New Steps

Today I begin a new course at an institute in Toronto and I’m pretty excited about it. The course is a professional development course that I will be taking part time for a few months to come. Even though it’s short, and even though it has more to do with professional development than it does with expanding my academic career, it still brings me back to when I began my first year at Brock. 

When I first started university exactly seven years ago (!!!!!), I remember feeling so many different things. Sad to be moving away from home, and being apart from my mom and high school friends. Excited to meet new people all in the same position as me, as we learned about each other and our new school for the first time. Nervous, wondering if I would be able to keep up with my new courses, the workload, and what was required of me. 

That fear became a reality at the end of my first year. My own poor work ethic and low grades got me placed on academic probation for the duration of my second year at Brock, with the threat of being kicked out of my program all together if I didn’t clean up my act.

Luckily, I did. I did clean up my act. 

As the end of my time at Brock neared, and as graduating from university drew closer with every essay I handed in and seminar facilitation that I completed, my feelings towards academia were the exact opposite from when I first started school. 

I had now grown to feel so much appreciation for all the courses I’d taken and the way each of them had helped to expand my critical thinking. I felt satisfied with what I’d put into each course. I left Brock feeling fulfilled and grateful. 

I went from being placed on academic probation, to graduating with honours. More importantly, I finished university with a clear mind, a direction and a sense of discipline I’d been so badly lacking during that first year. 

The course I’ve enrolled myself in, though more so for professional development than academic advancement, is going to be an exciting and stimulating challenge for me. A challenge that I’m prepared and happy about, as opposed to the challenge that terrified me when I started my first year at Brock.

And as professional development really never ends, and learning is a life long process, it felt right to enrol myself in a course that will hopefully enhance my knowledge on subjects that interest me, and will provide new opportunities.

I’m excited for this new opportunity I’ve given myself. Though it may be small, the size, length or time frame of any of opportunity towards self betterment should not matter. The important thing is that the opportunity is being seized.

I recently came up with this amazing phrase (at least, I’m pretty sure I came up with it) that has been on a loop in my head for months. While thinking about opening doors, knocking on doors and going through doors of opportunity (all metaphorical doors of course), suddenly it struck me:

“Every door is open for you, all you have to do is walk through them”

So here I am, walking through that door. Can’t wait to see where the other doors are, too.