A Brave New World… Or is it?
Historically, there has been pretty universal high regard for the opportunity to be had from moving out to the West Coast, starting with the gold rush, and now as a haven for entrepreneurs. So when I was given the opportunity to come study out in San Francisco with Northeastern, I jumped at the opportunity. However, some people I knew were more skeptical of the idea. I was warned about sprawling homelessness, lawless abandonment of societal norms, even the very descriptive threat that somebody will come defecate on my front porch and clean up with my newspaper. This stark contrast in perception about my upcoming experience in San Francisco was reminiscent of some literature I had recently consumed, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. The State City of London appeared to be the perfect place to live, just like San Francisco. Everyone had opportunity and lived in harmony. On the surface everything seemed perfect, however, with this dystopia, came with its own issues like those present in San Francisco. Despite this, I made the journey across the country with an open mind, ready to discover what life in San Francisco was really like.
When I landed, I admittedly had a relatively stereotypical experience. Once I got off the plane, I called my uber (a former SF startup), my driver told me all about how amazing the Bay Area is and all the opportunity that exists. So when I opened the door to my new apartment, it felt like I was walking into a new chapter of my life. But like many things in life, there must be balance, and some cons soon followed the string of pros I had just experienced. The apartment was run down, and didn't look like the pictures we were sent for reference. However, things worked out, my roommates and I cleaned up the place, and now we are all comfortably settled in.
The logical next step was to explore. Fisherman’s Wharf, the Presidio, Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, and everywhere else touristy that you can think of. Soon after the exploring, it was time for what I flew out here for, education. The cohort of of us here for the Semester in San Francisco made the trek across town to our new academic home, We Work, at 600 California Street.
Here we met our program leader, and had orientation for the next four months of education, before we began our online coursework, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We all still hold out hope that the city of San Francisco will allow us to hold in person classes, but thusfar, that is not the case. And that is where I am today: taking online classes from the comfort of my apartment in San Francisco.
Admittedly, the experience has not been the perfect. Renting an apartment in downtown San Francisco for online coursework is not one of the best financial decisions I have made, but we are all making the best of the situation. It is inspiring to be surrounded by so much evidence of entrepreneurial spirit, and the educational experience is much more practical and applicable to our future business careers than my previous experiences with Northeastern Coursework.
Returning to the comparison to Brave New World, while California may appear to be a promised land, filled with opportunity, it is nowhere near perfect. You see plenty of hardship everywhere you go. But, it is not like Huxley’s novel, where those who don’t conform are not accepted into greater society. Instead, California is one of the most diverse and accepting places I have been to. And all of the fearmongering I faced before i made my trek out here was from a lack of understanding about the San Francisco. Everywhere has its own set of problems to deal with. There are two ways to handle the struggle you see on a daily basis walking around the city. You can let it get you down, and think unfavorably about the city, or it can be a reminder of how fortunate we are to not be in that situation, and let it serve as motivation to always grind, and maintain the dedication and entrepreneurial spirit the Bay Area and San Francisco are known for.