Secondly, I want to comment on how the falsification and reality of competition play out on a scale this large. First off, falsification of competition is believing you are competing with classmates when you really aren’t. This is most common in classwork where, in high school, you may have been gunning for the top rank, but in college, it is better to create companionship rather than enemies. This is also common in a professional setting, where students may feel pressure from their classmates to reach a certain level in their career that they may not be ready for. College is a personalized experience, and burning yourself out by creating false narratives will only make learning harder for you. So, where does competition really come in? When attending one of the top universities for your major, you already stand out to recruiters looking for interns or full-time employees. This makes your competition actually decrease because you already have an advantage. The competition comes from within yourself. Cheesy, I know, but knowing your own personal limits and being honest with others, including employers, about those limits shows a huge level of maturity and puts your college expectations in the right place.

Lastly, it is ok to fall sometimes and you need to take pride in the school you are choosing to attend. Engineering is hard. It can require a lot out of us and push us over the edge occasionally. This is normal. Going back to competition, it is not about how everyone around you does but about how you do. Falling from time to time and struggling from time to time is okay; just make sure you take advantage of the resources provided by the department and learn to communicate effectively with advisors and classmates. If you hate on yourself too much, you limit your possibilities of succeeding. While cheering yourself up, in fact, take pride in the school you are choosing to attend. As mentioned time and time again, Texas A&M is one of the best schools for engineering. If we forget the amazing opportunity we have been given, it makes it easier to hate on ourselves. We must remember just how blessed we are just to walk the halls of this amazing institution and how struggles and triumphs will shape not only our future but the future of the world.

In closing, being a petroleum engineer has not been all sunshine and rainbows. I have fought hard to excel in my classes, questioned my abilities, and falsified competition in my head. I have learned that these struggles and faults of mine are common, and by talking with my classmates, I have learned to alleviate many of the struggles I have faced. I hope this encourages you to take pride in your enrollment in one of the best institutions in the country. Congratulations and Gig’em!