As a student of media and communications, I often wonder where my life will take me. I get stressed about which path I want to follow, where I want to end up, and how I’m supposed to get there. There are so many different careers I could make for myself, so how do I know which one is the one? It is a truly terrifying dark hole of contemplation and self deprecation. One minute, my skills seem valuable and limitless. The next minute, I want to crawl into a ball and cry my way through life.
As I’m beginning my final semester of my undergraduate degree, those feelings are worse now than ever before…
I would love to be able to tell people I’ve been planning a career the entire time I’ve been enrolled in college. I fantasize about the day a family member or close family friend asks me what I want to do, and I can confidently answer with no hesitation. But that day has yet to come, and I have to keep telling myself that it’s okay.
It’s okay to be a little clueless right now.
I’m 21 years old, about to graduate from university with a bachelor’s degree- the first in my family to complete one- and I should be fine with that. I should be content with what I’m achieving, but there is always a feeling of dread when I think about what comes after. Maybe that’s society’s fault, or maybe it’s just my brain shorting out. Either way, I have to learn how to navigate through it.
So what does any of this have to do with a cold open? Good question. In light of Loco’s Cold Open issue, I’d like to make a (totally thought out, not at all ramble-y) argument that college is simply a cold open to the rest of life.
By definition, a “cold open” is a narrative tactic used in television and film. Instead of beginning with the title sequence, as many films and shows do, a cold open jumps right into the story. A five minute-or-so snippet of the plot is revealed to entice viewers into watching. Many of our favorite sitcoms and reality shows use this tactic, and it’s seamless. We see a bit and want to know the rest, right?
What if I said college- or any other form of higher education- is just like that?
I have spent the past four years gaining life skills and experience in my fields, as well as managing adulthood. My plot is underway in my eyes. However, I have been spending far too much time thinking about the resolution to my plot conflicts before my title sequence has even rolled. My brain is plagued with thoughts of “what comes next?” in 12 point, double-spaced, Times New Roman font. Fear courses through me every time I think about the next five years, because honestly, I have no clue what will happen. So, instead of turning the page before I’ve finished reading it, or in this case, skipping the scene before I’m done watching it, I am going to enjoy every second I have in this whirlwind of a cold open. These years are an introduction to my story, a well-fitting piece to the rest of my puzzling life. But I am nowhere near the end of my plot. Definitely not enough to be concerned about how it concludes.
I still have so many adventures to go on, places to travel to, and wonders to see. New characters and settings are in store for me, so why should I skip to the last page? I do not want to know exactly how I end up because I want to enjoy the journey. It sounds cheesy, and you might call me a con, but I really do believe that.
My college experiences have been that 5 minute cold open. Graduation on May 15th will be the opening title to my story, and the rest of my life will be written as I go.
So if you’re like me and hate answering the “what are you going to do with your life?” question, breathe deeply and reply, “I guess we’ll have to wait for the title sequence.”
