The Past 5 Years: What I’ve Gained From My College Experience
Like many other high school seniors, I left high school with the belief that a college degree would be my key to success in life. I didn’t know much about myself at eighteen, but I knew I had a love for deep thinking and helping others. I looked at the facts and decided I was destined to pursue a career in psychology. Psychology was respectable and practical. Nobody questioned psychology.
In just one month, I will be graduating with my BA in Interactive Multimedia. So, how did I get here?
Community College
My college experience began at Ocean County College (OCC). I had never considered anything but attending college after high school because I had never taken the time to research other opportunities. I’m embarrassed to share that I grew up with this preconceived idea of “Following dreams outside of school = laziness, failure, etc.” My parents were the ones who pushed me in the direction of community college, recognizing the fact that I truly had no idea what I wanted to do with the rest of my life and showed little signs of engagement in my studies. Despite the fact that my parents had extremely valid points, I still felt ashamed because of the stigma that surrounds community college. Journalist Jane Bowden summarizes the feeling best when she describes OCC as “High School Part II.” It was a running joke throughout high school that community college was for the students who “didn’t apply themselves.” There was no celebration for OCC acceptance, no gratefulness for being able to pursue an opportunity that many people dream about but don’t have the privilege to live out, just quiet sadness as you watched your friends move away and reinvent themselves and their lives.
Looking back, community college was one of the most under-appreciated, wonderful parts of my life. Between living at home and slashing standard state tuition in half, I saved thousands of dollars. This difference in money is something I often hear my four-year school friends refer to with regret today. I had small classes so I got to know my classmates and made friends quickly. I had my first opportunity to be a student leader, challenging myself to speak in front of large crowds. I took classes that demanded my attention and required me to spend hours in the tutoring center where I experienced many “aha” moments and learned to love the challenging material. I finished my AA in a year and half and it was exactly what I needed to transition me from the sheltered education that is high school into the next chapter of my life. If I could give every high school student that wants to attend college one line of advice, it would be to attend community college. It is worth every penny.
Leaving OCC, I suddenly had a hunger to learn. I wanted to attend a school that would provide me with endless opportunities when it came to my major. I decided Rutgers University would lead me to success. I still remember my excitement moving all of my belongings onto campus. I was finally an adult.
Rutgers University
The one semester I spent at Rutgers was the worst semester of my life.
I didn’t take care of my diabetes, often sleeping through class. I didn’t take care of my eyesight, falling asleep with contacts in and eventually giving myself an ulcer in my eye. I began to see a counselor to work on improving my mental health with little progress. My classes were almost all 100+ students and I knew maybe one other classmate’s name by the time I left the school in May. I didn’t have any sort of relationship with any of my professors and the material went right over my head since all of it was being spit out in tests and not applied in practice. I overworked myself, trying to pay off the debt I knew I was building but allowing no time for student organizations or simply hanging out with friends. Work, class, work, class, work, class. My life became a very dark, mundane place and my health was quickly deteriorating. I felt trapped but didn’t know how to explain to my parents that I made a $12, 000 mistake after they had already begged me not to go in the first place. Eventually, I broke down to a friend and told them that I didn’t enjoy psychology anymore. I was bored with the material and wanted to learn how to do video work but I couldn’t imagine changing my major two years into college. It was too late to change my mind. Luckily, this friend convinced me otherwise. They told me it wasn’t too late to change my major and helped me see how important it was that I chase a career that makes me happy.
The Walt Disney College Program
I wasn’t ready to jump into a new school right out of Rutgers, I knew I had to rebuild myself, so I left for Orlando, FL and participated in the Walt Disney World College Program for a full year. This program shaped me into the person I am today. For the first time in my life, I was surrounded by people who openly valued my health and happiness. I was offered a position as a trainer for the company and discovered that I had the ability to help others understand things. I was a good teacher and I loved teaching. I was enveloped in an environment that inspired my creativity and reignited my burnt out passion for learning. This year made me realize just how important gap years are for students. If you are ever less than 100% committed to your education, give yourself a break to reevaluate. Our twenties are a time for exploration, to figure out who you are and where you want to go. You can’t learn who you are when you are forcing yourself into some fabricated, linear path to success. Find what excites you and see where it can take you.
I left Disney with a much more concrete idea of where I wanted to go in life. I finally knew who I was. I wanted to embrace my creative side. I wanted to go after a career in the arts. I no longer cared if people viewed my major as “practical,” I just knew I deserved to be happy and work in a field that would energize me.
Interactive Multimedia (IMM)
In the two years that I have been enrolled at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), I have developed more valuable skills than the rest of my college career thrown together. I attend small classes where I know the name of every student in my class and can likely tell you what their passion is in the realm of IMM. My professors consistently inspire and encourage me and have become mentors that I hope to keep in contact with post-graduation. My student employment opportunities have helped me refine my leadership skills and allowed me to help younger transfer students navigate through waters that I once drowned in. After just a year and a half at the school, commuting from an hour away, I was able to make enough of an impact to become a nominee for the Sixth Annual Blue & Gold Hall of Fame. I am more than just a number at TCNJ, I am a person.
My projects are meaningful, allowing me to stop stressing about timed tests and start showing people my creations. I’ve learned how to build, code, produce, present, etc. I’m truly happy with the education this school has given me, and extremely disappointed it had to come to an early end with the world’s current circumstances.
There is not a day that goes by where I don’t recognize the privilege I have to be able to attend a school like TCNJ. I am incredibly grateful to have been able to transfer into a school that offered me the resources I needed to learn with no prior experience in the field. I feel welcomed by every student and professional I meet at this school and I’m so glad I decided to give up my straight path for one less followed.
My thesis project, Run Dry, will be the last door I close as I say goodbye to this chapter of my life. I have never been more committed or proud of a project in my life and I think it’s the perfect farewell to my college career.
I came in shy, unsure, uncertain; I now walk away feeling ready, appreciative, and experienced. To the class of 2020, you were never supposed to be my graduating class, but you have been the best class for me. To our future success and whatever comes next.
