The Emotional Rollercoaster
The Charles Dickins quote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” has always brought feelings of the college experience to my mind. In the midst of my first official semester at St. Petersburg College, I am overwhelmed with thoughts and emotions. Partly, I cannot believe that I am taking such a gigantic step in my life. I did not always have the passion to further my education. My automated answer to anyone urging me to attend college was, “School’s out.” Now I can say with confidence, “School’s in.”
When I was younger, college was never a blip on my radar. My academic goals never manifested themselves, and I was left to simply go through the motions of high school with nothing waiting for me at the finish line. After many years of kicking around different jobs, I have employment that I enjoy—my current job showed me the joys of working with children and the benefits of becoming a teacher. Armed with a clear direction for my education, I have enrolled in courses that suit my preferences. Thus far, I am thriving in all of my courses, and I am eager to continue into a more specific education degree program.
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The prospect of being in debt to the government for tens of thousands of dollars with no guarantee of a job did well to scare me away. Little did I know, St. Petersburg College showed me how simple paying for my tuition can be. Through further research, I learned my employer offers a tuition reimbursement plan for employees enrolled in education degree programs. The government offers student loan forgiveness for teachers in low-income areas which I may utilize as a fail-safe for paying back my
Coming to college as an adult, we have many expectations and preconceptions of what college will or will not be. The expectations we have can influence our college life for the better or the worse. My experience since starting college has been an interesting one. People have misconceptions about college because they do not know what to expect. After doing some research, I have concluded that there are three major factors that are often misunderstood about college life. The first is the financial aspect of college. Second, is the relationship between the professors and students. Third is time management. These three factors play an important role in why people are afraid to go down the path to college.
In Paul Toughmay’s “Who Gets to Graduate,” he follows a young first year college student, Vanessa Brewer, explaining her doubts, fears, and emotions while starting her college journey. As a student, at the University of Texas Brewer feels small and as if she doesn’t belong. Seeking advice from her family she calls her mom but after their conversation Brewer feels even more discouraged. Similar to Brewer I have had extreme emotions, doubts, and fears my freshman year in college.
In Jennie Capo Crucet 's essay, “Taking My Parents To College,” Crucet describes her own experience as a freshman college student who was faced with many challenges that were unknown to her, as well as the cluelessness of what the beginning of her freshman year would look like. I felt like the biggest impression Crucet left on me while I was reading her essay, was the fact that I can relate to her idea of the unknown of college life. Throughout her essay, she described her personal experiences, and the factors one might face as a freshman college student which involved the unknown and/or uncertainty of what this new chapter would bring starting freshman year of college. Crucet’s essay relates to what most of us
This career option as an assessment employer for the child protective services could possibly be a long-term career option. Although, I do not believe I would want this as my long-term career goal. Choosing to work directly out of college would also allow myself to gain experience within the field which would improve the possibility of getting a better job or getting into graduate school. If I was hired and I did accept the position within five years my goal would be to continue working while attending school to further mu education. I would continue to work to gain more experience as well as helping me get through school by paying off my tuition. I would not leave this job until I graduate and had another job lined up.
I started my journey of furthering education at Brunswick Community College. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to major in but I knew I wanted to work with children no matter what. I started my college courses for nursing and quickly realized that I needed to do what I loved most, which is teaching young children. I switched my major to Early Childhood Education which was honestly the best decision I have ever made. I finished my degree in about two and a half years and was so happy to graduate. I actually graduated with honors (cum laude) which was a great accomplishment! I was so proud of myself! I had known since my first day in this major that I wanted to continue on after my associate's degree. I knew I was too dedicated to stop there. So I
When I moved into my dorm, I didn’t know what to expect in college. It was something my parents expected me to attend. For most of life, I was a sheltered boy who stayed home all the time. I didn’t hang out with friends until my last year of high school. After I come home from school, I would either finish homework or watch Youtube videos. It wasn’t until the first few days of college until I realized the amount of freedom I received. College allowed me to do what I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. It has already taught me more than the last 18 years of my life. I’ve experienced and learned more about myself and the world around me in just the first semester and it started with my classes.
