My entire life has been a series of plans, carefully constructed
and executed to the letter. When I entered UCLA as a freshman, I
decided on an English major along with taking the pre-medicine
curriculum. I also applied to the Daily Bruin, mainly because
working at a newspaper felt comfortable and familiar after my high
school experience with journalism. I soon became wrapped up in
classes, extracurriculars and my prospects of going to medical
school.
But the great thing about UCLA is that it allows you to learn
from experience, if you so choose. I began research with a
cardiologist, loaded up on chem labs and contemplated which quarter
I should take the MCAT.
Instead of getting more excited and motivated to carry out my
plan, I found myself beginning to “lose focus” (or so I
thought) ““ putting off studying for Life Science 3 to read
more Donne, Keats and Woolf; beginning to dread the lifestyle that
lay ahead of me; and most significantly, starting to write more
articles for the Daily Bruin.
I no longer saw The Bruin as one more pursuit in an endless list
of activities but rather as something I was truly passionate about.
And as my involvement grew so did my enthusiasm for writing and
editing. (The free plays and art exhibition tickets were pretty
sweet, too.)
Working at the Bruin has been above all a learning experience
for me. As a writer, I learned something new about an individual,
event or topic with every article I completed.
As an editor, I learned new information vicariously through
other writers but also mastered the art of formulating story
ideas.
I gradually realized this position allowed me to excel at one of
the things I do best: plan. In this case, plan my pages each week
from start to finish. And while the process itself often
wasn’t easy, the end result was always rewarding.
One highlight of the job occurred when I interviewed one of my
favorite writers, Joan Didion. As our conversation turned to
journalism, she told me, “When I started doing pieces, it
just opened up a whole new world to me. It was just interesting to
see things and try to make sense of them.”
I intend to chart more of this new world after I graduate. Next
year I will work for a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C.
But beyond that, I no longer have much of a long-term plan, except
to seek out those experiences and opportunities that make me feel
excited and fulfilled.
For once in my life, that’s exactly how I want it to
be.
Share your post-graduation plans (or lack of them) with Tate
at
ntate@media.ucla.edu.