by Brandon Bhajan

Mr. Morrison has been a member of the English Department at Woodbridge High School since the spring semester of the 2013-2014 school year, as the school’s English as a Second Language teacher. As a lifelong resident of Woodbridge Township, Mr. Morrison graduated from Colonia High School, then attended Cabrini University in Pennsylvania, where he attained a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Education. In this installment of Teachers on College, Mr. Morrison discusses his college experiences attending an out-of-state school.

Barron Perspective: How did you decide college was for you?
Mr. Morrison: I decided to go to college because it seemed like the next step in my life. I’ve always wanted to be a teacher and knew that in order to be one I had to attend college. It was a very easy decision for me.

BP: Was there anything specific you looked for in a college and did you visit campuses?
MM: When looking for a college, I wanted a small college with a really close sense of community. I did visit campuses, but only once I was accepted to the school.

BP: Were there hardships with going out of state as opposed to staying close to home?
MM: No, going out of state was really important to me. I was never really homesick or upset that I was far from home. I definitely made frequent calls to my mother though.

BP:Was choosing a major difficult, and how did you decide?
MM: It wasn’t hard for me to pick education as a major, but it was hard to decide what area of education I wanted to be in. When I entered college, I was a History major, but after taking Spanish classes I decided to change it halfway through my freshman year.

BP: What classes did you enjoy and what classes helped you with your career?
MM: I really enjoyed taking all my education classes and I really liked psychology classes in college. The psychology classes were so interesting, and as an education major, I had to take a lot of them. I also really enjoyed a Guatemala Immersion class where we learned about the Mayan people and actually got to travel to Guatemala at the end of the semester. That was a great way to learn about new cultures and go on a service trip in another country.

BP: What are some tips for students who don’t know what they want to major in for college?
MM: My tip for students who don’t know what they want to major in is for them to try out as many classes as possible. Take classes from different areas and see what you like. It could be possible that the major you pick was something you never thought you would do. That’s exactly what happened to me.

BP: How big was the workload of college compared to high school?
MM: The workload was definitely bigger than in high school, but you are lucky in college because classes are usually one, two, or three times a week instead of every day. This makes getting work done easier, and with the right time management it is possible to complete.

BP: Was college an overall good experience for you?
MM: Yes, I wouldn’t change my college experience for anything. I made lifelong friends, had great professors, and memories that will last forever.

BP: Is there anything else you would like to add to this interview?
MM: One thing to add would be that it is okay to not know what you want to do in life, and eventually you will figure it all out.