“I used a lot of the research and writing techniques I learned in my philosophy and media studies classes. Now that I know I can do something as large as this project, I have a new sense of confidence.”
Andrew Baker, Communication Studies
Conclusion
Since I am a Communication Studies major, I spent a majority of this year taking classes for my major such as Concepts in Communications and Media Criticism. I enjoyed the classes that I did take towards my major. A majority of my friends don't know what they want to major in, and that's okay. Many of them are actually taking some of the classes I am taking to experiment with different majors. I don't feel my intended major will change, but my focus of communications might. I entered Colby-Sawyer with a strong intent to focus on video production or radio broadcasting, but now that I have taken a class in video production, I have come to the conclusion that I might not want to spend the rest of my life standing behind a camera and editing. As of now, I am leaning towards a focus in journalism, something I've been interested in for a long time. I understand that I don't need to know exactly what I want to do with my life and that's okay, but even to have a starting point is great. That way, I can slowly chip away at my major requirements, and be able to take the classes that I want to later on in my college experience.
I've also learned a lot from my Pathway class entitled Living in Fear: Freedoms of the First Amendment. Through this class, I learned about how powerful saying what you feel actually is, and I feel as though I have become a stronger person as a result of it. I also enjoyed my writing class, in which I had to write many papers devoted to different topics such as persuasion and research. My favorite elective class I took would most definitely be art. Art was a way for me to get my emotions out on paper, and that is something I enjoyed very much.
I went through a lot my first year at college and if I could do it all over again, I wouldn't change that much. I worked hard in my classes and managed to get a really good G.P.A. my first semester. I struggled through one course, working my tail off and feeling like I wasn't getting anything in return. I had some awesome professors, and some not so awesome professors. I met that boy I'll never forget- the one that makes me smile when nothings being said. I'm in a group where at times, we laugh so hard we cry. We look at each other and without saying a word; we just know what's going on inside our heads. We're inseparable because of all the stupid pictures we take, the inside jokes we walk around saying and all the issues we've dealt with together. I fought with friends from home, lost touch with people and cried myself to sleep at least once a month. College is rough. It tends to sever some bonds, while at the same time solidifying others. Distance is placed between you and the ones you love, yet college also teaches you so much about yourself. You gain confidence about the future and a knowledge that can't be read in any book. You develop more social skills and mature over such a short period of time, it's hard to sit back and not notice it. You change without even realizing it. After all this is college and college is a growing experience. Growing experiences cause change and that is hard, but it only makes you stronger.
Now that my first year at Colby-Sawyer is coming to an end, I find myself wishing I had said more to people just to let them know how I feel. I don't regret anything I went through here; there is just so much I look back on now. I wish I took more risks, got more involved and attended more programs. I look back on the journey I've been on this past year- the things I've accomplished and the things that I've done and I'm proud of the person I've become. I've learned so much both academically and in other areas but I feel like the most important thing I've learned is to follow my heart. I learned how to fully “live” at Colby-Sawyer, something I had never really understood prior to my arrival. We've all changed, everyone has and everyone does.
I hope that your student's journey at Colby-Sawyer is a fulfilling one and that he or she makes friends that encourage him or her to believe in him or herself. I hope he or she takes classes that intrigue him or her because there is nothing more satisfying then waking up and getting ready to go to a class that you enjoy going to. Most importantly, I hope he or she grow as a person, and recognizes the change in him or herself before the first year at Colby-Sawyer is completed.
