Kemberly Orantes Diagnostic Essay The start if college is like the end of one’s childhood. Yet I had no intension of letting that go when I woke up yesterday at 7:00 am. Still, like high school, my mom dropped me off and picked me up; copping almost the exact same routine from the four years I spent in high school. Just as I thought this ought to be the easiest way of transportation, my mom proved me wrong once we reached the University of Washington’s parking lot. Anxiety ran throughout my entire body the morning before my first class of college began. Not knowing what to expect of my professors, classmates, and campus scared me to death. I knew the comparison to senior year of high school and freshman year of college would be minute, but never did it occur to me how much more effort was need in college until that morning, of course. Effort wasn’t just needed inside of the classroom with homework and studying but also outside of it where we are encouraged to join clubs, get involved and find a job. Had I known the transformation would be so great, I’d have mentally prepared myself properly. It’s easy playing “grown-up” in high school when one doesn’t have to pay expensive tuitions, workout a …show more content…
schedule all on your own and become responsible and independent. Trying not to let go of my inner child – and because parking is difficult to find and crazy expensive – I thought it’d be best if my mom dropped me off whenever possibly, which was easy since we live 15 minutes away from campus. The idea of my mom dropping me off never seemed immature to me until we arrived. Coming in, I saw students of all ages parking their own cars and walking to class. Instantly I doubted my transportation method and felt too dependent of my mom. Thinking I could avoid pondering eyes and trying my best not to cause attention, I dashed out of my mom’s red Toyota heading straight to Joy 104. Right at that moment the worst thing possible happened and I heard the honk of my mom’s car. As if things couldn’t get any worse she rolled down the wind and out she held my lunch box. All anxiety I felt before flushed away to pure embarrassment. If there is one thing that I learned from this horrifying experience, it’s that growing up isn’t so scary after all.
I worried so much about failing in college and not being about to fit in. But I am in need of this change to challenge me and prepare me for my future in which I’ll have more bills to pay, other than tuition, and a life on my own, completely free of my parents. College isn’t just a place for learning but also a place to grow personally and experience new things that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to do if I was still a high school student or in other words, a child. There is still a lot of growing up I have to do but I am no longer afraid it because I know that being an adult and acting like one doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy my life like a child
would.
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
When I first came to college, I did not have a solid idea of what the experience would be like, but I was excited for this new chapter in my life. I enrolled in courses I though I would excel in but a couple of weeks into the quarter, I felt unprepared for the fast-paced courses that I seemed to be struggling in but that my peers seem to of been excelling in. Early on this cause me some hardships suddenly I did not feel that I was as smart or accomplished as they were. As a result of this my grades in my courses suffered early on. As time progressed, I became friends with a group of people who were also in my similar situation, they were first-generation college students, students, this great support network of students allowed me to gain more confidence in my academic ability and with the help of my lab work, I began to see that I could excel in college.
In Jennine Crucet’s story, “Taking My Parents to College” she really explains to the reader how challenging it was leaving home and starting a new chapter in her life. When the author and her family first arrived to Cornell University, they were sitting there when the dean ended his speech with: “Now, parents, please: Go!” Being a first generation college student Crucet nor her family had any idea that they were not supposed to stay for orientation and had to leave her as soon as they got her settled in. They did not even have all the right materials and supplies that she needed to begin with by stating, “Every afternoon that week, we had to go back to the only department store we could find, the now-defunct Ames, for some stupid thing we hadn’t known was a necessity, something not in our budget: shower shoes, extra-long twin sheets, mesh laundry bags.” Both Crucet and I suffered from similar issues during our first few weeks on our new journey in college and we both had no idea what was ahead of us.
It is expected that within a span of four years drastic changes can occur to any person. An example of such case is our experience throughout four years of high school or college; it is a time in which each obstacle that we surpass will become an experience that builds character. We have all left our childhood behind, but we have yet to taste the full essence of adulthood. Within these years of being cast astray to find our own paths, it is common for us students to experience regular episodes of anxiety, stress, and crippling self-doubt.
