Welcome to “My Cognizant Journey”

Greetings and welcome! I’m glad you’re here.

My name is Brandan Oates, and I’m an undergraduate student at Illinois State University studying Business Education. Originally from a small town in northern Illinois, going to a school with 42 times the amount of students than I’m used to has taught me a lot. My first night on campus was a time to try and fathom my new lifestyle, and I’ve definitely come a long way.

Regardless, it has been a fruitful journey – one that I wouldn’t trade for the world. And that’s why you’re reading this right now. I want to share it with you. I want to share my experiences as time passes and as I continue to immerse my millennial self into this ever-changing world. Oxford Dictionaries defines cognizant as “having knowledge or being aware of.” Learning never ends, so being cognizant will be an ongoing process that I’ll always be looking to expand…a “journey” if you will.

Before, I never had a strong enough urge to create and maintain a personal blog, but I think 2017 is different, even though it is already March. (Late is better than never, right? Well, we can discuss that later.)

Let’s see, what else do I need to tell you about this new blog of mine? Oh yes, I anticipate this blog to be a free-flowing canvas of thoughts, and that will be reflected my writing style. Don’t be alarmed if you come across everyday speech. That’s on purpose. My intention is for these posts to be fun to read and to tell a story: a story that excites, inspires, entertains, and makes you ponder. If not, then I have failed as the author. Please never hesitate to post comments. Let’s cultivate some conversation.

Please know that this blog will not follow any timed schedule. Posts will occur as thoughts are created: spontaneously. If anything sparked your interest, consider following on Facebook or here on WordPress. Who knows? It might come in handy for a rainy day. Until next time…strive for cognizance and enjoy your journey.