Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead- Nora Ephron
Over-whelming. Pride. Less stress. Those are some feelings that I felt when I moved my tassel from the right to the left Monday afternoon in the rain for graduation.
Yes, I did it. I finally graduated with my master’s after two long years. And after these two long years, I can finally say that I am DONE with school. Maybe in a few years I’ll go back and get my doctorate. But for right now, I’m good.
Going to graduate school is no joke. So if you want/need to get your master’s degree or higher, you need to be mentally prepared for it. There were many times within the first semester of grad school that I wanted to quit. I would be on the phone crying, saying that I wanted to drop out, but can you blame me? I moved hours away from home, living alone for the first time, just broke up with my ex, and felt alone 24/7. I felt like a fish in an ocean of sharks.
And for those that think that journalism is easy, you better check yourself. You are constantly being judged by your work, your ethics and morals, and to an extend, your social network. The amount of research to be done before pitching the idea, the interviewing, getting the facts right, fact checking, the revisions, and so much more goes into a story. It’s more than just writing a few hundred words on a screen and pressing submit.
It’s funny because when I do theater, I have a tough skin when it comes to critiques because my craft is always evolving. But when it comes to my writing or producing a story, I become a bear trying to protect her cub. I learned the hard that it is okay for people to critique my work because they only want me to succeed.
In a way, I was stil trying to find who I was as a journalist when I started graduate school, and having my professors critique me and try to write like them wasn’t helpful. But eventually through their criticism, I found my style of writing, the type of journalism that I want to do, and what my beat would be.
I was challenged mentally and emotionally, and the pandemic didn’t help. For those that had to do that quick transition from in person to online learning, it was a hard adjustment. If you are in a field/major that requires human interaction like journalism, you had to find new ways to do navigate what you would normally do. It was a time, and it still is a time. But thankfully I had my family and close friends to help me through it. Find your support system, because everyone needs one.
I finished my master’s via online learning. And for those who just graduated during the pandemic, congratulations to you for not stopping and making it through this difficult year and a half.
So what’s my advice? At the end of the day, we all need to make the right choices about our education. For me, I wanted to take a year off before doing my masters and just audition. But I’m glad that I decided to go to Georgetown because I challenged myself, found long lasting friends, and grew as a person. I know I made the right choice. Figure out what your next choice is going to be. If you want to change career paths, or get a higher education, do not stop yourself. Go for it and accomplish it! No one is stopping you but you.
At the end of the day, I’m more than just a journalist or an actor. I’m a storyteller. My career will be in sharing stories to people, whether that be in film, tv, radio, podcast, or writing articles. I’m not tied down to one thing because life is all about discovering new ways to build yourself. Though I don’t know where my destination will be, I will try to enjoy the journey of getting there.
Until next time- Nadine Bourne
Nadine Bourne's Blog 