I feel as if my external distractions as an adolescent led to difficulties in my academics, which resulted in my struggle to graduate to high school. However, these struggles have helped me to grow as a student as well as appreciate my education here at Cal State Monterey Bay. After a rough start back at my local Junior College in Modesto, I managed to get focused…
Becoming the truest version of myself is something I have been pursuing throughout high school. While my personal and academic growth have catapulted throughout my time at Mariemont, I am searching for an undergraduate experience that will continue to form me into the woman I believe I can be.…
Upon entering my freshman year of college I recognized I was not fully prepared for the rigorous academic scheme provided at my school, Howard University. One of the main observations was my peers received educational training in Advanced Placement General Chemistry, Advanced Placement Organic Chemistry and even had the opportunity to attend actual college courses during his/her high school careers. Those classes were not an option for me through my high school. Soon I found myself falling into a pit of failure. Long hours of studying and tutoring only produced D’s, F’s and an occasional C on my Chemistry reports. I was thoroughly ready to quit. I still remember sitting in my professor’s office in tears when he informed me that my academic…
I am a true Floridian born and raised for the first fourteen years of my life in Homestead, Florida. My childhood growing up was difficult due to my mother’s breast cancer diagnosis, which profoundly affected my life. Being an only child and the thought of possibly losing my mother to cancer was devastating, especially since my father was absent the majority of my life. During my middle school years, I struggled so my mother decided to homeschool me. In 2011, my family relocated to Lakeland, Florida and I entered high school at Victory Christian Academy developing new friendships along with fond memories. Following graduation in 2015, the next year of my life was spent contemplating decisions on whether to register for college or obtain…
Life brings few unique experiences which permanently change an individual. One experience I want to share is the crucial events my journey from high school to applying to graduate school. Beginning my journey, I graduated from a continuation high school. At the time of my graduation I realized my prospects weren’t too good because of the negative life choices I had made before high school graduation. Realizing I was at a disadvantage I began to work to support myself.…
A four year college degree is important because of the environment we live in. Having a college degree in my perspective means success and prestige in terms of getting a job because of the competitive nature of our society. A college degree is like a certificate that one must obtain to be eligible for a certain job position. For example, if someone wants to work in a restaurant, they would want to have on-the-job experience or a food handler’s certificate to give them an edge above other applicants. This way there are more opportunities to explore. The same thing applies to obtaining a degree in the field that you are interested in. College to me at this moment is an adventure. Because I am still a high school student, I have the…
The era’s dating back to 1636 have shaped the current contemporary structure of higher education. Throughout the years the landscape of higher education has evolved. The growing variety of higher education institutions, the array for curriculum changes and increase in the cost of education have created critiques and new proposals. The community college system grew during the 1970’s giving the opportunity for students to begin their studies by pursuing an associates degree or transferring to a 4-year university. One of the largest community college systems in the United States, the City University of New York (CUNY) consists of seven two-year colleges. The CUNY college…
Being a first generation college student is something that I take great pride in being. The panelists from yesterday radiated pride and responsibility, in upholding their name as a first generation college student. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to them, however, it was hard for me to identify with some of their feelings and attitudes about attending a four-year university. It felt odd for me, as many of my classmates could empathize with how the panelists felt, whereas I, coming from a different background, had trouble pulling from my experiences to understand their previous circumstances.…
Academically, the school system has always provided me the tools so that I could learn, but outside the traditional high school classroom, there is a myriad of opportunities where knowledge can be obtained. The summer before my senior year in high school the opportunity to take classes at the University of Louisville was bequeathed upon me. My parents guided me into possibly taking core content material classes, for example, math or science. However, there was a wide range of classes in which I could partake in, but the ones which caught my attention were in the Sociology department. Although my parents were not thrilled with my decision of taking leisurely courses which were possibly not going to count towards my future major in college, I felt it was the intelligent decision.…
Before attending community college, high school proved to be difficult in a very unexpected way. In my experience, high school failed to present any challenge. I quickly became more interested in things other than schoolwork, which was seemingly repetitive and irrelevant to my goals. Thus, at the start of my Junior year of highschool, I made a critical decision that affected me academically thereafter. Enrolling as a full-time Running Start student at Everett Community College immediately introduced me to a fast-paced learning environment that was more suitable to my goals pertaining to business. Quickly, my grades improved and I became passionate about the things I studied, in both business and nonbusiness courses. However, being a Running…
However, I ended up failing my calculus class and barely passing my economics class due to the numerous activities I was taking a part of and having to work part-time to cover my living expenses. The struggle that I had faced academically was a huge shock to me because I had been among the top ten percent students in my high school, and never once in my life did I had to take tutoring. Even though I was going to tutoring twice a week and setting more time aside to study, I still failed my exams which caused me a tremendous amount of stress. As a result, I packed up my stuff went back home to enroll at El Paso Community College to relieve the tensions of having to live by myself and to rethink of my goals about what I wanted to do in my college…
The Early College was the push I needed to better myself as a student and as a person. In high school, I received stellar grades and test scores without trying. I never needed to study, and I did the bare minimum for a majority of my assignments. Occasionally, I would find an assignment that I loved and go way beyond the requirement. I was a teacher favorite, but I was disliked by other students because I was a bit of a show off with my intelligence. I never needed time management skills, so I never developed them. While I was received good grades, I did not improve any of my skills or abilities. This program helped me find my faults and make changes that have made a world of difference.…
Hi, I’m Suzzana, I think you know that by now. I’m currently attending Camden County College. I am transferring because as you might know, most community colleges are two year schools. Community College has been great for me. I was never achievement orientated when I was in grade school. I was enrolled in an alternative school since the 8th grade. I was behind in my academics, but I would like to say I compensate in life experience. When I was younger around the age of 9 I was bullied a lot. I was chubby and I increasingly gained weight at that time. My influx of weight was the baggage of my emotions and my families struggles. My parents divorced when I was 10, my mom was escorted out by police. I only had my dad for a year. Then, I had missed…
being college graduates. A struggle that may influence my ability to achieve my academic goals…
Many college students do not appear to be concerned with their education because of the discouraging nature of the field they are entering. Students often feel that no matter how hard they try, it will never be enough to pay back their exuberant college loans. In my personal experience, I have an early childhood education certificate, which only provides me with a low paying preschool teaching job without benefits. Meanwhile, my friend, who is a high school dropout, is making twenty dollars an hour working in a warehouse. Knowing this, it can become difficult to stay motivated in my school work.…