Tag Archives: exploration

The Importance of Exploration (In Every Sense of the Word)

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  There have been quite a few moments in my life when I was truly breathless. The time I stood on stage at my first World Choir Games in front of hundreds of people, including seven incredibly intense judges. The moment I checked my email nonchalantly as I drove home from Tahoe and realized I got into Scripps. And, of course, the time I was at the movies watching Paper Towns (**Spoiler Alert**) when suddenly, my future husband Ansel Elgort made a surprise onscreen appearance. I jumped in my seat and got so excited that I actually hit my friend in the face with my flailing arms.                        

Now this may seem sad to you, but that’s also my point…I know my crazed love of things considered pre-teen and childlike is just a part of who I am. I’ve been lucky enough to grow up in an environment that challenged my personality. Being bullied throughout my childhood forced me to figure out who I am and to accept myself. I now embrace my cliché love for all things and every thing Disney. I go to bed no later than 10 on school nights— sometimes as early as 8:30— and drink tea religiously. I do this weird thing when I walk around the 5Cs where I pick up any huge branch I find, name it, drag it along with me, and then give it to someone as a present— whether it be a friend, stranger, or squirrel.

(Tbh, I’m super surprised a photo like this exists. It sums up my relationship with sticks quite accurately)

(Tbh, I’m super surprised a photo like this exists. It sums up my relationship with sticks quite accurately)

 

Now, while I spent the majority of high school figuring out who I am, I never thought I would need to spend the time evaluating my future. One of the main reasons I fell in love with Scripps was because of the amazing English program. I’ve known since I was a little girl that I want to be an author. As a kid, I would read so much that my mom would yell at me to stop. I never really understood this because I’m pretty dang sure reading is good for you. However, I also began to imagine myself as an editor or a publisher or a teacher. I have always thought that as long as I am doing some kind of job that involves books, I would be happy.

Throughout my life, my summers have been dedicated to exploring the greater world and its beautiful outdoors. However, as the past spring semester came to a close, I realized I wanted to go on a different kind of adventure over the summer. I wanted a temporary journey into the “real” world. I applied for internships and looked into jobs, hoping to try adulting for once (yes, yes, I know. Adulting is not a word. Calm down). When I was looking into different opportunities, I came across an internship at a company called Books & Such Literary Agency. After applying and having an interview with the agency’s head and founder Janet, I was lucky enough to get the position.

So how does this relate to my blog? Well, because of my internship I have had the amazing opportunity to interview about 20 Scripps graduates with a humanities major. From founders of nonprofits to radio hosts to teachers and so much more, I learned how the opportunities for a humanities major are truly endless. I knew that it would be such a waste if nobody else had the chance to learn from these empowered women.

EXPLORATION CHECKLIST:

–Self

-Outdoors

-Future

            My blog, like the majority of my life, will revolve around the idea of exploration. While I’ve always thought I knew where I wanted to go with my future, I honestly can say that now I have no clue where I will end up. Just like I had to take the time to figure out who I am and what I stand for, I now know I need to reevaluate what I want to do with my future. I hope, with you my dear readers, to use these graduates’ wisdom to have another one of my breathless “aha!!” moments and figure out what path I want to head down.

 

Health & Medicine Expo Review

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So you want to be a doctor? So you want to fulfill your lifelong, childhood dream? So you are going to be in school for what… twelve years? So you want to be a doctor?

Ever since I was in preschool I wanted to become a pediatrician. I could take care of all of my babydolls so I could obviously take care of other, real, live children. As I grew up, I realized that entering the medical field would be a very rewarding career filled with excitement, joy, and interesting case studies. This summer I got a first-hand look at a day in the life of  a physician when I shadowed a neurologist. The experience really made me consider which field of medicine I wanted to enter–or if I even wanted to enter the field at all… but that’s a story for another day.

In science there are so many different opportunities; there are not only positions in research or as practicing physicians. Under the umbrella of “health and medicine” there is a huge range of fields and careers.  At Career Planning & Resource’s Health and Medicine Expo held in Seal Court on Friday, October 24, CP&R did a fantastic job of offering information and hosting representatives from a variety of fields, careers, medical schools, gap year organizations, and local volunteer opportunities. I stopped by the tables University of San Diego, Hahn School of Nursing & Health Science, Gap Medics, Casa Colina, and Loma Linda University School of Public Health. Those were just a handful of great organizations that you should really check out if you’re interested in a career in medicine or healthcare.

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This was the view of Seal Court during the Health and Medicine Career Expo.

Going to CP&R event made me realize the huge differences that exist between each field. For example, the qualifications for occupational therapy graduate programs differ greatly from those of public health, although they are both rooted in the sciences. I talked to many people representing their respective organizations and discovered that each had a special emphasis in a particular field, yet they all had the same science roots.

The Health & Medicine Expo helped to dispel my preconceived notions about the medical field and the health field. The Expo made me realize that by narrowing my academic focus to pre-health or pre-med, I actually do the opposite! The decision opens countless doors to explore with my passions for science and helping others. If you didn’t go to the Expo you missed out on an eye-opening experience.

Is This Real Life Now?

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It’s strange to think that my life is never going to be the same again. Never again will I be living at home with my parents (hopefully) for more than a summer, and never again will life be what it was like just a few months ago.

Going to college signifies for most of us a transition into the real world. After our four years of college we will be spit out into jobs and internships and new places on our own. Although four years seems like a long time, that world will be here before we know it.

As a first-year in college, it’s hard to think about anything other than the freedom at hand. Coming from high school, college feels like heaven. We no longer have to sit at school for eight hours a day and abide by the school-determined schedules. We now have thousands of classes at our fingertips that aren’t just chemistry or biology, but astronomy and geology and the physics of music. It feels like your options are unlimited, and they pretty much are!

However, every once in a while I remember the real reason why I am here. College prepares you for the ever looming real world. I am here in order to get my degree, to help me get a job, and be successful once my schooling is over. While college also provides a fun and enjoyable environment, it has a larger purpose and that’s hard to remember sometimes!

Even though I am only a first-year, I feel as if I need to have the rest of my life figured out. I am the type of person that likes to know where I’m going and what I’m doing, and I typically do. That’s why college frightens me; I have fewer plans now for my life than I have ever had. With the prospect of the real world looming so near in the future, it’s hard to create imaginary ideas for what I want to do with my life when I know that I should now take it much more seriously. What if I don’t take the right classes, or I don’t find a major that interests me? These questions probably seem trivial to older students who have already gone through this process, but for me it seems so terrifying. I have no idea what job I want to have, let alone what I even want to study.

When I saw an opportunity to attend a panel of esteemed writers, I thought, why not? I’m interested in journalism and publishing and writing and thought it would be interesting to hear what they had to say. They continuously told us to start branching out early and making connections, and be constantly working towards what we want to do. They told us that you have to be willing to put the work in, and that we should start soon. So of course I left the panel and went right to work looking for internships and potential jobs and ways that I could start networking.

In the excitement of the panel, I spent so much time thinking about what I would do after college that I forgot about where I was and the following day. I had to bring myself back down to earth and remind myself to do my homework that was due in two days, and not worry too much about work for four years in the future. Although it is important to know why we are here, there is definitely a balance between appreciating the now and preparing for the future. College is inclusive of both, and no matter what you do while here, it should help you be able to make decision for the future.