10/11/2021
I wasn't good at college. (Swipe for pimply 18 year old me)
My first stop on my cross-country extravaganza was to visit my freshman year roommate.
She is a ball of sunshine, always was.
We went to the University of Michigan, both in the College of Engineering, I wanted to do Biomedical Engineering (HAH!).
I had done very will in High School. I was a math and science kid, but also a theater kid. Major clash of world there.
When I got to college I did not know how to study and I also didn't want to go to parties. I didn't know how to college. I mostly just stayed in bed, ate rice noodles, binge-watched How I Met Your Mother, and did lots of homework (but still didn't do well in my classes).
I was painting sets for University productions as my work-study job. It got me in with the theater crowd, and I realized how much I missed that part of me.
Jackie always made sure I got out of bed and at least tried some parties, and dragged me with the dining hall with her to make sure I ate (thank goodness for that).
The only class I got an A in the whole time I was there was "Immigration in America through the History of Film."
It became abundantly clear to me that engineering was just not my thing.
I later transferred to a small school near my hometown in New York, I eventually declared Psychology as my major, graduating top of my class.
I commuted to the city for acting classes and auditions, while also becoming the President of the school's Theater Club, working as a research assistant for a psych professor and then working as a waitress, as well. All while maintaining a 4.0 GPA taking 5-6 classes a semester.
It turned out I was good at college, really good at it, I was just doing the wrong major.
When you're doing things that light you up, they come so much easier.
If things are feeling hard for you right now, I encourage you to think about if this is the thing that lights you up, or are you ignoring that part of you?
Anyway, shout out to Jak for keeping me alive freshman year.
Thanks Jak!
