Mia Aston, whose popular YouTube channel details her daily life as an NYU film student, shares her best advice for college preparedness, career development, and financial literacy.
What advice do you have for students trying to find the right balance between passion and practicality in their college and career choices?
Finding a balance between passion and practicality is actually something that I still struggle with today. Amidst the competitive job hunt with graduation approaching this May, I am often questioning why I have led myself more with my heart rather than my head. Many college students choose a major strictly based on how much money they will make or what their working hours will look like. That feels practical. As a film student, I was so in love with storytelling that I dove straight into New York University, blinded by passion. I think any art student has to be somewhat delusional in that sense, but at the end of the day, it comes down to your priorities in life. I would try and figure out what you need to both sustain yourself and be happy. Is a corporate job with a steady income more important to you than an exciting job that initially might not pay the bills? Are you willing to work multiple jobs? Do you have the financial support to even start your career on a lower-paying salary? Can you pursue a more practical career path and still nurture your passions as hobbies?
The best advice I can give is to be honest with yourself. You will always have to make sacrifices. Personally, I cannot imagine doing a job that I am not passionate about. I probably will struggle immediately after graduation, but I would be miserable if I did not let myself work in a creative field. This is the unsettling sacrifice, or rather gamble, that I am making.
How can students make the most of their college experience — both inside and outside the classroom — to set themselves up for success?
The best way to make the most of your college experience is to be proactive in learning and pursuing new opportunities. I always feel the most enriched when I am allowing myself to try new things and remain curious about my major. Attend school events, open lectures, galleries, film screenings, office hours, resume clinics, and more. The community around you can be inspiring and informative as well. There is such an endless array of resources available to you as a student. Take advantage of everything.
Networking is obviously also essential for your professional success. However, I have found that networking is the most enriching when you don’t approach it as a tool to meet an employer, but as an opportunity to learn from someone who has made it to a position that you hope to be in one day. Utilizing college as a learning experience outside of just the classroom can only help you.
What’s one piece of advice you wish you had received when you were preparing for college?
In the same way that I followed my heart into a film degree, I often let my enthusiasm lead me astray. When I started college, I wanted to be a part of so many different school clubs and work opportunities that I ended up spreading myself too thin. I wish someone had told me to commit to one or two clubs or jobs and let the rest go. I ultimately realized it’s better to give your best efforts to one thing rather than do a half job at seven different things.
What are the biggest challenges you faced when navigating both academic and creative fields, and how can you overcome them?
The biggest challenge I faced when navigating academic and creative fields was time management. The workflow and obligations of my academic and film classes can be extremely different. Managing your time in college is tricky regardless of your major, but when you have to write, shoot, and direct a short film on the same day that you have a research paper due for another course, it can be a little overwhelming. I overcame this by being diligent about my due dates and learning from trial and error. At the end of the day, my work will get done because it has to and because I will not let myself turn it in late. Additionally, managing my time between the two realms of academia and art becomes easier after every project I complete. As you learn more about your creative process and how long you need for each stage of production, you can begin to map out your workload schedule ahead of time. Sometimes I will start writing a paper over a month in advance because I already know that production for a film will be intense and demanding by the time that the paper’s due date rolls around. I am basically always trying to predict the future.
What role do financial literacy and budgeting play in college preparedness, and what resources would you recommend for students?
Financial literacy and budgeting play a huge role in college preparedness, but it looks different for everybody. There are so many factors to consider, and it is important to understand what your financial situation requires. NYU’s tuition is very expensive. In regard to my financial standing, I got lucky during my admissions process and was offered a full-ride scholarship from Tisch based on the portfolio I submitted. Therefore, I am able to cover my additional financial responsibilities through YouTube and freelance film jobs. When browsing through potential schools, I would research scholarships and apply to any offered by the college and external organizations. If you need to make money while you are a student, see if you can get an on-campus job. These jobs are great because they should be more flexible with your class schedule and coursework demands. Some of my friends are resident assistants at dorms. They are compensated through university housing and meal plans. I have other friends who work one or two service jobs to pay their bills. There are a variety of ways that you can navigate financial literacy as a student, depending on what you need. One piece of advice I would recommend is understanding what those budgetary restrictions look like for you and honoring them, even though students around you may have different spending habits. Be honest with yourself about the best way to responsibly manage your own money.
