I’ve worked at The Daily Campus for three years now, but I haven’t written a single article. So, I guess my first piece will also be my last.
One of the biggest things I learned in college — and especially from working at the DC — is to be open to trying new things. I started school with absolutely no idea on what I wanted to do. It was incredibly overwhelming to start the whole process with no real plans nor any defined goals.
I came to the DC in the fall of my sophomore year. I was looking for a job as I was returning to campus for my first “normal” semester of college post-COVID-19, and JobX had a listing for a “Student Written Communications Trainee.” I had no idea what that meant but the description mentioned design, so I decided to give it a try.
I ended up designing the sports section for my first semester, and I loved every second of it. I learned so much about design, met so many new people and had so many new experiences.
One of the reasons I never wrote for The Daily Campus is because I didn’t think I’d be good at it. At various points in my time here people have encouraged me to write but I was always too nervous because I never thought of myself as a good writer. The ideas always made sense in my head, but when I would try to put them into words, I felt like I just couldn’t do them justice or I wasn’t getting my point across.
That’s one of the reasons I was always so drawn to design. It was always easier and felt more natural for me to make my ideas into visuals. Design has always been a way for me to take risks and try new things, and seeing other people enjoy my work was so rewarding. But most importantly, I realized that in order to grow as a designer, I had to continue to try something new. At first, I put a lot of pressure on myself to design something bigger and better than the piece that preceded. This eventually put me in a creative block that I wasn’t able to get out of until very recently.
I realized that I had to stop putting so much pressure on myself to create something that would be more impressive than what I had done before. Instead, I started to take a much more open approach to my work. If I had a new idea, I would try it. If it didn’t work out the way I wanted or didn’t impress me, that was fine, and I could try something different next time. Taking the time to focus on what I could do differently was a far greater learning experience than just competing with myself to make something cooler every time.
Applying this type of mindset to different aspects of my life other than work became so influential. I quickly found that being more open to new things and taking the time to really experience them has led to so much personal growth. I also came to the realization that trying something new isn’t always fun and exciting, and a lot of times it’s actually really, really scary. The idea of failure can be daunting, but it shouldn’t always keep us from trying. Sometimes failing is exactly what we need so we can learn from our mistakes and grow.
As my senior year comes to a close, I’m still not really sure what it is that I want to end up doing. But through trying new things and being open to new experiences, I have found a better understanding of myself and the world around me. Finishing school and entering this next stage of life is scary, but I’m excited to see what I can learn from it.
So, for those reading, I encourage you to be open. It’s never too late to try something new and you just might surprise yourself. Live in the moment and do your best to experience all of the beautiful things that life has to offer.