“Schools out, schools out; teachers let the monkeys out….” School children everywhere are heard chanting those lyrics with excitement, especially the last day of school; but for some high school seniors, like myself; that exciting day incorporated a lingering sense of fear, sadness and uncertainty. My dreams of going off to college with my friends had been crushed due to a lack of finances, encouragement and information; leaving me to start a life for myself with just a high school diploma. I hailed from a family of hard working coal miners and or preachers; neither of which were well educated nor overly paid. In the early 1960’s, at the age of 16, my father dropped out of high school to go to work on a strip mine where he trained to become a heavy-duty mechanic. (A strip mine is where coal is mined from the top of the ground after the land has been stripped from trees and top soil. A heavy-duty mechanic works on the large equipment that strips the land and mines the coal). A couple of years later, he married my mother who subsequently quit school; and before long, they were parents to four lively children, of which I was the eldest. We were considered an average middle class family in our small, mountain town where my dad worked 40-75 hours a week providing for our family while our mother cared for us and our home. We always had everything we needed and never lacked for anything essential…..until it came time for college. I was an honor student, most of the time, and had dreams of going to college after high school. Unbeknownst to my parents, I even visited the college I wanted to go to and put in an application, all the while knowing they were unable to pay for me to go; and especially there, only an hour away but out-of ... ... middle of paper ... ...barrier. In a time when computers were just coming on the scene and information was not so readily available, I did not have the wisdom to know how to dig deeper and inquire further on my own. Consequently; my lack of information left me unaware of financial aid opportunities that I could have applied for and possibly received. My parents were partially right, hard work and experience paid off; I spent 13 of my 15 years in the grocery business in management and was paid well; however, the lack of further education due to the financial, informational and encouragement barriers, resulted in some missed opportunities along the way. Nonetheless, almost thirty years later I have overcome those barriers and my dream of going to college has been revived. I will graduate…. just in time to send our firstborn off to college with all the information and support she will need.
I am the product of divorced parents, poverty stricken environments, and a blended family, but I refuse to let that dictate the outcome of my life. At the age of ten, I had to assume the role of a fatherly figure to my three siblings, so I missed out on the typical childhood most would have had. I grew up in neighborhoods where gangs and criminal acts of violence were a pervasive occurrence, but I resiliently did not allow the peer pressures of others to force me to conform to their way of life. By the age of 15, I received my worker 's permit, and that allowed me the ability to help my mother financially in the absence of my father’s income. I worked the maximum amount of hours I could while balancing my academics and extracurricular school activities. I was a scholar athlete and triathlete in high school, and although I continuously faced much adversity, I still managed to be accepted to the University of California State, Bakersfield after I graduated from high school in 2005. Sadly, after
From the beginning of high school, students strap on their seatbelts and prepare for one of the most vigorous races of their lives – becoming successful. With the rare occurrence of a break, kids are expected to keep on driving as fast and as powerfully as they can in order to get into a “great” college, which would be followed by graduate school and then an actual job that would make a lot of money. In American society, common values include working hard, determination, and being so productive that free time is not even a question. However, this philosophy is taking a major toll on American college and high school students. For at least 40 years, America’s future has been steadily growing unmotivated, tired, and hopeless due to the overemphasis on performing well in school. This phenomenon is appropriately expounded in William Zinsser’s “College Pressures”, which takes a look at the top four sources of tension that cause these feelings of dejection and agitation. After reading this article, I came up with a few solutions to this national problem. It is time to switch the harsh, over-encouraging green light of education to a comfortable yellow one. In order to make this ideal transition, directors of education across the country need to primarily reduce the amount of out-of-class assignments, lighten the grading system, and incorporate days in the school year that allow students to express their thoughts about school and provide useful feedback.
My parents refused to pay for my car, gas, and education so that I could gain the full experience that life has to offer. Working late hours as a waiter and on the back of a garbage truck has made me a stronger person and I see the value of hard work. Unlike Henry Adams, the education that I am receiving at FAU will be more than just a "regular step". This will be an experience that I have earned and therefore care much more about than he did. At FAU, I will encounter those who come from more and less
I was raised in an encouraging household where both of my parents greatly valued education. Although they were high school graduates, neither could afford to attend college; a combination of family and financial woes ultimately halted their path. As a result, my parents frequently reminded me that getting a good education meant better opportunities for my future. To my parents, that seemed to be the overarching goal: a better life for me than the one they had. My parents wanted me to excel and supported me financially and emotionally of which the former was something their parents were not able to provide. Their desire to facilitate a change in my destiny is one of many essential events that contributed to my world view.
