Skip to main content

Luis Arce Diaz

SFU Student Undergraduate
Communication, Art + Technology › Communication
Co-operative Education › Local Co-op

Lights reading out the word "passion"
Credit
Kashawn Hernandez on Unsplash
In retrospect, I now see that I had to get through the tough parts to be presented with so many opportunities. 

I remember how things were in my first year. It was a fresh new step in life with lots of opportunities and even more questions. One of the biggest questions I had was a sentiment that many students also share when they first step onto those concrete steps that will become so familiar in the years to come, which was whether the path I was on was the correct path for me. That is a tough question to answer, and I doubt there is a definitive way of answering it, but I can certainly give you my perspective, built on my four years at this school.  

My final year of high school had me do a 180 with my plans. Originally, I was going down the road of the sciences, but as the Christmas break of Grade 12 drew near, I began to realize I wasn’t really happy with what I was doing. I was focusing too much on the courses that I felt were necessary and not on what I felt happy doing. I looked into more programs with the help of my advisor, and we found a faculty that encompassed everything I enjoyed doing—Communication. Everything after that felt like a blur, and as soon as I knew it, I was a Communication student at SFU.  

With a particular interest in media studies, I didn't expect the introductory classes to be so broad. I felt that the clarity I expected to find in university just wasn’t there. Factors outside of class that caused my life to ramp up also made me feel disconnected from my studies, and I found that university wasn’t really “clicking” for me the way I imagined. This carried onto my second year where the same problems persisted, and my motivation was slowly waning. Suddenly, everything changed with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I was given a lot more time to think about my career ahead of me. I made a promise to myself to put as much effort into my classes as possible to see whether my doubts were about the subject or due to outside factors.  

As time went on, the courses I had previous problems with proved themselves to be important foundational courses for later. I was able to link concepts jumping from course to course, painting a fleshed-out picture of what Communication truly was, instead of what I perceived to be a series of disconnected courses. Slowly, my interest in my degree began to pick back up, along with my grades, and as I progressed further, I saw that there were options to specialize in areas that I wanted to and that I never would have considered before. I began to talk to Communication advisors and weigh in their opinion as well so that I could get an expanded perspective on which courses I can take to explore my interests while finishing up my degree. 

When it came time to have some classes in person at the start of the 2021 Fall term, I was very happy and confident with where I was in my studies and my degree. All of the smaller pieces from the early general classes were fitting together, and in retrospect, I now see that I had to get through the tough parts to be presented with so many opportunities. 

All this to say, I believe my real passion for Communication came after my second year when I was finally able to understand what was being taught in my introductory classes and began to take more specialized courses that tied into what I originally wanted to study. For anyone else in this same position, don’t be discouraged if you still don’t feel like you’re in the right place after your first, second, or third year; it takes time for all of it to fall into place. If you put in the work to make your dreams come true, maybe you’ll also see that passion is learned over time.  

Author

Luis Arce Diaz

SFU Student Undergraduate
Communication, Art + Technology › Communication
Co-operative Education › Local Co-op

Luis is a 4th year Communication student working as a content creator for the OLC.

visibility  219
Jun 3, 2022

Posts by Author

Neon lights on a window reading "What is your story?"
Blog
Finding My Story Through Creative Writing

OLC Content Creator, Luis Arce Diaz, shares how the lessons he learned though his Creative Writing courses helped him not only to become a better writer, but to find his own story through exposure to different perspectives on life and writing.

You Might Like These... Professional Development, Personal Development, Career Exploration, Life Experience

Marble statue of Socrates
Know Thyself

So you have graduated from university and are hanging your well-earned degree on your bedroom wall, and all of  a sudden, a tiny, yet unavoidable voice in the back of your head is quietly screaming “No time to celebrate, you need to find a job!” or “I’ve got my degree…what do I do with it?!’.

Mike, author
Indigenous Stories: Mike, SFU Alumni

"I have no solid plans for the future and I love it...I know that every experience that I have had, every failed plan, was really an excellent mistake that gave me the skills I need to handle any situation that gets thrown my way in the future."  Read Mike's story of career exploration, and how to handle constant change.

picture of glichelle pondering a though
Surviving Workplace Politics

Ever been peeved with workplace politics? Have you ever been a victim of office politics? One student shares her experiences from the workplace with tips on how to survive.

 

You Might Like These... Community Engagement

aerial view of south african landscapes
Exploring South Africa

SFU Kinesiology student Kayla Donnawell is in Botswana, Africa volunteering with the Students Without Borders program (SWB).  In this final article, the winds guide Kayla to South Africa where she explores Capetown and Durban before heading home.

stingray up close
Self-Directed All The Way

 

Jan is in their third year, have completed two work terms, and are beginning to realize that their beliefs back then about what co-op could offer only scratched the surface of what is really available to students. One area about which they were previously unaware, but have now come to take full advantage of, is Self-Directed Placement.

Chi Hsi on a bridge posing for a picture with the buildings and roads behind
Challenges Faced On an International Co-op

Interactive Arts & Technology Co-op student Chi Hsi shares her experiences working for SAP AG in Germany, as a user experience designer.