Is it that time of year again?
Back to school season, but not for me.
As a recent college graduate, I must say, it has been fun. Hectic, of course, but fun, nonetheless.
This time does have me wondering, however, about what I’d like to do next. Aside from expanding my creative career, how will I move forward in expanding my education? I’ve had a few people ask me during graduation what was next. The only thing that I was doing next at that time was celebrating what I had just completed. I had no intention of thinking about the future while trying to enjoy the present.
I have put a little thought into it, however.
Do I go back to school and get a doctoral degree? How does one start looking for the right degree to tackle? I looked into English. I could get a Ph.D. in creative writing. Could I handle another four years of college? I could do it, of course, but do I want to? My head hurts just thinking about it while typing these words.
I define myself as a school person — the opposite of those you hear say, “school just wasn’t my thing” or “college just wasn’t for me.” School and learning always have been for me. When life was hectic, I found structure in my education. College taught me more than what I learned in the expensive books I found in the bookstore. College taught me patience and discipline. It taught me how to type a five-page paper in two hours before heading out on a Friday night because the assignment is due before midnight, and you’re out the door by 10 p.m. if you want to get in free before 11 p.m., am I right? Or, was that just me?
More than anything, college has given me growth. I’m not the same person I was when I jumped off the greyhound bus in Dubuque in 2017. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into.
I know college isn’t for everyone. I know what comes with it: Financial aid, or the lack thereof, the lack of a support system, or even the lack of faith. However, as someone who’s gone through college twice, I wouldn’t have traded my experiences for anything in the world.
I gained friends who I never would’ve met back home. I was given opportunities to see and learn things that I wouldn’t have even considered if I hadn’t left my comfort zone. I was a city girl from the west side of Chicago, attending a PWI in Dubuque.
I grew in a new environment that challenged me. I was growing the nights I stayed up until 2 a.m. in the tech lab, finishing a graphic project that was due at 10 a.m. the next morning, with the friends I made from class — friends that I found loved what I loved and wanted to study what I studied and didn’t make me feel isolated or different.
I had some of the best experiences with people I might never see again.
College taught me a lot about life, relationships and hard work. I learned so much about myself and the world around me. I’m growing into the intelligence young woman I’m meant to be, and I love that for me.
Now that school is out, it doesn’t mean the learning stops. I’m not done growing. I’m just starting to sprout roots.
So, what’s next for me?
Rasharra Smith is a recent graduate of the University of Dubuque.
