Extraordinarily ExtraOrdinary
I've always held the belief that extraordinary people were born of extraordinary circumstances. Or at least, I did.
We grow up to the tune of the stories of princesses and princes, heroes and villains, witches and wizards,andotherfantastical,one-dimensionalcharactersmeanttosatisfyourremarkablechild-like imaginations. Yet, they also succeed in distracting us from the fact that our worl dviews are covertly being shaped with unrealistic expectations for a one -dimensional world. A world where if you are deserving and special enough, greatness will come to you. A giant stranger will come whisk you away to a world where you are given special powers because you are the "chosen one". Someone from the future will come and force you to realize your true potential and importance in the grand scheme of things. Against all odds, a legendary ring will come to you instantly cementing your place in the fate of your world.
It is important to remember that all these pieces of fiction have several key elements in common. They assure you that it is
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I tried to stifle the feelings of discontent and make the best of my situation, but as time passed the feelings only grew to engulf my entire being. My intuition led me to set aside a year of self reflection and then attend communitycollege full-time, which my parents, remarkably, supported. I felt as though these preset deadlines of maturation did not fit me and were pushing me away from the introspection I desperately needed to recognize and think about the direction in which I wanted my life to progress. That year provided me the clarity I had let slip from my grasp in order to fit in. In order to truly see and escape the constricting uniformity of everyday life, I allowed myself to deviate from the social constructs that kept me tethered to muddy waters. While not instantly gratifying and difficult at times, the leap I made to attend community college is one I cele brate without
As can be seen, The many negative assumptions about community college students were clearly proven to be wrong and misinformed. hopefully, I have put these unfair claims to rest. However, no matter what assumptions people may have about community college students, I can safely say that we will prove them to be wrong by continuingly be hardworking students in order
One major decision one must make after exiting high school is whether to go to a university or go to community college. In the article “Two Year Are Better Than Four,” written by Liz Addison. She expressed her opinion on the significance of community colleges in comparison with the university. She stated that community college do not receive the acknowledgment and appreciation that they deserve. “what’s the matter with colleges?,” (Addison 255). although, there is a lot to agree with within the article there are some faulty statements that two year colleges don’t offer the best education possible and that community college are more engaging and individualized for a student and the price is also much less expensive than a university education.
Community college is the next step for higher education. Sara E. Keene explains the path she took to achieve the american dream in Keene’s article “Higher education and ‘The American Dream,’”. Keene quickly becomes disappointed with community colleges because instead of helping break down down social classes, ethnicity, and other social barriers and opportunities they are encouraging them. Keene wants all students to be equally challenged to reach their full potential. Just like her professors Ted Hamilton and Paula Clarke challenged her to reach their full potential. Keene believes that remedial courses do not help challenge students to become successful. I agree that all students should
No matter the previous career path, preventive circumstances, prior academic history or lack of self-confidence, these colleges provide the tools for anyone to further their education. The common students at these facilities understand the importance of education because they’ve experienced the beast of life. One could argue that perhaps this understanding goes a bit deeper than that of one at a four year institution. Any way you slice it, community colleges offer the ability for everyone to academically arrive on common ground. This should be a triumph, not a
Attendance at a technical college or local 2-year school was deplorably referenced to as “loser’s territory” and if you dared to enroll in one anyway and followed through to graduation, well you were congratulated but to a lackluster fanfare. Some community college graduates still receive this reception upon exit of a community college but attitudes are definitely changing. Today more than ever, degree-seeking individuals are paving the path to their careers through the entrance and exit doors of community colleges. These well-informed leaders of the new school have realized a smarter way to education; that a bachelor’s degree or taking a traditional route to obtain one is not necessarily the best or right way to be a successful and employable member of society.
