Many of the most defining experiences of my adolescence took place at school, and if you spend a number of years doing the same thing, that thing will inevitably become ingrained in your sense of self. So, it’s no surprise that after 17 years of being a student, I would consider that a significant aspect of my identity.

I’ve always loved learning, whether it be about art or statistics or anything in between. That girl who sits near the front of the class with color-coded notes and spare mechanical pencil refills? That’s me in a nutshell.

I’m a senior now, and I’ll graduate from Ů��AV in the spring. Although that’s an exciting thought, it also raises an important question for me: What happens next? For the first time that I can remember, “student” will no longer be an accurate way to describe myself.

I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on this upcoming change and how I should adjust to it.

I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on this upcoming change and how I should adjust to it. If nothing else, I figured I could look forward to going to grad school and one day becoming a student again. But I knew that wouldn’t fill the void in the years between, so I resigned myself to letting the studious aspect of my identity slip away.

At least, that’s what I figured until something occurred to me recently while in the middle of one of my regular Wikipedia deep dives. You know when you search for the page about Britain’s Parliament and next thing you know it is two hours later and you’re reading about the origin of the bubonic plague? That’s the kind of deep dive I was embarking on when the realization hit me: I was learning!

That may seem like an obvious fact. Of course, I knew in a literal sense that learning was the activity I was taking part in at that moment. But the realization that I’m talking about was a bit more subconscious. It made me think about the multitude of other ways—besides falling down Wikipedia rabbit holes—that I could continue to get the same satisfaction that learning as a student in the traditional school environment gave me for so many years.

I began to research and found a number of online courses (some free) that cover everything from ancient Greek heroes to the fundamentals of neuroscience. Some of the courses even offer certifications for a small fee.

Of course, online courses aren’t the only way to keep learning after graduation. In a broader sense, remaining curious is a matter of choice. Being a lifelong learner is something you have to work at every day, whether it’s through the television programming you watch or the books that you read. You can even make it a community endeavor by volunteering at (or just paying a visit to) your local museums, libraries or the like.

As graduation looms ever nearer, I feel a mix of emotions. No longer being in school is definitely a bittersweet notion, but it’s no longer something that fills me with uncertainty about my own identity. I no longer fear losing a part of myself—I’ll just have to incorporate my desire to learn into my daily life instead of setting aside a specific time and place for it.

The only question that remains: Where to start? I’m sure I’ll find out the next time I fall into a Wikipedia rabbit hole.

Nicole Wills is a ��AV senior in the Burnett Honors College studying advertising-public relations, political science, and writing/rhetoric. She can be reached at nwills@knights.ucf.edu.

The UCF Forum is a weekly series of opinion columns from faculty, staff and students who serve on a panel for a year. A new column is posted each Wednesday on UCF Today and then broadcast on WUCF-FM (89.9) between 7:50 and 8 a.m. Sunday. Opinions expressed are those of the columnists, and are not necessarily shared by the Ů��AV.

I was not rebellious, but I also thought I knew better than my parents when it came to just about everything (besides taxes, insurance and other “grown-up” things).

I was determined to carve out my own identity, even if that meant making plenty of ill-advised choices along the way.

That all changed when I began planning for college and, by extension, for my future career. I spent much of high school stressed about how I would apply my passions—namely, writing and journalism—to a professional world that didn’t seem to place a lot of value on those interests. The prevalence of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) was emphasized throughout my high school years, and I began to worry that I would be forced to neglect my own interests for the sake of my future financial security.

I went to my parents for advice, and as always they were there for me with plenty to offer—except this time, I listened.

We reviewed the UCF catalog and weighed the pros and cons of each program that interested me. At first, I thought I’d try information technology. I had some experience with web design, and I’d used a computer my entire life, so it seemed like a good fit. But after taking an introductory programming course, I decided that it wasn’t for me. I didn’t find it fulfilling, and I began to feel the familiar stress of uncertainty about the future.

“You’re always going to make mistakes,” my dad told me at the time. “But don’t be afraid of them—learn from them.”

“You’re always going to make mistakes,” my dad told me at the time. “But don’t be afraid of them—learn from them.”

It was good advice, to be sure. But although it made me feel a bit better, I still couldn’t shake the anxiety that stemmed from lacking a defined career path. I felt like I’d wasted an entire semester and made no progress toward figuring out what I was actually meant to do.

Then came my mom’s advice that changed my future.

She graduated with a degree in marketing, and it was her suggestion that I take Principles of Advertising to see if majoring in advertising/public relations would be a good fit for me. I asked her if she thought that program would lead to a financially secure career, and her answer has stuck with me:

“Most people are successful at things that they really enjoy doing. If you don’t like what you’re doing in life, a higher starting salary isn’t going to make you feel better.”