In Chuck Collins article, “The Wealthy Kids Are All Right”, he compares the lives of four completely different college aged adults. One has the advantage of being brought up in an affluent home, so she leaves college debt free, and on the path to a life of high paying jobs and big houses. The next student had to work his way through college, and graduated with over $50,000 in debt and then spent his entire life trying to break through the thick middle class barrier. Another student went to second rate schools and graduated with little debt; yet, his lack of experience in his field and higher education caused him to be stuck in a steady job despite it being low paying. The last student never pursued secondary education since she had to deal
I am Nursing major and with that degree to become a Nurse Practitioner who specializes in the Cardiovascular System to reduce the rate of heart diease in America. I am a hardworking individual and I take my academics very seriously. I understand that I am at school for a purpose and know my purpose is to further my education. I am just trying to make it. My parents always told me growing up “ In order to get something you never had that I will have to do things I have never done.” No one prepared me for college, because I am a first generation college student. In addition to being a first generation college student ; I am also a first generation high school graduate. I use my my parents trials and tribulations as my motivation, because I want
Steve Cohen shows the disparity between the rising cost of college and a family’s capability to afford it. Cohen explains “Tuition has risen almost 1,200 percent in the last 35 years, and the sticker price for many four-year private colleges and out-of-state public universities exceeds $250,000.” Moreover, he goes on to say that even at public universities, it is about $80,000 for four years for tuition and other college related expenses. Later in his article, Cohen explains how this leaves middle-class families in a very uncomfortable situation. The parents or other money-making entities in the household want their student to go to college and earn a degree, but now there can be an element of stress in figuring out how the fees will be paid for. Furth...
It has taken me a long time to come to this point but I am now sure of what I want to do, and what I need to do to achieve my goals. Had I not gone through the countless jobs and educational paths, I would have never come to the one that I finally know I will love and it will benefit me as a person, and benefit my family financially.
In the article “America’s Most Overrated Product: The Bachelor’s Degree” by Marty Nemko, the author argues several different views on why higher education may be very overestimated. For starters, the author shares his opinion more than anything else due to him being a career counselor. The purpose of this essay is to explain to the readers that most people start off with the idea of living the American Dream. Which is practically going to college to have a better life and career. But over the time the idea of working very hard for a Bachelor’s degree has become very dimmed. Furthermore, for some people, when they think of the American Dream they think of hope for bettering themselves and also helping their families. Unlike the author, Nemko feels that even the thought of trying to pursue to get a bachelor’s degree is overrated. The audience of this passage would most likely be teenagers going into college and parents. Nemko states that “Colleges are quick to argue that a college education is more
Imagine turning into someone unrecognizable and watching as your life rips apart, a life that you worked so hard for, because all hope is lost. You have hit the bottom of “the well of life”, and deep inside this “well of life” you understand it’s all because of students.
Going to college is expensive. The average state school will cost around $10,000 per year, and a private university can run for up to $35,000 each year in tuition. When books and living fees are added, most students can not even hope to pay for the costs by themselves and simply accrue debt via student loans. A great number of these students weigh the costs and benefits and most come out with the conclusion that attaining that college degree will pay off in the end when they get those coveted careers with the high salaries. Each and every one of America’s youth has been told time and time again to go to college, because without those four years and that little piece of paper, what hope do they have of being hired by anyone other than McDonald’s?
I did grow up in Woodbridge, VA, with a very normal upbringing. I always knew I had less options to pay for a very expensive college tuition than any of my friends I grew up with. I I have always known I have had to work harder than most of them. I applied to endless amounts of scholarships, all the while my friends just had to apply for Federal Student Aid. In my first semester of community college, I was only eligible for out-of-state tuition, and that was the only semester my dad was able to help me
My parents have this perfect life for me pictured in their heads, and the first thing they see me doing is going to college. They expect the best of me, and so by going to college, I will not only have fulfilled their goals for me, but I will have accomplished one of the goals I have set for myself. In our culture, when parents come to the age where they can’t support themselves, it is the duty of the children to look after them.
Many years ago I remember my parents telling me that in order for me to become successful a college education was a must. They always told me that if I wasn’t in school I could no longer live at home. Both of my parents attended college but neither of them finished. They did not want me to go down that same road because they really regret not getting their degrees.
I get that it is not all about money, but my family does identify with the upper-middle class, which allows me to have a lot of resources and privileges. I have always had access to really good and affordable health care, something that I never thought about until now and definitely take advantage of it. I never have to worry about going to the doctors when I feel ill, as I know I am covered by insurance and can afford to do so. The care I receive too is always top of the line and some of the best doctors available. I also have always had access to education. I went to pre-school to begin with and then 12 years of public schooling and now college. I am extremely thankful that my family can afford to send me to college, as I am well aware that that is something that tons of people do not get to do. With that being said, I am not eligible for any scholarships as my family is stated to make too much money. I do understand that a lot of people cannot afford it and need those scholarships, but I have always had a hard time with that since my family has a lot of other expenses and could use the money too to help pay with my college. I feel really guilty typing that, but I also get really frustrated that I am not eligible for any scholarships due to how I identify. Continuing on, identifying with the class I do, I do strive to work as hard as I can so that I can continue to have