High School Graduate in the Real World
With surprisingly minimal reluctance I face my new life. My heart is filled with excitement, while my mind teems with anxiety. Everything has changed. I suppose it really hasn’t, but it seems as if one little difference can make you feel like the whole world is turning inside out. I go about what will soon become routine for me without any second thoughts. Perhaps none of this has sunk in yet. I sit alone in a tiny cubicle only about five feet square and examine my new surroundings. I have been given all the little luxuries that such an entrapment can afford. The outdated computer that noisily hums and groans, looking for sympathy. The adding machine, the pens, the highlighter, piles of papers and documents. It is all that I have right now. I am dressed in a new gray business suit, one of many gifts that I recently received. A new dress code for a new lifestyle.
Only two days earlier I was standing on a stage, looking out on nearly one thousand people, summing up thirteen years in five minutes. How do you express what effect thirteen years of schooling have had on you and your classmates in a new and unused way? My valedictorian address was one of the hardest papers-or speeches in this case-that I ever had to compose.
The effort put into it also made it the most rewarding as well. “For a college application I was asked what saying I would publicize if given the opportunity. My answer was ‘Living is doing, not merely being.’” Those two sentences were my favorite part of the speech. I talked about taking charge of our own lives and making a positive difference in the world. I didn’t waste any time following my own advice. Two days later I am starting what will probably become one of the most challenging but personally fulfilling experiences of my life.
At six o’clock this morning my alarm clock once again did not fail to wake me from my peaceful state. I can be so resentful of that. Only seconds before I had been driving as quickly as my car would go around hairpin turns on a seemingly endless highway with a strong cool breeze blowing my hair in all directions. The remorseless beeping brought me back to reality. I went about my usual morning routine, except this time my destination would not be the same.
My car slows as it approaches a stoplight. I take this opportunity to allow my mind to become engulfed with my surroundings: the bright fierce red of the traffic light, the brilliant blue sky with its specs clouds, and the mass of hurried people. The four corners of the intersection are filled with people who are preoccupied with their fast-paced lives to notice the little things, such as animals and anxious cars awaiting the traffic light. My thoughts vigorously put all of the information that my mind has gathered from the intersection to order.
The speech I chose was Cal Ripken Jr.’s it was given at the Orioles home ball park, Camden Yards at his last home game before retiring. It is a special occasion speech and was given in front of over 48,000 fans. He used a tried and true opening sentence that although a little altered had a very familiar ring. He opened with “As a kid, I had this dream” a very loose but familiar take on MLK’s “I have a dream”. This was a great attention getter and probably had people on their feet immediately. This audience was already motivate to hear his speech so that was not an issue. Most of the fans were there for the purpose of hearing his retirement speech. He did not preview his points in the introduction he addressed those in the body of his speech one at a time. He did not try to establish credibility as he was speaking about himself so who knows more about him than himself.
Graduating high school was really exciting for me, but at the same time I was apprehensive because I knew it was a significant milestone in my life and I didn't know what to expect with college. However, the freedoms provided by college ending up being wonderful. I love being able to completely manage my time on my own and make my own decisions. I graduate college next May. If I were not going to grad school I would probably be dreading it because I don't think I'm ready for the "real world" and having a 9-5 job yet. So, since I am continuing my education it's going to be exciting since I will be moving to a new state and meeting new people.
The speaker organized the presentation very well and made it easy to follow for the audience. She chose words that got the message across clearly and were not difficult to understand. Since this was targeted at a younger audience, she simplified the concepts and was very specific. The sentences of the speech were structured appropriately, and had no grammatical errors. She also included some transitions in between, especially when moving from one idea to the next which made the flow
“Zachary’s attentiveness to Sunny had begun with no warning”(Joyce Carol Oates, 572), attentiveness without warning? What a mystery! So put on your detective hat and buckle up your shoes! Two unlikely candidates that knew of each other all their lives and were given numerous opportunities to connect, yet it is not until the second half of their senior year that Zachary dare breathe a word. If that is not the synopsis of a story written by John Green, I am unaware of what is. Why has Zachary chosen now to show an interest? Joyce Carol Oates groundbreaking short story of the 20th century “Life after High School” presents us with the mystifying themes of our search for penance,
I drop my vigil as I drive through Henderson Nevada. From the clouds, mountains and small skyscrapers, the twilight cast a weird silhouette around the city. I felt safe, as if the ratio of civilians had the police outnumbered. I turn off the radio to sense the silence that Lake Mead evoked in the sunset. Winding up the highway, the sky pulled like a magnet, my hair stood on end, the roof of the car like static electricity. I head north-west towards Vegas into the orange twilight. I light a joint and savor the powerful ringing in my ears as I focus my attention on the electric silence, invisibly driving me into Las Vegas.
