College is supposed to prepare you for your career and to lead a productive work life. In what ways do you feel most prepared for this challenge? In what ways do you feel least prepared?
A question for my summer 2014 Public Relations Writing students
July 28, 2014 by Les Potter
Posted in Comm/PR/IMC careers | Tagged Education, Employment, Hiring Employees, Jobs in PR, Millennial Generation, Public Relations Writing, Teacher and Student Communication, Teaching Communication/PR | 17 Comments
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About Les Potter
Lester R. Potter, MBA, ABC, IABC Fellow, is a Senior Lecturer in the PR Track, Mass Comm. department, of Towson University, Maryland. He is "ABD" (all but dissertation) for a doctorate in Instructional Technology at Towson. He began his academic career in 2004. Previously, Potter was president of Les Potter Incorporated, an international consulting firm he founded in 1998. Prior to that, he held various integrated marketing communication management positions with for profit and nonprofit organizations. Email Les at lpotter@towson.eduPages
I feel that the most important thing that I’ve gained from college is confidence. I’ve become a better and more confident writer, I’ve been assigned things that I will face in my career and now have the experience of working with them, and I’ve had to learn how to put myself out there and talk to people in order to get what I want. This is all going to be critical to my career life because I will be fighting with so many others to get a job, and I will need to be able to set myself apart from the crowd.
Even over the course of this class, I feel better about the strength of my writing and more specifically, my writing as a public relations professional. I’ve learned the proper format and technique for so many types of PR documents, which will benefit me greatly going into the PR career world, given that’s what I choose to do. I’ve also become much more confident in putting myself out there and talking to others when it comes to career related topics and just in general. It will come in handy when I’m put in networking situations and need to take advantage of the situation.
I feel least prepared when it comes to speaking publicly, whether while representing a company or in another situation. This can play an important role for those in the PR profession and may be something a public relations representative will have to do in his or her career; that’s why I plan on taking more professional speaking classes and working on speaking in front of a crowd. This will be an important skill in not only the PR profession, but almost any prospective career field.
Having just finished my first year of college, I already feel pretty confident in the skill set I have obtained, but I look forward to becoming more prepared for my future professional life over the next few years.
As I am currently going into my senior year at Towson University I feel that I have learned many important skills that has prepared me to lead a productive work life in the near future. Before coming to Towson, I knew that I wanted to work in the public relations field, however I did not know exactly what that would entail. Throughout these past three years I have taken courses that not only will benefit me in my career but also will assist me in being a well-rounded and well-educated woman in general. College has helped me grow as a person and shaped my life tremendously; bringing me closer to the person I was meant to be.
Being a student in college I have the gained writing and communication skills that are necessary for landing a job in the competitive industry of public relations. My professors have taught me certain formats, topics and skills that will make me stand out in the workforce. This course in particular has taught me the most about what I will need to know in order to successfully work in the communications industry. That is because we learned the basic and critical topics that public relations professionals are doing on a day-to-day basis. For example, writing speeches, press releases, newsletters etc.
Once I got accepted into the Mass Communication department at Towson I started applying to internships to get a grasp of what the industry is all about and to see if I actually wanted to keep perusing a career in it. I can confidently say that I am looking forward to working in the field and feel that I fit into the fast-paced and always-changing lifestyle of a public relations professional. Being a college student has helped me gain the motivation to be passionate about learning everything there is to know about the industry I want to work in.
However, one way I feel least prepared is with public speaking. I took one course here at Towson and most of my classes provide us with the opportunity to practice speaking and presenting in public therefore that is something that I will work on in my last year at Towson University.
I feel confident that college has helped me get ready for the real world and gave me real skills that will be required for working in a professional career.