Often high school is perceived as a time when a youth finds themselves. While I agree with this, I think it is not only important to figure out who you have been, but also to figure out who you have become and who you will be through growth and maturity. I know that throughout my high school career I have done just that. I have experienced so much since I first walked through the doors to Henderson High School. As a freshman and sophomore, the only major activity that I participated in was Track and Field, which I had been doing since I was 9 and continue to do now. As my junior year comes to an end, I look back on my progress, and I am proud. Recently, I was given a reminder of my newfound involvement when passes for club pictures were handed out. I
Everyone has that one special moment experience in their lifetime. It can be important to them from when they were a child or a special moment that occurred to them within a few months. Whatever that moment could be, you would be able to learn from that lesson for the rest of your life. What I have accomplished, I worked hard with my heart and soul within 3 years by earning my 1st degree black belt in Taekwondo ATA “American Taekwondo Association” without giving up. For me to earn this one of a kind belt I had to do different forms, breaking boards, and sparring. As I tell my progress by earning my 1st degree black belt, I hope I would aspire someone to try out Taekwondo for themselves to learn self-defense that would be helpful to have a self-defense
Throughout my last three years in college it has been difficult to manage school and a job. I come from a low-income family and seeing them stress doesn’t make it easier for me. My father works in foster farms in the clean up team. These past two years his hours have been cut and now works 8 hours a day. In the past he used to work up to 10 hours per day. He was diagnosed with diabetes and have made it a little more difficult to sustain his work and health. Working under the hot weather and having diabetes makes it more uncomfortable for him but he knows he is the one we depend on for financial support. My mother works in packing house and they are seasonal. It’s not guarantee every year that she has her position in her job. My mom’s jobs
I'm psyched to begin high school this fall! The biggest thing I'm looking forward to is the freedom I didn't have last year. It's not that big of a deal, but I'll finally get to bring my backpack to class! I'll also get to go wherever for RAISE without having to sign out of our anchored RAISE class like we did in middle school. I'm interested in joining after school clubs like partners club and participating in the school plays! I want to try to do as many activities as I can because I never did much in the last two years. This includes being on the JV field hockey team and trying out for crew! I probably wouldn't have played any sports if my friends didn't encourage me. They're the best! I hope I can make even more who are in different
College has consistently seemed miles away from ever happening, but suddenly it’s now only months away. Despite claiming we want to graduate, the thought of going off to college is nerve-wracking. For me, the nerves are alleviated by the thought of what I’ll be doing. For the last two years, I have known what I would study in college and do for the foreseeable future. I want to go to SUNY Fredonia to study Inclusive Childhood Education 1-6 with a middle school extension, concentrating in English. For me SUNY Fredonia offers the best experiences necessary for my degree, while letting me live away from home and learn how to be independent. Deciding to become a teacher, was never about finding a job where I would be rich, it was about taking my
Music in general has changed and maybe took over my mind. It sparked my mind when I attended a middle school band concert. The band was so fantastic, I wanted to join band when I go to that school. Luckily, they accepted new students who never played any instruments before, so this was my start.
My circumstances of leaving UIC was due to financial issues. My financial aid was revoked during my sophomore year of college at UIC due to SAP. I was not very focused on my school work during my freshman and sophomore year of college; having to work 20 hours a week and study for my classes. In my freshmen year, I selected 5 classes totaling about 16 credit hours, and that was the toughest transformation coming from high school to college. The transformation took me a while to adapt to UIC and the environment of the classrooms. I found myself lost and very unsociable during my years of UIC. I did not make any classmates friends until my sophomore year of college. All these factors made it tough for me to do great in school and adapt. I dropped
Over the course of my high school career I have grown in my reading and writing capabilities, as well as my overall performance as a student. In all of these different aspects I have mostly improved, however there are still some areas in which I struggle. My writing career in high school has seen improvement as well as struggle, and this year I hope to further my skills at writing. As far as my reading capabilities are concerned, I would consider myself a proficient reader who is able to comprehend a plot very easily. Also, my career as a student could be improved upon and I hope this year that I can improve on some qualities that I have previously lacked, such as organization.
Briefly describe a time that your efforts have fallen short, a goal was not accomplished, or an aspiration was not achieved.