On May 11, 2019, I graduated from Cleveland State. I now have a Bachelors from the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. I cannot believe how much I've changed as a person and what a time college was. Incoming freshmen might think college is all about parties, studying and getting experience. The college experience depends on how you use your time.
I never cared for parties, but I enjoyed writing. When I was an incoming freshman I wasn't sure how I could become a journalist if I wasn't willing to talk to people. I'm an introvert but over the years I became an ambivert.
I promised myself that I wanted college to challenge me. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and create opportunities for myself. Freshman year, I wrote for the Vindicator, the arts and culture magazine on campus. I wasn't sure if I would be any good but I wanted to try. At first, I wrote poems because I wasn't sure what articles I could write. A couple of months after that, I wrote about mental health. After that article, I've enjoyed interviewing people and coming up with topics to write about. Sophomore/junior year I wrote for the Cauldron, campus newspaper, and Odyssey.
I never thought I would have made friends along the way. Nor did I ever think I had the ability to continue writing. I was worried writer's block would have gotten the best of me. I've also learned how to become more organized by writing lists. I prioritized my lists with the important things that had to be done that day with a star. I find myself to become more motivated that way.
I learned how to decrease my stress. There's no reason why we should stress if we know we can't change a situation. For example, I went job hunting today and I was worried that no one would hire me. But then I stopped because I know I would make a wonderful employee. I am great at a lot of things such as communications, writing, and marketing. Someone is bound to hire me. I continue to practice self-care such as meditation, journal prompts and listening to podcasts.
On graduation day, I was not emotional like I was four years ago. My mental health is stronger than before and I've done the best I could in all of my classes. I have no regrets. I've had help from a friend with my resumes and cover letter and I do have experience. I know I will be okay. It's insane to think of all the skills I've racked up in four years.
There are people from the past who've tried to friend me on social media. I always questioned, "Why?" They never liked nor did they ever talked to me. I decided not to accept them because they chose not to socialize with me for a reason. If they didn't want to be friends with me then, I will not allow them to go on this journey with me. We all have futures and we're waiting for our great perhaps. Don't wait for it, do what you can to make it happen. I guess the question is, "What happens now?" Only you can decide.
