Poet Rainer Rilke said, “If when you wake up in the morning you can think of nothing but writing then you’re a writer.” I believe that goes for any career. As for me, I wake up thinking about Political science, writing and public speaking. I dream about one day filling the shoes of the great speakers like Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi and my very own lecturer, Professor Wanjiku Kabira. But every night, before I fall asleep, I think about how irrational I am, how risky it would be to follow a dream like that. No one has said what those thoughts mean for the future.
During my high school days back in 2003(I know am old), I was an avid reader of Mutahi Ngunyi’s works in the Sunday Nation. I would practically read anything he wrote and would not miss any of his commentaries in news. At that time, becoming a writer to reckon with was an insignificant thought drifting in the back of my mind, not one that I had reflected on yet. By the end of 2010 however, I was completely won and the prospect of becoming a political analyst/writer grew in me. Fueled by inspiration, I began my university investigation.
There were a few things I learned from my research. University of Michigan, although labeled as the best in its category, was not the best for me. It was too far away from home (another continent altogether) and tuition alone was triple what I could (not) afford. Closer home the University of Nairobi offered Bachelor of Arts which had Political Science as well as Maseno University. Unfortunately, I also found that the field is very competitive and the chance of acquiring a job is shaky, to say the least.
Doubt slowly began to creep in about following such a big dream, and I knew it was vital that I also look into more practical careers: ones that would ensure job security, be close to home and keep total education costs low. I thought about pursuing medicine but the JAB cut off points were way up for my 76 points. I thought about Law, Urban and Regional planning (thought it had some sense of job security) or becoming an architect and majoring in Engineering Technologies. The list could go on and on. But there was always a part of me that knew my heart had been captured by the pure magic of breathing life into paper and bringing stories through words.
So began my quest for the perfect university (at least I knew in time to review my degree choices). To start off, I had to set some guidelines. I asked myself the same three major questions as I had before about job security, location and cost. The process was much like solving a big puzzle where all the pieces came from different manufacturers, because you won’t find them all in one perfectly packaged box. The most important aspects that I wanted out of college were the pieces, and it was up to me, and me alone, to fit them together.
I also had to dig deep and find what it is that I truly want to do, whether it’s to be a writer cum political analyst, a scholar, or a lawyer. Honestly, the terrifying part is that the possibilities are endless. However, to quote Walt Disney, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” I just had to choose my dream, which I can proudly say was pursuing Political Science, Literature and Communication under Bachelor of Arts.
During my high school days back in 2003(I know am old), I was an avid reader of Mutahi Ngunyi’s works in the Sunday Nation. I would practically read anything he wrote and would not miss any of his commentaries in news. At that time, becoming a writer to reckon with was an insignificant thought drifting in the back of my mind, not one that I had reflected on yet. By the end of 2010 however, I was completely won and the prospect of becoming a political analyst/writer grew in me. Fueled by inspiration, I began my university investigation.
There were a few things I learned from my research. University of Michigan, although labeled as the best in its category, was not the best for me. It was too far away from home (another continent altogether) and tuition alone was triple what I could (not) afford. Closer home the University of Nairobi offered Bachelor of Arts which had Political Science as well as Maseno University. Unfortunately, I also found that the field is very competitive and the chance of acquiring a job is shaky, to say the least.
Doubt slowly began to creep in about following such a big dream, and I knew it was vital that I also look into more practical careers: ones that would ensure job security, be close to home and keep total education costs low. I thought about pursuing medicine but the JAB cut off points were way up for my 76 points. I thought about Law, Urban and Regional planning (thought it had some sense of job security) or becoming an architect and majoring in Engineering Technologies. The list could go on and on. But there was always a part of me that knew my heart had been captured by the pure magic of breathing life into paper and bringing stories through words.
So began my quest for the perfect university (at least I knew in time to review my degree choices). To start off, I had to set some guidelines. I asked myself the same three major questions as I had before about job security, location and cost. The process was much like solving a big puzzle where all the pieces came from different manufacturers, because you won’t find them all in one perfectly packaged box. The most important aspects that I wanted out of college were the pieces, and it was up to me, and me alone, to fit them together.
I also had to dig deep and find what it is that I truly want to do, whether it’s to be a writer cum political analyst, a scholar, or a lawyer. Honestly, the terrifying part is that the possibilities are endless. However, to quote Walt Disney, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” I just had to choose my dream, which I can proudly say was pursuing Political Science, Literature and Communication under Bachelor of Arts.
I dared to Dream...and BIG at that...your turn!
All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.
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