And so it begins.
The beginning of the Spring semester is my favorite time of year. The air is crisp. The humidity and blanket of pollen have yet to arrive. Gainesville awakens with a buzz of activity from its winter break slumber.
January symbolizes a fresh start on the calendar. You may or may not indulge in New Year’s resolutions. Regardless, you have a clean slate. Remember that. Cherish that.
You are the chief architect of your student experience — and life. Resolve to live life on your terms. That is not permission to sleep through classes or party too hard. It is a hat tip to personal responsibility and self-determination. Create your own adventure.
Not passionate about your major? Change it. In a toxic relationship? Dump them. Feel isolated and alone? Join clubs, talk to classmates, visit office hours. I do not mean to oversimplify challenges.
Twenty-some years ago, I was in your shoes roaming campus as an undergraduate and bogged down in challenging course work, unequal friendships and the daily drama. I wish someone would have reminded me that I had the power to change things I didn’t like, but instead I was choosing to enable them.
I teach journalism courses on campus, which means tens of thousands of students will never take a class with me. I want to share a nugget I usually save for the classroom. The best and brightest young people in the world matriculate at UF. Perfection has been ingrained in your heads since birth. High grades, high test scores, president of everything. It is how you were socialized. Guess what? The pursuit of perfection is a red herring in the book of life. The truth is, “perfection” is a mirage in the distance, fleeting, and it moves as you get close enough. You can spend your life chasing it, but at what expense? To the detriment of everything else in your life?
In journalism (and life), there is no such thing as perfection. It’s subjective. This is why I challenge my students to get better every single day. The growth mindset will propel you toward greatness in a more sustainable fashion. Every opportunity is an opportunity to grow. Reflect on your performance, product or interaction to better understand what went right, what went wrong and what can be done better next time. That reflection is a blueprint toward improvement, and it is rooted in reps and practice. Nothing is easy, or everyone would do it.
I will leave you with a few personal goals of mine for this upcoming semester as a means of inspiration and challenge.
Choose happiness amongst a sea of negativity.
Learn something new each day. Read, talk, engage.
Build friendships with people who have differing perspectives. These conversations and friendships teach us to amicably disagree, negotiate and challenge our own beliefs.
Relationships must be additive only.
You don’t know what you don’t know. Be vulnerable and admit what you don’t know or ask for help when needed.
Travel to experience different cultures, landscapes, history. This could mean 30 minutes outside Gainesville or 3,000 miles away.
Push yourself outside of your comfort zone. This could mean starting a conversation with a stranger, joining a new club or attending a community event.
Be your best advocate.
Embrace imperfections in yourself and others.
Choose to be great at something, and pour time and energy into the pursuit.
Welcome back. You got this.
Harrison Hove is the interim chair of UF’s journalism department.
