At the start of my undergraduate education, I was taken aback by what I had ahead of me. Now finally out of high school, a bevy of opportunities suddenly sprang themselves upon me. I was faced with the questions of what classes to take, what to study, what to participate in, how to fend for myself, how to accomplish my goals, and countless others. After struggling with these monumental questions, I realized that, in fact, nothing had changed. I was still the same person I had always been, only now presented with much more opportunity and room to grow. Thus, rather than continuing to flounder in grandiose thought, I began to experience what only a university can offer, by embracing the infinite potential presented to me.
The first of my forays into the unique environment of a university was participating in a study abroad program. As soon as I set foot on campus, my attention turned to winter break, when I traveled to London, England, with a group of fellow students and a professor. In the preceding quarter, we had met once every week, discussing nearly every imaginable aspect of the city of London, from its history as the center of an empire to the role it plays in human trafficking in the modern era. A small group format facilitated intimate and tangential discussion that often ran the gamut of areas, each speaker building off of the prior. We were each also assigned an academic paper dealing with the sociological stratification of certain ethnic groups in modern London, analyzing historical trends of immigration, cultural identity, relationships amongst ethnic groups, the assimilation and growth of foreign cultures into British culture, and geographical associations of certain areas of London with former inhabitants o...
... middle of paper ...
...curate and working piece of scientific software by a deadline, forcing me to learn how to deal with it all on the fly. I now feel immensely more prepared to take on any project, and far more accustomed to academia, having taken my first steps down the path of research.
Now, on the brink of completing my first year of university studies, I look forward to my future. Having been captivated by computation and mathematics since a young age, I intend to attend graduate school, eventually attaining a doctorate in computer science, delving into research in high-performance computing, computer graphics, or algorithm analysis. Following this, my ideal position would be one in which I am able to pursue my innate love, problem solving. Whether in industry or academia, I hope to be able to dedicate myself to developing novel solutions to computational problems of all types.
The multiple choices students have today in college have made the university a party environment, resulting in complacent students. Mark Edmundson raises important questions and makes valid points in this essay that are worth thinking about. If people don’t take a look at our present college system and start thinking outside the box, the college education system will continue on its downward spiral of consumerism. It is fun to graduate high school and go to college to party and to have a comedic professor, but there is so much more to college then having fun. People need to realize that by challenging student, students can then start to recognize their own potential end become better for it. Learning and utilizing the information that is being taught in college is essential. “Everyone is born with their own mind, all that is left to do is break out of the stereotypical college student mold, and use
This demonstrates the expectation for high school graduates to advance on to college. However, once students enroll in a university, many find that college is not the place for them. Bird considers college a “sentence to be served,” comparing students to prisoners in jail (Par 14). Her article was created using her research which involved interviews of actual college students and professors. She focuses on the fact that many college students are unhappy studying at a university and claims that college is, overall, a waste of time and
She explains how these relationships might improve and shape college into becoming an ideal, engaging learning environment for students. Explaining what she thinks university faculty should do to prepare students for their futures, Small tells her readers she “[does] not know yet what making the academy/real world connection fully entails.” Colleges do provide sufficient internship and job opportunities for students, but in a sense, the college experience itself can serve as a preview on what to expect in the “real world.” Once students graduate and get their degrees, they may no longer have to stress about academics, but they will still have several other responsibilities, such as their careers, money, and family to balance. They will experience an even broader form of diversity, continue to make connections and meet people who have different ideas and opinions. If college gave students so many options to pave their path to the “real world,” the “real world” will open even more options for them to plan the rest of their
It seems as though the majority of college students these days aren’t looking to further their education because it’s what they really want, they do it to please their parents, to be accepted by society, or because there’s nothing else for them to do (Bird, 372). These expectations have led to students being unhappy and stressed, and have pushed them into a school or a job that they don’t particularly care for.
Only three short weeks ago, I was presented with the opportunity to attend school at the University of Phoenix in order to complete my degree. While I was certain that continuing school was one of my goals, I was not sure if now was the best time. Despite my wavering feelings, I made the choice to proceed. Still, while making the decision to begin attending college, I never really considered my lifetime goals as they pertained to education. While I was set on the most obvious goal of finishing college and graduating with a degree, it still felt unsettling to begin college in general.
Throughout our whole high school career, the topic of college is compelled onto us. Individually, we inherit this depiction of an impeccable campus with an abundance of opportunity and no struggles. However, this is just a cropped version of the picture. The unabridged image is four to six years of stress, suicidal thoughts, financial struggles and endless issues corresponding to bullying and harassment. From generation to generation, countless students attend college on the grounds that they accept it will surpass their chances in the future. Despite this, several of them did nothing other than waste time and money to major in a career they probably never wanted in the first place.
