No matter where we are in our college journeys and what major we study, it is normal to get overwhelmed and uncertain about what steps to take not only in terms of getting a degree, but one’s life path in general. SFSU’s outdated and confusing system for registration and navigating requirements for completing a degree is something that I still struggle with in my last year at San Francisco State. Figuring that out on top of trying to register for classes that are not only still open, but that work with my chaotic double work schedule is always anxiety-inducing and causes at least one night of frantically trying to reserve a spot in the correct courses.Â
Upon transferring to SFSU over a year ago, it was quite challenging to grasp the way state schools work – up until that point, I was used to having an advisor at my art school registering for me over the phone, or being able to do it quite easily online at community college. Both the U.S. and European ways of going about taking college classes were vastly different from what I had ever experienced before coming here, and since both of my parents were also educated in Europe, they did not have much insight into the college process here, either.
In community college, I was assigned an advisor for the entirety of my college career – one who advised me for the entirety of my college career there. She was the one who encouraged me to go back to studying abroad, and helped me enter the most enriching and pivotal time in my college life.Â
Here, at SFSU, I noticed right away that each counseling and advising appointment I had was with different professors in my department. One of the first ones I spoke with before even starting my first semester here, turned out to be my favorite professor that I have ever had the privilege of having taken classes with. Not only is her fire and pure joy for the subject matter contagious, but she had a way of commanding the entire classroom into deep thought with just one word.Â
I was able to take two courses with her, and typically though they were very late in the day, and I would arrive exhausted – I left feeling more invigorated and ecstatic about learning than I had in a very long time. She demanded participation and effort, but had a way of gently pushing us to analyze and think outside the box when needed – mostly though, she would let us as a class lead the way, only jumping in to provide thought or lead us in a certain direction when it came time to move on.Â
In my very last class with her this past Spring semester, I eagerly showed her a book of photocopied “envelope poems” by Emily Dickinson that I had found, and we both rejoiced at its beauty. It felt invigorating to share that excitement with someone who had been in my shoes, once, and understood how I felt about this particular work.Â
She hugged me, asked what my plans were moving forward, and where in the world I wanted to go – I told her Edinburgh (my favorite city in the entire world), to which she replied – “I know some people there – I might be able to talk to them for you.”
Her genuine trust and belief in me and my vision, and the way she knew instinctively when I would have something to add to the conversation even without me raising my hand, made me grow and develop so much during my time as her student – and for that, I am grateful.Â
Mentors come in all shapes and forms, and though it is not always found in a professor, it is important to have one who wants you to succeed. I consider myself extremely lucky to have found a campus that has given me such a sense of community, when I am so used to looking from the outside in.Â