How will college change my life
"How will college change my life?"
Colleges are institutions of higher learning; I would go to college simply to make more money. College could be described as a rite of passage, where future working men and women step out from sheltered childhood lives into an independent place of learning. It is different from the original schooling most children receive as there is a more in–depth workload that requires more studying. College will change my life as I am open to many fields of study, expanding my mind and giving a glimpse of what to expect when I step out into the working world. Flexibility with learning and providing me with the option to choose what interests me, being treated as an adult by taking responsibility for one's own actions...show more content...
As college students, we as students must have a fierce ambition to accomplish a balance between a healthy, steady social life and a bright academic future. Communication is an important tool in life, not just inside college that broadens our horizons and makes us more intelligent generally.
The future working men and women who enter college are adults and will be treated as such. An adult is one who has matured to know what is right and what is wrong. The importance of a rule is a line between right and wrong that many places including colleges have as a guiding tool. College students who enter are expected to follow rules as the rules are meant to protect us and set a guideline. Adults also know how to be self–sufficient, being able to do their work, without anyone's help or stealing someone else's work: plagiarism. College is where we are expected to perform to the best of our abilities because as students we have a fierce ambition to get ahead by earning a degree.
College is a chance to be free and is a bridge between the real world and school. I'm an adult and expected to behave as such; I make my own choices where I have to decide what is important to me. I have an opportunity to learn how the world works, to explore the limitless possibilities and a chance to admire how vast knowledge can be. College will change my life in the way that I can develop life skills outside academics, to be fully
Within the growing number of women in higher education, there is a growing population of students who are also mothers. Mothers attempting to obtain a degree contend with home and family demands that affect their degree completion rates (Carney–Crompton & Tan, 2002; Home, 1998). These postsecondary education students, unlike their traditional peers, are not developing into adult identities that are supported by a traditional college setting (Arnett, Ramos & Jensen, 2001; Arnett, 2000) but instead already have an adult identity as a mother (Wilsey, 2013) with a different set of needs and because of the familial responsibility motherhood brings with it these women are no longer "traditional" students (Cross, 1981; Bean & Metzer, 1985, 1987;...show more content...
It is through better understanding the student mother experiences and the types of institutional supports they may or may not need that we can assist them in becoming more active members of the academy, staying in postsecondary education versus "stopping out" or "dropping out" and decrease the marginalization they experience in the traditional model of the university. Thus, the qualitative research study discussed in this paper was conducted in 2008–2009 and involved in–depth interviewing and a short survey. Furthermore, the sample that participated in this research study included 24 student mothers (ages 18–30) with children under the age of five, who are also enrolled part–time in undergraduate or graduate coursework (i.e., at least one class per semester). Mothers of children under five are unique because children within this age cohort are more dependent on their caregivers and are normally not in school full–time. Consequently, women's motherhood responsibilities are less flexible than they might be in future years. The findings discussed in this article will address a portion of the overall outcomes from this research study focusing on the experiences these student mothers had with institutional support available via the university and the needs that the student mothers believe should be addressed by universities in order to improve the student mother educational
Being A First Generation College Student
Being a first generation college student is a heavy load to carry due to the constant reminder of having to be a good role model for my siblings. Children of immigrants are often highly expected to excel in their academics and to be involved in extracurricular activities. His/her parent immigrated to the "Land of The Free" in order to receive a better life and to give their children a place to call home. They work from one to two jobs a week just so that we can dig through the pantry, and raid the refrigerator. We sometimes take our parents for granted unknowingly, and constantly fill our heads with a question that we all seem to ask. "How do I please my parents?", "What do I have to do to make them happy?". As students we should all be voicing "College!". Yes, maybe our folks's dreams have faded away, however that should be our motivation to aim higher; to achieve our American Dream. Throughout our years of education, our very own relatives and teachers have emphasized on the importance of receiving a higher education. I have come to realize that I should not be asking myself "How do I please my parents?". Instead, "How do I please myself?", "What will my lifetime goals be?", "Will it leave my parents hard work in vain?". Obtaining a higher education will not impact their lives, but will affect yours drastically. My American Dream has always been to become an immigration lawyer that deals with international relations or to become a professor teaching my true passion for
Student Parenthood On College Education
In speaking on the issue of student child care many would believe that student parenthood on college isn't a big deal. However, in 2013 around 25% of students in college had children (miller, 2013) and the number has been growing at a stable rate. In addition to this minority groups of students in college suffer more severely to this. In 2013 25% of Latino, 33% of
Native American and 37% of African American students in college had children. This can be seen as good thing because minority students are still going to school even though they have children. Nevertheless, this could also be seen as a problem due to the fact that many universities do not offer child care for their students. This can be seen as a huge hindrance for minority who
Personal Narrative: My First Generation College
Growing up as a first–generation college–bound Hispanic woman has proven to be a difficult journey. Both of my parents left their home countries at a young age and came to this country without any ideas or real opportunities on where to begin. At a young age, I have been taught that having a higher education is the key to having a successful and plentiful life. However, the journey towards achieving my dream of receiving a higher education has been filled with moments where I have challenged the stereotypes about getting pregnant and dropping out of high school, facing my grandma's unexpected illness that affected me both academically and mentally, and the challenge of being a first generation college bound student in my family. As I progressed...show more content...
