As you may have read in my last post, I recently had my bike stolen.
I had the opportunity to purchase an even better bike for a premium price.
Of course, I immediately popped a tire. Here is my attempt to rely on myself to fix it.
Bike Theft and Self Reliance
A couple of weeks ago, I had my bike stolen from its spot in front of my house. It devastated me, but I learned a lot trying to rectify this misdeed.
I live in a townhouse directly next to an open lot. The lot has a fence partially blocking it off, and I locked my bike to the inside of the fence every day. I was worried about it at first, but after a while, I never even gave it a second thought. I used to keep my bike inside, but it was a mountain bike with a base weight of 30 pounds, and I had recently broken my good lock and it was stuck around the stem of my bike. This added another few pounds. Because of this, I never actually took my bike inside the house because it was heavy and that would require lugging it up two flights of stairs.
This wasn’t an issue. Until it was. I skipped out of my house one day, eager to enjoy the first warm morning of spring on my ride to work. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I realized that the place where I so dutifully locked and unlocked my bike every day was empty! I honestly didn’t even have time to worry about it because without my bike, it would take me twice as long to get to work. I rushed to work and tried to push it out of my mind until my shift was over.
I filed a police report and was basically told there was nothing they could do. Even if they located the bike, it was unlikely it would find its way back to me because I didn’t know the serial number. I was angry and distraught, but these initial feelings turned into more of a general annoyance in the next few days.
I love biking. I’ve given presentations about it. It’s probably one of the first few things people who know me would use to describe me. I used to bike everywhere, and when suddenly I couldn’t, I just felt annoyed. Getting to class took twice as long. I had to wait for the subway to go into the city. Not only was I wasting time, but I was also wasting money.
“Enough,” I thought, “this ends now!”
I decided to take matters into my own hands. I perused Craigslist and ended up finding the PERFECT bike. It was a higher end hybrid bike with the right size frame and brand-new brakes. I texted the guy selling it and awaited his response for days. Unfortunately, he never got back to me. I was sad but knew I must forge on.
While lamenting my woes to one of my friends, she told me that she had a damaged bike just sitting around that I could have if I covered repair costs. I wasn’t sure at first, but I figured something was better than nothing. I agreed and ended up with a bike even more perfect than the one I found on Craigslist. It’s light, fast, and sleek. I’m back on wheels and I feel better than ever about it!
Throughout this whole ordeal, I learned a few lessons in responsibility and self-reliance. I felt pretty bitter towards other people when the theft occurred, so I was really unwilling to look to others for help in this situation. I depended on myself to figure out how to use other forms of transport, like buses and trams. I depended on myself to file a police report and make sure I could prove I reported the crime. I depended on myself to file a claim with the company who made the lock (although to no avail). I depended on myself to face a crisis head-on and solve it.
Now, I am depending on myself to use the things I’ve learned to keep this from happening again. I recorded the serial number and filed it with both campus police and my renter’s insurance company. I bought a hefty lock and registered that, too. I took pictures of my bike from all angles just to make sure I can perfectly describe it.
And most importantly, I keep it inside.
Business School Bust
When I started college, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I had always been interested in business. From the time I was a little kid, I was always trying to find some way to make money, from selling water bottles to golfers to selling girl scout cookies on eBay to finance a trip to the Grand Canyon. I was very active in my high school’s Future Business Leaders of America club. I made it to states every year I participated, and my senior year, I came in first in states and qualified for nationals. Going to business school seemed natural. I wanted to study international business and entrepreneurship. After graduation, I was going to start my own company. I saw so many issues in the business world, and I wanted to be the one to change them. Unfair labor practices, environmental neglect, poor wages, and the lack of women in business were all issues that I cared (and still care) about.
My first semester was great, and I liked my classes. I wasn’t crazy about the culture within the business school, though, but I figured I would adjust and make friends that had similar outlooks as I do. This proved difficult, though, because every single one of my classes was a 200+ person lecture. I made a few acquaintances, but nobody I wanted to hang out with on the weekends. This continued through the second semester. I was determined, though, and I wanted to graduate with a business degree.
However, while planning a study abroad trip, I realized that business just wasn’t what I wanted to do. My advisors actually encouraged me to not study abroad because it would require me to take an extra class one semester if I wanted to graduate on time. They offered no help in trying to help me fit a semester abroad in my schedule, and instead encouraged me to finish my Spanish minor on campus. The study abroad office was much more accommodating, but I still had issues finding a program that satisfied my semester requirements. When I finally found a program that seemed appealing, I realized that I didn’t even want to go. I was so burnt out and had been feeling resistance at all times for months. I was so determined to push back, though, that I didn’t even realize I was unhappy. My grades were suffering, I wasn’t going to class, and I began dreading the school related events I used to look forward to. I decided that I needed to change my major.
Now, I study advertising. I switched my major without telling anybody, including my parents. When they found out, they reacted pretty much exactly how I thought they would. They were worried that I had made a mistake. To be honest, I was, too. They told me that an advertising degree might not be worth it. That I wouldn’t make any money. That a business degree would ensure success of some sort after graduating. I gave credit to these ideas for a while, but I realized after a conversation with one of my high school teachers that advertising is still a viable career, and that it would fit me much better than business school.
I still worried a lot over winter break that I really had blown it, and that I would somehow be less happy in advertising. This is not the case, though. During my month of frantic googling to find out whether or not I was making the right choice, I discovered that 33% of students change their majors at least once. I don’t think it’s fair that we’re expected to already know what we want to do after we graduate high school. I don’t think it’s fair that programs outside of business and STEM are seen as less valuable. I think I internalized this thought, and it was actually a big (albeit unconscious) reason I even chose business school in the first place.
I still feel a little aimless and unsure about my degree, but I certainly feel a lot happier and more interested in my studies. I am currently applying for internships, and I’m really excited about what I’ll be able to do with all my new skills and knowledge in addition to my (already completed) business minor.