As of this fall, this will be my senior year at Towson University. After taking three years of courses, I feel confident in my ability to effectively use what I’ve learned. College is supposed to be the time where we learn as much as we can academically. We stay up late studying and read the required textbooks. But while academics is a huge reason for why students attend a university, I don’t think it’s the only reason. That being said, I think having a career is more than just knowing textbook facts. In the working world, if you don’t know something, you can always take some time to research it or refresh your memory. Professionals never stop learning. It’s the aspect of independence and self-motivation that truly prepares students for after college. At the end of the day, there may be hundreds of employees who have degrees in one field or another. It’s your attitude and performance that will truly test how far you can go in your career.
I’m a student who has a part time job and is on the executive board of an organization. Ergo, time management is a vital part of my college experience. I’ve learned how to balance my commitments and make my schedule more flexible. I’ve also learned how to self-motivate myself. When you live on campus, your mom doesn’t wake you up for class or ask you if you’ve finished your homework. It’s up to every student to determine how successful they want to be. They must motivate themselves to excel or barely get by. College, in my opinion, forces students to taste reality. Therefore, while I’m confident in my academic success, I’m even more confident that my time at Towson University has helped me evolve into a mature adult who can work towards a specific goal and strategically fight to achieve it. College teaches students not to settle with simply getting by.
I feel least prepared for my life after college simply because it’s a different territory. As independent as I feel at Towson, I know that a college campus is sheltered. I’m used to working alongside people with whom I share common goals with. Everyone on campus is a student. We’re all striving for the same achievement. It’ll be different for me to adjust to being on my own and being surrounded by people in different stages in their lives. I’m also worried that my best isn’t what my employer will want. I’m afraid that right now, the public relations field is evolving and becoming more and more innovative without me. I’m hoping that I’ll be as prepared as I can for my career. However, if I’m not, I’m also hoping that the working world can be forgiving while I adjust and catch up.
This fall will be the start of my last year here at Towson University. After a couple of years of college, I feel as though I’m infinitely more prepared for “real life” than I was when I started, however, I know I’m not all the way there yet. College is supposed to be what prepares for the real world and gives us the knowledge necessary to be functioning members of society. It’s like a practice round, halfway in and halfway out of adult life.
Professionally, I’ve developed more than I could ever dream. I never knew that just three short years studying something I love could give me this much confidence in the fact that this is what I was meant to do. I’ve written 25 page advertising plans, and creating artwork that I never thought was possible, and that was all learned through the courses I’ve taken here at Towson. I’m excited to learn as much as I can about my career in the last year I’ve got here, and my courses definitely have me feeling prepared for the professional side of my life after college.
Personally, college has taught me a lot as well. I’ve learned how to manage a budget (as much as a college student can, of course). Through working, taking classes full time, and participating in marching band, I’ve learned time management and how to balance different aspects of my life. I’ve learned how to live on my own, first through the dorms and then really on my own in an apartment. These are all valuable career skills that I wouldn’t have learned as quickly outside of college.
However, there is a part of me that feels grossly unprepared for my career. I’ve only really practiced what it means to be a professional. I’ve never had an internship, which makes me feel like I’m behind the rest of the people in my year and field. After I graduate, I’m going to get a shock to my system, and you can only prepare for that so much. Playing pretend and writing assignments for a class are completely different than walking into an office and handling clients.
I hope, though, that what I have done in college is enough to get me started. I have faith that the skills I’ve worked on and developed throughout my time here will get me a good job that will let me learn and grow and become even more confident and professionally prepared.
The American dream. Being accessible to the world and all the amazing opportunities that follow. To do what your heart desires. To live where you want. To achieve the unimaginable. In today’s time, many students around the world are hunched over a textbook, trying to force information into their heads to score high on an exam. Stressed out for months, staying up late writing that last sentence to an assignment. Why? To receive a grade. To complete a certain amount of credit hours. To earn a college education. To land a dream job and follow the American dream. What happens when you can’t find a job after you’ve spend four years of your life turning in papers and filling out scantrons with a #2 pencil? Instead of spending four years of your life in school, what if you started your own company straight out of high school, or maybe you were forced into a family business. It’s difficult job searching when you can only meet one of the two major job requirements, an education, and experience. Everyone has to start somewhere but instead of prioritizing education first, why not build on experience early and then focus on education?
