Itās officially back to school season at Douglas College. Everywhere I look, people are lining up: whether it be to buy their glossy new textbooks (wrapped in cellophane to preserve their wisdom until theyāre cheerfully unwrapped in a panicked exam-cram session come late November), to begrudgingly pay their tuition fees, or to purchase extra-large coffees in preparation for the study-filled days to come.
And, for the first time in a long time, Iām not a part of those line-ups.
I graduated from the Print Futures: Professional Writing program last spring, and put my academic hat on a shelf between my dancing shoes and my fancy pants. So, this fall is the first time in nearly 10 years that I wonāt be part of the back to school rushāand, while Iām a little bit sad to be left out, Iām also thrilled to be literally living my dream life as a freelance writer and editor.
The reason I spent so many years in school is that I wasted a long time trying to do things for other people: I went to university for my parents, I had a series of high-paying (but so soulless) jobs to support my significant others, and I put off my real career because my friends said it was unrealistic and that Carrie Bradshawās life was a fairy tale.
Well, Douglas College aināt no Magic Kingdom, but it is a place where dreams come true.
So, students, as your bright faces fill the hallways, I wish you all the best of luck for the 2012/2013 school year. No matter how hard it gets (and, letās face it, it probably wonāt be easy), I hope you persevere and, most importantly, enjoy yourself. In the long run, work will take up more than half your lifeāso fight to learn how to do what you love.
But, then again, what do I know?
Best,
Sharon Miki, Editor in chief
