As winter break approaches, all I can think about is the free time I will have.
Being extremely busy with finals, I can see the end in sight, and that really is the only thing driving me to finish this semester: regaining independence to be able to do things I want to do, like watching movies, writing what I want, and picking up the hobbies I left behind in September.
Attending a school like Emerson College, I am surrounded by passionate artists who have similar dreams as myself, and yet they still experience a lack of inspiration or motivation when it comes to doing something of that artistic nature. When it was time to fill out the Common App my senior year of high school, I had two majors in mind, both which could lead me down a completely different path. At the end of the day, I had so much drive for writing and news that the choice suddenly became clear in my head: journalism.
Picking journalism as my major, I couldn’t wait to join the school newspaper, write stories, and meet new people—both through my major and when conducting interviews on the streets of Boston. Of course, that fire is still burning within me, but with the flames come the twin stresses of deadlines and meeting requirements.
When writing this, I had a concurring deadline for this story and a final for a journalism class, and I continued to procrastinate, stressing out both myself and my editors. Every time I am stressed when on deadline, I have to remind myself this is what I prayed and begged for two years ago when completing college applications.
Having to constantly recall this notion to myself is almost humorous. I am so grateful for every opportunity Emerson has offered me, but because the life of a college student is notoriously difficult, everything to do with my major is all seen as work in my head. Meeting pitch deadlines, writing a piece in time for our print edition, and trying my best to communicate with my editors about it all takes the fun out of something I once had so much desire to do.
And obviously, when I am feeling alone in this, I go to Reddit.
“Most people probably don’t outright hate their degrees, sure, but many people are in the same boat as you: college is simply a stepping stone to a better or more secure job,” one Redditor said on r/college.
I had a really hard time grasping this idea of going to college for “a better or more secure job”—especially while majoring in something related to the arts, and having my professors constantly tell my peers and I how difficult the journalism industry is to break into. Additionally, being someone who wants to pursue multiple advanced degrees in the future and gain as much knowledge as I can, I am constantly asking myself if I chose the wrong major and path for my future.
In the end, I really do enjoy journalism. I complain constantly about my assignments but have to remind myself that it is “good work”; work that I actually enjoy and I know will help me in my future. Even as this work is tedious and stressful, it is ultimately extremely rewarding to see your work come to life, or your name in print.
