Around what time do adults stop telling students to chase their dreams and be practical? I would say senior year of high school. I think it’s important to be practical and repsonsible, but you shouldn’t let societal expectations control your life. It’s equally important to take risks and follow the path that your passion takes you. I’ve known I wanted to star on television shows or create the programs ever since I can remember. Working on my high school’s daily news show sealed the deal for me. I knew going into my freshman year of college that I wanted to study television production. It’s a small program at UCF, and I needed to apply with a high GPA requirement.
Needless to say I was very proud of myself when I was accepted to the program. I love it, and I can’t imagine studying anything else. It does get old when people tell me “Good luck with that,” or “Doesn’t sound stable” among other things. The worst comment someone has ever made to me was “Well, maybe you should just work on your Mrs. degree.” Not knowing I’ve already begun interning in my field and have created original, professional content. I know wanting to be a producer is a big dream, and I know the industry isn’t as stable as your typical office job. I’ve never needed that type of stability, and I think I’d get very bored of working a 9-5 job for the rest of my life. Some people need that type of stability, but the truth is you can still fail when you “take the safe route.” Since you can fail at playing it safe, why not take a chance at doing what you love?
For whatever reason, college students love to criticize other student’s major choices. It’s not your life or your choice, so you have no right to judge another young person’s decision. We also have to stop looking at our early 20’s as a period to figure out the rest of our lives. When I see older people in my classes I feel inspired, because it’s nice to know that there’s always hope and chance to change. Oppotunities arise when you least expect them, so take them. When you fail, it’s chance to try something different, which isn’t always a bad thing. Nothing worth having comes easy, and all the hard work makes the outcome feel that much more rewarding. I know I’ll have to keep working hard, but it’s what I love to do so it’s totally worth it.