For the past few decades, receiving a college education has been a stressed importance in today’s society. However it is often misunderstood that attending a 4-year school is the best and only way to go. Following this belief, many students attend these schools with out being academically, financially, or mentally prepared. Unfortunately students like this have failed to over look the more realistic options available to them, such as community college. Junior college is a resource available to anyone regardless of his or her previous academic performance. The variety of courses and the inexpensive tuition gives students flexibility to explore the many options presented to them. Though Universities hold more prestige, community colleges provide endless opportunities for students who aren’t fully prepared for a 4-year education
But, once I graduate high school, my next step is to attend Tulsa Community College. There were several factors in this decision. Such as, I get to live at home still and continue to save my money. I get to attend for free since I live in Tulsa County and will perform forty hours of community service. Plus, the great thing about community colleges is that they accept anyone, whether they tried or did not try in school, students still have a way to continue their education. Community college allows for students to take the time to figure out what they want to do with their life. I am grateful I was presented with this option to attend Tulsa Community College, otherwise, I might be going to a four-year school, far away from my family, and I might be stuck in a major that I am no longer interested
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
Entry to community college allows just that. Addison explains, “just follow any one of the 1,655 road signs, and pop your head inside—yes, independent film, a first independent thought, a first independent study” (212). Many potential college prospects are turned away because this self-discovery found in community college cannot be found in private college; however, Addison insists that community college is the golden ticket to regain these would-be scholars. To begin, acceptance is necessary for admittance to many colleges—not community college. In the words of Addison, “down at X.Y.C.C. it is still possible to enter the college experience as a rookie” (213). Any student desiring education, preparation, and self-discovery does not need to look any further than community college, which, for some students, is the only shot at the college experience. On top of this, community colleges provide opportunities like no college—public or private—could. Community colleges provide introductory courses that could not be found in regular institutions; this allows students to explore and get their feet under them. To find and pursue an interest proves more difficult at a college because intense classes are provided from the beginning, whether students have declared a major or have yet to decide. In sum, Addison claims that an atmosphere designed
My story began on a cool summer’s night twenty short years ago. From my earliest memory, I recall my father’s disdain for pursuing education. “Quit school and get a job” was his motto. My mother, in contrast, valued education, but she would never put pressure on anyone: a sixty-five was passing, and there was no motivation to do better. As a child, my uncle was my major role-model. He was a living example of how one could strive for greatness with a proper education and hard work. At this tender age of seven, I knew little about how I would achieve my goals, but I knew that education and hard work were going to be valuable. However, all of my youthful fantasies for broader horizons vanished like smoke when school began.
Handling adversity is something that all people must do throughout their lives, but it is the ways in which individuals approach adversity that sets us apart. There are two contrasting ways in which you can respond to adversity: 1) you can either curl up into a ball and accept the outcome as it is 2) you can take control of the situation and work hard to make the resulting outcome in your favor. I faced adversity within sports when I was diagnosed with a physical disorder as a child.
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
What is society and how did it help shape me into the person I am today? First, society is the state of living in organized groups of people. These organized groups of people are the ones that made me who I am today and will continue to shape me, as I grow older. My version of society is white middle class people who grow up going to catholic schools. These white middle class people are only associated with other white middle class people, and very seldom venture out of this little society. As stupid as that sounds to not associate with other people it is true. The reason this is true is because of where I live, where I go to school, and who my friends are. I guess it is just like Emerson said, “the virtue in most request is conformity.” So, the three social forces that have played the biggest impact on my life are my community, my friends (family) and my education.
There is another type of hero that almost no one is aware of. In the poorest areas of the country, live mostly minorities and other ethic background. All their lives they’ve been expected to work harder and expected not succeed in life. Some individuals living in poverty with a determination to succeed work hard all of their lives to become what everybody doubted they could. Escaping the crime, drugs, and prostitution is enough to escape hell, even if they don’t go to college. Despite of their financial problems, drug and crime surroundings, or difficulties in the language skills, their desire to triumph fuels their persistence. Those who make it to success are the few living examples of the purest form of hero anyone can be. They are not only their own heroes but also the heroes of the poor children who dream of becoming like them someday.
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.