Student
returns to undergraduate life for second
time
Katrice
Hester
Saturday,
Dec. 17, 2005 will be one of the most
important days in my life. It is my college
graduation. I have looked forward to
it for the last four years. For the entirety
of this semester, I am counting down
the days until I can say I am a college
graduate. I get more ecstatic with each
passing day. As each day ends, I become
closer to my goal; yet, it’s bittersweet.
I am not sure if this day will be all I imagined. Quite possibly, my happiness
will be interrupted by thoughts of confusion, by my annoyance with not finishing
college in the traditional length and not going to graduate school immediately
after finishing undergraduate work.
I have no clue what the next step in my life will be. After months of brainstorming,
I have resigned to the fact I have no future. Not literally, but figuratively.
For some, this may be no big deal. They may brush it off and keep moving. For
me, it’s frustrating. My inability to decide what my future career will
be constantly bombards my daily thoughts.
Coming to this university, I had my entire life mapped out. I knew I was going
to major in biology. I was going to graduate from this university with honors
and attend the finest medical school—Johns Hopkins. Money wasn’t
a deterrent. My plans had been laid out. No one was going to stop me from achieving
my goals. Then, during my sophomore year, I met my biggest foe—organic
chemistry.
Taking this course wasn’t my personal choice; it was a requirement. Despite
my personal reservations and the warnings of others, I registered for this
class while being on the executive board of the Black Student Union and the
Coalition of 100 Black Women and being a resident adviser.
This was a grave mistake.
I thought taking this course with my friends would be beneficial to all of
us. We were all very studious; yet, we were all extremely busy. Each of us
held RA positions and an additional position on either BSU, the Residents Student
Association or Student Government Association. There was always some conflict.
Each of us struggled through this course, which I now consider to be the devil.
After this course, I had an epiphany—medical school was just not for
me. Anything that would force me to suffer through this course again is not
for me. I have already faced my battle; I barely won. I don’t need to
fight again.
With that said and organic chemistry behind me, I resolved to find another
career and educational path. I have yet to figure out what it will be. Therefore,
I will be returning to the university to pursue a second degree in African-American
and Africana Studies.
Returning to the university where I have had much success gives me the opportunity
to contemplate what lies next in my life. I am assuring I will be prepared
for my next graduation and the next milestone in my life.
This column originally appeared in The University Times at the University of
North Carolina-Charlotte. |