Glenn Altschuler addresses the difficulties and conundrums associated with entering college in his article “Adapting to College Life in an Era of Heightened Stress” He presents the experience of Kate Wilkinson and her feeling of unpreparedness for college. Glenn brings together statistical evidence to show how students are more stressed today than any time in the past. Glenn presents many solutions to decrease stress and uses Henry David Thoreau’s short story “Walden” as a basis of how stressed students should come back to a state of relaxation by meditating on what really matters in life.
At the start of the semester, my oblivious state of nature associating with the Chinese culture reached an unacceptable level. Implementing a necessary change, I decided to educate myself on different cultures starting with China. I failed to ponder that such a rich, deep culture existed outside America. Encompassed by this country’s unique yet suffocating melting pot culture, my outlook believed ideas such as uniformity between American Chinese food and Authentic Chinese food. After this course, my bigot perspective widened as I witnessed diversity in the world. Before this class, when I thought of Chinese food, my connotation jumped to thoughts associated with chop suey, but as I progressed my education, my mindset gradually pondered foods like steamed buns or “New Year Cakes” with authentic Chinese food.
When coming to college your whole money situation changes, suddenly you're bombarded with housing costs and student loans that you have to pay back or you will spiral into debt. Your whole life changes you don't have your parents paying for your voluptuous wants and needs, you’re on your own. The move from high school understudy to college undergrad is a standout amongst the most upsetting and essential times in an adolescent's life. Not only is your day to day life going to change but your spending habits have to change. The school years are a period where a high school student leaves their support team behind,
All students will face the terror of entering college, a place that will rip you away from the familiarity you had before. It is a place with an atmosphere so different from what you’re used to that you’ll feel it before you walk on that campus. But don’t run away just yet, there’ve been other’s who’ve felt troubled with doubt and fear about their abilities to succeed as a student in college. In the article “Conquering the Freshman Fear of Failure” author David L. Kirp implores that “students can acquire ways of thinking that helps them thrive” (1). In comparison, to Kirp’s article, the protagonist in “Make Your Home among Strangers” by Jennine Capo Crucet, also manages to overcome her doubt on her ability to succeed as a student. Students need to learn to face their fears in order to have the desired life that is filled with happiness and prosperity. First generation students constantly struggle with
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.
College can be a scarce transition for individuals, especially for the ones who have lived at home their whole lives. While college is said to be one of the best experiences, there are negative factors that eventually add up. Students who live under their parents roofs or attend high school, usually have their day-to-days lives planned. A typical day in the life of a student may be going to school for eight hours, participating in an activity after school, coming home to a home-cooked meal, and going to bed. Where, college is the first year a student may experience more independence and a non-planned agenda. Most individuals know when going to college they’re going to miss the familiar feeling of their hometown, home-made meals, and their own
According to the College Health website, “No one is immune from stress, but those entering the ivory towers of college are particularly vulnerable to it.” Attending college for the first time gave me a feeling of displacement, nonetheless, I maintained my sense of priority, I am here to learn, here to excel, and here to focus on my objective.
My life has not always been as bright and promising as it is today; I had no idea where my life was going, or how I would possibly be able to attend college at all. Since I was a child, my self-esteem has always been low, and any time college was brought up, it simply made my confidence drop even further. I never believed I could handle college, and never thought I would even be given the opportunity to attend.
High school, along with college are two major stepping stones in a person’s life. Many individuals are able to make the transitions from high school to college pretty easily, while there are others that find the transition into college to be somewhat challenging and hard to adjust to. When I made the jump from high school to college, I found that there are vast differences between the two, and both had very diverse environments. I found the key differences concerning high school and college to be the level of academic responsibilities, time management and scheduling, as well as the methods learning to be the main differences.
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one student to dissolve the bonds which have held him to his high school life, he can get fairly intimidated. Making the transition from high school to college can be a tough one. I remember my experience in such a transition vividly, as it was only a short time ago.
Having spent twelve years of my school life in just one small red brick building, the years tend to fade into each other. But the year I remember most clearly and significantly is my senior year of high school, where I finally began to appreciate what this institution offered to any student who stopped to look. Before, school had been a chore, many times I simply did not feel motivated toward a subject enough to do the homework well, and seeing the same familiar faces around ever since I was 5 years old grew very tiring soon enough. But I began to see things from a different angle once I became a senior.