Coping with life without summer holidays

My school career is almost over. I have a little less than a month left of classes, and then I will pass through the invisible protection of school and into the real world... which is terrifying. As students, I think we get so used to the protective bubble that university and college provide. We don't have to determine what career we want to enter or pay off our student loans quite yet.. it's a fantastic place to be! But all things great must come to an end, and that's why I'm writing this blog post now.

This is an ode to the 4 months of summer that I used to have free from school or any major responsibilities... a reflection of the days that ended at 1pm because classes ended early that day... a ballad to the professors that would give project extensions so our weekends could be relaxing and fun.

I've never surfed in my life, but it seemed fitting.

The thing about school is that those four months after classes finished served as a reset button. You finished those eight months of hard-work, and maybe you'll try some new courses next semester, or even change your major!! (lord knows, I have). The thing is.. you knew that school was in the near future, but you could worry about it later. Now, those days are over. There's no such thing as 'summer holidays' or 'march break' or even 'christmas break' because this is real life now, kid.

By no means is this blog post a complaint about not having as many vacation days as I did as a student.. it just means that things are changing, and it's time to step up and rise with the challenge of the real world. What does that challenge entail exactly? No idea.

What I do know is this: these past few months have been the most exciting of my life, but also the most stressful. The phrase 'so what are you going to do when you're done school' is almost a daily question you have to answer, and the panic you feel when you can't answer is quite palpable. Thankfully, I've been able to find a career in a field that I love, and have actually landed a position at an agency that I respect and am excited to be a part of. But still... I have been preparing to enter the 'real world' for 5 years now, and it still seems like something just out of reach. I guess in a couple of months I feel finally know what all the hubbub is all about.

Check out the Advertising: Account Management program at Sheridan College.

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Finished University? Now try College.

In my last year of university, I never felt certain about my future prospects. My friends were writing the MCATs or LSATs while I was twiddling my thumbs, wondering what I could possibly do with an honours degree in psychology. Maybe I could work in a hospital? or a clinic? God, it was so frustrating! Everyone felt so sure of themselves and I didn't have a clue! I had a couple grim options to choose from; none of which would fulfill my aspirations. So, I started to entertain the idea of continuing my education. Since I already completed my university education, I thought going to college was a bit beneath me (I'm not sure where this arrogance came from.. probably hanging around too many med school prospects during my undergrad). So, I thought getting a master's degree was my first step to a great career. Lo and behold, nothing out there interested me! I studied 4 years of psychology, but I was getting tired of the field; it just didn't have the same spark anymore. Even though not one psychology master's programs caught my eye, I still didn't even want to look at college options! 'Oh, college is for burnouts, or people who don't know what they want to do!', I would think to myself. My 'self-awareness' button must have been broke that day because I had NO IDEA WHAT I WANTED TO DO! I was discounting college for absolutely no reason. I was prejudiced!

I started looking into advertising at the college level, since it was a field that interested me and had some relation to my psychology background. I read a couple brochures, and a few weeks later I was applying to the postgraduate Account Management program at Sheridan.

It was the best decision of my life.

I am surrounded by creative and hard-working people who are anxious to help find your own path, while providing you with skills that will land you a job! You get hands-on learning and many extra- and co-curricular opportunities.

To be frank (and cheesy), I've finally found my calling. I now know what I want to do with my life, and it's all due to Sheridan and the Account Management program.

... they should be paying me for this post, now that I think about it.

So, if you're finishing university and still unsure about your future, take a look at the programs Sheridan offers, especially the Post-Graduate Account Management program :)

If you have any questions about the program, 'like' us on Facebook here and ask away!