Moving forward, I’ve learned more “real world” information in a three week internship than a year as a full time student. Sure I could tell you the “father” of public relations, but who cares in the real world? How does that relate to a project or campaign I’ll be working on? Maybe school isn’t for me or my major is irrelevant to my interests. In the end you’re buying the professor and whether or not you learn is up to your determination and desire to learn. I’ve noticed that most professors will read the textbook, make power points of what they have learned in that textbook, and made an exam based on the textbook. Going back to the importance of real world experience, when you add the textbook and the knowledge of that professor that’s been there and done that, that’s the professor you want to invest your money in, hoping they share their passion and expertise in that subject.
With all the negative comments aside, I have had a handful of amazing professors that I feel have not only prepared me my professional career but also life in general. These professors care for their students as if they were their own children. In most cases these professors are tough graders, intimidate students to the point of tears, but I guarantee that these professors are better than a textbook and the information that you learn in the class will be remembered and used throughout their life. I just wish that all colleges would consist of motivated professors that have real world experience, not just an education.
Life is what you make of it. If anything school has taught me, it is to think in abstract and to think in a creative mind set.
To some, college has taught the basis of responsibility. To others, college ends up being a waste because others feel as though it is more of a way to attain a ticket(a degree) and work your way to the dance floor(career). The only thing I have to say to those naysayers is the fact that college, like anything in life, can’t teach you passion or will-power. The “over achievers” , as many would call them, will always do well because that is what they want to do in their life. They have a goal. If many of us have goals, we must work hard in order to get it.
Metaphorically speaking, like a ship in the harbor, one must have a goal in order to go somewhere. It is likely that if a ship leaves a harbor without a goal, many will agree that the ship will end up lost and or broken. College is the new boat and the ship’s crew are the professors. Only through preparation and challenge, can we become confident in our skills. Social interactions and the people we meet are no different than “real life”.
When it comes to being least prepared, the only thing I came up with is if the career I am applying for incorporates a new specific skill set. The only way to truly find out if college has prepared me or not is to try and work in the right environment.
I am impressed at Mr. Potter’s work ethics as well as his teaching style. He engages with students well. Just by the way he talks, one can easily distinct the experience with the inexperienced. The rules of Lesterism, especially number one, shall always be in my head. I have learned to incorporate the inverted pyramid style and will work on making it a strength.
I do not feel inadequate because I know that life always teaches lessons. We must always move forward, prepared!
College has prepared me in many ways that will help me be successful in the Public Relations field. The professors at Towson University that I have learned from are great teachers and have helped me, tremendously with real life examples and classwork. College has also helped me manage the stress of having numerous work projects going on at once that will help me balance out my commitments in the future. The Public Relations field has also taught me how to perfect certain skills such as writing, communication, and selling. For example, I have learned that selling anything, whether a product or an idea, relies all on the type of audience you have. This has helped me staggeringly already in my current job and know will be incredibly beneficial in the future.
Some ways that I feel least prepared for the real world is not having day-to-day real life experiences that will help me transition with a little more confidence into the workplace. Learning from textbooks and doing projects/homework is great and all but it would be more ideal to actually work and learn from first hand experiences. I’m sure internships are great and are an excellent way to gain experience but due to my full-time job I am not sure I will be able to experience one. For this reason, I wish every class would have more real life situations that will fully prepare us for our careers including interviews, projects, and presentations more often.
Overall, college has and continues to help me become more prepared for the real world. A college degree alone is what will land me a seat for an interview instead of just being sent to the rejection pile. My skills, personality, and dedication will help me land a job in the Public Relations field. And, I think the best thing about the professors at Towson University is the fact that they all have great open communication skills. I feel very comfortable being able to contact them if I need advise or any help with my work in the future.
