College. It’s a scary to imagine the idea that eventually you will be done with high school. Or at least, for me it is. Currently, I am a senior just counting down each day until I can move out, and this is my story on how I figured out my future.
Since I was 6 I wanted to be a surgeon. I just loved the idea, so I immersed myself into medical literature and documentaries. I took AP Biology, Human Anatomy, and many classes like those. Unfortunately though, I got to 10th grade and did not do well at in chemistry. I worked hard, but it just wasn’t me. I knew that chem is a big part of medicine, so I did a little bit of research this past year about other options in the health field. I found a major called Community Health, and it was part of the education parts of most schools. But as I researched even more, I realized that teaching isn’t really my cup of tea. I’m way too bossy. I started getting involved planning events for a local PTA and thought that I would get into public relations because I loved people. But somewhere inside of me, I wasn’t satisfied with the idea, so I did some more research.
I’ve never thought myself to be a good writer. It wasn’t until this year that I had any confidence, and that’s because I found the time to re-join the school paper. In the first issue I stepped up and wrote three articles, when the “veterans” of the paper really only wrote one, maybe two. To my surprise, after publication, all of my teachers, and also teachers I didn’t know, my peers, and adults throughout our district were recognizing me, and even telling my parents how much they enjoyed them. I was in shock. I did research, again, because I started to wonder if maybe I had found what I was meant to do: be a journalist. And in result, that’s what I plan on doing for the rest of my life.
Right now, as a teenager, it is your time to make decisions. Research! It’s the key to success. How are you supposed to know if something is right for you if you don’t spend time learning about it. For 10 years I wanted to do something, and if I hadn’t done a little bit of research, I would probably have gone pre-med and wasted my time. It’s perfectly acceptable to change your mind. One of my favorite teachers told me he changed his major 6 times, and he regrets nothing. Do what you feel is right, not what your wallet thinks is right.
Now, the other most important decision I had to make was were to go to school. When I first applied, I applied based on Community Health. But, I did more research (go figure) after changing my mind, and found out that the schools I applied to had great track records with communications. Now, there are some things that I have learned about applying that really should be shared with everyone. First of all, try to find out if the colleges you are into have any fee waivers for the application fee. It sadly costs money to apply to most schools. But, with the help of various fee waivers through online or early applications, I only paid a total of 100$, rather than the hundreds I would have spent. Next, look into the alumni. Currently, and I doubt this will change, I plan on attending SUNY Potsdam in northern New York. I wasn’t sure at first if it would work out for communications, but one of their big alumni reps is Kathleen Friery, who was the executive producer for Anderson Cooper on CNN. She double-majored in communications and political science, and minored in journalism. She speaks very highly of the school. Still, I was worried that I would struggle finding work. But then I realized the second big, important tip. If I feel that it’s not working, I can transfer. And that’s the beauty of being an adult. Unlike high school, you can switch schools at your own free will. So don’t stress the small stuff. Look at the little details, of course, but just remember that nothing is absolutely perfect. You may have to compromise on some things. Just don’t compromise on everything. Like relationships, there is the right school for everyone out there. As for me, I’m perfectly satisfied with where I am headed. I may not end up staying on the writing/ journalism path. But I’m not worried. I know that only time will tell my future, and for now I’ll just research as much as I possible can!
Since I was 6 I wanted to be a surgeon. I just loved the idea, so I immersed myself into medical literature and documentaries. I took AP Biology, Human Anatomy, and many classes like those. Unfortunately though, I got to 10th grade and did not do well at in chemistry. I worked hard, but it just wasn’t me. I knew that chem is a big part of medicine, so I did a little bit of research this past year about other options in the health field. I found a major called Community Health, and it was part of the education parts of most schools. But as I researched even more, I realized that teaching isn’t really my cup of tea. I’m way too bossy. I started getting involved planning events for a local PTA and thought that I would get into public relations because I loved people. But somewhere inside of me, I wasn’t satisfied with the idea, so I did some more research.
I’ve never thought myself to be a good writer. It wasn’t until this year that I had any confidence, and that’s because I found the time to re-join the school paper. In the first issue I stepped up and wrote three articles, when the “veterans” of the paper really only wrote one, maybe two. To my surprise, after publication, all of my teachers, and also teachers I didn’t know, my peers, and adults throughout our district were recognizing me, and even telling my parents how much they enjoyed them. I was in shock. I did research, again, because I started to wonder if maybe I had found what I was meant to do: be a journalist. And in result, that’s what I plan on doing for the rest of my life.
Right now, as a teenager, it is your time to make decisions. Research! It’s the key to success. How are you supposed to know if something is right for you if you don’t spend time learning about it. For 10 years I wanted to do something, and if I hadn’t done a little bit of research, I would probably have gone pre-med and wasted my time. It’s perfectly acceptable to change your mind. One of my favorite teachers told me he changed his major 6 times, and he regrets nothing. Do what you feel is right, not what your wallet thinks is right.
Now, the other most important decision I had to make was were to go to school. When I first applied, I applied based on Community Health. But, I did more research (go figure) after changing my mind, and found out that the schools I applied to had great track records with communications. Now, there are some things that I have learned about applying that really should be shared with everyone. First of all, try to find out if the colleges you are into have any fee waivers for the application fee. It sadly costs money to apply to most schools. But, with the help of various fee waivers through online or early applications, I only paid a total of 100$, rather than the hundreds I would have spent. Next, look into the alumni. Currently, and I doubt this will change, I plan on attending SUNY Potsdam in northern New York. I wasn’t sure at first if it would work out for communications, but one of their big alumni reps is Kathleen Friery, who was the executive producer for Anderson Cooper on CNN. She double-majored in communications and political science, and minored in journalism. She speaks very highly of the school. Still, I was worried that I would struggle finding work. But then I realized the second big, important tip. If I feel that it’s not working, I can transfer. And that’s the beauty of being an adult. Unlike high school, you can switch schools at your own free will. So don’t stress the small stuff. Look at the little details, of course, but just remember that nothing is absolutely perfect. You may have to compromise on some things. Just don’t compromise on everything. Like relationships, there is the right school for everyone out there. As for me, I’m perfectly satisfied with where I am headed. I may not end up staying on the writing/ journalism path. But I’m not worried. I know that only time will tell my future, and for now I’ll just research as much as I possible can!
Post a Comment
Be the first to comment on this article!