By Victoria White
A&E Editor
I am rounding out my time here at Cameron.
It’s bittersweet, because though I am ready to start my life outside of academics, I feel I am just now starting to find my place, my niche, here.
Let me explain.
I have been attending college on-and-off since 2015. I started off in one program and five programs later, I finally ended where I felt I needed to be. This was in Spring 2022, so I have only had one full year of engagement in the program. If you are struggling to find your place here (maybe you’re like me and have bounced around a bit in different programs) I would like to impart some knowledge on you so you may find your place here faster than I did.
A couple disclaimers:
I am aware that this article in itself comes from a place of privilege. To have the ability to change a degree path is to have room for error, and some people simply do not have those means. Many of my suggestions also come with the assumption that you have time to spare in addition to academics. That being said, for anyone who may find benefit from this, I hope you are able to take anything I say and use it to thrive here at Cameron.
Tip Number 1: Do what makes you happy.
I know what you’re thinking: did I really just read through her life story for the first tip to be “do what makes you happy?” And the answer is, yes, so thank you for sticking with me.
This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s valuable. In all my time at Cameron, I never truly felt a sense of purpose until I was in the program I was meant to be in. Sure, I attended classes and put forth as much effort as I could, but I was miserable all the while. So, explore other options. This isn’t to say you should do what I did and spend three years hopping from one program to the next, but rather check out all the degree options on the Cameron website and make sure you aren’t missing out on anything. If you simply can’t major in the program you have true interest in, maybe pursue it as a minor. You can still scratch that itch and take several classes in that subject and make connections with the professors and advisors in that program. If you can’t make it a major or minor, consider joining an organization in line with that field of study.
Tip Number 2: Join clubs. Lots of them, if you can.
Cameron has an abundance of clubs and organizations to suit practically anyone’s interests. From esports to pre-nursing, Cameron has a plethora of opportunities, and seemingly more are being added every year. Just this semester, students and faculty announced the creation of two new organizations: Politics Club and The Aggie Book Club. Obviously, not everyone has the ability to be able to time out of their schedule for extracurricular activities, but if you do: seize the opportunity. Not only for networking purposes, but also to stoke the creative flames and maybe even find interests you may not know you have.
Tip Number 3: Get involved with student media.
No, this was not an article cleverly designed as an advertisement for The Cameron Collegian. Instead, I am encouraging this for a more well-rounded experience at Cameron. You don’t have to be at all familiar with journalism and/or media production to get started with student media. CU News and The Cameron Collegian have knowledgeable staff and advisors that are always eager to train and assist newcomers. Being a writer at the Collegian has afforded me the opportunity to get to know students, faculty and other Cameron officials from departments I had no experience with, and in doing so I even learned about extracurricular activities and events of which I was not previously aware.
Whatever your path may be here at Cameron, enjoy it to the fullest, so that you are not inching towards your last couple weeks and wishing you had done more.