My grandma was my superhero with her genial personality and her ability to give you her full, undivided attention in order to listen to whatever you had to say. It was always my dream to be able to share both my high school and college graduation with both my parents and grandma and being able to later pay them all back for all their sacrifices. Towards the beginning of my sixth–grade year my grandma became unexpectedly sick and as months passed her health slowly began to deteriorate until she fell into a vegetative comatose for the next four years. My grandma's sudden illness came as an unexpected surprise which leads to my mom and her family having to take turns in order to care for my grandma throughout her extensive hospital visits and inhome medical care. Throughout those four years both my emotional and mental health took a hit as I tried my best to learn how to deal with her sudden illness and the fact that my mom was rarely home because she was either in the hospital or at my grandma's house in order to help take care of
I Am A First Generation College Student Essay
I am a first generation college student that has made it to a higher education. I see myself as the second daughter, that has come out the land of pride and production. I am from Richmond, California, but that's just where I geographically from, when in reality I came from a strong family of immigrants. My parents both came to the United States as a young 26, and 24–year–old parents of one child. I did not come until two years later that I came, I came into the world, and was already marked with the name of an anchor baby. As I grow up I did not really know what I was, what I did was always question myself, am I just a reason to keep my parents here longer? Why am I called an anchor baby? I felt that I did not fit in but my schools I went to school always had a mixture of students. I did not know what I was or who I was, I had not direct connection to any ethnicity. When I was in elementary school there where a mixture of Whites, Asians, Latinos, and African Americans ethnicities, grow up in a multicultural area I didn't think about race or class as much as late in life. Race was a topic that I did not really think and talked about until I was placed into a private school that class was visible, and I began to be more aware or class and race. I would not talk about race or class at school, but I would wait to talk about it when I would get home. At the time I did not know what race really meant, I thought the race was just like ethnicity, I did not even think about race as
My Experience As A New College Student Essay
As I wrap up my first semester of my freshman year of college, I begin to think back on my very new experience as a new college student. Between living in a dorm versus my comfortable home and the sudden increase in independence, college life was a brand new experience entirely. To me, it was almost like living a totally new life. However, I have always considered myself versatile and adaptable, so the transition to dorm life was not as stressful for me as it may have been to my peers, which allowed me to focus much more easily on my studies. Looking back on ENG 202, I now know that while I am versatile in taking on different literary theories and remaining consistent, my time management leaves much to be desired. I chose the English major itself due to my passion for languages, as well as my aspiration to teach English as a foreign language. My focus on linguistics, however, results in an attitude of "I just have to get through these requirements and then I can get to the meat of what I'm interested in" towards most English major requirements. So, when I signed up for ENG 202, I did not even look up the course description on the website. "Introduction to English Studies" was pretty self–explanatory, to me. I thought the course would simply be an overarching look at the devices of the English subject, such as grammar and literary analysis. I did not even know there were different ways to examine pieces of literature. My simple belief was that almost all analyses of texts
Over the past decade, it has become evident to the students of the United States that in order to attain a well paying job they must seek a higher education. The higher education, usually a college or university, is practically required in order to succeed. To be able to attend these schools and receive a degree in a specific field it means money, and often a lot of it. For students, the need for a degree is strong, but the cost of going to college may stand in the way of a successful future. Each year the expense of college rises, resulting in the need for students to take out loans. Many students expect to immediately get a job after graduation, however, in more recent years the chances for college graduates to get a well paying job...show more content...
