My Experience at College and University

Deciding what to do after high school is a tough decision teenagers are faced with. They must determine if they want to pursue post-secondary education or not, and if so, college or university? 

Personally, I chose to pursue an undergraduate degree at a university outside the province. Since I didn’t know what I wanted my career to be, I opted for a broad major that would allow me to keep my options open. Concordia University in Montreal was a great experience and one that I will never forget. I made friends for life and grew a lot as a person due to living far away from my parents.

As I progressed in my degree, I started to realize I wanted a career in the communications field. Looking into what was needed in order to obtain this dream, I realized that the knowledge I gained throughout my undergrad was mainly theory-based, and my skills soft. (Soft skills are personal attributes versus hard skills are tangible and teachable).  My courses consisted of lectures with weekly readings and exams. I learned theories of management, motivation, and why people behave the way they do. But I never received the hands on experience to put this knowledge into practice. I lacked the hard skills and experience necessary to reach my career goals.

I decided that college would be a great addition to my university education. Choosing the postgraduate certificate in Public Relations at Mohawk College, I was excited to experience the different learning environment of college.

Now finishing my first semester, I can say that the learning environments of college and university are very different. I find the courses in college tailored towards a very particular career, at least in public relations. Every course I am enrolled in provides me with crucial knowledge and experience for my chosen field. There is a writing class each semester to teach the students the proper structure for different communication material. We learn about the different ways to reach your target audience, and when to use each method. Is it best to use a traditional news outlet, such as newspaper or news station, or is your audience more active on social media? Course work is mainly assignments and projects, compared to the readings and exams associated with university. This allows students to gain experience writing about the information and putting it into practice. Projects and assignments also allow students to start building their portfolio, which is necessary in this field. I am looking forward to applying my newly acquired hard skills through the required internship, which I will be starting in the winter semester.

I cherish my experience at university and I have been thoroughly enjoying my time at college. University provided me with theoretical knowledge that I was able to apply to my college education at Mohawk, which I feel is better preparing me for the workforce.

I have attached a few of my college assignments that I have been able to add to my portfolio.