Get out what you put in: end of year recap
CREDIT: FSU PUBLICATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENTIt isn’t very often a journalist gets to have a whole article to talk about themselves and their experiences throughout a year. It’s already hard enough sometimes to keep some of our egos in check.
All that being said, it’s exciting and also incredibly helpful from a self-reflective standpoint to get the chance to look back.
This school year really has been one of the most important and groundbreaking times that I’ve ever personally gone through.
Before getting into too many details, this is my fourth time at Fanshawe and the first time I see myself actually seeing a program through to completion. Not to say the previous times weren’t great courses or that I ever struggled in classes at all, but I’ve really come to realize just how hard it is to find a real, true passion in life.
I was never that kid that got out of high school and knew what they wanted to do. Acting, law, game design, all were subjects I had interest in and all were programs I sought out in college, but I could never really see myself doing them in the longterm. With that, I did what plenty of students do in school: did enough to get by and pass my courses, that’s it.
It’s tough and I really thought that was how careers felt, just parts of our lives where we work to get paid until we eventually retire. That’s all I ever really saw of careers and, with that, all I ever really saw of college.
This time was different though, right from the start.
Earlier last year, I almost died on a hospital floor after waiting far too long to check on what turned out to be appendicitis, until my appendix completely ruptured. I remember feeling my ab muscles start to fail from trying to hold back the pain and really not knowing what to think. Of course, the first question out of my mouth when I hit the operating table was, “Did the Blue Jays win their game today?” Rough experience, I’d never recommend it.
It’s difficult not to get retrospective at a point like that and I realized just how disappointed I was with what I was doing in life. After that, I sat down and really started to delve into what I was meant to be doing.
That of course brought me to Fanshawe, where I’m progressing incredibly well in the broadcast-journalism program.
Before I even got in the doors, my mindset for how I navigated being in college changed.
They say you get out what you put in and this year really has hammered that point home. From top to bottom at Fanshawe, I started to be fully committed to the experience. Putting my all into my work, becoming a class rep, working with the Interrobang as a reporter, playing recreational basketball, all are just some of the ways I’ve gotten involved as much as possible with the school.
I’ve really never felt more connected to what I’m doing and to the experience of learning as a whole. I used to think school was just grades and getting that expensive paper at the end of it.
I can say for certain that it really isn’t.
Writing this, I totally get that it’s hard to really follow the story and advice of a 25-year-old journalist who had a successful career in marketing before going back to college for the fourth time. It’s been a weird experience feeling like the star-student, teacher’s pet for the first time in my life.
It’s all completely worth it and it’s turned into one of the most stress-free and confident years of my life. It’s an incredible feeling to see your future building in front of your eyes day by day.
To really tail off this recap, there’s a few things I’d recommend to anyone reading;
- 1. Do what you love doing or find out what that is, stop just being complacent with what’s in front of you
- 2. Don’t chug entire bottles of Pepto Bismol if the right side of your gut is hurting, it’s probably appendicitis and you should go get it checked before you keel over
- 3. Stop fighting the college system and do what you can to embrace it, it’s more fun than you think and can really change your life