Andrew Ross, wrote in his article, "Mortgaging the Future: Student Debt in the Age of Austerity", that the average student debt as of 2012 was over $27,000 (Ross 24). This continual debt deters graduates from pursuing future life events, such as buying a home or a car because they cannot afford to pay for both a home and their student loans. Joseph Stiglitz referred to the percent's produced by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, "almost 13 percent of student–loan borrowers of all ages owe more than $50,000, and nearly 4 percent owe more than $100,000" in his article, "Student Debt and the Crushing of the American Dream" (Stiglitz 1). This debt that is created can only be the result of one thing, extremely high costs to receive a higher education. The country has made it nearly impossible for students to get a job without a degree, and colleges have made it nearly impossible to survive after graduation because of on going loans. The amount of debt that is owed by students will continue to become higher if nothing is done to stop the increase of tuition costs.
Not only does the increasing cost of attending college affect a student, but unemployment rates also cause the student's debt to continue longer than it should. Recently the unemployment rate in America has gone up dramatically, due to the economy crash. As of January 2008, the unemployment rate started increasing, starting at 5% unemployment, and in 2010, the unemployment rate was up to 9.8% ("Database").
My Experience Of College Freshman
Good Day Everyone I would like to share my first semester in college life and my experience. My first semester in college. I notice about've been noticing how college freshmen are so obviously college freshmen. I was extremely nervous about meeting people and making friends at National College of Business and Arts. I also totally remember the excitement, anxiousness and remarkable amount of cluelessness that comes with being a brand spankin' new college freshman.
The first semester of my freshman year of college was a whole bunch of not getting what I wanted. Not getting things that I applied for. Not fitting into the group of people that I wanted to be friends with. Not having any of the guys that I was interested in be interested back. Not achieving the grades I wanted (and kind of assumed I would get). That's just a whole lot of experience...show more content...
And it's an experience that I offer to current college freshmen to learn from. But, even more valuable than my lessons learned, is your own experience. I want to lock down and be completely focused on school and get the grades I want. College is way more enjoyable when you are getting good grades. At one point during my first semester my grades weren't too good, and I wasn't enjoying college. I was always stressed out and worrying constantly. Every time I went to sleep I would worry, and it really affected me. Now, I started the semester off strong and I'm really enjoying college and I have no worries in the back of my mind Everyone has a different adjustment to college. Maybe you're the one who can and will hit the ground running. Or maybe you're like me, and you just need to learn to be patient. So, even if you feel like you're not getting what you want out of college, just realize that it is an experience for you to learn and grow from. Because this is just the
A desire for higher education is continuously increasing within the Hispanic community. The obstacles sometimes are because of tradition but many wish to facilitate and influence the community to strive for a better education. In the article "Desire for Higher Education in First–Generation Hispanic College Students", Tamara Olive, researches the experiences of students with the desire for a higher education and a better future. The constituents, resulting from the research innate to the experience of the desire for a better education. The Hispanic college students in the Ronald E. McNair Post–baccalaureate Achievement Program and their desire for higher education were discussed in terms of constituents. The discussion of results was a very
Persuasive Essay On College Education
College education will serve as a basis for someone's lifestyle if they work for it. This will open up doors and release opportunities for individuals that want it. College graduates will gain more intelligence than those that have only graduated high school. This type of constructionism will only work if students have a motive to be successful. The price of a four–year degree is quite valuable. College graduates have been proven to gain more money, learn an abundance of skills, and embrace diversity.
To begin, college education has benefits that could go on forever. One of those advantages is the amount of money college graduates earn. In the article called "Is College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say," by David Leonhardt, it describes the outcomes of having a degree and the assistance behind that. The future of a human being depends on the financial support. As mentioned in the text, "The pay gap between college graduates and everyone else reached a record high last year," (1). When jobs look at someone, it will become dependent upon past achievements or downfalls. People will accept a person with a four–year degree over someone without college experience. Individuals that gain more money, were most likely taught in college.
In opposition, student debt from college can create long years of struggling issues. Students may feel like this is a disadvantage. According to the article, it mentions, "Among four–year college graduates who took out loans, average debt is about
College Sports Essay
Pay Up
The world of sports has grown larger than life over the past century, especially in college. Being a collegiate athlete is, without question, the hardest athletic profession in the world. Not only are students devoted to their sport, which requires an obscene amount of time of preparation, but they are also devoted to their school work. And the award they receive for their hard work? Of course there are the great memories, friendships made, "free education", or national championships, but are theses students receiving their fair share? Should college athletes be paid? It is a question that has been asked, but never truly answered. College athletes should be paid for their work. I even have the perfect system to see...show more content...
The only day off is Sunday. This seems a little far fetched for being college students. Oh, I forgot to mention the pay; $0. Student–athletes have a more demanding job, mentally and physically, yet they have little to show for it.
