How I Became Part of Northern Eclecta

To be quite honest, this class was never on my radar. I came to NDSU as a hopeful nursing student looking to spend the next four years preparing for a career in healthcare. I quickly realized that was not my calling and, as suspected, had a mini life crisis. I struggled to find my place on campus, I had no idea what my calling was or what direction to go. Trying to be reasonable, I switched my major to business knowing that is a fairly broad track. That was also not for me. Next, I changed my major to psychology telling myself I was always intrigued by the way the mind works but that ended up being too research centered for me. Feeling lost again, I took the advice of my dad’s close friend and decided to go the pre-law track, switching my major yet again to English. I had forgotten how natural writing came to me until I began my English courses. It felt like I was in the right place for the first time since getting to campus. Sure, it took three semesters to figure it out but better late than never!

During one of my classes, my professor mentioned this class as one being offered in the spring. Right away I was curious, the description caught my eye and was something I wanted to learn more about. It felt like a way to get further out of my comfort zone and delving into the world of publishing felt exciting and new. I enrolled for the class but was still hesitant telling myself I could drop it if I decided it was not for me. Thankfully, I decided to stick it out and it quickly became one of my most enjoyable classes. Starting with nothing and ending with a completed journal was a whirlwind of a journey. I felt accomplished knowing I had a role in the creation of a professional journal that focused on showcasing the wide variety of talent on campus and in the greater community.

Needless to say, although high school me would have never anticipated taking this publishing class, college me is thankful I did. It gave me a new perspective on the world of publishing and it felt refreshing to see there are so many more options out there for me than I thought. So to any prospective students out there on the fence about taking this specific course (or any publishing courses), do it! The real-world experience is worth it and I know that holding the journal in my hands will reaffirm all of these thoughts.

-Emily