You can probably agree that before entering adulthood we thought life would be linear. We graduate school, get a job, and start making a living.
However, as soon as we begin to journey through the difficulties in life, we realize that our initial thoughts couldn’t be further from the truth. Detours happen everywhere and that can be very difficult to acknowledge.
By this point in my life, I thought I would have a full-time job. Instead, I’m still in school and waiting to graduate.
Before studying retail management at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), I tried out plenty of programs, like fashion and a social work program at George Brown College. However, I later realized that both of these programs weren’t what I expected. Plus, when I graduated with my fashion diploma, I couldn’t even find a job related to the field.
Throughout the day, random thoughts would often pop into my head, telling me that I should’ve taken another route: You should’ve gone to TMU after studying fashion. Why did you choose to study or work in another field? You should’ve stuck to your old program.
On some days, I even regret the decisions I made thus far. They cost me a lot of time and money.
However, I remember talking to my friend on the phone and she told me her sister had been talking about me. Her sister said, “Candice has done a lot in life. I saw her LinkedIn and was surprised about how much experience she has.”
That statement stuck with me. After hearing that, I realized that perhaps the experience I gained was a result of the decisions I made. While being in school for all of these years, I decided to work part-time to full-time hours at multiple jobs. Throughout those jobs, I learned new skills and met new people. Although I perceive it as trying to survive, many people tell me that instead of focusing on one field, they’d rather value new experiences.
I always called myself a risk-taker; I try to tackle as many challenges as possible. I remember giving up a stable education just to enroll in makeup school. I also remember deciding to become a dance teacher, even though I’ve not danced on stage for over a decade or assisted in any dance classes.
When I accepted the offer to teach dance at a community centre, I knew that I was unfamiliar with teaching the art in itself. But over the years, I learned techniques that worked best for different age groups.
Now, to this day, I still teach dance in community centres. Many of my students have decided to return for another session. One student even returned consecutively for three years! However, I realized that if I hadn’t accepted the offer because I was scared, I wouldn’t have gained the skills and experience nor developed the relationships I have today.
This applies to my academic career at TMU as well. Recently, I decided to launch a hair ribbon company. Instead of planning the launch, I dove right in — I bought a few scraps of ribbons and hair clips at Michael’s and began to experiment.
Within three weeks, I decided to table my hair ribbon company at a student market at TMU. I took the risk, mustered up some courage, and decided to apply to be a vendor. After a week, I heard back, and it turned out that I was accepted.
Right now, my company is still less than a month old. But I’m trying my best to establish the presence of the company around campus.
Looking back at my experiences, I ask: Would I have gained the knowledge and wisdom from these experiences if I never took risks? The answer is no. Taking risks allowed me to explore my interests and learn new skills. If I never took risks, I would never even know how to conduct a dance class or make a hair bow.
So, as a student, it’s important to get out of your comfort zone to try something new. Take up a new activity or meet new people around campus. You won’t know what’s waiting for you and what potential you’ll achieve unless you take the initiative.