Hey Class,
This fall marks the start of my senior year and saying how I took 5 classes over the summer, I think prepared might be an understatement for how this college and its staff has helped me for my work life. Even though I haven’t been at TU for all four years, attending Montgomery College to achieve an associates degree gave me the preparation to study at Towson University. TU made it obviously that it wasn’t strictly academic and that college was more about the journey of getting your bachelor’s degree.
College has allowed me to kickstart my career with my own public relations firm named, Inamintz Public Relations. During my education at TU, I have had professors help me with my own press releases for my artists. These same professors have given me the opportunity to customize assignments to the things I enjoy, music. The same staff who helped me with the development of m artists is the same staff who helped me apply for an internship with HOT 99.5.
I feel that I am most prepared for this challenge as my writing abilities and skills improve as a whole. As an outgoing individual, TU has prepared me professionally to network. Professors at TU establish friendships with their students to better their experience here. This also has taught me how to follow-up after meeting a public relations professional.
There are ways that I feel least prepared because of skills that I may lack. Even though, my writing capabilities have improved they could be better before graduation. Also, I am not as initative and strategic as I should be as a college student who’s about to graduate and be thrown into the real world. I have done enough writing assignments since being a Mass Communications major, that certain methods are a way of life now.
This class has taught me a lot about format and organization. I realized how important organization is in the public relations field as a press release can’t just be formulated any way possible. Also, that the format to any piece of work that has to be sent out to a mass audience is important in content along with the format.
The most valuable resource that I’ve gained since being in college is a strong support network. I’ve met an eclectic group of individuals with specific skills across numerous industries. I’ve established a considerable amount of knowledge that is translatable over different business platforms from fostering some of those relationships.
I feel most prepared for the real world in the sense that I am well connected. If I am not immediately connected to someone within an industry or organization that I would prefer to work for, I am fairly certain that I am at least connected to someone that is. Among the few businesses that I have started and others that I have worked for, I’ve refined a multitude of different skill sets. However, If I hadn’t a proper college education from an upstanding institution like Towson University, I likely would not have been provided with such opportunities. I can trace every opportunity that I’ve been provided with to a discipline that I first learned in college.
Beyond just the classroom, I l gained a wealth of knowledge simply by being a college student. The most notable skill I have learned is time management. I remember when I was applying for colleges in high school that I was often told to put “time management” as a skill on college applications. That advice is golden. During my junior year, I was a student ambassador, a fraternity executive, an SGA director, and a club sport executive while working a part-time job. By being involved in so many different groups, I prepared myself to be well organized and learned how to prioritize work in terms of deadlines and importance. I believe this skill is directly translatable to the real world. Hypothetically, if I am in charge of five different projects with various deadlines in one quarter, I will know how to manage, prioritize, and execute while being conscientious of deadlines.
I feel least prepared in the sense that I have been in school for four years, have been taking chances in entrepreneurial endeavors for nearly two years, and I am still relatively unsure of what I want to do with my career. I think that after so much academic and real life experience that I would have a firmer grasp on my career orientation. I don’t. However, though I lack preparation in this respect, I double it with an unrelenting desire for success.
Networking is key. It is the key to job networks before graduation and internship possibilities. Throughout my undergraduate career at Towson University, networking was the one thing I learned and developed based on my leadership experiences. Networking has given me the confidence to take a leap into my professional career.
From the first day I stepped on Towson’s campus, networking was a common thing every upper classmen said they acquired while they were in school. Every speaker I listened to, networking was the reason they got to where they are today.
The light bulb then lit up in my head.
In high school I built relationships with friends, teachers, and classmates. Then on Towson’s campus I knew I had to do it all over again. I did not know one person at Towson. On the first school day of freshman year I started to build my relationships with my professors, staff, faculty, and classmates.
Now, in my senior year I have not only continued to build relationships but also maintained those relationships.
Networking is the key to being as prepared as possible for the professional world. But the key to networking is building and maintaining those networks.
Networking has prepared me for my career and future endeavors.
The one thing that I am not prepared for is failure.
