College is a chance for immense growth and self discovery. Don't limit yourself.
When I first packed my bags to begin my journey at college, I had one career goal in mind. I wanted to be a vet. Period. I enrolled myself in the natural sciences as a biology major on a pre-veterinary track. In that moment, I was ready and prepared for the dream job I conceived at the age of 4 to become a reality. Or not...
As my freshman year turned into my sophomore year, something changed. I was no longer finding joy going to my classes; you'll find it's a lot harder to work on something when you have no joy to elicit motivation to complete it. The workload began piling up tremendously and the material's content became more and more dense. I had begun to near the end of my rope; but I still persisted on, or at least tried to. Until one day, I snapped.
It was the first day back after spring break, which I had hoped gave me a clear head to refocus my attention on my studies. I was about to head out the door to my physiology lecture but wanted to check my assignments online for the upcoming week. After logging in and checking my course calendars, an overwhelming feeling came over my body. Looking at the amount of things that I had to do in such a short amount of time made the comfort and peace I found during the break leave. Tears began to stream down my face, my legs became cement, and my butt could no longer leave the couch. Limit reached. This was the day that I questioned the future I had planned for myself for the past 14 years. I was watching the remnants of that future begin to crumble in front of my eyes.
I didn't know what I was going to do. I had tons of passions, sure, but which one of them was going to be what I was going to pursue. After some help from my parents and hours upon hours in the registration catalogue, I figured it out. Even when I was a biology major, my favorite thing to do was to write. I had taken a class that spring of 2017 titled Literature and the Uncanny that reanimated my love of writing and reading. That same day I broke, I contacted my advisor so that I could make the switch to the humanities. Ever since then, I have been a writing and rhetoric major with a concentration in journalism and digital media.
Since changing my major, all the pieces that I was concerned with getting to fit together fell into place. I loved each new class for my major and happily completed assignments for them. I was able to re-devote my time to my craft and explore myself. I eventually found an internship that intersected my love of writing and the sciences, becoming a technical writer and video specialist in the tech industry at a company in Austin, Texas; made connections that helped me land my first professional acting job; and started my very own company and business, West Crescent Creations and West Crescent Vintage. I finally found my future. I finally found happiness.
Learn from me guys. Your four years of college will go by faster than you believe. You want to make sure you spend that time doing something you actually enjoy doing. You may even find out that what you want to do can't be found in a school! Whatever it is, you just have to follow your gut. Mine had been trying to talk to me for a long time, but I wouldn't listen. Don't let that be your mistake too.
To learn more about what I wish I knew before starting college check out my video below!
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