[merylsilverburg]

Originally Posted by MADRUCKIS

wha?

why do you need to pick a major? did I miss something when I read I'm sorry but no school should be forcing you to declare a major until a certain amount of credits are reached. Well thats how I went through school and how it is here........you can liberal for 1 year and some, and then declare. But if theres something different on your side...

Hmm...in the community college I'm going to right now, they always ask what you plan on majoring in...when you choose your classes for next year or whatever, they always ask "So, what are you majoring in?" and so on. So, maybe it's different over there MAD...or maybe the policy has changed. Who knows? *shrugs*

Originally Posted by MADRUCKIS

and next point..special abilites? you obviousely have the special ability to worry and regretting lol. Sheeet, if that was a special ability..you'd have to roll me around in a wheel chair around the academy of students ready to fight magneto.

Originally Posted by MADRUCKIS

next point....parents. I wish I could divorce mine, but I cant. They think big for oyu and try not to put stress but the pressure is always there. Heres something to realize...dont count you parents as a factor when chosing your future. Dont feel like a failure if you fall short of what you want to give to family. True family supports you on your shortcomings and praises you on advancements. Bosses on the other hand....you are a failure if you dont meet standards and true bosses only support advancements....your family isnt a job that you can be fired from.

*applaudes for the underlined section* Well said, MAD. It's very true, happy_doughnut; it's important to pick a career that you have interest in, not what your parents have interest in or want you to do. I mean, look at me for example: My family is all in the restaurant business...they're interested in it, but no way in hell am I gonna go bulking up on unccessary muscle by lifting woks and pans and pots...no friggin' way. My parents wanted me to be something "successful" and whatnot (typical Asian careers: doctor, lawyer, muscian <-- and not like pop star singing...like violin, piano, etc.). And for a long time, I thought I had to abide by this...choose one of the careers or bring dishonor to the family. Ah, but in the end, I'm striving to be a mangaka and you know what? In the end, I've convinced my mom enough for her to actually accept it. However, I know that your parents and their support are very important to you. But, as I've said before to you privately, I think it's just best for you to choose a career you like to do. But, if you insist on living your parent's dreams, then I would try to pick a career that they accept, but that you have *some* slight interest in...it'll make things easier. For me, if I were to choose a career my parents wanted, I would've chosen lawyer but that was during my "supreme, would-not-let-up-for-all-the-money-in-the-world, argumentative" stage, so I thought I would suit it.

Originally Posted by MADRUCKIS

next point.....psych was crap eh? lemme share something<-------------6 years of college experience
your major classes wont always be the most interesting. The simple reasoning that "Well Ilike the subject so I'll do good in it." is bantha poodoo. I was a marketing major....I always believed I could sell air conditioners to eskimos but out of all the marketing classes I took, only 1 was interesting to the point where I liked it. The rest were crap. Why? Because it depends on the professor. My experience is that the professor makes the class...period. My best marketing class was from someone who diverged form the text, challenged us as students, and HOLY BLEEEP BLEEEP HE ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE HE ENJOYED TEACHING. 3/5 professors look like teaching can be their only source of income other than asking "Is that happy meal for a boy or girl?" Dont feel discouraged because someone else discourages you...the only person that can limit you is yourself.

*applaudes again* Again, very well said MAD and how very true indeed for the underlined section. The professor makes all the difference, no joke. MAD said it so well, there's no need for me to repeat it, but if the professor teaches like crap, you're gonna end up despising the class and topic, no matter how much of an interest you have in it. Again, I can relate because it nearly happened to me currently with Art class (and when I was in HS also, with French class, Multimedia class, Math class, English class...hmm...basically every subject): Second year in college, I was supposed to take "Drawing II" and I was looking forward to it because I enjoyed "Drawing I" so much. When I stepped in the first day, I saw this chick...now, okay, I've got nothing against women....but this woman looked so annoying...just psycho, okay? And I was right! Halfway going through the syllabus, she looks up and says "When you guys buy a spray fixative...please try to find the ones that doesn't smell like bananas. I.......HATE.......BANANAS" and she gives this insane wide-eyed look to everyone. Whooaaaa now. An alarm went off in my head, screaming "Switch out, switch out ASAP!" Thank goodness I did otherwise I would've hated drawing for the rest of my life.

