
2244 Interview- Bridget Chevrie, pictured above, is a graduating senior at the University of Texas at Austin with a major in English. Bridget loves to explore Texas attractions and volunteer at her church in the kid's program. She aspires to be a teacher after she graduates and has loved working with kids since her first babysitting job in her hometown of El Paso. Below is our interview, conducted in the sunny suburbs of South Austin.
"What's your major?
I'm an English major.
What's the most valuable lesson your major has taught you?
I really appreciate learning to communicate effectively. I do a lot of writing in my major and it has taught me how to organize my thoughts and present them in a way that's easy for someone to digest. I used to word vomit when I wanted to get a point across and now I make sure to take time and make sure what I'm saying is representative of what I'm thinking and that it's worth saying.
What are your plans after graduation?
I want to be an English teacher. I think kids are really funny and I'd like to teach middle schoolers. Middle school is a tough time for everyone and that's when I discovered my love for reading, I'd like to help kids find comfort in stories the same way I did. I wouldn't mind taking a break after school to travel before I start working though.
What advice would you tell someone confused on what to major in?
It's so cliché but you should follow your heart in everything you do. It's easy to let the world make you scared of pursuing certain paths and taking certain risks, but no degree is going to be of any use if you're miserable in a 9 to 5 job. If you don't know what you love, then experiment! Go out and explore what people enjoy doing until you find something that's right for you. Life's what you make it man and being scared of trying won't make it any easier.
How has your education prepared you for the work place?
For me, education is the workplace. It not only showed me the stuff I'm supposed to know to qualify as a teacher, but it has given me a first-hand experience of what it's like to be a student and wrestle with learning hard concepts. I want to remember that experience and use it to be more understanding to my students and teach them in a more effective way. We still know so little about how the human brain learns information, and you can't begin to take a crack at teaching until you're familiar with being a student.
Does college effectively prepare students for "the real world"?
College teaches you how to make money, in my opinion. That's part of being in the real world, but the important stuff, like how to be a conductive member of society; you learn that from being in those situations and experiencing it hands-on. If you want to learn how to be in the real world then you have to just do it, you won't learn that in a book.
Why did you decide to go to college?
I love learning. What better place to do that than college? I obviously need it to become a teacher, but I have thoroughly enjoyed being a student and learning so much new material. I would stay and learn as much as I could if it weren't so expensive. I've been lucky enough to go to such a big school with so much history and interesting classes.
Would you have done anything differently?
I wouldn't have changed my academic choices at all, but I would've gone to a few more parties. Like when we talked about the real world, you gotta put yourself in situations outside of your comfort zone. Don't abandon all caution of course, but you're only young once and there's only so much you can do to make the most of it. College is full of so many opportunities to grow as a person and find who you are, which is just as important as learning the material for a class.
Has your major affected your outlook on life? How so?
English has taught me how to stick with difficult texts and problems. I approach things I don't understand with much more curiosity and an open mind now. I'm always looking for the deeper message and how it relates to me and everyone else. Every word and action has weight and meaning and it's up to us to dig for it and find it. It's honestly an adventure.
What's a misconception people have about college?
I think the media portrays college as a scary place. Sure there are some weird and dangerous people you could run into, but there's so much opportunity for the exchange of ideas and you never know who you're gonna meet.
Graduation is a very transformative period for many people, how do you hope to grow as a person after graduation?
I don't think I'm done defining who I am. I want to be more disciplined in my everyday life and I think that comes with routine. Once I graduate I'll have a much more steady routine and I can hopefully figure out what works for me and how to utilize my time in a way that works for me. Maybe I'll even become a morning person.
Do you have any closing remarks on college, the state of today's work force, or anything concerning students our age and what the world demands from them?
College and the workforce are so messy right now, especially in the socio-economic climate we find ourselves in today. It kind of seems like nobody really knows what they're doing or what's going to happen next. Students should be more okay with that and make the most out of the experiences they have now. There will always be another quiz to study for and when there finally isn't then there will always be a work report due. Breathe and reflect on where you are and how you got there, and remind yourself that everything is going to be okay."
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