My third time as a freshman at the university started when I had passed the scholarship entrance examination at the Department of Media and Communication (DMC), Royal University of Phnom Penh.

I finished Grade 12 at Chea Sim Samaky High school in 2017, which has been three years already. However, I still study in year one now. I am a double-major student. I am a sophomore in International Studies and a freshman in Media and Communication. The reason that I write this blog about Finding What I Love is that I want to show the process of my journey toward what I love.

Back to the worst year ever in my life: it was when I freshly finished high school. I was lost. I didn’t know what major I would love. Therefore, I followed my mother’s wish to study accounting at a university near my house. I enrolled in the course and kind of slightly enjoyed it for only the first few months of semester one. Then, I decided to drop.

After that I passed the entrance examination at the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL), majoring in International Studies. I was a little excited because I got to study at the university again after a really long rest at home without studying anything. Anyway, I did some volunteering to kill my time. The second time as a freshman was kind of better than the previous one because International Studies was the major I wanted to take when I was 14 years old. However, I still felt not enough and was not really satisfied with what I was doing. Instead of dropping this course, I decided to add one more major study which is Media and Communication.

The result was out in October 2019. I passed the scholarship entrance exam at the DMC. That time was a noticeable moment when I realize that I got to study what I love. And my expectation met what I had received. I love it when it is time to go to school, how my classmates are passionate to study with, and how I found out why all these years I was so miserable.

Through back to those years I wasted my time when it was time to go to school, I felt tired already. I was absent from classes a lot and did not have any specific purpose in life. As I said, I was lost, and I knew it. Still, I did not know what to do.

However, I really enjoy going to school so much after taking courses at the DMC. This is what I notice about myself. I get happier every day, unlike before.

Half of my classmates and me in front of the school. Shot by film camera.

The process of me finding what I love dedicates that finding yourself takes time, a long or short period of time depends on yourself, whether or not you give it up. Be patient and hopeful on the way to figure things out. Sometimes, you feel lost and do not want to continue. But remember that one day or day 1, you will find something that burns a fire in your soul. Someday, when things are figured out, you will look back and feel proud that you did not give up.