Originally Posted by MADRUCKIS

next point...scared about those essays and such for entrance exams. You must know how you get better at writing? BY WRITING...pudumpooooshYou want to know if you have the chops for a magazine or you want to strengthen your writing confidence. Then fregain write write write. You can only grow stronger by it.........you want to know how to land a good entrance essay. Find an approach thats unique, allowing your creativity to mask what you may lack somewhere else. Write a mock magazine, create, build, learn. INFORMATION INFORMATION INFORMATION......scarf it by the boatloads. The net is your freind, explore every side of curiosity you may have regarding every field you've every wanted to knwo about. Today, I realized I didnt know much about quantum mechanics, so I bought a book and started reading it.....just for shitsngiggles.

Again, I agree. You can only improve by continuing to do what you have interest in or think you're fairly good at (to be all cliche: practice makes perfect). And doughnut, I've told you that you can write very well, but I guess what I say doesn't matter or your self-doubt overwhelms you too much. Even though I still think I suck beyond all belief in drawing anime/manga, I still continue to practice because...dammit, I want to actually be able to draw something and finally, finally say to myself "I like it!" because whenever I look at my drawings, I think "You suck, you suck, you suck!" but I keep persisting because I want to improve. But that day will never come unless I keep on practicing. And surprisingly, even though I feel like I don't improve, but I do.
As for the rest of what you said MAD, I have to say, I can't fully agree with the last part (about buying a book about something you know nothing about just for the hell of it). This method doesn't really apply to everyone. I mean, I can do the same thing: I can go out and buy a book about something I don't know (which is a lot of things, hehe) and you'll see me re-reading the same line over and over again or fast asleep. I have short-attention span, maybe that's why, lol.

Originally Posted by MADRUCKIS

I've written 15 notebooks worth of my book so far, eh? And every year I go back to some and read my writing...its PAINFUL. I laugh and laugh at it because in a year Ive grown a vicious pen, and now three years of writing, I cant even understand why I worried about not being able to write my book. I'm doing it
I'm going back to school to major in english with a creative writing focus and think of how strong I'll be by its end. glorious triumph....and its all afetr I wasted time and got a degree that I didnt even have a passion for. wasted because I just wanted to give my parents something..anything. wasted because I swore I couldnt write the story in my head-that I would fail. Sound famaliar?

Cut the BS and focus. Get some extra writing in, set goals with determination "There is no try, just do.", approach college essays creativly, and when you do 'do' things-do it as best as you can. If your best is 40% then thats it. But realize that to reach a goal you need to leave self-doubt in your other set of pants

everyone can kill a squirrel with a bat but not many people can kill a grizzly with a toothpick.

umm what I think I meant by that was to sharpen your weapon....your knowledge about yourself, NOT DOUBT. THE TRUTH ABOUT YOURSELF
not
I think I can be good at....
I think I might be able to...

its
WHEN IT COMES TO _____________, I SHOULD BE KING OF A COUNTRY THAT EXPORTS _______________.
ITS SO EASY FOR ME TO DO THIS, I THINK I MIGHTVE BEEN ITS CREATOR IN A FORMER LIFE

build on yourself, if you were a f'up before then identify why you f'd up and build.

look inside your se....oh whoops, not supposed to say it. But really, how are we supposed to know what you're supposed to pick?

If you do follow my advice right now then you dont have to follow my advice....makes perfect sense to me ay?

Try your best to strengthen your 'weapon' and killing bear with a toothpick is cake...get more prepared to make desicions because it sounds like your self doubting because you dont know details

Nothing else to say except "Bravo!" Excellent speech and advice MAD. Follow his advice, Mena...these are the things I would say to you, but this guy wrote it 100% more better.