"Use art to turn the world inside out" -JR
Already a week into NYUAD, I have almost surely decided to change my major to Visual Arts, minoring in Social Research.
Some background. I want to change the world, if only in a small way. That is one aspiration that I share with all of my classmates. Right now, after college, I plan on volunteering and working with NGO's and non-profits abroad, while developing my portfolio to become a photojournalist. Now of course, that could change completely- this university offers so many amazing opportunities that it would be a waste to not consider them.
That being said, I came to NYUAD thinking that I was going to major in Social Research and Public Policy- a broad degree encompassing things like politics, economics, and international affairs. That is what would be logical. Safe, in a way.
During Marhaba Week, we had many speeches given by our outstanding faculty and staff. A common thread in all of them was following your passion. Which started me thinking (it really didn't help matters any that I see the quote above whenever I walk to or from my room)- I care about social research and volunteering, and I will most likely end up working in the field at some point. But my passion is art, and using art to change the world, and people's perceptions of the world.
Every long term project I have completed has had to do with art. My junior year, you need to write an extended research paper in English. I changed my topic over 5 times, the final change being from something on the social sciences (which had evolved over 4 changes), to a completely new topic- music education in schools. (Note to students- not the best idea to completely overhaul a paper when you are over halfway through. You can do it, it just isn't easy).
The following summer I went to a leadership retreat where you make a vision plan for creating change. I created a proposal for a series of photographs portraying modern global, social, and cultural issues. This plan morphed...
Into my Capstone (senior project), which entailed write ups, actually taking the photographs, and then hand printing them (using a darkroom).
Art has always been close to my heart. So with all the talk about following your passion, I decided that I would explore what my major would be. I am taking a class this semester that is required for Social Research, and I will take a class next semester for Visual Arts, and decide from there.
But right now, even though it isn't the most logical decision, it looks like I will be majoring in Visual Arts.
So far, following my heart and my passion hasn't steered me wrong. And there are a lot worse philosophies in life. I am going to use my years at NYUAD to explore, discover, and hopefully understand. Being brave enough to follow my heart and passion even when it isn't the choice that most would make is the first step in that journey. <3
Already a week into NYUAD, I have almost surely decided to change my major to Visual Arts, minoring in Social Research.
Some background. I want to change the world, if only in a small way. That is one aspiration that I share with all of my classmates. Right now, after college, I plan on volunteering and working with NGO's and non-profits abroad, while developing my portfolio to become a photojournalist. Now of course, that could change completely- this university offers so many amazing opportunities that it would be a waste to not consider them.
That being said, I came to NYUAD thinking that I was going to major in Social Research and Public Policy- a broad degree encompassing things like politics, economics, and international affairs. That is what would be logical. Safe, in a way.
During Marhaba Week, we had many speeches given by our outstanding faculty and staff. A common thread in all of them was following your passion. Which started me thinking (it really didn't help matters any that I see the quote above whenever I walk to or from my room)- I care about social research and volunteering, and I will most likely end up working in the field at some point. But my passion is art, and using art to change the world, and people's perceptions of the world.
Every long term project I have completed has had to do with art. My junior year, you need to write an extended research paper in English. I changed my topic over 5 times, the final change being from something on the social sciences (which had evolved over 4 changes), to a completely new topic- music education in schools. (Note to students- not the best idea to completely overhaul a paper when you are over halfway through. You can do it, it just isn't easy).
The following summer I went to a leadership retreat where you make a vision plan for creating change. I created a proposal for a series of photographs portraying modern global, social, and cultural issues. This plan morphed...
Into my Capstone (senior project), which entailed write ups, actually taking the photographs, and then hand printing them (using a darkroom).
Art has always been close to my heart. So with all the talk about following your passion, I decided that I would explore what my major would be. I am taking a class this semester that is required for Social Research, and I will take a class next semester for Visual Arts, and decide from there.
But right now, even though it isn't the most logical decision, it looks like I will be majoring in Visual Arts.
So far, following my heart and my passion hasn't steered me wrong. And there are a lot worse philosophies in life. I am going to use my years at NYUAD to explore, discover, and hopefully understand. Being brave enough to follow my heart and passion even when it isn't the choice that most would make is the first step in that journey. <3
No comments:
Post a Comment