“Dig Deep, and Embrace the Challenge”
Last week, enrollment for next semester’s classes opened up online for CBU’s freshmen. Excited to exercise our independence and choose our classes without a StepAhead instructor looking over our shoulder for the first time (no offense, StepAhead instructors!) we all got to work registering for classes at our own pace.
I personally began by trying to balance out my full schedule (eighteen units) with half General Ed requirements, and half Major requirements. Since I’m probably going to be paying Advising a visit pretty soon here to become a double major, as I’ve fallen so in love with photography, the pressures of “getting everything done” hit me for the first time. While the Graphic Design and Digital Media major has a few overlapping classes with the brand new Photography major, it will still add to my load significantly when I make that decision.
To some degree, these pressures are negative because they cause me to feel a little overwhelmed, and temporarily lose focus on the positive side of this: I don’t have to double major…. I get to double major!
I was told many, many times before coming to college things like “It’s okay to be undeclared,” or “The average college student changes their major six times before graduation!” I think that’s because in high school, we’re tied down to a boatload of requirements, and don’t have a significant amount of freedom to pursue a passion. When we are then thrown into college, we are bombarded with opportunities to pursue a passion, and can’t stop panicking long enough to genuinely study our viable options. For me, I knew coming to CBU that I wanted to major in something art-related, being the passionate artist that I’ve been since I could hold a crayon. However, I also wanted a major that would easily guarantee me a work position post-graduation. So, graphic design was an easy selection.
But then came photography. And visual arts. And all the random Christian studies, history, creative writing, foreign language, and film classes that I would take… if I had the time.
See, normally this “panic” mentioned above stems from the inability to choose something because of the fear that your choice won’t leave you feeling fulfilled in life.
“What did you major in?”
“Film Studies.”
“Wow, how neat! … Why don’t you sound more excited?”
“Because I realized my last semester that I should have been a nurse.”
But for me, that panic stems from the exact opposite problem. I’m an optimist who will probably learn to be passionate about almost anything I’m given to pursue. My ability to choose classes is handicapped because I know there are so many fields I would love, meaning I quite literally want to learn everything.
Except for math. Math majors, I salute you.
When I, of course, posted this dilemma on my Facebook this morning, I received a comment from someone who encouraged me to “dig deep, and embrace the challenge.”
As I continue to swap out classes, hoping to finally create the optimal combination, I’ll be attempting to do just that. God gave me an active mind that spins almost 24/7, rarely allowing me to shut it off even for a much needed nap. To accent this, CBU offers a plethora of incredible class choices. While I would love to almost take every single one of them, I recognize that my time here is limited, and that I need to appreciate every second of it.
So this week, “dig deep and embrace the challenge” that God has given us to pursue a means of reflecting His glory with our lives. What could possibly guarantee more fulfillment than that?
0 Comments