Introduction

Going into college I had no idea what I was going to pursue a degree in. Honestly, I was just worried about basketball and not school. I knew I had to take school seriously because that was the only way I was going to be able to hoop. Also, I learned I would be the first person to graduate college and get a degree. That really motivated me as well. First generation graduate means a lot. Only thing I had to figure out, what I wanted to go to school and study. I had many options but couldn’t choose. I was open to anything though.

University of Memphis

            When I first got to University of Memphis, I still couldn’t think of anything to study. Nothing really stuck out to me and made it an easy decision. I knew that I wanted to go overseas after I graduated. You don’t need a degree for that though. I was interested in different things but not enough to study it. I started off just taking general courses because I didn’t declare a major yet. So, I was just taking basically electives. I was into sports big time but never declared into a major relating to it. At the time, I thought about becoming a Sports Agent. My sophomore year I just decided to just start taking Sports Management classes. I just thought because I was into sports, that would be the easiest route for me to go. The classes I started to take were so relatable to a lot of the information I already knew. When I got deep into majority of the classes, I literally knew most of the things that were being taught. I could really teach the class by myself to a certain extent. I did learn a lot of things I knew nothing about as well. The classes weren’t really challenging for me. I even did an internship for one of the classes. It wasn’t anything too harsh. There was work needed to be done when it came to sales and things like that. I could tell being in this major was temporary. I definitely could see myself getting into something more challenging, more interesting.

Jones Community College

            Another school in the same major. Still taking Sports Management classes. I had to take Accounting and I didn’t know how to feel about that. That class really did it for me. I wanted to stay away from majors dealing with math and classes that were too much for no reason. Math was something I never understood and never was really good at. I first started off with accounting online and I struggled badly. There was no way I was going to pass the class online. The material was so hard to understand, and the numbers didn’t make it better. After trying it online, and not being able to fully grasp the material, decide to change the class to in person. With it being in person, it was a little better, but I still struggled, just not as much. I was aware that I had to get a C or better to pass the class. There was no way for me to drop the class or anything. After dealing with the accounting class, I knew I wanted to change my major for sure. Still, I had to figure out what I wanted to change it to. I thought doing something with sports in it would be the easiest route to go, but it wasn’t. I knew I was going to have to deal with taking accounting for a full semester. I got a tutor and everything, but I still struggled. I passed enough tests and quizzes. I ended up passing the class with a C. That was good enough for me. Now that I had got that class out the way, I wanted to focus on really finding a major for me. I graduated from Jones and got my associate degree. I was going back to a 4-year university for my last 2 years.

Transition from Jones to Old Dominion

Before I made the transition to go to Old Dominion, I had to figure out what I wanted to major in. I did some research on different majors. If I’m being honest, I still had no idea what I was going to major in even after doing research. It came down to Communications and Leadership. Either or was fine with me. I knew I had 2 years left for sure. I really started planning. I told myself I was going to get 2 bachelor’s degree. I chose to go with getting a bachelor’s degree in leadership first. I was set on the decision I had made.  

Old Dominion University

            I really was happy to finally be in my major. For the first time, I was excited to be in something that had nothing to do with sports. I heard the major had some really challenging courses. I was ready. I was looking forward to those challenges that those courses were going to bring. I took classes like Leadership Ethics, Leadership and Law, Women in Leadership, Global Leadership, and Digital Leadership. Also, to mention IDS300W Interdisc theory and concepts. In Digital Leadership class, we were presented with different certificates after completing tasks. The certificates came from LinkedIn and others came from Hootsuite Academy. Those classes I took really prepared me for what’s to come in the professional world. With the papers I had to write, Resumes, Networking, and things I had to do, I can really say I enjoyed every bit of it. The classes were well taught, and I gained so much from the experience overall. I would definitely recommend this major to others. I graduated with my bachelor’s in leadership. Everything worked out for me in the end.

Conclusion

Getting a bachelor’s degree in leadership was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I feel more prepared than ever. The things I learned has made me into a smart person. Just a better person overall. It challenged me to think smarter and harder. With the things I gained from those courses, I’ll go far in life. Knowledge is power. I’m just glad I was able to figure things out the way I wanted to. I applaud myself for constantly trying and not giving up. Also, for not going through with something I knew I didn’t want to do. I have another opportunity to get another degree. This go around everything will go a lot smoother because I already know what I’ll be studying in. I look forward to my next experience in getting my next degree. As I go into my next degree, everything will still be the same. I still dedicated and hardworking. Maintain the same GPA or even go higher. Willing to be open to learning new things. Just give me a chance to grow in doing something new. Challenge myself to keep growing. Continue to be different. Gain as much information as I can to be more prepared. Everything I have experienced has made me who I am today. My ability to be able to go through things and get through them makes everything worth it. Being able to do that, lets me know I won’t give up on myself and will always try to find a solution.