Since the fifth grade I was competitively swimming, by tenth grade year I didn't know what I was swimming for. Maybe it was to see all my swimming friends or just to mess around in the pool, maybe it was to make my parents proud. But at the time, I myself didn't know what I was swimming for. I had been swimming for so long it was just a routine, part of my daily life. I've seen many students like this in various sports with no real reason for playing, but in my senior that fog of uncertainty had dissipated.
Throughout my highschool years it was a kind of “cruise through school, do what you got to do to get by” kind of thing. Which was alright for me since I never really had a reason or drive to really push myself to do any of my; not only
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required school work, but extra curricular activities extraordinarily. But that never stopped me from ever doing them, in fact I was quite reliable with not only my schooling but sports and work alike. I did this for most of my highschool years, just doing my work, getting by, going to all my sporting practices and participating in full.
I was just cruising around doing what i had to do, but in a way without reason or drive.
It wasn’t until my senior year when the bigger picture began to become clear. I was walking through school looking through scholarships and other opportunities when i seen the picture of the coast guard. I thought it was quite interesting that it was part of the military and could get the same benefits but in the picture it had a few guys not in war but in the water saving people. Having gone through junior lifeguard training that looked second hand to me and i felt like i could do that right now. I read a little more only to find myself immersing my self deeper and deeper in the poster.
As i got farther into the poster Iread that the ASVAB test was a requirement, which was something that i had actually taken. At the time it didn't relate to me as a military test but more of just a placement to where i was with the rest of the states. But luckily I had already taken it and score well with a sixtyone. As I talked more to a counselor this score was by far more than needed to pass the mental test requirements. We then started talking about the physical requirements and how they would differ from normal boot
camp. All these requirements sounded like the daily practice at the pool. Swimming laps in a certain amount of time, push ups, ect. And this felt like something i could actually do. Some positive impact I could actually make in my life. Its was as if everything that I have doing without reason or thought finally became in a way worth it. It made sense. I talked more to my counselors and eventually got a hold of the recruiter. She was a nice lady based of Honoluu. We talked a lot of what it would be like, requirements, as well as benefits. I was quite pleased with everything and now i am scheduled to fly over to Oahu to soon to meet with her. Wish me nothing but luck.
Although I grew up in a military family, I never saw myself going into a military career. Up until I was about fourteen years old, I planned on being a marine biologist in Hawaii. Sounds nice, right? Well, at the end of my eighth grade year I decided that I might as well join NJROTC, because all of my friends were doing it and it seemed okay. I have to say, looking back, I was quite naive. Joining NJROTC was the smartest and most valuable decision I have made to this day.
School now days kids like to think it is to “hard” or they don't have the motivation to keep up in school. In high school you are being taught responsibility, you learn lessons. Sometimes the hard way. As students, we should try and succeed in academics as well as doing our best to succeed in sports. Sports to some kids are there only way out. Kids that live in bad neighborhoods, kids that hardly have enough to get them by, and them are the kids that realize they need the motivation in school because high school is a big deal.
not many cars on the road encouraging me to drive faster. I had just gone
Personally, I have had deep thoughts of whether to play a college sport. I remembered specific times this last summer conversing with my parents about it. To tell you the truth, I’m playing college golf as a test in a way. In talking with my father, he would always tell me to try, or else you will never know what is in store for you. Transferring was a main topic, “If you don’t like it, transfer. It happens for a lot of kids, so don’t feel like it is a big issue,” he would say. As I was making the decision of what college I would attend, I thought why do people go to
I decided that I wanted to play a sport, I chose volleyball. Most of my friends played the sport so it wasn't hard for me to adjust and make new friends. Becoming a student athlete was a big adjustment for me, I could no longer float through my classes but I need to excel. And that's exactly what I did. For the first time in my high school career I made not only honor roll, but principal’s honor roll. For the first time my mom was proud of my report card, that made me even more proud. From then on I knew I wanted nothing less than what I earned, good grades and a proud family. From my decision to chose to become a student athlete not only make me work harder but, be great at everything I put my mind to. I had motivation to stay successful, to stay eligible. Three years ago if you were to ask me where I thought I would be my senior year, I probably would have told you low level classes barely making it by. Now here I am today excelling in my education preparing to take the next step in my future, college. Even if we don’t understand why we go through them, we have to be willing to let our obstacles become out
So in a month around 10 more days of school is added to your plate! That’s a lot! In Text 2, the author writes, “After a busy day at school and extracurricular activities thrown into the mixs, sitting down to complete homework seems like a monumental task, causing some students children to feel burnt out well before they reach the tough final years of school.” So by the time students get to highschool they no longer want to have responsibilities of school, or life in general. High School really and students don't want to engage in the work that plans out their future.
