Today I will be attending my last day of classes EVER at UNCW. What a bittersweet feeling. Four years ago, freshman year, I would’ve never imagined how amazing my time here at UNCW would be. I have made some of my best friends and favorite memories here and I wouldn’t change my experience for the world.
My college path started out like most freshman. I was leaving home for the first time (major home sickness), I was undecided and I was TERRIFIED. Being more of an introverted-homebody I wasn’t sure how I was going to do the whole “college” thing. But I slowly, very slowly, learned. Again, like most freshman girls I joined a sorority and immediately made some of my best friends, I was starting to feel like I was finding my place. I was finally feeling like I could actually do this whole college thing. The home sickness slowly started to fade and I was finally growing up.
School started to pick up and I was still undecided. I went from undecided, to social work, then right back to where I started. I had no idea what I wanted to do. It wasn’t until I took an Interpersonal Communication course that I found this major. I was finally taking a course which I felt like I was good at AND that I enjoyed. That next semester I decided to become a Communication major.
I cannot explain how beneficial this discipline is. We are taught how to communicate with people and understand them, and that is something that is extremely important in the world we live in now. We are shown DAILY the consequences of miscommunication, and they are not pretty.
Through this major I have learned a lot about myself. I have been able to (almost) overcome my fear of public speaking, I have learned how to successfully communicate a desired message, I have also learned that we only grow when we are pushed out of our comfort zones.
I would do anything to be in your guy’s shoes right now. To still have time in the beautiful school. If there is one piece of advice I could give you it would be to take full advantage of every second you have here. Go to the beach, walk the loop with your friends, sit in the amphitheater and soak in the sun, go downtown, take the time to talk to your professors, get to know your classmates and lastly breathe and enjoy every moment. There is nothing like these four years. You will learn more about yourself than you ever thought you could. By senior year you will be right where I am thanking all the people here who have made you the person you are today. So, good luck and ENJOY THE RIDE!!!
-Isabella Martinez
IMC Hawks Blog 