Student Blog: I’m Not Running Out of Time

Ever since I first moved to New York, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with the city. Being from the suburbs of California, I’d never truly experienced living in a major city before. Over the years I’ve gotten used to the constant noise and unpredictable public transit, and I’ve grown to love it. I always miss Manhattan when I’m back home, and I expect that’ll never change. However, I imagine that my life here as a college student is much different than it would be if I was simply living in NYC as a “full-time-adult”. 

This fall, I started my junior year (eek!) at Marymount Manhattan College as a Digital Journalism major and Music Industry minor. My schedule is fairly easy, except for the night class I have on Mondays that goes from 7:20pm-10:01pm. It’s an interesting subject (Race, Class and Gender in Media), but it’s a horrible time slot for a lecture. One of my favorite classes I’m taking this semester is Freelance Article Writing. It’s really inspiring me to come up with ideas for stories and essays, and it’s pushing me to network in ways I hadn’t previously thought about. 

Lately, I’ve slowly begun to realize what things I’m truly passionate about in terms of writing. Pop culture, love, relationships, art, etc. I think finding my voice as a young woman breaking into the journalism industry is something that I’m going to have to work really hard at, but I’m more excited to make that leap than ever before. 

The first few weeks of the semester have been somewhat all over the place, but in a good way! Since it’s the second half of my college career, I’m beginning to feel the pressure of the big question: “What are you going to do after you graduate?” The truth is, my answer to that question has changed so frequently, that I’m not sure I know anymore. It’s hard not to adopt the mindset that I’m “running out of time”. It feels like everyone around me knows what they’re doing or what they’re going to do, and I’m behind in every sense of the word. However, I’m only 20, and I keep trying to remind myself that not everyone gets into the career they end up in right after they graduate. 

I’d be lying if I said that my boyfriend wasn’t part of my college experience. We’ve been together for about five-and-a-half years now, and we’ve been doing long distance for two of them so far. He’s currently in London for a study abroad program, and I miss him more than everything every day. Navigating a relationship where you’re thousands of miles apart for most of the year is one of the toughest things I’ve had to do yet, but I feel secure knowing I have him by my side to figure things out with.
Going to college in Manhattan is a unique experience in itself. I wasn’t necessarily looking for the campus part of college when I applied, which is why MMC felt so right to me. I love being able to say that the city is my campus, however corny that sounds. I get to do so many amazing things, like see Broadway shows, and even just walking out of my door I feel like there are so many possibilities at my finger tips. For anyone in my boat, living in NYC for the first time or even for the third year, breathe it all in when you walk outside. There’s nothing like New York, and I’d hate for all of us to miss it.