Journal #11: Transitioning to Early Adulthood

As my senior year quickly comes to a close, I find myself having mixed feelings about college. On one hand, I'm excited to go out and meet new people. I will get to live on my own and "spread my wings"; the idea of independence excites me. On the other hand, I'm having a hard time choosing a college. I have stacks and stacks of informational letters from various colleges, but I haven't made a final decision. With the looming deadlines, I find myself getting more and more anxious and putting off my responsibilities. When it comes down to it, I find myself contemplating three main options.

• I attend GRCC for a year and take a few general classes for a better price. Commuting would be significantly cheaper than living on campus, and I would get to be near some close friends of mine. However, I don't want to live at home any more. I would prefer to get out on my own, and have my own space. Not to mention that I don't want to base my future on that of my friends. I'm willing to move away, but it sounds appealing to have them near by.

• I would still attend GRCC, but I would get an apartment with one of my best friends. She upholds the same moral code as me, so I wouldn't have to worry about living in an uncomfortable situation. The only problem: rent is expensive. I would most likely pay the same as room and board at a college, which isn't helping anything. The only good part is that I will avoid debt.

• I attend Ferris State University. I would get to room with one of best friends, which sounds wonderful. A few kids that graduated last year would be there as well, so I would know a few people. A big issue for me is the "party school" reputation Ferris has. They have top-notch programs, but their students go crazy on the weekends. I'm not sure that I would w

ant to live in that kind of environment for a year.

While my college experience is still unplanned, I am sure that I want to major in film. Growing up, I have always had an appreciation for the arts. I play many musical instruments and sculpt in my spare time. Basically anything that lets me be creative, I'm there. This love for creation is what led me to take drama classes, which then led to my induction into the advanced drama class. Because the drama teacher is our television productions teacher, I signed up for an introductory class; I fell in love. I found a new medium to express my ideas. I then continued on to take our advanced TV production class. As I watch my ideas come alive on the screen, I realized that this was something I was truly passionate about. I have the opportunity to influence people's way of thinking by

creatively and persuasively telling a story through film.

A true inspiration for me in the local film world is Justin Balczak. When I first met Justin, he was attending LSSU to earn his teaching degree on a track scholarship. In his spare time, Justin worked on bettering himself as a musician, singer, artist, videographer, and athlete. Last year, he made the daring move to switch his major to film. If that wasn't bold enough, he decided to transfer colleges and move to California. When he commits to something, he commits fully. It's so inspiring to see someone chase their dreams with such commitment and passion. I was able to touch base with Justin via the interwebs, and conduct a short interview.

My interview with Justin made me feel so much more confident about my decision to pursue film. A few common comments I hear from adults when I tell them my intended major is "Isn't that more of a hobby?" or "Does that even pay well?" or "What can you really do with a film degree?". It's nice to just hear that there are other people who are just as confident in their ability to be successful with the major. I also feel that living on campus is the best choice. Like Justin, I am a very social person. I think that I will thrive in a community full of people who want to succeed in film just as much as I do. I know that there are few opportunities to "make it big" with film. But I'm okay with that. If I wanted to be rich, I would go major in engineering. I want to major in film because I think I can make a difference and I will be happy. That is the most important thing to me.

Images Used (Top to Bottom):

• http://stress.lovetoknow.com/Causes_of_Teenage_Stress

• http://www.colum.edu/academics/media-arts/cinema-art-and-science/majors-and-programs.html