Advice from a first year for a first year

By Scott Billeck

Let’s be real for a moment, shall we?

There were a couple of assignments we did this year that you could say were geared toward expressing to incoming first year students what life is like in the Creative Communications program at Red River College.

While these assignments had to be professional, the reality of it is this: CreComm is going to kick your ass.

It’s been one helluva ride since September. I was lucky coming into the program. I had a lot of insight from second years that told me what to expect (that’s part of the reason why I am writing this, it was so beneficial and put my mind at ease, for the most part).

Not everyone is going to have that chance. But hopefully this can provide some help to even one person entering the program.

– Check your ego at the door. I spent a semester being an idiot when it came to that. I thought I was better than I was. You can’t grow when you think you’re better than you are. Keep your head down. Be a sponge. Soak everything up.

– Don’t work as much as I did. Your marks will suffer, as mine did in the first semester. It’s true when they say it’s tough to work in this program. My set of circumstances forces me to work, I got bills to pay for, but I probably could have said ‘no’ to a couple of things along the road. Keep that in mind – there will be times where you got to say no.

– Get to know people. Don’t be a dick. Be helpful. Sure, you’re competing with your classmates for jobs, but your work will be your friend in that department. You need to have relationships with people in your class. It’s a must. You see them for nearly 40 hours each week, sometimes more.

– You’re in for a shock in the first semester. This isn’t university (I have four years under my belt at the University of Manitoba). Skipping class isn’t an option, or being late for that matter. You’re going to be scared to miss a class. You’re going to be in class when you feel like hell. Enjoy it as much as you can. Think process.

– Try your hand at everything. I missed the mark at this in a couple regards. Write for the student newspaper if you have nothing in your portfolio and want to be a journalism major. Do some radio work. Take pictures. Invest in the program you’re investing thousands of dollars in.

– That shiny $3,000 laptop and $750 camera might seem expensive now, but they are priceless. Trust me.

– Don’t miss deadlines on awards – $2,000 mistake.

– The hotdogs (meat missiles) from the little shop on campus are nasty. But you still must have one at least once.

– The Big Kahuna burger at the King’s Head is your friend. Buy it many times.

In all seriousness, have fun with the course. You’re going to be stressed. Anxiety is going to be a constant reminder that, yes, you’re still breathing. You’ll want to break down and cry. You’ll hate life some days.

It’s a beautiful thing, really. Enjoy it. Enjoy the process.