Throughout college, you’re going to find yourself trying out a lot of different clubs, organizations, friend groups, and oftentimes majors. It is going to take a while to find the place you feel you belong and the place you feel you are the best version of yourself in.
After deciding that I wanted to pursue journalism as a major at CSU, I also began working for the school newspaper here. I write for the opinion desk, and every week I get to write about something I am passionate about and argue it. I get to investigate, talk to people, find stories, and I have a platform to make true change on my campus. My editor is the most powerful, strongest leader I have ever met. She is ambitious, smart, and driven in her career goals. I was inspired by her, and I hope by my senior year in college I have accomplished my goals and made a change on this campus the way she has.
Journalism, writing, and politics are my passion. It is when I am doing work in these areas that I am the happiest, I feel the most confident, and I find myself truly believing that I have the power to do something amazing. Here are my tips to finding your power.
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Find your passion. Like I said above, when I am writing is when I feel the most confident. Whether it be when you are working in a lab, designing something, teaching others, or solving equations, find the area of study or work that you are passionate about and dedicate yourself to it. Try and find something that you never want to stop doing even when you have no work left to do. Once you find your passion and you work hard at it, you will find that you are more confident than ever in your abilities and your power.
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Surround yourself with friends who believe in you. My friend and I found ourselves in a conversation about how we want to run for president and vice president of our student body two years from now. She supports my dreams, no matter how big they are, and I support hers. My friends have always been nothing but supportive about the stories I have written and my endeavors in reporting and writing. If the people you surround yourself with believe in your power, you will too.
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Find a mentor. The person I look up to most is my editor, but I also look up to my news writing teacher and other professors. Find someone who you look at and think, “I want to have that person’s job one day.” It can be an influencer on social media, someone you know, or a character in a story you read. Find someone you look up to and who embodies a goal you have. This will greatly help you envision your goal and how you see your future.
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Take care of yourself. The best thing you can do while you are working on your goals is take care of yourself. Carve 30 minutes out of your day to drink tea and write about your anxieties. Respond to and talk to your friends and peers and ask them for help when you need it. Do your very best to actually get sleep at night. Build a life for yourself that makes you happy and you rarely need to escape from.
Remember that everything is in your control. The great thing about college is that if you don’t like what you’re doing, you can change it. Create a life for yourself that you love, and you will look back and realize how powerful you are.