My whole life I have been over achieving to succeed from middle school to college. Through various leadership experiences I have made mistakes and then triumphs. When I made mistakes it was a feeling that would fuel the energy to make sure that mistake would never happened again.
Is there a way college has prepared me to embrace failure?
That is a question I still, as a graduating senior, think of constantly.
As I sit here today, 21 years old, and a rising senior at Towson University, I truly feel like I am ready for whatever is to come after graduation. Towson for the most part (excluding a few professors and boring lectures) has prepared me for life after college.
I have learned that networking and having connections is 90% of the battle, the rest is just you being you. Networking and making connections help get your foot in the door. I firmly believe it is what helps one student stand out from the competition. Plain and simple it’s imperative in order to be successful. Luckily, Towson really helps students out with networking. Through my years, nearly all of my professors in the major are extremely qualified and have extraordinary credentials. They are all here to help me succeed and to help build my network in my desired field. They are a huge asset and want me to succeed.
The only thing I wish, is that I took networking more seriously. My first year I really didn’t try to connect with other professionals. I was timid and nervous. I didn’t care about my future. Towson has helped me gain confidence and has pushed me towards a better future. Skills like these are hard to come by and I am grateful for Towson in ultimately pointing me in the right direction.
There is one true area that I feel I have not mastered. My time management is absolutely horrible. On a normal school night,I’ll have a thousand and one different things to do and I don’t know how to split my time up properly. I can manage a few items, but with a busy college life it gets hard. I wish that Towson had a course for Freshman that helped students deal with time management. I know it’s a growing problem on campuses.
With 1 year left here at school, I feel prepared and ready to tackle anything. I thank Towson so much for the life skills and teachings instilled in myself. I have really learned and grew exponentially as a student here.
When I first arrived at Towson, I thought I knew what I wanted to do with my career, but boy was I wrong. Now I am going into my senior year and I know what it will take for me to have a successful career in public relations and advertising. Over the years, I have become a better writer, more involved in the community, and most importantly I have almost completely gotten rid of my procrastination habit. Also, I have met many people who have given me insight on how they started their careers. Even while taking this Public Relations Writing class, I was amazed at some of the careers a few of my peers were pursuing and how early in their lives they were pursuing them. That is where I strive to be some day.
With everything I have learned since I have been in college, there is one basic skill I know I will need to take with me in the real world, and that is networking. Being able to network has opened up so many opportunities for me. I have been involved in many activities at Towson University, from being part of the Towson Women’s basketball team, the president of my sorority, and working in the Office of Technology Service in the Cook library. To my surprise, all of these required me to be able to network with my peers as well as faculty and staff, no matter what work was required for me to do.
Due to my experiences with athletics, clubs, and work, I feel I am prepared for the real world because I have been able to communicate with people from many different angles.
However, despite all of what I have gained from being in college, I feel the least prepared when it comes to deciding what I actually want to do with my career. I am not confident in what type of agency or firm I would like to work for.
There are still questions that linger on in my mind. What happens if I am not successful? Or if I do manage to get a job, will I be able to handle the assignment? I feel really comfortable with any task thrown at me in the classroom. I can write about those topics all day. I guess will never know for certain until it happens. I may just be really nervous.
With this, I believe I am unprepared when it comes to my lack of confidence. But, I am going to be participating in a few internships this upcoming semester. I know this will help me figure something out by the time I graduate.
I am both scared and excited to see how my career unfolds.
Education versus experience.
In one month from now, I will be starting the last year of my college education. Although I definitely feel as if I am more prepared for the “real world” and my future career than I was when I first stepped foot on Towson’s campus, there is a large part of me that fears whether or not I am actually prepared or not to lead a productive work life for the rest of my life.
Over the past 3 years I have taken numerous courses, ranging from public relations classes, to theater and women’s studies classes. I have gained knowledge in more genres of education than I ever thought I would. One thing I have taken away from college thus far is that there is strong divide between education and experience.
