When I embarked on my journey towards my Bachelor’s Degree in creative writing, with an emphasis in fiction, I began to look at Beauty and the Beast with new eyes as I compared myself to Belle. She, of course, is one of my favorite Disney princesses. Even though I am just starting at SNHU, I can still feel the magnificence of my degree.
In 2016, I chose to start my SNHU path online which feels like the magic mirror as everything is connected through the computer. The Beast metaphorically relates to college: terrifying at first, but then appearing to have a soft, wonderful side once you get to know it. Even though my family and friends are supportive, they—like the townspeople—think I am a little nuts for going after my degree in the major of creative writing. It is not usually brought up relevantly in the normal settings of society due to the reduction in creative fields of study, such as the arts and music. But like Belle, I find there is always an escape in the fiction realm, and I want to explore more in life. When I applied to SNHU, it reminded me of the scene when Belle helps Maurice get out of the dungeon. I was determined to set my own path as I stayed with the Beast.
When I started at SNHU, I had the pleasure of speaking with my awesome advisers who reminded me of Mrs. Potts—helpful and insightful. They helped me to get settled in and ready for my first term. Philip represents my fellow students, who are scared but ready to follow in the castle. Cogsworth and his tour reminded me of him being a planner and his schedule to follow compared to orientation week. He will always be there to keep me on track with my classes. And of course, we cannot forget the beloved Lumière—the social clubs in school—and the incredible song Be Our Guest bringing new and exciting opportunities such as the SNHU Odyssey Team. This group has helped me grow so much as a writer these past few months. And my favorite part of the movie is when they open the library doors. It is like once you have done your basic classes and you have reached the wonders of discovering your degree. This is where things truly get interesting as there may be something that wasn’t there before. And when the end game is in sight, it is like the song, To Be Human Again. There are of course the wolves which the Beast keeps at bay—financial aid and tuition. Unfortunately unavoidable, but as long as I am in school, it can be deferred. The rose itself can be compared to the timeframe in school and how many terms I have left.
While in SNHU, I get the opportunity to be in writing workshops which are a perfect comparison of Belle teaching the Beast to read. The workshops will help me to advance my skills and interact with other students. Tale as Old as Time will be like landing the jackpot of all classes, where I get A’s in my classes, not feeling forced to do any of it. It is when I genuinely can appreciate school. When Belle leaves the castle to help her father, it reminds me of when I took a break between the two colleges. It allowed me time to figure out what I wanted with my future and connect with my needs. There will come a time when I must be let go again once I have finished my degree.
There are external influences trying to mess with my schooling too. Gaston is a good example of the government. He tries to stub Belle’s creativity and inserts himself in any possible way. He tries to get Belle to marry him and keep her in the standard wife role. When Gaston leads the rally against the Beast and the castle, it is like the government taking the budget from the schools. Gaston sabotages the townspeople to think the Beast is a monster, just as the government makes the public think schooling is unimportant for the next generations to come. They keep cutting the arts, and unfortunately, the students are paying for it. There are the students who will rally for what is right knowing the difference the schools make. The colleges and teachers get exhausted just as the Beast does once Gaston finds him. But know the colleges will not give up if students are there to help and support. This is the point where Gaston fails, and the Beast flourishes into the Prince. He will know he is loved and I will graduate knowing the impact SNHU had on me.
Even though there is so much of the story I am leaving out in life and in fiction, there was no better comparison I could compare with than "Beauty and the Beast". The Disney classic is one of my favorites, and I am hoping to fall in love again with the new movie. There is so much adventure to life, and I hope I can learn just as well as Belle does while she went on her journey with the Beast.