When I graduated from high school, I spent countless days worrying about what college will be like. I worried about everything, like saying goodbye to my family and friends, making new friends, living with a roommate, getting involved, dealing with a huge work load, and so much more. My transition into college is quite a struggle, but it is not nearly as bad as I expected it would be. After watching “I’m a College Freshman,” I realized that the difficulties I am facing are all normal.
Over the years, the importance of a college degree has become prevalent than ever. It is believed that by obtaining a college degree, a student is able to increase their net worth through the experiences they have gained through college. By obtaining a Bachelor’s degree, students are projected to have more opportunities available to them once they have completed their degree. Although a college degree comes at very high cost, students are more than willing to endure the expense in order to improve their chances of obtaining the dream job they have been dreaming of. As students are pursuing a college degree, every student has a different reason as to why they are pursuing a college degree. At the end of their journey however, students are more
It is said that the college experience is not for everyone. That not everyone can achieve the high expectations of everything that encompasses the requirements that are needed to successfully complete the work required. When I first started college I felt like I was one of the ones that did not belong, but as I struggled through each class I slowly learned that the possibilities for me to succeed where there. By looking over my previous essays, this essay will examine and help express how I have achieved what was required of me in this class.
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.
College success has become a most desirable goal. However, many students struggle through college. In fact, according to the Website Ask.com, approximately 15 percent of college students receive a degree. Because I’m willing to earn a degree like many other successful students, I find that college is the stepping stone to my dream goals. I know that college is difficult, but I realize that attaining my dream of a college education will require me to understand the benefits of what I’m learning, to prepare for obstacles, to seek advice, and to create effective and reasonable strategies will help me achieve my goals.
I chose London as my intern destination for a specific reason. England, as a whole, sits in a very salient position within the global community. It has served as both a catalyst for social degradation, as one of the largest colonial powers, and yet, as a catalyst for progressive social change. As a global affairs major with a concentration in global inequalities and responses, this is a significant place of interest for me. This internship will allow me to examine scholarly works for my future research and publications, as well as how to better understand the intersections of social constructions and identities in various countries. As I prepare to visit London for the third time, I have been looking at the surrounding area, making note of anything that is familiar to me via google maps, as well as mapping my way from the tube station to the apartment building. I have also been looking for the closest grocery stores, as I have started planning my weekly meal preps while price checking everything on my list in Tesco, Sainsbury, and
College is a great experience where no all high school students get the chance to live the feeling of a college student before their graduation. High school might be great for these teenagers, but college is even greater. College can offer them a lot more experience than they get while in high school. Becoming a college student and having a professional education is more than important for new generations. The importance of having an associate degree, a doctoral degree, and a master degree symbolize a successful person. Becoming an educated person with any degrees will make that person’s life as simple as attending to school and getting the best out from it. Now, high school students should attend to college before or after they graduate to
College has been such a culture shock for me. I never would have pictured myself being here. I am a freshman at the Community College of Rhode Island after unsuccessfully tried The talent development program at the University of Rhode Island. When I first entered the Community College of Rhode Island I was scared. I didn’t have a clue of what I wanted to be I believed that college was going to be a waste. Evers nice I enrolled to The Community College of Rhode Island The path to my success has cleared its way, figuring what I want to be after struggling to pick a major. All my life I had to to work twice as hard to get something that most people require minimal effort to attain. In high school, I was known to be an athlete although I wasn’t the best I worked my tail off all four years of high school I won many achievements and accomplished many things. In high school math teacher let me slip by and let me go even if they didn’t believe in my excuses. In my high school career, I had a few tough teachers, but at the end they always all through because of my charisma. After being babied throughout my whole life I enter the adult phase and it hasn’t been so easy. I always have one motive that I carry on no matter what. The motive of bettering myself and in time is better than my sister since I’m always in her shadow. My character possesses many strengths and weaknesses My personality makes me who I am today my voice, my attitude my determination to be created is what pushes me to be great in life. I am a motivator who needs to motivate myself before anyone else and my passion to help people who in needs will forever be part of my life. Throughout my life I made mistakes like all humans do. In my lifetime, I met many wonderful people t...
I am a person who has always had a profound passion and fascination for areas requiring an analytical approach. Right from early days at school, Mathematics has intrigued me. The most challenging of all problems were my favorites and obtaining solutions to them would leave me with a sheer feeling of ecstasy. I always did and always would thrive on solving the most challenging problems. With a compelling desire to excel, hard work became my second nature. My aspiration for a technical career prompted me to take up one of the most coveted undergraduate program in Computer Engineering at SR Engineering College, the best of such institutions. My own systematic & methodical towards finding a solution to any problem best suits this field.