Formative Writing

So Many Semesters, So Many Setbacks, Yet A World of Options Still

This semester in COMM 1303, I came to the realization that I need to do something (anything!) meaningful with my education. When you've been in school for this long, finding yourself in a hot kitchen under superiors with felony DWI convictions gets to be pretty demoralizing. But there are worse things that can befall a person than a crap job. After all, you can always walk away from a crap job.

I don't know if I came to this, say, epiphany through COMM 1303 exactly. But my life changed in every way imaginable seven months ago, and it has made all the difference. After you almost die and then feel like you're dying for two months afterwards, you tend to start looking at things differently. You trust yourself a lot more and are afraid of a lot less because, well, what's the worst that could possibly happen after you almost died?

It took near death for me to gain a degree of self-confidence and be rid of self-loathing. That's what it took for me. But after this degree in Journalism, I can do anything and go anywhere. I am not tied to Houston, or even America, for that matter. I can now get a fulfilling job doing something with German and Polish or writing or both, for my life is no longer run by an inanimate object. I've thought about technical writing. I know it pays well. But really, I just want to do something (again, anything!) that utilizes my education, regardless of what it pays. I save a lot more money nowadays anyway.

COMM 1303 provided a refuge from what I would otherwise call an endurance contest in meaninglessness. I was able in this class to watch informative videos and read informative articles and a book. These are all enjoyable, meaningful endeavors that I am now in a position to use towards establishing a meaningful life and career.

If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have changed a thing. I wouldn't have gone into soulless STEM to come out of college to a six-figure salary. This road had its challenges, but it was totally worth it.