Mystory@Carl Dennis: How I chose my course and career path – Challenges and learnings

Mystory@Carl Dennis

I got accepted to all of the colleges I applied to. I was not able to join my first choice of school because it was too expensive (leaving my best friend alone there since we were supposed to be roommates in that college). I missed out on my second choice because my mother sent in the deposit too late to secure my registration (leaving another friend hanging there). The school I ended up going to was never in my initial consideration set; my career counselor suggested it and I decided it made sense at that point. The downside was that it was a community college so I was not able to get the life I anticipated. I eventually created my own "dorm life experience" by going out every weekend to the city with my buddy.

How I chose my course in Graduation

When it came to courses, I wanted to get the school pre-requisites out of the way so that I could then focus on my major studies. This was a good method for me because I ended up debating between six different majors prior to my sophomore year (the majors were Business Administration, Maths, Music, Linguistics, English, and French). In retrospect, I feel I may have chosen a different major than the one I decided on because I was listening to other people's opinions, but I ultimately have no regrets.

I was able to complete my graduation in the four year time window I planned on despite missing out on some courses I needed at different points in my journey. One semester I had to take a summer session which included French and Spanish simultaneously. It was a challenge since I would be in one class thinking in the other language and vice versa. It was fulfilling to complete my degree and become the first member in my immediate family to earn a bachelor’s degree.

What I learnt in my college years

I missed out on a dorm experience so I was set on making the most of my free time away from school. Every weekend (and sometimes holidays) I would be out with my middle school friend doing different leisure activities. This helped to alleviate the fact that my school had no dorms. Ironically, dorms were built there soon after I graduated.

As for extra-curricular activities related to school, I worked as a guard for the Student Union. I was able to meet much of the school and various people that were not connected to the school. I also met the mayor of New York City at the time (Michael Bloomberg) from an event I was supervising. I made a lot of associates and acquaintances from that job. The pay was minimal but it came with a lot of fulfilling responsibility and memorable times. It was also the start of my professional working experience.

I don't think I would change anything necessarily, but I always wonder what would life had been like if I went to other colleges with my other friends. I did visit my friends at their respective universities, however, it showed me that college is what you make of it. College will be a college anywhere you go. It's people that really make the experience worthwhile. I also attempted graduate school, but I ended up taking a hiatus since I found the job I was essentially going to school for (I got to manage a versatile, full-service production studio). In order to get to the school I would have needed to take the subway from the first to the last stop each day, so I decided to move out on my own and get closer to the school. This helped to avoid any excuse of being late or lazy. The coursework was intense as the school had an on-campus portion mixed with an online component (where you virtually teach yourself the curriculum). This was an overwhelming challenge. As ambitious as I am, I was humble enough to know that I could not realistically achieve graduation while working the job of my dreams.

I’m a one-man music ensemble proficient with piano, guitar, bass, saxophone, trumpet, drums, and even my own voice. I have represented some exceptional artists that have performed at popular venues across the US such as Fat Baby's, The House of Blues, BB King's, Whiskey A Go Go, and Santos Party House. I also own various film, TV, radio, and music video credits being featured as an actor and musician.

About the Author:

Born in Queens, NY, Carl Dennis, aka "CD", I’m a versatile entertainment professional. I have produced, composed, performed, and written music for an array of talent and businesses throughout the world for more than ten years (and counting).