Ahmed Aljohani, co-president for the Emory Muslim Students Association
Your future doesn’t have to be planned out. We often hear that successful people have it all planned and well thought out every step along their way. We hear that we need to assemble a goal and follow it throughout our college years. While it is true that we need a preliminary plan for our future, focusing on the details is straining and stressful.
My peers seemed to figure out their four years of college life within the first week of school. I felt pressured since despite knowing I wanted to be engulfed in research, I did not know how to reach that goal. I felt how passionate my friends were about their futures, and I strived to match up to their determination without realizing the stress it was causing. I was scared that my four year plan could go wrong, because life is full of surprises. Nevertheless, my life started to change ever since I started following a specific saying from the previous president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST): “Don’t over-plan your future. Make an initial plan, but focus on excelling at what you’re going through. When you do your best, you will find an opportunity.”
I started living in the present, focusing on my homework for that specific week and simply asking myself: what do I need to do now to graduate with a good GPA ? After I managed to secure an excellent GPA in my first year, I started thinking about how I could join a research lab. I had always heard that I needed to reach out to ten professors to join their lab, and I should expect rejections. However, I only asked one, and he allowed me to join his lab the summer after my first year. I started focusing on how to succeed in my research, and eventually, with my advisor’s help, I got published. Taking my college undergraduate experience step by step has helped me maximize my potential to succeed.
To the students stressed about their future, you will be okay. Live in the present for a while, explore your interests and appreciate what you have done. College is a time to be open to all possibilities, and we will inevitably face hardships and struggle along the way. I’m sure we get frustrated every time we hear the words “unprecedented challenges.” However, once you do your best in the present, opportunities will present themselves in front of you.
Ahmed Aljohani is from Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. He served as the co-president for the Emory Muslim Students Association, and was an academic fellow captain for two years. He was awarded the 2022 Rhodes Scholarship. After graduation, he will continue his education in the University of Oxford focusing on marine scientific research.
