by Craig Berger
By the time I began my sophomore year in college, I had the next several decades of my life planned. My love for all things politics would carry me through my coursework, whisk me away to study in Washington, D.C. in the fall of 2004--perfectly timed with the presidential election--and then plop me down into a prestigious campaign management or applied politics graduate program. I'd learn how to craft campaign plans and messages, make some good money, and drink lots of coffee.
While I wasn't necessarily "carried" through my coursework, I did find it interesting. I was in a course on Congress that semester, and it was absolutely my favorite class. To make the next step in my plan, I needed to navigate two large steps: first, I needed to get permission from Allegheny College to study away from campus the following fall, and once that permission was obtained, I needed American University's program to admit me. Since this was what I had planned, and because I know what's best for me, I just knew it would work itself out. I wasn't worried.
I should have been. It turns out that so many people had also planned to study away from Allegheny--many in D.C.--that the competition was much higher than I anticipated. The envelope I opened was paper thin; there were no pamphlets about living in D.C., or about American's program. Just a form letter denying my application, reminding me how many students apply to study away from Allegheny each year, and how few applications the Study Abroad office is able to accept. It was a punch in the gut. I was mad. I was hurt. I was confused. Didn't they understand? I loved politics; I had to do this. They were taking a ticket to D.C. that was mine.
I'm not sure when I moved forward from those thoughts. It certainly took several weeks, maybe months. But I'm glad I did. Similar to David's post a few days ago, one opportunity led to another. I intensified my involvement in student government. When an RA position in my building became available at the end of the fall, I applied for it and was hired. With the help of these two commitments, I made a realization--"politics" wasn't something that was exclusive to the context of a presidential election or beholden to the national or state levels. Politics happened everyday, everywhere. Increasingly understanding that I didn't have to be restricted to working in D.C. or on political campaigns to get my political fix, I thought about what else I might enjoy. Luckily, I looked into this field called "student affairs" that my student government advisor kept telling me about.
Looking back, I can't help but laugh when I think about constructing such a grand, ambitious plan and ignoring the possibility that any obstacle might complicate it. I also can't believe that I was so beholden to this plan during that time, especially when I hadn't really taken the time to understand how it fit with what I really wanted out of life. After struggling with these questions, I gradually navigated myself into a great job and into a field in which I am constantly thinking and talking about politics, while also staying true to my authentic self.
Have you ever had your own "rock-solid" plans that ended up working out differently than you expected? What were they?
Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from the Office of Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter.
By the time I began my sophomore year in college, I had the next several decades of my life planned. My love for all things politics would carry me through my coursework, whisk me away to study in Washington, D.C. in the fall of 2004--perfectly timed with the presidential election--and then plop me down into a prestigious campaign management or applied politics graduate program. I'd learn how to craft campaign plans and messages, make some good money, and drink lots of coffee.
While I wasn't necessarily "carried" through my coursework, I did find it interesting. I was in a course on Congress that semester, and it was absolutely my favorite class. To make the next step in my plan, I needed to navigate two large steps: first, I needed to get permission from Allegheny College to study away from campus the following fall, and once that permission was obtained, I needed American University's program to admit me. Since this was what I had planned, and because I know what's best for me, I just knew it would work itself out. I wasn't worried.
I should have been. It turns out that so many people had also planned to study away from Allegheny--many in D.C.--that the competition was much higher than I anticipated. The envelope I opened was paper thin; there were no pamphlets about living in D.C., or about American's program. Just a form letter denying my application, reminding me how many students apply to study away from Allegheny each year, and how few applications the Study Abroad office is able to accept. It was a punch in the gut. I was mad. I was hurt. I was confused. Didn't they understand? I loved politics; I had to do this. They were taking a ticket to D.C. that was mine.
I'm not sure when I moved forward from those thoughts. It certainly took several weeks, maybe months. But I'm glad I did. Similar to David's post a few days ago, one opportunity led to another. I intensified my involvement in student government. When an RA position in my building became available at the end of the fall, I applied for it and was hired. With the help of these two commitments, I made a realization--"politics" wasn't something that was exclusive to the context of a presidential election or beholden to the national or state levels. Politics happened everyday, everywhere. Increasingly understanding that I didn't have to be restricted to working in D.C. or on political campaigns to get my political fix, I thought about what else I might enjoy. Luckily, I looked into this field called "student affairs" that my student government advisor kept telling me about.
Looking back, I can't help but laugh when I think about constructing such a grand, ambitious plan and ignoring the possibility that any obstacle might complicate it. I also can't believe that I was so beholden to this plan during that time, especially when I hadn't really taken the time to understand how it fit with what I really wanted out of life. After struggling with these questions, I gradually navigated myself into a great job and into a field in which I am constantly thinking and talking about politics, while also staying true to my authentic self.
Have you ever had your own "rock-solid" plans that ended up working out differently than you expected? What were they?
Co-Create UMBC is a blog for and about UMBC, written by David Hoffman and Craig Berger from the Office of Student Life. Join the Co-Create UMBC group on MyUMBC. Like Co-Create UMBC on Facebook. And follow David and Craig on Twitter.
