Mixed Methods
– Alex Chapman –
My goal was always med school, but I ended up getting a music scholarship. I'm taking music, I play in an orchestra, and I’m picking up science classes so I can eventually go to med school. When I say I'm doing pre-med and music people ask, "are you crazy?” But the path is definitely there. It's more unclear than just a music degree, and maybe more difficult, but it’s there.
When I first signed up for classes someone sat down with me for a solid half hour and asked, "so what do you want to do with your life?" I explained and he showed me an academic route to get it done. I understood what it’s going to take to get there. Of course, it looks good on paper, but it's a ton of work.
In high school, I really didn't have to study for tests. But after I got a 72 on one of my first tests here, I knew I needed to reach outside of myself to do better. I started talking with people I met in class and they were having a hard time too.
Family Mentality
That’s when we started to work together. I guess you can call them study groups, but they’re more like friendships. At Nebraska, they urge you to get out of your comfort zone, meet new people and try new things. You mesh and it creates a family mentality.
People go to a study group because they’re somehow struggling academically. The family mentality arises out of that connection because you can see people's weaknesses. When you open up to someone and show your weaknesses—whether that be academic, emotional, whatever—you can support each other through whatever struggles you have.
Keeping Doors Open
I do my own thing on the side with friends, but class gives you more tools to take your ideas and articulate them. I don't mean this to be braggadocios, but my beats are good enough to sell now. When I have to wake up at 8:30 in the morning to go to music theory class, sometimes I think, “maybe I should have just like gone right into trying to sell my beats and make a living off of that.” But I think in the long run, keeping my options open by going to college, keeping that door to med school open, it’s worth it.
When I was still on the edge between music and medicine, my high school orchestra director said to me, "Whatever you do, just make sure you're doing something. That's better than standing still." Even if you're not exactly sure what tomorrow, or next week, or five years down the road looks like, do stuff today to give yourself opportunities in the future. That’s what I’m gaining from college. That’s what keeps me going. 
