COMM 299 has been rewarding. Aside from improving on public speaking, learning how to polish a resume and cover letter, and practicing interviewing techniques, I have learned something far beyond the technicalities listed on the course curriculum. It is indeed a one-credit course, and because of this, many students including myself disregarded its importance and believed that the weekly two-hour class was a mere joke or a waste of time. Nonetheless, I devoted my time to attend each lecture and discussion, hoping something would prove us wrong. After all, I thought, it is a required course, so there must be something in it that’s keeping its place on that list. And then, I was inspired.
This one thing that I’ve learned from the course, which truly struck me, is to find what I am truly passionate about. Cliche. But I’ve never actually put much thought into it in the past, despite the fact that people kept trying to drill it in our heads. I just never understood, and pushed it aside. It never came to me, the question of whether or not what I’m doing is what I love, nor did I ever worked hard to achieve that certain something that I’ve longed for. It is all because I don’t have something I am passionate about. I had no idea what it is or what it might be.
Coming to 299, I start to see what they mean. I observed my classmates as they made speeches in front of the classroom in T1. It amused me to see a few of them so vibrant and enthusiastic when presenting their topics. They seemed to be enjoying it so much that it puzzled me – and so I wondered. In T2, we met Philippe. As a Finance major with years of experience working in big firms, he told us that he disliked it. He spent over seven years doing something he did not truly enjoy. He explained that the reason he chose it was because of his lack of determination in seeking and pursuing his dream job. He followed the stream, misled in the midst of conforming. And so, he kept stressing in class the importance of pursuing our career in the field we are passionate about. Sunny, our TA, also emphasized this importance – that we should take the time to explore the different things available to us out there, to put our hearts into all the things we do, so to ensure we will eventually develop that passion.
All these information, these observations from 299, is what sparked me. As of now, I will work toward finding what I’m passionate about without letting anyone interfere or mislead me in the process. I will not let the fact that I am in Sauder to determine that I must one day become an auditor, a marketing director, a financial analyst, or anything that my peers may become. I hope that one day, I will also become one of those people you see on the streets with a set goal in mind, with that vibrant glow on their face, and that genuine smile from their heart that tells everyone how much they’re grateful to be living and doing things they sincerely love.