B
y Adriana Ruiz
Introductions on the first day of classes have never been at the top of my favorite things-to-do list because for the past four years attending this college, I considered myself undecided.
I started attending classes here straight out of high school in the fall of 2008 without a clue as to what major I might want to pursue.
I took advice from a counselor who recommended that I start with enrolling in basic classes while I figured out what degree plan I wanted to follow.
Another counselor recommended I take classes I found interesting to see if they would spark an interest and become something I would like to pursue.
Although I had no clue as to what I was doing, education has always been a priority so taking a semester off was never an option.
In my pursuit of a career path, I made the mistake of taking classes that did not fall under a specific degree plan, and, as a result, I spent a lot of money and wasted a lot of time.
For example, I really enjoyed ceramics so I spent three semesters learning how to throw on a wheel, glaze pottery and fire clay.
I remember spending hours playing with a variety of clays and learning to sculpt while watching my creations come to life.
Then I decided I really enjoyed philosophy, so I spent three semesters in philosophy classes. I enjoyed learning about the Socratic method, Plato’s allegory of the cave and Sarte’s theory on existentialism. I don’t regret any time I spent learning in all of these classes, but although I enjoyed the subjects, I knew they did not fit into a career field I wanted to pursue.
I continued this pattern for years and eventually received an associate degree in liberal arts.
I enjoyed the scenic route, but after 108 attempted hours, it was mind- blowing to still not know what I wanted to do.
Seeing my friends graduate with bachelor’s degrees and start their careers was difficult to watch. Although I was happy for them, seeing their success made me envious.
Just as I was about ready to give up on college altogether, I decided to enroll in COMM 1316, News Photography 1, my introduction to the world of journalism.
In this class, I was working as a team with other students enrolled in journalism classes.
Every week, we all worked together to deliver the news and put out a weekly newspaper along with news online content.
I never imagined I would end up having an interest in journalism, but after so many years in college, this was the first time I felt like I was a part of something bigger.
Although my path has taken longer than I expected, I’m glad that I stuck around long enough to find something I can pour myself into and that will lead me into a career.
