Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies
OPINION

A leap into an unknown future

<p>Many football people have come through Yager Stadium on their way to the NFL</p>

Many football people have come through Yager Stadium on their way to the NFL

I decided to attend Miami on a whim. Up until the deadline to declare, I fully thought I would go to Michigan State, which is a short 45 minute drive from home. Two days before the deadline, my guidance counselor talked to me about Miami, which I had applied to but never considered as a real choice. 

Going out-of-state didn’t make sense to me for the longest time. Michigan had plenty of solid colleges, most of which were within an hour of me. Most of my friends from high school were sticking close to home, and I thought I would follow them. 

The Farmer School of Business and the small-town vibes from Oxford were alluring, but I decided to attend Miami because I knew nobody here. I wanted to put myself in a position where I needed to get out of my comfort zone. I’m introverted and quiet, and I struggle with talking to people I’m not already familiar with. 

Something that helped with that is The Miami Student.

I wrote for my high school newspaper during my senior year, and I knew I wanted to keep writing going into college. Sports was the obvious section for me, since I was already a fan of football and tennis. 

I remember being really anxious about joining TMS, but I emailed the sports editor before I could change my mind and got started right away. Not giving myself time to hesitate about joining proved to be a great choice. 

Since getting involved with TMS, I’ve written numerous articles that required me to talk to people I’ve never met before nor could relate to. I’ve talked with athletes, coaches, alumni, fans, professors, parents and experts that I would usually never talk to. 

I still get anxious before every interview and press conference, and admittedly, I still get nervous before all-staff meetings and production nights. However, forcing myself to go through with something despite that anxiety has been a huge improvement in my life. I’ve learned how to talk to strangers in a meaningful way to actually learn a thing or two about them. 

Whether you know hundreds of people going to Miami or know no one, everyone can benefit from learning conversational skills and how to do something despite being nervous. TMS can help with that on top of improving your writing skills and being an overall fun experience.

@thekethan04

babukc2@miamioh.edu


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