As a first year, these questions popped up as the deadline for enrolling into a subject POSt approached. It was quite a stressful period of time for me because despite a vague idea of what the answers might’ve been, I couldn’t answer with full confidence. I really enjoyed my psychology classes but I scored consistently higher in my sociology courses even though they didn’t intrigue me as much. So, do I pick what I’m good at, or what I love doing? (If you’re wondering, I picked both and ended up with a double major!)
Fast forward three years, and these questions have come up again accompanied by the same stress of having to make a choice. Do I continue with academia because I’m good at research and enjoy psychology, or do I pursue a career in design, even though I may not be as good at it?
What I’ve learnt from these questions is that they become quite salient at the turning points in my life and will continue to pop up throughout my lifetime. I’ve also discovered that what I’m good at and what I love doing sometimes overlap, and sometimes don’t—which is quite alright. And finally, the stress that accompanies these questions originates from the inherent ambiguity that is life and I now acknowledge the fact that life is often ambiguous and will continue to be so.
We are continually challenged to discover our true selves; our likes/dislikes, preferences and strengths. In fact, I believe it takes a lifetime of learning to fully understand ourselves. And what’s most important for me when dealing with this particular type of uncertainty, is to see every choice I make as a step closer to learning more about myself.
So if you are like me, you don’t want to be paralyzed by the stress of ambiguity; instead, be an active seeker of things that you’re good at, and things that you love. The university campus is the perfect place to test yourself, try new things and to build on your strengths! As I tried out different things on campus like writing for The Woodsworth Howl, it helped me understand what I really liked. Additionally, I was able to effectively reduce ambiguity and collect more self-knowledge through these experiences.
How do you deal with the ambiguity in your life? Have you tried anything new recently where you have learned something new about yourself? Tell me about it in the comments or tweet it to the Student Life Community Crew with #tryitUofT!
Looking for some ideas for new things to try?
How about zumba to get fit? Or trying your hand at arts and crafts? Volunteering on campus is also a good way to meet new people and support a good cause!
Gloria
"The most precious thing in life is its uncertainty"
Kenko
As a 4th year student who is on her last semester of university before graduating, I’ve noticed that some of my current experiences echo those of my first year. One of them involves pondering over the questions: “what am I good at?” and “what do I love doing?”
As a first year, these questions popped up as the deadline for enrolling into a subject POSt approached. It was quite a stressful period of time for me because despite a vague idea of what the answers might’ve been, I couldn’t answer with full confidence. I really enjoyed my psychology classes but I scored consistently higher in my sociology courses even though they didn’t intrigue me as much. So, do I pick what I’m good at, or what I love doing? (If you’re wondering, I picked both and ended up with a double major!)
Fast forward three years, and these questions have come up again accompanied by the same stress of having to make a choice. Do I continue with academia because I’m good at research and enjoy psychology, or do I pursue a career in design, even though I may not be as good at it?
What I’ve learnt from these questions is that they become quite salient at the turning points in my life and will continue to pop up throughout my lifetime. I’ve also discovered that what I’m good at and what I love doing sometimes overlap, and sometimes don’t—which is quite alright. And finally, the stress that accompanies these questions originates from the inherent ambiguity that is life and I now acknowledge the fact that life is often ambiguous and will continue to be so.
We are continually challenged to discover our true selves; our likes/dislikes, preferences and strengths. In fact, I believe it takes a lifetime of learning to fully understand ourselves. And what’s most important for me when dealing with this particular type of uncertainty, is to see every choice I make as a step closer to learning more about myself.
So if you are like me, you don’t want to be paralyzed by the stress of ambiguity; instead, be an active seeker of things that you’re good at, and things that you love. The university campus is the perfect place to test yourself, try new things and to build on your strengths! As I tried out different things on campus like writing for The Woodsworth Howl, it helped me understand what I really liked. Additionally, I was able to effectively reduce ambiguity and collect more self-knowledge through these experiences.
How do you deal with the ambiguity in your life? Have you tried anything new recently where you have learned something new about yourself? Tell me about it in the comments or tweet it to the Student Life Community Crew with #tryitUofT!
Looking for some ideas for new things to try?
How about zumba to get fit? Or trying your hand at arts and crafts? Volunteering on campus is also a good way to meet new people and support a good cause!
Gloria
As a first year, these questions popped up as the deadline for enrolling into a subject POSt approached. It was quite a stressful period of time for me because despite a vague idea of what the answers might’ve been, I couldn’t answer with full confidence. I really enjoyed my psychology classes but I scored consistently higher in my sociology courses even though they didn’t intrigue me as much. So, do I pick what I’m good at, or what I love doing? (If you’re wondering, I picked both and ended up with a double major!)
Fast forward three years, and these questions have come up again accompanied by the same stress of having to make a choice. Do I continue with academia because I’m good at research and enjoy psychology, or do I pursue a career in design, even though I may not be as good at it?
What I’ve learnt from these questions is that they become quite salient at the turning points in my life and will continue to pop up throughout my lifetime. I’ve also discovered that what I’m good at and what I love doing sometimes overlap, and sometimes don’t—which is quite alright. And finally, the stress that accompanies these questions originates from the inherent ambiguity that is life and I now acknowledge the fact that life is often ambiguous and will continue to be so.
We are continually challenged to discover our true selves; our likes/dislikes, preferences and strengths. In fact, I believe it takes a lifetime of learning to fully understand ourselves. And what’s most important for me when dealing with this particular type of uncertainty, is to see every choice I make as a step closer to learning more about myself.
So if you are like me, you don’t want to be paralyzed by the stress of ambiguity; instead, be an active seeker of things that you’re good at, and things that you love. The university campus is the perfect place to test yourself, try new things and to build on your strengths! As I tried out different things on campus like writing for The Woodsworth Howl, it helped me understand what I really liked. Additionally, I was able to effectively reduce ambiguity and collect more self-knowledge through these experiences.
How do you deal with the ambiguity in your life? Have you tried anything new recently where you have learned something new about yourself? Tell me about it in the comments or tweet it to the Student Life Community Crew with #tryitUofT!
Looking for some ideas for new things to try?
How about zumba to get fit? Or trying your hand at arts and crafts? Volunteering on campus is also a good way to meet new people and support a good cause!
Gloria
so what did you end up deciding for graduation? academia or design? 😛
Well. I’m waiting to hear from academia. But realistically? I’m looking at business!