Trust Your Struggle
This week was the most trying week I’ve had in graduate school thus far. It taught me that I definitely need to work on my organization and get ahead of my assignments. I changed the topic of a research heavy assignment at the last minute, completely terrible move.
Now that I am halfway through my first semester in grad school I thought I had found my groove, but it only seemed to be getting harder. I completely underestimated the amount of drafting and research need for my paper. It actually broke me down mentally that I was so unprepared. But in those moments I remember the phrase, “trust your struggle” (that I actually have tattooed on me). I know that these current struggles will only prepare me for great times of triumph.
I took a moment to just BREATHE (we sometimes forget the importance of doing that) and I sent out an email to one of the sources for my story. I continued search for the contact information for several other sources but came up short. For days the source I contacted hadn’t gotten back to me so I sent a follow up email. After 3 days he responded and we set a date to chat. Fast forward, he gave me the best 35 minute phone interview I could have asked for and even put me in contact with several other sources. It became less of an interview and more of a conversation.
After the interview I was over, suddenly any anxiety I had about the assignment had gone out the window. I became more confident and excited about actually writing the article because I knew I had all that I needed for a great story. As of now the article is still a work in progress. As the writer I can wait to see the end product!
This week taught me several lessons:
- Stay organized and plan ahead.
- Trust your struggle!
- And, be patient.