This isn't an argument that proposes colligate athletes should be paid just because they work hard. The reasoning extends far beyond their work ethics. First of all, colligate athletics is a billion dollar industry. On average, 44,367 fans attend a college football game. Imagine that a university such as Ohio State holds 7 games at Ohio Stadium as it did in 2003. 105.000+ fans can occupy Ohio Stadium at one time. At the least, one may find a ticket for $50, if they are lucky. During one Ohio State football game, at least $5.25 million will be made. This is just one source of revenue the university receives. Not to mention, merchandise, concessions, and BSC appearances. All are major contributors to the lucrative business of college athletics.
From the millions of dollars generated from ticket sales to the millions of dollars generated from major tournament bids, colligate athletes don't receive any of this money, which is ironic considering the fact that they are the reason that most of this money is being made. Why shouldn't they be rewarded with a share of the billion dollar a year industry that they are so much a part of? Why
Students From Low Income And First Generation
Students from low–income and first generation backgrounds often struggle in different academic subjects. Subsequently, students have lower expectations for themselves when it comes to academic achievement. The majority of first generation students come from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Seeing that, families work countless hours in factories and other places where they are underpaid because of the lack of educational opportunity they experienced themselves. According to Blackwell and Pinder (2014) in the United States higher education is becoming the outlet to different avenues of opportunity whether it is through social mobility or economic progress. While screening out possible topics of interest for a research proposal, one of the challenges I encountered in my field experience was the lack of college access education and funding for the families in the urban high schools. The first generation student family typically is unaware of the college process because the student's parents have not attended an institution of higher education. Therefore, the students cannot count on their knowledge of the process. Eventually, when students reach the financial aid process it becomes difficult because parents usually cannot afford full tuition expenses and at the same time do not understand the process. In these situations, schools with a college going culture can prepare staff to provide extra support to students by developing professional training in college access, mentorship
Dropping Out Of College Essay
Paving the Way for a College Degree
Latino students are making a bigger effort to improve their own lives and improve their family's well–being day by day. They have realized that the best way to succeed in life is to attend college. During the last couple of years, we have seen an increase in the number of Hispanic students attending college, which is a great sign of the desire they possess to accomplish their dreams. However, even though we have more Latino students entering college, the problem arises when the number of Latino students graduating from college is not proportional to the number of students attending college initially.
In order to address this problem, we have to find the roots or the real causes for this outcome. There are several...show more content...
Hispanics have the lowest paying wages based on the ethnic wage gap. One of the main factors that make students take the drastic decision of dropping out of college is the high costs of obtaining an education. Latino families are very close together, and they are willing to give up everything so that their children can get an education. The financial support they can provide for their children can be very limited because some come from very low–income families. Some of these students are very bright and doing well in college, but they feel the responsibility to support their families instead of using that money for college. One reason why some Latinos feel the pressure to drop out of college is because not only do they have to get away from their families, but also have to use the money which could perhaps bring a meal to their house. What some of these students don't realize is that once they receive a college degree they will be able to help their families even more. They have to realize that the long–term goal of receiving a college degree is going to be more beneficial than stopping their education to get a
The Cost Of College Is Too Expensive Essay
Throughout every generation the majority of students, who want to acquire a better paying job in the world, all apply to a college of their dreams. The whole of these students know what to expect from college; education, social connections, fundamental understanding of their respective field, as well as the benefit/hope that they will receive their dream job soon after. However, these students also expect to amass an amount of debt once they graduate as this is a common fear amongst college graduates. In spite of such hindrance in their pursuit of a job, the experience from which they accumulated throughout their college life later benefits them in diverse amount of ways.
In light of the vast and increasing amount of complaints that the cost of college is too "expensive", although true since the cost of college has increased by an exponential amount since the days such were established, the monetary value of any college in general is built upon various necessities to which these college shall offer (i.e. room and board, books, meal, etc.) (Issue & Controversies). Not only do these main components contribute to the growth of student debt but the tuition of the school plays a part as well. Schools install tuitions within their teaching programs in order to fund for a variety of resources. The teachers for one are the fundamental part of this payment process since most universities attempt to hire and rehire the best staff available to them in order to provide a healthy
First Generation Scholarship Essay
Dear donor of the First Generation Scholarship,
I would like to share with you how grateful I am to have been selected for the First Generation Scholarship. Being a first–generation student pursuing a Bachelor's degree in my family is both exhilarating and intimidating. I never fathomed being able to manage the cost of higher education, nor believing the probability of being selected for a scholarship. Opening the letter and reading the words, "Congratulations, I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected...", was one of the most surprising and emotionally charged moments of my life. I simply could not believe what I was reading, especially considering that this was the first and only time I have applied for a scholarship. Too many times I heard how it was impossible to get one because there are too many people applying – it would be like winning the lottery. I would hear how it was a waste of time and not worth the...show more content...