Advertising/public relations ended up being the perfect match for my interests and I fell in love with the field. It had everything I could ask for: I could write creatively, explore political campaigning (a potential marriage of my two greatest interests), and even dabble in the realms of publishing and journalism that had always fascinated me. Best of all, the skills I learned were directly applicable to my side gig as a blogger and my work as the editor-in-chief of Her Campus at UCF, an online magazine.

My dad’s advice helped me feel better during one of the most stressful times of my college career. And if it weren’t for my mom’s advice, I don’t know if I ever would have found the right career path for me. At the very least, it would have taken me a lot more trial and error to do so.

I also think my parents’ advice can be applied to so much in life.

Passion is the ultimate catalyst for success. If you aren’t passionate about something, whether it’s your career, relationship or any other aspect of your life, you most likely won’t be successful. And even if you are , can you really consider it success if you aren’t enjoying yourself along the way?

In the same vein, chasing your passion is going to involve taking risks—and inevitably making some mistakes. But instead of letting those mistakes discourage you, treat them as life lessons. Keep them in mind and take comfort in the fact that if nothing else, you learned something.

I’m determined to follow my passions now more than ever. I’ll graduate in a year, and although the idea of becoming an adult with adult responsibilities used to fill me with dread, I feel excitement now. I know that I’ll find success if I chase what inspires me, no matter the obstacles I might face—and for that, I have my parents to thank.

Nicole Wills is a ��AV junior in the Burnett Honors College studying advertising-public relations, political science, and writing/rhetoric. She can be reached at nwills@knights.ucf.edu.

The UCF Forum is a weekly series of opinion columns presented by UCF Communications & Marketing. A new column is posted each Wednesday at /news/ and then broadcast between 7:50 and 8 a.m. Sunday on WUCF-FM (89.9). The columns are the opinions of the writers, who serve on the UCF Forum panel of faculty members, staffers and students for a year.

Take Halloween (1978), for example. Widely heralded as the movie to usher in the era of slasher films, Halloween is about Laurie Strode’s (Jamie Lee Curtis) struggle for survival as she is stalked by masked Michael Myers, who returns to his hometown to wreak some havoc.

But Strode isn’t willing to go down without a fight. She’s sharp and resourceful, and she manages to outwit her stalker at his own game. In the end, she wins her battle despite the odds stacked against her. Her resourcefulness and perseverance are traits that I try to keep in mind when facing any challenge, no matter the scope.

Another iconic woman of the horror genre is Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) in Alien (1979). The film takes place in the year 2122 and focuses on the crew of a commercial spaceship, Nostromo, as they attempt to defend themselves from a seemingly invincible alien that has corrosive blood, two mouths and bursts out of people’s chests. What’s a space-trucking crew to do?

Enter Ripley. Spoiler alert, if you haven’t seen the movie:

As third in command aboard the Nostromo, she is the only member of the crew to eventually survive the alien’s assault. Similar to Strode, Ripley is able to defeat her monster with ingenuity and perseverance. She devises a plan to self-destruct the Nostromo with the alien on board, but it manages to stow away on her escape shuttle. When the alien reveals itself, Ripley thinks on her feet and uses the shuttle to launch the alien into outer space. I came away from the film with awe and admiration for Ripley, and I suspect I’m not the only one to feel that way. She faced her problems with logic and ingenuity, and even when everything seemed to go wrong, she drew on her inner resilience to pull through.

The demand for strong women in popular media is stronger than ever.

The demand for strong women in popular media is stronger than ever, and the horror genre seems poised to continue placing them front and center. This month’s addition to the Halloween franchise returns the story to Strode and focuses on how she copes with the trauma of her experience alongside her daughter and granddaughter. The Alien spinoff films still feature strong women in the leading roles, and newer films such as Happy Death Day (2017) and the upcoming sequel Happy Death Day 2U also feature a complex and compelling woman in the leading role.

With the rise of the #MeToo movement and the increasing presence of women in leadership roles, it’s more important than ever to feature the stories of strong women in film and other media.

I often find myself thinking of my horror-movie role models when I’m faced with a challenge. When it seems like I’m out of my league, I tell myself to be as resourceful as Strode, and if everything goes awry, I think about Ripley and her resilience in the face of almost-certain doom.

If you find yourself in a similar situation and in need of some inspiration, take my advice and turn on a horror flick. You just might find your newest role model is waiting for you on the silver screen.

Nicole Wills is a ��AV junior in the Burnett Honors College studying advertising-public relations, political science, and writing/rhetoric. She can be reached at nwills@knights.ucf.edu.

The UCF Forum is a weekly series of opinion columns presented by UCF Communications & Marketing. A new column is posted each Wednesday at /news/ and then broadcast between 7:50 and 8 a.m. Sunday on WUCF-FM (89.9). The columns are the opinions of the writers, who serve on the UCF Forum panel of faculty members, staffers and students for a year.