"Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life."
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"… a question that follows us from age 5 to age 25 and seems to cause more stress as we get older. While I never knew the answer (and still don't, with the answer changing daily), I have learned that I want to and will do what I love. From music to fashion and writing to wellness, I've learned that what drives me is my passion and creating my own path. What I do know is that I'm not a good test-taker, and work that takes others two seconds to compute or figure out takes me hours.
You've heard the saying, "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life." If you're passionate about what you do and your focus and energy on it, you won't feel like you're working. My passion comes from creativity and learning from and about others. With that being said, if I had one word of advice to the girl in elementary school filling out her "dream job" or the college freshman scrambling to choose a major, it is "follow your passion." For me, this means expressing my creativity, learning from and about others, and writing.
As an incoming student can relate, creating my class schedule ultimately stressed me out. While one day I was set on declaring a major in nonprofit work, another part of me considered a bachelor of music with my love for playing and listening to music. What always compelled me was too generic, so I thought: lifestyle and fashion. After finishing my basic freshman year requirements, I took the time to take various courses of interest. This is something I highly suggest for students: experiment with credit fillers and electives.
Heading into senior year, you'd be very confused looking at the courses I've taken as I tried to figure out a path and final destination after 4 fours. My interest in health and wellness sparked the addition of nutrition classes, and my passion for writing had me taking journalism courses. People think you're supposed to take classes for what you want to do or what field you want to work in. Still, my advice to others would be: Get involved, your experiences are critical, and focus on your strengths. Before you can learn how to do what you love, you must know what you love to do! This process allows you to figure out your core values, strengths, and assets.
Time flies by from writing for various fashion platforms to assisting a nutrition coach, so taking advantage of every opportunity is essential. While there are many ways to get involved on campus, look for opportunities off-campus that provide a chance to get some real-world experience. By attending different events and workshops, you start to discover what sparks your attention, interests, and passions. Students often think summers and post-college are the only times for key internships and positions, but during the year (even if it means small volunteer work or roles) allows you to meet new people with similar interests. Many opportunities will challenge your mind to be fresh and have different perspectives on issues and concepts; others will leave you with essential life skills. To the incoming freshman or graduating senior: It will work out. Time is valuable, so use it doing what you love, and you'll be equipped to take on the "real world."
Written By Jessie Garten, University of Maryland ‘23