In my opinion, education can only go so far. There is no doubt that the countless hours I have spent in the class room and studying for tests and writing papers all night in the library have helped me become a better writer and prepared me for the future. I have sharpened my skills that I will use for years and years to come. But like I previously said, there is only so much you can learn from a textbook and a #2 pencil. College education is only half of the preparation for work life; I am learning more and more everyday that experience is what will really drive your future career.
In my past three years at Towson University, I have been fortunate enough to be given multiple leadership and internship experiences that have helped me not only learn what career path I want to take after college, but that have given me skills that a person cannot gain from a textbook – first-hand experiences. I have gained experience and skills from leadership positions such as holding numerous titles in greek life, being a Towson orientation leader, having an internship at a PR company, and being a founder of a new club on campus. There are two things that all these experiences have in common; 1. If I didn’t attend college, I wouldn’t have been presented with any of these opportunities and 2. Networking is key. If it wasn’t for attending college, I wouldn’t have joined a sorority and gained leadership experience. If it wasn’t for attending college, I wouldn’t have been presented the opportunity to co-found a club on campus. If it wasn’t for attending college, I wouldn’t have been referred for a great PR internship from one of my past professors. I can say, without a doubt, that I have gained more knowledge and credibility that will help me in my future career through my first-hand experiences than I have learned through actual classes at Towson.
Although I have learned there is a major divide between education and experience, I have also learned that I most likely would not have had the privilege of being presented with the same experiences if hI had not attended college to pursue my degree. Classes and textbooks may have only prepared me so much thus far, but if I hadn’t gone to college than I wouldn’t have the networking opportunities that I do now. The networks I have gained and the opportunities I have taken advantage of through college thus far are what I feel has really prepared me to tackle my career after college.
My college degree might be what will land me the interview, but my experiences and the skills I have learned first-hand outside the classroom most likely be what will land me the job in the future.
As I enter my junior year at Towson University I feel as if I’ve gained knowledge that will last me a lifetime. I have learned what it takes to juggle being a successful college student while keeping a part time job. I have developed skills that not only have prepared me for my future career but have helped me grow as a person.
After graduating high school I had no idea what the future had in store for me at Towson. The professors I had motivated me to make me realize my full potential. Even though I am a very outgoing person I do have fears when it comes to public speaking. I was fully emerged into presentations and speeches once I started taking classes at Towson. My professors have not only prepared me to speak in front of a crowd but helped me find ways to deal with my fears. What once was a huge fear of mine has now become one of my favorite things to do. I always get the typical question “what are you going to do when you graduate, Lauren” for a while I had no clue what to say. Once I took a mass communications class I immediately knew that I wanted to do that for the rest of my life. Being in college it has taught me time management skills between school, work, being in a sorority and keeping a social life. All of these skills I have learned makes me feel prepared for when I step out into the real world.I have found my passion because of Towson University and I am forever grateful for that.
While in some ways college has prepared me for my future, there are also some ways it hasn’t. I have always thought that learning through real life, hands on experience has helped me learn faster. Reading a textbook, sitting in on lectures and writing papers is a great way to learn, but I always think to myself “how will this prepare me for the real world?” I wish that every student in college was required to have mock interviews and presentations just like it would be like at your job. I think that being better prepared for interviews has been the one thing I wish I had more guidance in. Although my writing has improved significantly since I’ve been in college, they could always improve.
With two years left of college I am looking forward to where my academics will take me. I truly believe that by the end of my college career I will feel confidant enough to step foot in the world world. I won’t only feel prepared but I know I will succeed because of all the knowledge I have gained at Towson University.
As students in the mass communication department, we actively learn. Therefore we are getting the beneficial skills that directly lead us to what we will need in the professions.
The waste in college from my experience has been the general education courses. We are only getting general information in those subjects. I’ve also learned that there is much more to the collegiate experience then just the education side. The professionalism skills go hand in hand with the knowledge we gain as students. Our professors would be our bosses and our syllabi are our contracts, or expectations.
