Trusting the process to find the magic: Graduate school reflections
by: andrea fernández, Social media strategist
My mother tells me to “enjoy the process.” In theory, this makes sense. The process zoomed out is life, so enjoy life. Prior to graduate school, I was pseudo-enjoying the process. I was happy, but I had anxiety about my future. The anxiety was fueled by confusion. I was grateful to be employed, but dreaded my cubicle. I enjoyed being part of a team, but felt lonely. I was learning, growing, and trying, but not enjoying the process.
Graduate school gave me the opportunity to reevaluate my life process. I took a leap of faith, quit my job, and took out some student loans. Not only am I enjoying the process, but now I also trust it. I’ve learned it is not just about enjoying life, but trusting that everything in my life will be okay. I am happy I felt confused because otherwise, I would have never met this version of me. Only one year into grad school, I already feel more confident in my abilities and my knowledge. I am more assured of who I am. I trust the process now more than ever. My confusion led me to be at one of my life's most curious, exciting, and growth-oriented points. I am who I am because I trusted the process, and that is a life lesson I will take with me forever.
As a first-year Master’s of Advertising student at the University of Texas, I have had the opportunity to discover what my strengths and weaknesses are. I like teamwork, communication, writing, and learning. If you asked me before grad school about what I don’t like about the communications field, I would struggle to answer that question. My grad program has created a safe space to learn, grow, and fail. Luckily, I did not have to fail to find what I don’t deeply love. I find it difficult to work in an unharmonious team. The only thing harder for me than working completely alone is to work on a team that does not jive. It is important for me to find time to know my team and for us to set professional and personal expectations together. I believe that if a team takes time to create a bond, the process and production improves. This year I was fortunate to work with incredible teams, and this experience highlighted the importance of a good team. I believe a good team is made when people respect each other's time and humanity, do their best to meet and surpass expectations, and communicate.
I learned that I do not like to overcomplicate life. A coworker once told me, “You need to defend and prove yourself to everyone. No one here will respect or approve of your employment if they don’t know their ROI on you.” These words did not sit well with me, but they replayed in my head constantly while I worked there. This overcomplicated my life. I was always on edge, seeking opportunities to gain people’s approval. Graduate school has taught me that this does not have to be my reality. Life is complicated, and the need to find approval in others just overcomplicates it. I am happy to do good work just for the sake of doing good work, rather than for the approval of others. I enjoy creating work I am proud of, not work that makes others proud of me. Graduate school thus far has allowed me to detox and fill myself with thoughts that feel good. And I have learned that I do not want to work for a place whose values and mission I do not align with. With a Master’s degree in Advertising, it is easy to find yourself selling products you don’t believe in just for the sake of a job. I learned that I cannot do this. I cannot spend 40 hours a week pushing unethical products or services on my community. I want to use my skills to uplift my community and help people find their magic.
I still have one year left of graduate school, and maybe the most important lesson I learned this year is that magic is real and should be shared. I live a magical life filled with beautiful people and it is my goal, my mission, to help share more magic for the world. I want to help people feel joy and find their purpose. Being alive, having every single resource I need, and learning from experts is magical. In today’s world, this is beyond privilege. I recognize that. But I believe that magic should not be exclusive. Everyone’s life should be magical. Just like everyone should be able to “enjoy the process.”
Graduate school has not only taught me about the hard skills required to succeed in my professional life, it has helped me trust the process, enjoy my life, and find my magic.