Wiping the sleepies out of my eyes, I quickly glanced at my alarm clock – 5 am. “Good, I’ve got plenty of time,” I thought to myself. As quietly as possible, which never works when I am trying to, I quickly grabbed a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Checking my list and grabbing my gear I headed out to wait for a taxi in the cool fading morning. I could taste the excitement, or was that the humidity?
“What are your plans after high school?.”, This is a question that everyone is asked multiple times throughout the course of their lives. Sometimes it is just something that they themselves ponder in their own thoughts. What someone does after high school should be something that is not only interesting to that person, but will ultimately lead them into a career that they will loved and enjoy. A great career that is definitely worth considering is that of a paramedic. The job description of a paramedic is very broad and can have many affects on a person's life. But not only is this job greatly fulfilling to someone’s personal life, it is also very fulfilling to someone else’s life as well. It is a fast paced, adrenaline fueled job that requires more than the faint of heart. It requires a person who not only enjoys the thrill of the rush and a hard adrenaline pump, but is also content with
For example, on Sunday morning they get to church in time for Sunday school and are part of the praise and worship. They are the first to greet newcomers to the church and handle the prayer requests. For them, the middle of the week service, which is typically held on Wednesday, is just as important as Sunday morning services. If there is a revival scheduled for everyday of the week, they are in attendance. These individuals consistently donate ten percent of their incomes to their churches: a practice known as tithing. Not paying tithes is not an option; tithes take priority over their bills and are paid out of any income they recei...
The third maddening buzz of my alarm woke me as I groggily slid out of bed to the shower. It was the start of another routine morning, or so I thought. I took a shower, quarreled with my sister over which clothes she should wear for that day and finished getting myself ready. All of this took a little longer than usual, not a surprise, so we were running late. We hopped into the interior of my sleek, white Thunderbird and made our way to school.
During high school, I did not have to study as hard as I do now that I am in college. Usually, I would be able to study the day before the test and score a hundred percent. Although, occasionally, I would be able to skip a few classes and get the notes from a classmate or of course, resort to guessing. However, now that I am in college, the lectures require much more attentiveness and are more complex: composing more information, meaning that one has to proportion time more responsibly and take an advantage of good study habits. My learning skills have made a complete transformation since I have been in college. I learned new things and I actually enjoy learning new things. Nevertheless, these changes required a lot of self control and practice. Going through these experiences have changed my entire persona about learning such as study habits, being more attentive during classes, and going through greater extents to succeed in certain classes.
I scarcely snoozed at all, the day before; incidentally, I felt insecure regarding the fact of what the unfamiliar tomorrow may bring and that was rather unnerving. After awakening from a practically restless slumber, I had a hefty breakfast expecting that by the conclusion of the day, all I wanted to do is go back home and sleep. Finally, after it was over, my dad gladly drove me to school; there, stood the place where I would spend my next four years of my life.
It was one of the most exciting and nerve racking days of our lives. Although we were finally leaving high school, the feeling of being unsure didn’t go away. The whole day was full of practicing for the big moment when the entire class graduated on to a new beginning. All the girls wore shiny bright red robes and the guys were dressed in a shiny navy blue. Standing there, I had no idea what to expect. Some things I were aware of, my friends were leaving and we wouldn’t be the same friends anymore. My role was that of being so aware of the future that I was too shocked to soak in the present; being a pessimist was my main goal and everything I was sure of became true.
After a quick breakfast, I pulled some of my gear together and headed out. The car ride of two hours seemed only a few moments as I struggled to reinstate order in my chaotic consciousness and focus my mind on the day before me. My thoughts drifted to the indistinct shadows of my memory.
These past eight years could only be described as a marvelous journey filled with unexpected experiences and rewarding life lessons. More so, my life is not even remotely similar to the way I had imagined it in the beginning of summer of 2008, my high school’s graduation.