year I am past halfway. I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel and I expect I have already cleared the most difficult of hurdles. While I don't expect smooth sailing for the rest of the way, I do know that I will be able to handle what comes next.