Throughout my childhood and adolescent years, I have always had a dream of joining the Military. Even though it was a choice, to join the Military, I had no knowledge or inside information about what it would be for me to be a part of it. I say this especially because requirements and specifics of being a part of the Army.
For almost half a century, the U.S. military has been a pioneer in the use of aptitude tests to select individuals with sufficient skills and abilities to absorb military training, adjust to military life, and become successful military members (“History”, n.d.). The Army’s screening of recruits began in World War I, with the Army Alpha and Army Beta Tests, which were replaced with the Army General Classification Test during World War II. When Congress passed the Selective Service Act in 1948, the Department of Defense (DoD) developed the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) in response to Congress’ mandate that a uniform screening test to be used by all services be developed (‘Armed Services,’ 2014). In the 1960’s, DoD decided to develop a standardized military selection and classification test and administer it throughout U.S. high schools. In 1968, the DoD began administering the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery free of charge to interested 10th, 11th and 12th grade students and to students in postsecondary schools as a means to help provide enlistment eligibility information for military service (Armstrong, Chalupsky, McLaughlin, & Dalldorf, 1988), but it wasn’t used for military recruiting until a few years later. As of 1976, three years after the draft ended, the ASVAB was adopted as the single selection and classification battery for enlistment testing, and is administered to all potential recruits, with the results used to determine enlistment eligibility, job placement and the awarding of enlistment bonuses (‘Armed Services,’ 2014; Center, 2009). Table 1 lists and describes the ten different areas scored by the ASVAB.
It was test day, the Career Counselor picked me up and after arriving at the MEPs I was ready for reality. I arrived in the classroom, took a seat, the test proctor hand me a pencil and one sheet of paper and a ASVAB test booklet. The ASVAB was in four basic areas – Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), Paragraph Comprehension (PC), and Word Knowledge (WK). The raw score determines whether I made the grade. Scores in the AR, MK, and Verbal Composite (VE, which is WK+PC) sections add up to the all-important “AFQT” (Armed Forces Qualifying Test) score that recruiters use to see if you are eligible to serve.
When I first entered high school, I was one of the most diligent students in the school. I placed in the top 5% of my class, I spent nearly all of my lunch keeping up with my assignments, and I would spend my weekends studying. I would give it my all, and then reap the benefit.
The point of swimming is to have fun and race. Several times that season I had been so stressed I forgot to race. I tried to pace myself and compare myself to the other swimmers and how they were doing. How all the girls from other teams were improving so much more than me.
A little over four years ago my younger sister became very ill almost overnight. She has always been a very active athletic playing every sport imaginable. What seemed to surely be a virus soon proved to be much bigger. The doctors were perplexed and seemed to be almost guessing. Everything from a brain lesion to the C word cancer was given as options. Doctors would receive a referral and want to see her as she was a barely watching question mark. 53 doctors to date have evaluated my sister and that number might be a little low.
I attended this forum on Tuesday, January 24, in the special collections library right behind Morris Hall. There were around 20 people total in the discussion, and we had a very balanced, spirited debate. I throughly enjoyed this event because it allowed me to learn a lot about events and ideas that are very important in this time, and it allowed me to hear and learn about a lot of different view points and opinions these controversial ideas. I believe that part of the beauty of UGA is in its diversity, and that ability to have such a diverse mix of people really added to our debate and the experience in general. I believe that the ability to have such a civil and lively conversation is something that will be crucial in mending this split country.
I was once told by a teacher that scholarships receive about 1000 applications before their deadlines close, and around 10 of those people are accepted. A one percent chance. He said that statistically, 50 percent of students drop out of college, even with scholarships. That gives me a 0.5 percent chance. I did not work as hard as my body would allow me, for a 0.5 percent chance. I did not overcome my parent’s divorce, for a 0.5 percent chance. I did not double check my homework, instead of wondering if there was enough food to feed me and my 4 brothers tonight, for a 0.5 percent chance.
Throughout my high school career, I tried to do my best academically. My last two years of high school, I didn't accept anything less than the best. Whenever I was faced with a difficult subject or assignment and did whatever I had to do to understand it or to get it done. My high school courses