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Column: What has Changed since the Beginning?

By Harry Pearse
Staff Writer

When we international students made that huge leap of faith into the unknown, most of us had a plan. “The Plan” is something your parents have nagged you about for ages, and something our generation and the ones before us have all felt pressured to make and stick to. I want to know whether you guys, and myself, have stuck to these regimented layouts or whether some of us have veered off down a new path; maybe one that we didn’t see ourselves strolling down? What were our initial thoughts and ideas of what was entailed for us or what we were destined for? And what are you guys up to now? Has it changed? These are the questions I wanted to answer this week.

“Eivind, could you take me through some of the things that have changed since you have been here at post?”

“Yeah, my teammates have got younger!”

This is a reply from Eivind Austboe, a senior Business Management student and captain of the Post’s men’s soccer team. I would note down all of his other accolades, but there isn’t enough room! Eivind is from Stavanger, Norway, and this is his fourth and final year in the “Green Army” of LIU Post.

Captain Eivind Austboe of the LIU Post men’s soccer team
Captain Eivind Austboe of the LIU Post men’s soccer team

When I spoke to him about whether his “plan” had changed since making the audacious move over to the U.S., he replied, “I actually stuck with my original plan of studying Business Management. You may want to ask someone who had a more interesting route to their degree.” But this is the thing: in my eyes, I find this incredible and fascinating how he has had the capability, patience, and strength to be able to withstand the pressure and the hard times, while continuing on the same line he set out to walk across.

Being Eivind’s teammate, I have witnessed his great drive and determination in everything he does. In this aspect of life he is like a role model to me, in terms of how he has everything planned out and knows what he has to do to reach the goals he sets himself. I imagine there are many students like Eivind that have the great discipline and determination to not veer off into other paths, or even choose easier subjects to take.

If I compare myself to international students like these, I have mixed feelings. “Am I the same? Do I know what my path is?” Yes, I knew what major I wanted to do, which is Psychology, and I have been interested in this ever since I could remember. But, is this what I really I have so many questions and queries on what I want to do now, compared to what I thought I wanted to do before I came to the “land of opportunities.”

Soccer is my immediate and most important career path. It has been since I was a little munchkin who couldn’t be seen doing anything else apart from having a soccer ball at my feet. But will this dream of mine stay? Will it be the most important thing, now that I have moved to a different place that offers so many different and diverse opportunities? Well, I guess I can rule out one subject that won’t be catching my eyes with appealing job opportunities: Math!

Another international student, Alex Billington, majoring in International Studies and known as “The Stud” of the Post men’s soccer team, as well as our own publisher of the “Bottom Line” (which you should definitely pick up next time it’s out!) has an extremely different story to that of Eivind Austboe.

“My political views and ideals have definitely changed and developed since I’ve been here, partly because of my exposure to so many different nationalities all from different systems. One big thing that is constantly changing the more I learn is what might be the path in life that will make me the happiest. But the single biggest thing that has changed is my wealth of opportunity. I used have this immediate dream to become a professional soccer player, but now, however, I have an abundance of things I can chose from and pursue. This is becoming the hardest choice, what is going to optimize my happiness…in every sense of the word.”

I can relate to and find lavish amounts of similarities with Alex because of some of the feelings I have had recently. The words Alex says above are ones I am, too, familiar with. Soccer was—and still is— my main focus and career path, but I can feel my “path” evolving and changing for the better, widening my horizons to all the different and crazy ideas here at college.

Captain Eivind Austboe of the LIU Post men’s soccer team

– Harry Pearse

Ever since this adventure into the wild, I have had this weird and almost overwhelming feeling— is it this abundance of opportunities I am being smacked in the face with, or am I scared to grab hold of something new? So, what I have been doing and I want you guys to take from this column, is to “go with the flow.” Allow things to change and venture into the unknown. We have all made that leap of faith into the abyss anyway, so we may as well “grow a pair’”and come out of our comfort zone. However, if you feel more similarities to Eivind’s story, carry on and don’t let anything budge, push or dislodge you off your path. It’s your path and your dream; just make sure you make it yours!

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