Having just completed my third year of University, I still don’t really know where I’m going. In my second program and faculty, things have never been clear as far as my future is concerned. I’ve learned from some of my mistakes, if that’s what you want to call them, and have perhaps gathered some knowledge that may help a few of you somewhere down the road.

In high school I wasn’t really good at anything in particular. For some reason, I thought I was meant for the realm of Information Technology and took courses based on this assumption. I took Calculus, Algebra, Physics and Chemistry with the thought in mind that I would use them down the road toward a degree in Computer Science. After one year in CSI, however, low grades and severe lack of motivation ended up getting me “the boot”. So much for that…so it was on to attempt number 2 – English.

Though it’s not the easiest transition going from Physics labs to lectures on Shakespeare, it was one I managed fairly well. My grades went up and I was enjoying school a little bit more but I was (and still am) faced with the eternal question “What the heck are you going to do with an English degree?” At this point, however, it wasn’t about building a future or preparing myself for a career. I just wanted to make sure I made it out alive with that elusive piece of paper in my hand.

Now that the end is within reach, I can sit back and wonder if I really made the right choice. I can say for sure that if I had to write my life out how I wanted it, it would not include a 3 year English degree. I do feel that I could do a lot more and that with a little more motivation I could do something more fulfilling. I don’t feel any sense of regret, though, considering I found out early what I was not meant to do, instead of wondering. I also will have a degree soon after my 22nd birthday, which is more than most people can say. That luxury gives me the chance to look for a job without having the pressure of a family to support and bills to pay. If I don’t find a job, I can always go to college or somewhere else and try new things while always having that degree to back me up.

These experiences have taught me that the short, quick road is better than giving up. If you can’t do something, don’t kill yourself doing it but instead find out what you can do and start out with that. You never know what can come from it. I also learned that change is good and you should never be afraid to try new things. The worst that can happen is that you end up back where you started but with some experience and a lot of wisdom. For me, the ride is long from over and I’m anxious to see where the road leads.