I remember thinking when I got married at 20 years old, that I wanted to be the best wife I could be and everything else would fall into place when the time came. After my husband returned from his first and last deployment to Iraq –– no longer the same; he was mentally and physically broken –– caring for him became a larger priority than everything else. As I adjusted from being a wife to the sole caregiver of my husband, I placed more of my educational aspirations on hold. Again, I told myself that everything else would fall into place. When his younger brother had a life–changing accident, I took him into my home and cared for him and have continued to do so for the past eight years. After my husband and I had children, I started telling myself that I was going to be too old to ever go back to school; I instead focused on my kids' educational futures. Eventually, I promised myself that I would go back to school, once my kids were in school – I kept that promise to
College Should Be Free
Should the cost of earning a college degree be free? Some students,parents, and educators say that it is morally wrong for a child to spend their entire life going to public school for free and having them to just turn around and pay for college. The students, parents, and educators all would agree that the cost of obtaining a college degree should indeed be free. Those who are against this issue believe that the students themselves or their parents who are financially able should pay for some or all of the expense of attending college after all public school students are given a free ride from elementary to high school. Understanding and considering both sides of the issue, I strongly stand by the decision stating that the cost of attending college should be free. To begin, earning a college degree should be based on a students intellectual ability to complete the curriculum not their ability to meet financial guidelines. Most colleges say that they accept students who have a two point zero grade point average or higher, standard SAT and ACT scores, and the twenty four credits needed to graduate, but once a student meets all the qualifications they are still turned down due to the fact that they are unable to pay the cost that is needed for college. Students unable to meet federal guidelines in order to receive financial aid also may not qualify for income based scholarships. In America the cost of living and tuition has increased while the average household income
Being the first to do or achieve anything considered positive is usually welcomed with respect and honor. The first man to walk on the Moon, the first to summit Everest, even the first animal to orbit outer space, they all have their names sealed in history. Even in less ambitious intents, the case is also similar: we crown the first ranked student of a graduating class, the first to cross the 100 meters line, and more. It is therefore only intuitive to suspect a similar reaction from the parents whose child decides for the first time in the history of their family to pursue a college degree. However, that is sadly not the case. While many people have the preconception that parents of first–generation college students (FGCS) are a positive motivator in the student's persistence through college, parents of first–generation students are instead, in many cases, not understanding nor supportive of the student's decision to attend college.
It is important to first note that there is no opposition that argues that parents of FGCS are in fact positive motivators. It is a notion the mass of society has accepted without much thought–and there lies the main problem. This notion suggests a false reality to the counselors and teachers of FGCS, and this uncontested difference puts the students at a disadvantage. Here is one such case by a first generation STEM student: "Lack of parental encouragement for education is not as rare as many educators would like to think... I was informed [by
College Admissions Essay: Track And Field
In all my life, I've never had a commitment that required so much of me as track and field, both physically and mentally. Towards the end of my high school career, track and field for me meant having to push through a difficult physical condition known as tarsal coalition, a condition that causes inflammation in my feet. With help from my coaches, I had to learn to endure past physical limitation and strengthen my faith in my abilities. By doing so, I became more confident in myself and I was able to help lead other team members to do the same. Not only did track and field teach me to lead, but it also taught me how to be a part of a team. I learned the value of teamwork through building relay race teams. In all relay races, I was either the...show more content...
For example, I was elected to be the student–body president of my high school, and I was also elected to several other offices, such as treasurer of the Science National Honor Society and fundraiser chair of the National Honor Society. As the student–body president, every day I get to make my voice heard to the entire school, as well as be the voice of the student body. I also was named the Editor–in–Chief of my school's yearbook. As the Yearbook Editor–in–Chief, I get to interact with the diverse multitude of students at my high school. All of these roles that I have accepted allow me to span across different interests and bridge a seemingly wide gap to connect the people of my diverse high school.
In a much greater scheme, I have taken the lessons learned from track and field into my volunteer experiences. Through the organization Recreation Experiences, I worked with a team of volunteers to dig holes that would help install new septic systems to numerous families. I've been able to help service families in need of new septic systems who cannot afford to pay for the job to be done. Doing my part on a team was as important there as it has been on the track. I can absolutely trace my success back to humble beginnings in track and