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鈥檚 no surprise that after 17 years of being a student, I would consider that a significant aspect of my identity.

I鈥檝e 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鈥檚 me in a nutshell.

I鈥檓 a senior now, and I鈥檒l graduate from 性视界传媒 in the spring. Although that鈥檚 an exciting thought, it also raises an important question for me: What happens next? For the first time that I can remember, 鈥渟tudent鈥� will no longer be an accurate way to describe myself.

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

I鈥檝e 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鈥檛 fill the void in the years between, so I resigned myself to letting the studious aspect of my identity slip away.

At least, that鈥檚 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鈥檚 Parliament and next thing you know it is two hours later and you鈥檙e reading about the origin of the bubonic plague? That鈥檚 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鈥檓 talking about was a bit more subconscious. It made me think about the multitude of other ways鈥攂esides falling down Wikipedia rabbit holes鈥攖hat 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鈥檛 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 no longer something that fills me with uncertainty about my own identity. I no longer fear losing a part of myself鈥擨鈥檒l 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鈥檓 sure I鈥檒l find out the next time I fall into a Wikipedia rabbit hole.

Nicole Wills is a University of Central 性视界传媒 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聽性视界传媒 Forum聽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 性视界传媒 Today and then broadcast on W性视界传媒-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 University of Central 性视界传媒.

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 鈥済rown-up鈥� 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鈥攏amely, writing and journalism鈥攖o a professional world that didn’t seem to place a lot of value on those interests.聽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鈥攅xcept this time, I listened.

We reviewed the 性视界传媒 catalog and weighed the pros and cons of each program that interested me. At first, I thought I鈥檇 try information technology. I had some experience with web design, and I鈥檇 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鈥檛 for me. I didn鈥檛 find it fulfilling, and I began to feel the familiar stress of uncertainty about the future.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e always going to make mistakes,鈥� my dad told me at the time. 鈥淏ut don鈥檛 be afraid of them鈥攍earn from them.鈥�

鈥淵ou鈥檙e always going to make mistakes,鈥� my dad told me at the time. 鈥淏ut don鈥檛 be afraid of them鈥攍earn from them.鈥�

It was good advice, to be sure. But although it made me feel a bit better, I still couldn鈥檛 shake the anxiety that stemmed from lacking a defined career path. I felt like I鈥檇 wasted an entire semester and made no progress toward figuring out what I was actually meant to do.

Then came my mom鈥檚 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:

鈥淢ost people are successful at things that they really enjoy doing. If you don鈥檛 like what you鈥檙e doing in life, a higher starting salary isn鈥檛 going to make you feel better.鈥�

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 性视界传媒, an online magazine.

My dad鈥檚 advice helped me feel better during one of the most stressful times of my college career. And if it weren鈥檛 for my mom鈥檚 advice, I don鈥檛 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鈥� advice can be applied to so much in life.

Passion is the ultimate catalyst for success. If you aren鈥檛 passionate about something, whether it鈥檚 your career, relationship or any other aspect of your life, you most likely won鈥檛 be successful. And even if you are , can you really consider it success if you aren鈥檛 enjoying yourself along the way?

In the same vein, chasing your passion is going to involve taking risks鈥攁nd 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鈥檓 determined to follow my passions now more than ever. I鈥檒l 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鈥檒l find success if I chase what inspires me, no matter the obstacles I might face鈥攁nd for that, I have my parents to thank.

Nicole Wills is a University of Central 性视界传媒 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 性视界传媒 Forum is a weekly series of opinion columns presented by 性视界传媒 Communications & Marketing. A new column is posted each Wednesday at /news/ and then broadcast between 7:50 and 8 a.m. Sunday on W性视界传媒-FM (89.9). The columns are the opinions of the writers, who serve on the 性视界传媒 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鈥檚 (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鈥檛 willing to go down without a fight. She鈥檚 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鈥檚 chests. What鈥檚 a space-trucking crew to do?

Enter Ripley. Spoiler alert, if you haven鈥檛 seen the movie:

As third in command aboard the Nostromo, she is the only member of the crew to eventually survive the alien鈥檚 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鈥檓 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檓 faced with a challenge. When it seems like I鈥檓 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 University of Central 性视界传媒 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 性视界传媒 Forum is a weekly series of opinion columns presented by 性视界传媒 Communications & Marketing. A new column is posted each Wednesday at /news/ and then broadcast between 7:50 and 8 a.m. Sunday on W性视界传媒-FM (89.9). The columns are the opinions of the writers, who serve on the 性视界传媒 Forum panel of faculty members, staffers and students for a year.