My Path to Academic Freedom

When I started here at ONU, I swore that the path I was on was the right one. I would go to school for six years, get my PharmD, get a residency, and have my whole life figured out. Over the year-and-a-half that followed, I discovered that my original path was not as great of an idea as I had imagined. I found myself drowning. As time went on, I learned that the road that is put in front of you may not always be the best to travel down. This is my story. 

Throughout my time as a pharmacy major, I struggled. I wasn't able to keep up with content, and struggled more academically than I had ever imagined. Now this wasn't any fault of the program, it was all on me. See, my parents had built my thoughts to believe that it was my only path. We talked about me being a pharmacist for so long that any other thought felt wrong, or impossible. Eventually, we knew that my not doing well in classes was having effects on every aspect of my life. Every time I would call home, my mom could tell something about me was different. I wasn't happy, thriving, or even close to being content. So with that, I took the plunge and changed my major. 

The past 9 months as a Pharmaceutical Business major with concentrations in Marketing and Communications have been the best of my life. I find joy in going to class, doing homework, and meeting with professors. I no longer feel dread and anxiety every time I check my Moodle account. I'm free from the chains I had locked myself in. Sometimes the hard part isn't struggling through the difficult classes, but letting yourself let go enough to land in the right place without any sense of regret or resentment and feelings of "giving up". If I can do it, someone else in that position can too. Don't be afraid to reach out when you're drowning, it may change your life.