Campus in the Sky
When I was 18 I moved out of my parent's house into what most would consider a small two bedroom apartment with a friend. To me it was a kingly palace because it was mine. A dishwasher that didn't work, a room so small that my bed barely fit, and bathroom I had trouble turning around in without running into a wall. Still, it was my own, and that was all that mattered. I worked a 9-5 job, scraping every penny to get by. It took two years for me to realize that there had to be something better. I wanted a better life, a better education, and a job that would not just pay my bills, but give me mental satisfaction as well. It was then, at the age of 20 that I decided to pack my bags and get an education.
I considered it a new start to my life and enrolled at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. I had never lived outside of the Denver Metro area and I wasn't sure what to expect. I read all the materials from the college, all the pamphlets, and did as much research about the town as I could. The college was nicknamed, “The Campus in the Sky,” and the pictures showed a sprawling campus set atop a golden mountain with forests all around. So, with a bit of fear and a great deal of excitement, I packed my bags, loaded my truck and set off for a small mountain town where my life would be reborn.
I started heading south and two hours after leaving home I began to wonder what I had gotten myself into. It was a bright Saturday morning in August and the heat of the summer absorbing into the dark interior of my truck left me sweltering. Trying to save money, I dared not turn on the air conditioning. The remnants of my former life were packed into boxes that filled every open space of my oven on wheels.
After passing Colorado Springs, I was met with open land on either side as far as I could see. There was nothing but flat prairie on either side with an occasional road aptly named “Boondocks,” or “Dead End Road,” veering off east or west. Seeing those names nearly made me turn back. “Where am I going, and why?” I thought to myself.
Zhang X., Tang H., Ye C. and Liu M. (2006). Structure-based drug design: NMR-based approach for ligand-protein interactions. Drug Discovery Today: Technologies. 3 (3), pp. 241-245.
“Driving west from Fargo on I–94, the freeway that cuts through the state of North Dakota, you’ll encounter a road so lonely, treeless, and devoid of rises and curves in places that it will feel like one 5 long-held pedal steel guitar note” (Marquart, 1-5). In the passage from The Horizontal World, Debra Marquart reveals her love for the upper Midwest region of North Dakota. Countless people who visit this region do not enjoy the site due to the location. Numerous visitors would describe the Midwest region to be boring and vacant. With the use of impressive diction and detailed allusions Marquart can show the audience that the region has outstanding characteristics and value.
The start if college is like the end of one’s childhood. Yet I had no intension of letting that go when I woke up yesterday at 7:00 am. Still, like high school, my mom dropped me off and picked me up; copping almost the exact same routine from the four years I spent in high school. Just as I thought this ought to be the easiest way of transportation, my mom proved me wrong once we reached the University of Washington’s parking lot.
One of the biggest influences that I had when coming to this decision was my family. When I was younger I never realized how much we struggled financially. I always had new clothes, enough to eat, a roof over my head, etc. It wasn’t
While I wish finding my way around the school was my only problem, I was faced with some internal challenges. As the school year started, my friends slowly started to leave to these “big shot” colleges or simply move away to other community colleges. I, too, wanted the complete “college experience” somewhere in Arizona or across the country; yet I felt stuck and unaccomplished. I also felt jealousy which could have been because I did not get to decorate my dorm room.While talking about dedicating hard work to your education, Gina Rodriguez said “Just remember, during those times of fear and doubt, that you are right now discovering your true strength.” And in those times of doubt, I reminded myself why I could not just move and leave everything behind. The root of my challenges and concerns are my family. As I enrolled as a full time student, my family was fighting some financial problems which created marriage troubles for my parents. I could not leave at a time like this. I knew it was not the first time my parents were talking divorce but somehow I knew it was best to stay. I got financial aid from the school which saved me the fuss of asking my parents for money. It really meant so much to not put another worry on their
As I walked toward a bus full of strangers, using my sunglasses to shield the tears forming in my eyes, I couldn’t help but to be apprehensive of what was to become of the next twenty-three days of my life. As I trudged up the stairs of the bus leaving behind all that was known, I couldn’t help but wonder; What have I gotten myself into?
-Wong, D. T., Bymaster, F. P., Horng, J. S., & Molloy, B. B. (1975). A new selective inhibitor
Since my father remained in Haiti while we made our home here in the states, by the time I was in my late teens I soon realized that I was the leader of my family. The apartment complex where we lived was increasingly becoming unsafe and it was very clear that I had to move us out of that environment into a safer one. I worked hard and saved up and when I was 23 years old I was fortunate enough to have my first major accomplishment by purchasing my own house where I moved in my mother, my 3 sisters, my younger brother, and occasionally my father. It made me feel good that I could provide a safer living environment for my entire family.
