Recently I was asked, "How did you end up in college?" It sounded simple enough, but when it came down to writing it I had no clue on where to start. Who influenced me to stay on track, and how did they do so? My mind was blank, but I have never been a person of many words. The truth is I never really gave it too much thought. Growing up I always had college as a goal, but I've found that what I thought I would be going to college to become and what I am actually doing in college proved to be two completely different things. During high school I joined student government and the high school debate team with the encouragement of my best friend Chace Mickleson. Chace was a metro kid, all the guys thought he was gay and all the girls loved him. This kid is the most motivated, positive and articulate kid you will ever meet. We grew up across the street from each other. He lived in a small white house and my family had a house built across the street from his family. He once told me the story about how his parents forced him to come over and offer to play with my brother and I. He didn't want to, but he had too. Little did we know, it would turn out to be a life long friendship. My choice to join the debate team undoubtedly changed my focus from sports to academics, something I never saw myself doing. This was the best and worst choice of my life, I gave up my starting position on the Highland football team a team I dreamed of playing for since I was a wee lad. By doing so I accumulated a 3.6 GPA and spent my weekends waking up at 8 a.m. and traveling around Idaho to various debate tournaments. My debate partner, Nichelle Klosterbore, was a genius, and I was surrounded by pretty girls all weekend. Nichell... ... middle of paper ... ...e time, I gave credit to God, but by now have become an atheist, 100% convinced that God is not real. But I wont lie about the fact that at the time I believed in God is what saved my life. At this low time in my life, the thought of god and the hope it provided me with saved my life. I am doing good in school, I am happy with my life choices and where I am headed. After all is said and done, I am thankful for the people in my life for putting up with me, while providing me with the support I needed to go on. I hope you can use my story to help motivate you. I wrote this so when you read it you can realize that no matter how messed up things can seem sometimes, as long as you stay strong it will all work out. I'll end this by saying that the only thing that can hold you back from achieving what you want is yourself. It's cliche, I know, but its true.
In the reading “Who Goes to College” written by Cecilia Rodriguez Milanes I was able to see myself in her situation. When she was a senior she had no idea what she was going to do her following year, all she knew was that her parents wanted her to attend college. She always wanted to work, she liked being able to provide for herself but her parents always told her that college would come first. She had no clue of how college worked, what classes she would take or what she would do there. After all the confusion she had of what college truly is, she began to love it. I believe that Cecilia Rodriguez chose the right path, even though she was not completely sure of what she wanted to do she always worked hard and never let any obstacle put her
Picture this. You are heading off to college to begin the next chapter of your life. It is a moment you have always been waiting for. You are past the high school drama, and are ready to start taking classes that will allow you to obtain a degree in something you have always been passionate about. It’s your first week on campus and you are invited to a party being hosted by a group of upper classman. You show up to the party and immediately are handed a red cup with what you know is something you shouldn’t be drinking. You take a sip anyway and soon start talking to that guy in the corner who at first seems friendly, but soon begins to take advantage of you. Just like that everything changes. This is a situation millions of people face every
My transition to college was successful, but it was nonetheless one of the most stressful times in my life. Unlike many of my peers at Saint Louis University, my rural high school experience did not truly prepare me for the academic rigors of college. Despite extensive preparation, I performed rather poorly on the first round of exams. While I didn’t fail any particular exam, my performance was seriously lacking. I knew that getting C’s on exams would not serve me well in the pursuit of my dream of becoming a physician. I remember feeling, for the first time in my life, that I was unintelligent and incompetent. I was also heavily fatigued from the excessive hours of studying, which I felt were necessary to reconcile the problem. I managed to
College has a extensive impact on a person that some people simply don’t realize. When I first started college, I was a little close-minded and unsure about what it was I wanted to do with the rest of my life. When I was halfway through my freshman year, I decided to completely change my path in life. I left ECU, moved into an apartment, transferred to Pitt and declared my major intended sonography. Then suddenly I hated what I was doing, I had to take a step back and truly evaluate my life and what it was I was meant to do. I was completely lost. Then one day I received a text from a friend telling me to apply to a hospital located in Chesapeake, Virginia. I did, and I got the job. When I told my parents they were less than thrilled, they didn’t like the idea of me taking a year off from school to work, but I thought long and hard about what was best for me and decided it was something I was meant to do, it was the path I needed to follow. I worked for a year while living at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. I was completely independent, providing for myself 100 percent. While working this job, I realized that what I wanted to do and what I was called to do in life was become a nurse, which is something I would have never figured out had I not seriously weighed my options
