Question: How do you find your purpose in college?
Dear reader,
Some people go to college for a career. Some go because their friends are going. Others go because they feel expected to. But, no matter why you are here at Utah Tech University, everyone has a purpose.
As for me, I chose to attend this university because that is what you do after high school, isn’t it? I didn’t see any other option, so my reason for going was unclear at the time. Nevertheless, I applied to a few different colleges and settled on Utah Tech because it felt like the right school for me.
During my last semester of high school, I was already looking for ways to get involved in college. I came across a TikTok video promoting the Ambassador Program at Utah Tech. It looked like a great way to get involved, so I applied. I made it to the last step of the lengthy application process before being told that I did not make the team during the summer.
I was crushed. I felt I had no purpose for attending college, and I let this experience bring me down. I felt I had failed and was not good enough for the program and for college itself. I also feared for the worst as I was about to enter college with no friends, no sense of community and no idea of what I was doing. To dread college before it even started contributed to a rough start during my freshman year.
Fast forward to the present day and I am now the editor-in-chief of Sun News Daily and a peer coach for the university. I would not be the person I am today without either of those roles, and I would not have found those roles if the door to the Ambassador Program hadn’t closed.
Doors open and close all the time. I firmly believe in the phrase, “Everything happens for a reason.” My experience proves just that. Everything really does happen for a reason even when we may not be able to see the reason right away.
Now in my senior year, I can confidently say I have found my purpose here at Utah Tech. I have found a purpose in helping freshmen enjoy the long and exciting college journey that awaits them. As for my other purpose, it was to find my passion and voice through writing for Sun News.
Now how do you find your purpose if you haven’t already? Well, it takes time, but more importantly, it takes effort.
Put yourself out there and let fate do the rest. New experiences and opportunities will come to you as you begin to search for more ways to get involved and enjoy the college experience. Go to events. Sign up for clubs and associations. Talk to different people. Surely one of those things will eventually lead you to understand why you are here at college.
Some people’s purpose may not be college because college is not for everyone, and that is OK. Many people choose other alternatives such as serving a mission, starting a family or entering the workforce, so attending college may not always be the answer. As you learn more about what other opportunities are out there, you will come to find your purpose in something that may not be school.
Regardless of why you are here or where you are going, know that you do have a purpose, and there is a plan for you. Trust in the process because it will be long and it will be hard, but it will be worth it. When the timing is right, you will be able to look back at how far you’ve come and see that you were meant to be here all along.
Sincerely,
Angel Wood If you are seeking advice on something, it can be anything, message me on Instagram at @angelsunnews.
