Eli Diamond comes to a tough decision.
This may come as a bit of a shock to those of you who only know me from reading this article, but I have made the decision to leave NYU to pursue a degree in Computer Science. I have had a really interesting experience here, making wonderful friends while undergoing an education that can really be only described as top of the line. But I have seen a drastic change in myself. I have become incredibly bitter, angry, and depressed since coming here. My days are often spent in my bed surfing the internet, for want of a better life, and over the course of this semester, I made the decision to go find a better life for myself.
Along with my parents, I developed a plan involving going to community college next year to fill up all of my General Education requirements. Along with going to school, I will perform in as many productions as I can, in order to get used to applying the technique in a real world setting. You see, I still hope to continue acting, but the $67,000 dollar tuition was a little bit too steep to bet on a career that doesn’t guarantee much of a return. Computer Science on the other hand, is a career with many job opportunities and high starting salaries, and I should have enough time to continue my acting career on the side. As I’ve said to numerous friends, if I make it as an actor: Great, if not: Great. There’s a 100% less chance of homelessness caused by this.
My parents, girlfriend, and friends have all been incredibly supportive of me in this time. I will be completing the semester, and I will continue to put in hard work. I know some people may see this as sad, but I don’t. I had a wonderful time here for what it was. I met some people, I learned some things, and most importantly, I learned about myself. I discovered things about myself that I never would have discovered at home. I was pushed to limits I never thought I could be pushed to, and it was wonderful. I also discovered that my emotional state is occasionally a bit more fragile than I give myself credit for. That’s not bad. It’s just something I needed to know about myself.
Overall though, I’m excited to return home and begin working on everything, be it in the classroom, or the theatre.
San Francisco Theater Pub 