Montana Garcia Does Not Have it All Figured Out

Montana is a rising senior at Creighton University. Whether through her work as a Residential Advisor, campus tour guide, or summer mentor, Montana uses her time to help others. She is an awesome, caring individual who continues to positively impact the lives of many. Even still, Montana does not have it all figured out. I really like this story. I hope you do as well.

As a Residential Advisor this year, the easiest, almost cliche, piece of advice that you can give to an incoming student is to buy a pool noodle to place on the metal bar that is holding up their lofted bed. As a sophomore, I did not buy a pool noodle to place on the metal bar.

The reason that you are supposed to buy a pool noodle is so that you don’t stand up too quickly and hit your head on the metal bar above. And on March 16, 2021, I got up from my desk and was apparently really feeling like standing up too quickly and hitting my head on a metal bar. So I did…

I now know that after having a potential concussion scenario, you should not go to sleep. On March 16, 2021, I decided that after having a potential concussion scenario that I should go to sleep. So I did…

I went to bed, woke up at 4AM and felt horrible. I was puking and could not move, which is contradictory but true. And then I had to go to work.

On top of my now concussed head, I still had to go to school. I know! I had a Research Method and Statistics exam that Monday. I remember emailing both of my professors and letting them know of my concussed status. My professor gave me a two day extension on my exam. I understand that my professor did not work in the neuroscience department, but - fun fact - concussions do not go away in two days. I was stressed.

Research Method and Statistics was not always a fun class. It is a required one for the Psychology major that I was pursuing at the time. Note how I said “at the time”: that will come into play later (it’s sort of what this whole story is about). Especially so, in the COVID semester that I took it during. We would be hybrid, meaning that we would be in class for one day of the week and online for the other. It was especially difficult to learn the content of statistics through a screen.

I like taking classes where I get to learn about people. And Research Methods and Statistics was not that: numbers, graphs, data -- not for me. It stood in stark contrast to the joy that I found in my social work classes . I wanted to be able to take more social work classes per semester, and more electives within the field that I am interested in.

I had a few appointments with my advisors about my newfound disinterest in the research part of Psychology. I was stressed at the time and was not positive about what I wanted to do in the future - I am sure many of you have felt that way before.

Through all the advising and self-reflection (which all took place while I still had a concussion), I realized something about myself. I didn’t want to do the sciency part of Psychology. Which is a big part of Psychology. So, I dropped it as a major and have been focusing my effort on social work.

I have realized the importance of finding your joy. What is the one thing that gets you up in the morning? For me, it was getting to know people and their stories. For you, it might be doing rat research. Through that realization, I hope that you can find what can light your fire, find what gets you up in the morning. And even though I am giving some type of advice, trust that I am right beside you in that journey.

So maybe that RA advice is wrong. Maybe you shouldn’t put a pool noodle over that metal bar. Maybe if you want to find your passion, you should just get a concussion.

- Montana