Student Blog: The Reporter and The Writer

Part of finding my voice as a writer is realizing that I’m afraid that I don’t know what to do with it. Yes, I know that I want to write about pop culture, love, and women’s issues. But who am I to call myself an “expert” in those fields? 

Academic burnout is one thing, and that can be fought in a way. Change locations, listen to music, give yourself grace, etc. But creative burnout is much scarier. It is feeling as though you’re on the precipice of something great every minute. It is knowing the words in your mind, and being unable to get them out of your fingertips. 

I’ve written a lot this semester. More than I have in my entire college career so far. I think part of that is my freelance article writing class, where I wrote a personal essay as well as a feature article. I also got involved in my school’s newspaper, which was such an amazing way for me to make connections, get my words out there, and get amazing opportunities. It has inspired me to write more in my free time about the things that I care about!

It’s hard to believe that I am over halfway done with college. I feel like just yesterday I was a terrified freshman who was unsure of whether New York was the right place for her. I know now more than ever that loving that city is the greatest privilege I have ever received. There is nowhere that I’d rather be spending these important years of my life, and hopefully, the years afterward.

I have some goals for my winter break this year that I would love to accomplish. One is reading. This year I have read 24 books so far, and I would love to have read 25 in 2025! Over the summer I bought a Kindle, and it has been one of the best investments I’ve ever made. I read so much faster and I don’t think I would have read as many books as I have without it.

Another goal of mine is to write for pleasure. I used to write (very bad) poetry in high school, and I haven’t written a poem in so long, unless you count songwriting as poetry. I would love to get back into it and do some more creative writing now that I don’t have to focus on academic writing. My mom has been making a physical book of all of the pieces that I’ve written to have everything I’ve done in hard-copy format, and I want to give her more work to add to it!

Thinking about 2026, the first year that I’m going into not being a teenager anymore, I feel like it’s becoming more important to me now than ever to make a name for myself. Whether that’s writing for Broadway World, my school newspaper, or just cold-emailing publications to get my work out there, I feel determined to let people know who I am.