Winter Break!

I’m back from winter break, and I’m excited to start my fourth semester at Loyola. I had one of the most enjoyable breaks I’ve had since I came here. I watched an embarrassing amount of Netflix (go watch Parks & Rec right now) and spent time with my parents, which I’ve appreciated more every time I get home.  Of course, it was a plus to be out of town during the freezing Chiberia weather. I also visited Denver, Colorado for a few days. I don’t venture out of the Midwest much, and I have never been out West before, but I’m so glad I got the chance to. The mountains were beautiful. I went to the top of Pike’s Peak, which was as scenic as it was scary-there were points on the trip I felt like the car was going to topple over the mountain, but I made it to the top! I wouldn’t be a college kid if I didn’t Instagram it, so you can see the view from the mountain below.

But, as much as I enjoyed break, I have to say I’m happy to be back-can’t ever stay away for too long. Now that I’ve been to all my classes for the semester, I am honestly pretty excited. Last semester was a treat because I took mostly theatre classes, and this semester I’m taking a lot of classes for my newly declared second major, Advertising & Public Relations. I’m taking the intro classes for that major and am feeling relieved to think that I made the right choice switching over.

When I first came to college, I could not imagine switching from journalism and theatre, but I am glad I stayed open-minded. The advertising major is actually pretty similar to the journalism major, so I don’t feel like I’m doing a complete about-face, but I think this will suit my interests and skill sets a little more. So listen to the people who tell you you don’t need to decide a major right away. Even if you’re set, you have time to change your mind, and I promise you will not die.

Part of the decision to switch came from my internship. While I started out mainly writing articles, my bosses gave more chance to do more writing related to public relations and marketing. I am glad they gave me free reign to explore what I was interested in. As I’ve told many people, my internship at the University Marketing & Communications department is one of the best opportunities I’ve been given at Loyola, and I encourage any future (or present)Ramblers to apply for one of the many jobs available to students.

This semester is going to be a lot of work, but it’s also my first semester here I haven’t been acting in a production. I am excited to take this extra free time to see what other ways I can get involved on campus while I have the chance.