(Written by a second-year student at U of T)
I have absolutely no idea what I’m going to do after I finish my undergraduate degree. I’m a humanities student, and am quickly realizing that not only is there an overabundance of us, but there is also an alarming lack of jobs for aspiring writers such as myself.
I’m currently studying French and German Language & Literature at the University of Toronto. I’m also an arts editor for my school paper, and I do a lot of unpaid freelancing. I’m running out of electives, and I basically need to decide on an education path right now in order to finish my degree in four years. This stresses me out immensely as my future is quickly becoming a very startling reality. Lucky for me, this also happens to be my mom’s current favourite topic of conversation. Every chance she gets, she confronts me with the dreaded: “So, what’s your plan?”
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Aside from the pressure to ease my mother’s worries that I’m blindly working towards a degree with no clear image of the future (which are, by the way, completely founded), I also face tremendous pressure from my academic institution. Being a university student is stressful enough in itself. On top of that, often with huge institutions you are left feeling like nothing but a number and a source of income for their business. In a desperate attempt to prove my individuality and value as a student, I constantly feel like I’m not doing enough. Not working hard enough, not getting involved enough, not making enough contacts, not getting high enough grades—you get the point. Anyway, the next thing you know I found myself sitting in a too-small office with one of my university’s academic advisors—on the verge of an emotional breakdown—anxiously seeking guidance on how to get through what she calls “the second-year slump.”
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“Listen,” she told me. “I’m going to tell you something that your parents probably don’t want me to tell you. No form of education is a waste of time, especially if you’re enjoying what you’re studying. A degree is what you make of it, and really, it all depends on the way you look at it. Having a university degree opens many doors, regardless of what you choose to study. We actually find that students who pursue what interests them are both happier and perform better academically. I know it’s hard and I know that you want to please your parents, but sometimes you have to do what’s right for you. That’s sort of what becoming an adult is all about.”
You may be wondering if after all of this I have finally figured out my big plan. The short answer is: no, not really. What I have realized, however, is that there is value in pursuing what you love and actually figuring out what you’re passionate about is half the battle. I’m fortunate to have found a balance between my studies and my extracurriculars, which have offered me several creative opportunities. I’m not sure if I would have even discovered my passion for journalism had I not signed up for my school newspaper’s emailing list during frosh week in my first year. Yet, here I am, one year later, a proud member of the masthead and one step closer to figuring out where I want to be after I graduate.
I guess what I’m trying to say is this: I hate to be that guy who tells you that university is all about “finding yourself” but I mean hey, it kind of really is, and I really do think that’s more than okay.
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Illustrations by Ambivalently Yours
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