When you love the Desert Southwest, sometime, somewhere, you will stumble into the writings of Ed Abbey. Like me, Ed was not born there; he discovered his love of the place while riding a boxcar through it on a trip across the US; I discovered mine on a trip through myself. His writings helped lead me home, for that is what the desert southwest is to me: home. I don’t live there for one simple reason, i.e., I have not yet been able to put myself in the financial situation I need to be in. For now, I visit when I can, mostly during my long vacations at Christmas.
It’s fair to say that life on the road is something most people do not desire, as a way to live out their days; but a young man named Chris McCandless believed it was necessary to avoid the venomous grips of society. McCandless goes as far as to venture out to the rest of the United States and even crossing borders to achieve his true destination, Alaska. He shows us living such a life can hold many unique and wonderful experiences. Consequently, he also shows us the difficulties that most do not expect upon leaving for such a journey. Many speak about the advantages, like the freedom they enjoy, and the wondrous relationships formed along the way; but even so, some disadvantages outweigh the advantages, like the
Numb3rs is an American television series which is produced by Ridley and Tony Scott. The stories are based on Federal Bureau of Investigation teams and mathematics professors. A typical episode would consist of a crime, which is then investigated and solved by Don’s team (an FBI agent) and mathematically described by Charlie. The insights which are presented by Charlie’s mathematics are most crucial part of the climax where the crime is solved.
That summer after school I just wanted to find a job and start making some money. Going to college for anther four year was something I thought I could not handle. I final got a job at UPS unloading trucks. At first I thought how hard could it be? But every day I would come home exhausted from working in the heat. And then when I got tiny pay check, it hit me. From then on I decided that manual labor was something that I could not do the rest of my life and I could definitely not support a family on that income. A job behind a desk in the air conditioning was what I wanted.
...resence of my parents upstairs, despite the brain scrambling heat of the sauna, I suddenly felt homesick, and realized I yearned to be in my basement. The pitted feeling in my stomach grew stronger as I realized it is not the basement of my childhood that I miss, it is the basement of my fraternity house where Kegs littered the floors like toys and pledges were hazed like the violent was games my youth. I found another cycle came to a close, and I found myself separated from what I had once known. The basement used to be my sanctuary, the place I could dream in. Standing just outside a basement no longer mine while still profusely sweating from the sauna, a crisp late August breeze gently cooled my body. I deeply inhaled the last moments of summer knowing full well that fleeting changes that often accompany seasonal transition were no longer of any concern to me.
Everything seems like it’s falling out of place, it’s going too fast, and my mind is out of control. I think these thoughts as I lay on my new bed, in my new room, in this new house, in this new city, wondering how I got to this place. “My life was fine,” I say to myself, “I didn’t want to go.” Thinking back I wonder how my father felt as he came home to the house in Stockton, knowing his wife and kids left to San Diego to live a new life. Every time that thought comes to my mind, it feels as if I’m carrying a ten ton boulder around my heart; weighing me down with guilt. The thought is blocked out as I close my eyes, picturing my old room; I see the light brown walls again and the vacation pictures of the Florida and camping trip stapled to them. I can see the photo of me on the ice rink with my friends and the desk that I built with my own hands. I see my bed; it still has my checkered blue and green blanket on it! Across from the room stands my bulky gray television with its back facing the black curtain covered closet. My emotions run deep, sadness rages through my body with a wave of regret. As I open my eyes I see this new place in San Diego, one large black covered bed and a small wooden nightstand that sits next to a similar closet like in my old room. When I was told we would be moving to San Diego, I was silenced from the decision.
I made the decision to come to Baylor early in 1999 while my freshman year was still in session. At first, people thought I was joking about leaving, but when I persisted in telling them, they had no choice but to accept my decision. I had spent most of my life with some of these people, while some I had known for less than a year. I didn't think about that in the beginning. At first I was excited to go, but about the time of this party, the anxiety of leaving hit me like a sledgehammer. The party was August 10th. I left for Baylor ten days later on August 20th. Those ten days were some of the most anxious of my entire life. Was I willing to give up my happy existence to step into an unknown world of doubt? Well, as you may have guessed, since I am writing this paper, I was willing to take that chance. The question of whether it was worth it or not has yet to be answered.