In the book Tuesdays with Morrie, How did the death of his uncle change Mitch's life?

In his 20's Mitch left for New York City with a dream of being a famous musician, a piano player. However, for the first time in his life, he failed at an endeavor. The wakeup call of his uncle dying from cancer was a big part of the characterization of Mitch. He realized he was going to die eventually and needed something to show for his life. As a result, he went back to school and got a masters degree in journalism.