My college career started with me just going to school to take PE classes while neglecting my main required core classes and always pushing them aside without any urgency to succeed in finishing school. A couple of years would go by with little to no progress and lack of motivation to succeed in finishing my college required classes. Soon landing a career oriented job and finding myself dropping out of college to focus on my work career. From this point and time I would learn the importance of school and the value of finish college through my years of experience at work. This awareness of value in finishing college would motivate me to want to go back to school. Soon I would find myself at American River College counseling center. Here I was coming back to school unsure of myself and in an environment where I previously never found success in school. After meeting with my counselor I was recommended to take a college success course. This course is part of a program called the Accelerated College Education (ACE). Because I was able to learn along the years being out of school the importance of gaining an education I gained a new motivation for school, signed up for this ACE program, and enroll in the college success
My high school experience was different from most in the sense that I was enrolled in an early college program. This meant earning dual credit and graduating with a high school diploma, an associate’s degree, and the chance to enroll at a four-year university as any typical high school student would. This also meant finding a new mode of transportation since the community college served as the high school campus and the only working car in the family was my father’s way to get to work. We met with the school principal on numerous occasions to discuss this issue and see what could be done, but it looked like this was going to be one opportunity I would be unable to take advantage of — I even missed the orientation week for incoming freshmen
"Tomorrow is the first day of what I will become." I wrote this in my diary the night before my first day of college. I was anxious as I imagined the stereotypical college room: intellectual students, in-depth discussions about neat stuff, and of course, a casual professor sporting the tweed jacket with leather elbows. I was also ill as I foresaw myself drowning in a murky pool of reading assignments and finals, hearing a deep, depressing voice ask "What can you do with your life?" Since then, I've settled comfortably into the college "scene" and have treated myself to the myth that I'll hear my calling someday, and that my future will introduce itself to me with a hardy handshake. I can't completely rid my conscience from reality, however. My university education and college experience has become a sort of fitful, and sleepless night, in which I have wonderful dreams and ideas, but when I awaken to apply these aspirations, reality sounds as a six thirty alarm and my dreams are forgotten.
My life has been full of so many events. I’ve lived through many hard times combatting my anxiety and depression, while having family problems, and trouble with many other areas in my life. School was a daily problem, and a problem that couldn’t really be avoided or fixed. I really hope that the rest of my life goes in this upward climb pattern that I am in right now, although I expect to have my ups and downs, but now I at least know that I am prepared for them.
As the end of my senior year in high school approached, I had to make an important decision. What school was I going to spend the next few years of my life at? When the financial aid packages arrived, I was torn between two colleges. After sitting down with my mother and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of both schools, I came to my final decision. It seemed like a year ago I was imagining what college life would be like and suddenly before my eyes, I would be a college student in a matter of four months.
When I first enrolled here at State University, I never thought I would ever be in the position to graduate. Finishing college was a huge goal growing up but it was also my biggest fear. But after three and a half years of dedication I plan to get my degree in the fall. Getting this far in college was not easy, it took encouragement from family, dedication, and assistance from others to reach this position.
What will I do for the rest of my life? Every person asks this question at some stage of their life, usually during their later teenage years. As a high school junior, I am now asking myself this question. After considerable thought, I have devised a tentative plan for my future. I realize that some of these plans and goals may change over time, but with a plan, the first steps of the journey can begin. To prepare me for the journey, I have taken very challenging high school curriculum, such as Honors and Advanced Placement courses. These classes will not only assist in my admission to college, but have also helped me to develop strong study skills and time management.
Having a job made me fear starting college because I knew it was going to be a lot of weight on my shoulders. Though, I knew if I wanted a better life that meant I would have to go back to school. Meaning I had to do both school and work because of my car payment and other bills. After a year of being out from high school, I decided to take a chance and start college. Getting an education has always caused stressed upon me. School did not come easily to me, like how it does for most others. College is not easy to handle when you are having to juggle time, work, and other responsibilities.
must stick with it. A cabinet could be opened at home and a variety of tasty
Schedules are a difficult thing to balance. A person must find the time to complete a number of tasks in a day. A normal adult may have time to get everything done and still have time to spare. The normal college student on the other hand is constantly on the go. College students have busy schedules that include working, studying, and socializing.
A recent failure that has changed how I go about my daily life is one that many college freshman experience in their first year. In high school I was a very good student, but I did not have to put in a lot of effort to get the grades that I wanted. I would joke with my friends and say that high school taught me how to put in the least amount of effort, and still get the maximum result. All of my teachers told me, as they did every student, that college was going to be different and if you do not put in more effort it would be very difficult. I knew this coming into school, but I am not sure if part of me wanted to prove people wrong, or if I actually was just adjusting to college life. I did not study as much as I should of, and as a result my grades suffered. Luckily I did not completely ruin my grade point average, but since first semester I have completely changed my study habits. This has taught a much needed lesson about hard work, and I am determined to never again fail at my studies. I am the kind of person that learns a lot from failures. My dad has always told me it is ok to make a mistake, but never make the same mistake twice. This I a motto that I live by.