Back to School: Second Career opens doors and possibilities
Back on Aug. 27, just a week before the fall semester started, Fanshawe College hosted a Return to School Seminar for all us “oldies” returning to college after a long time. It was an interesting day, hosted by an energetic instructor and other speakers who gave us a refresher course on study habits and useful information on getting help when we hit the proverbial academic wall. Heck, I even won a Fanshawe pen and stick-on page markers in a team building exercise.
But the thing that stands out most from that day was an informal survey in which the prospective students were asked to write down what their fears were. As the handwritten comment slips were read, a common theme emerged: fear of failure.
Everyone at some point in their lives has had the feeling: a wave of negative thinking before an important event. Call it the what-if syndrome. What if I miss that wide-open net during a hockey game? What if I can't rise to the surface after plunging into the pool? What if I can't remember the lines to a song I'm performing?
Going back to school after a lengthy hiatus is a life changing event, one that is fraught with fear of the unknown. Unemployment, especially after a lengthy period of successful participation in the workforce, is a confidence-robbing, gut-wrenching experience. Work validates our lives, even if we aren't crazy about the job. It provides a sense of self-worth and belonging and a ready answer to the social icebreaker, “So, what do you do?”
Once the decision is made to learn new skills, the nagging doubts can creep in like a bad dream. How can I compete with all those bright young kids? What do I have to offer to the class discussion? The list can go on and on.
I've felt these doubts myself, in particular before I started my classes in the corporate communication and public relations program. And sometimes I still wonder how it's going to turn out after a difficult day trying to navigate through the maze of HTML and CSS codes in the Web design course.
Overall, though, I have found that fear can be overcome by hard work and seeking help when it's needed. Some things I have figured out on my own, reaching that magical “aha” moment when the light of knowledge bathes my brain with its satisfying glow. It's important to embrace these moments, because confidence is the best cure for banishing fear.
That was the philosophy of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt when he said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Roosevelt was a four-term president, presiding during the Great Depression and most of the Second World War. There was a lot to be afraid of back then: lack of jobs, lack of confidence and finally a world war, in which victory was by no means assured.
Take heed of those words when you're feeling the anxiety of quizes, presentations and exams. The world can be a scary place, but fear of fear won't make it any better.
Bruce Langer is a student in the corporate communication and public relations program at Fanshawe College. He can be reached at b_langer@fanshaweonline.ca.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
But the thing that stands out most from that day was an informal survey in which the prospective students were asked to write down what their fears were. As the handwritten comment slips were read, a common theme emerged: fear of failure.
Everyone at some point in their lives has had the feeling: a wave of negative thinking before an important event. Call it the what-if syndrome. What if I miss that wide-open net during a hockey game? What if I can't rise to the surface after plunging into the pool? What if I can't remember the lines to a song I'm performing?
Going back to school after a lengthy hiatus is a life changing event, one that is fraught with fear of the unknown. Unemployment, especially after a lengthy period of successful participation in the workforce, is a confidence-robbing, gut-wrenching experience. Work validates our lives, even if we aren't crazy about the job. It provides a sense of self-worth and belonging and a ready answer to the social icebreaker, “So, what do you do?”
Once the decision is made to learn new skills, the nagging doubts can creep in like a bad dream. How can I compete with all those bright young kids? What do I have to offer to the class discussion? The list can go on and on.
I've felt these doubts myself, in particular before I started my classes in the corporate communication and public relations program. And sometimes I still wonder how it's going to turn out after a difficult day trying to navigate through the maze of HTML and CSS codes in the Web design course.
Overall, though, I have found that fear can be overcome by hard work and seeking help when it's needed. Some things I have figured out on my own, reaching that magical “aha” moment when the light of knowledge bathes my brain with its satisfying glow. It's important to embrace these moments, because confidence is the best cure for banishing fear.
That was the philosophy of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt when he said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Roosevelt was a four-term president, presiding during the Great Depression and most of the Second World War. There was a lot to be afraid of back then: lack of jobs, lack of confidence and finally a world war, in which victory was by no means assured.
Take heed of those words when you're feeling the anxiety of quizes, presentations and exams. The world can be a scary place, but fear of fear won't make it any better.
Bruce Langer is a student in the corporate communication and public relations program at Fanshawe College. He can be reached at b_langer@fanshaweonline.ca.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