In my field I feel highly competent about entering the working world,because our mass communication department has competent professors who teach us not only with a text book, but through their experiences.
I feel most prepared to work in a mass communication driven environment, where I can do a lot of writing. I am also a great speaker and communicator, Towson has helped me further my development in those area’s.
I don’t feel least prepared at all, because I’ve had many jobs where I’ve learned on the job. I know that a lot of adapting must take place to be successful in new environments.
I am not saying that I don’t have weaknesses, or that I don’t need improvement. I’m simply saying I don’t know what those area’s are, but when I find them I’ll do what needs to be done to correct the issue.
Carl Felton
I entered Towson as a Business major with a minor in Art. As senior, I am leaving with a double major in Public Relations and Photography. Towson taught me the skills the to be successful in the professional world. My coursework centered on skills such as public speaking, operational organization, professional writing, and time management. Each of these is essential to becoming a successful businesswoman. This journey through undergraduate studies has not been an easy.
From an early age, I learned to procrastinate. A skill mastered by many grade schools students. I quickly learned after arriving at Towson. Procrastination leads to poor result and offers limited returns on time invested. Therefore, I bought a calendar and planned each week of my schedule. I still use calendars and schedules in order to keep up with deadlines. Scheduling is an essential skill to succeeding in the professional world and in future endeavors.
I entered as a business major and look at me now. Networking from day one would have been the best advice entering school. Keeping in touch with friends and professors, is crucial because the more people you keep in contact with the better your chances of developing helpful professional relationships. It is all about whom you know.
In this particular course, I have written many pieces of work that I will definitely be using in my career. My writing and knowledge of what the profession will be has enhanced tremendously. I have perfected my formatting, grammar, and overall skill in writing for PR that will help me in the future.
Overall, in college I have learned many skills that I will take with me to my future career. I have learned to schedule and prepare ahead, become more confident in my public speaking and learned the meaning of forming close bonds with others. Many life skills have come into play that I will use in my future career and life. The internships I held while in school have given me more insight to what the future in Mass Communications will be like.
In one month, I’m going to begin the last obstacle that stands between me and the rest of my life: senior year. It has been a long time coming, and at 22 I’m ready to start making money. I’m ready to become a responsible individual. I say responsible individual, and not “adult,” because no matter how many times a professor, or your parents, or even your boss calls you an “adult,” I still feel as though I might always be looking around for one. That is perhaps the one thing that college hasn’t prepared me for. According to my friends, I’m one of the most independent people they know. But by no means am I ready for adulthood, and the responsibilities that seem heavily associated with that word. I am responsible, yet I am only responsible for myself. My decisions, nor my actions (with the exception of driving my car) have any impact on the lives of both those in my life and those that aren’t. I am responsible solely for the well-being of myself, not of any other creature or being. For the time being– I’m quite okay with that. I expect that the resolution will come for me with experience, and that the answer to when I finally will become an adult will arrive when I least expect it.
I feel prepared in the sense that college has taught me meaning of the word “independence.” I live my life as I please, and at my own pace. I make decisions that will impact my life directly. That is what college has prepared me for. It hasn’t taught as many practical skills as one might think, and I feel like that’s due, in part, for me not being ready from the get-go. I earned how to use my voice from working with people, from the art studio that I regularly used to take advantage of, to working part time jobs in the food service industry, and clothing retail. I learned how to use and focus my voice appropriately in school. I was not an individual who was lucky enough to know what they wanted to do from the start, I still even now have doubts about the career path that I am choosing to follow. Despite my doubts, part of growing is stepping out of your comfort zone, and I will be doing the best that I can to make that happen.
Above all, and teaching me to be more than just independent, college has taught me one more great lesson. Going to school and earning my education is ultimately a choice. It is a luxury that I am lucky enough to afford. The greatest lesson that college has taught me is that while I may have trouble making them, making the right choice is sometimes all that matters.