Recently I was asked “Was it worth it?” in reference to my first semester in college. I quickly began reminiscing about the day I loaded up my car with most of my belongings and headed to “Buggy Town” (Barnesville). One day I was sleeping in the comforts of my own room at my parents house and in a matter of a three hour drive all my comforts of home were gone. Despite all my attempts to bring a little of home to my college dorm room it still felt cold, naked and uncomfortable. My Dad tried his best to help me get it just right so it didn’t feel like I just moved into a cell but despite his efforts it was so far from my comfy room. In addition to my new room, I quickly realized I was responsible for feed myself every time I was hungry and …show more content…
boy did I get hungry often. And don’t even get me started on doing my own laundry. I quickly realized that I had no clue about doing my laundry. I was lucky growing up because my parents had always done it for me. All I had to do was hang the clean clothes in my closet or put them away in my draw. As if I wasn’t getting a full introduction into being alone and so called grown-up I was a student-athlete so I had practice, study hall and games. As the semester progressed and I began to settle into a routine and make friends which made life a little better.
I began to engage with my classmates in the classrooms and started enjoy learning. I felt challenged by my classes, they weren’t so hard that I couldn't maintain the workload but yet I felt like I was learning. The intellectual cultural varied depending on the class I attended. Some of my classes the students participated more, asked questions, stimulated discussions while others the students were just a body in the seat. Those classes were particularly long and boring, seemed like they would ever …show more content…
end. In the beginning I dreaded having to go sit in study hall but as the semester progressed I quickly realized the benefits to having an organized study session. It forced me to the point where I had to study because there were no other options when I attended study hall. Our study halls were monitored by tutors and a professor that would not let us be on our phones or listen to music, it was straight work. This led to my grades being higher and me comprehending the material being taught better. From what I have learned so far in college I will say that it is worth it. The information that you are learning and will learn will apply to the degree that you are pursuing which will help with your career. It allows you to make more money then when you do not get a college degree so I believe that it is worth it. I would define the worth of college differently to Gutting.
Guttings believes that high school students should know how to structure grammatically sound essays, speak in a beginners level of foreign language, a grasp of two natural sciences, and a great deal of pre-calculus. This education would lead to a rather satisfying job in the work force. A high school degree should not be able to carry enough weight to where somebody does not have to go to college and still be able to make the same amount of money as somebody who did. Gutter believes that college is reserved for becoming a doctor, lawyer, engineer, accountant, or a pre-professional. Which does not make sense due to the fact that becoming a teacher requires you going to college to get a degree. So who is supposed to teach the high school classes that he believes should be more difficult, a high school graduate? Therefore, I can not agree with Guttings
opinion. Based on my first semester college experience I would say that Gutting in inaccurate in his beliefs as I have pointed out through my personal experiences. I have gained valuable knowledge that I will continue to use as I pursue my college education. For me it is a personal choice to do well a learn as much knowledge as I can through the process, which is not just about what is taught in the classroom. I am learning by becoming independent, through friendships, and through being a student-athlete. Despite the fact that my degree is not one of his chosen ones I feel that Computer Information Science requires a high level of science and math which is not far off from an engineering degree. For me a college degree is definitely worth it!
Sanford Ungar has the right idea that more people should major in the liberal arts, and I definitely like how he put his essays into the “seven misconceptions.” It really made me think, and ask myself some questions about my major. He knew what he was doing whenever writing this essay, but what happens whenever everyone starts majoring in the “liberal arts?” It would not leave anyone else for anything else. That brings me into Charles Murray, and to an extent his opinions are my own, but some I could not fathom being okay with. I can support his idea about kindergarten through eight should learn the core knowledge, and high school should be left with most humanities and social science courses. It would lessen how long people need to attend college for their career. What I do not support is his idea of the lower percentile, there could be many intelligent people in that category that could change the world, but they did not show how much they could be valuable in their high school days. Some people could be genius in high school, but not so much in college, or vice versa. What would happen if the person that has what it takes to cure cancer, but no one listens to him because he was not “intelligent” enough to go to college? It would set the world back a few
Student expect professors to teach them everything they need to know that relates to their future, otherwise it’s boring and useless, and they don’t care to learn about it. Or they need the material they are learning to be presented in a way that’s more appealing to them; but Gutting’s believes that professors shouldn’t have to make the material more interesting for the students, the students should want to learn about the subject and be interested in the material itself, without the professor having to make it interesting. Which brings me to my third point. As a result of these disengaged students, they only take time to study for what they need to pass the class, and not study to learn more and in depth about things. Which I think is kind of sad and true. I chose to go to college to help create my future, so I only study things that benefit towards my career in college, I don’t really branch out past what I need to know. Because why would I want to do extra work? We shouldn’t just be studying the material to help us pass the class we should be studying the material because we want to learn about it and know more about the subject, and it’s something that we find interesting. Another thing Gutting talked about was,
We have lived with other families in their homes and as an effect, we have had to store our belongings in a storage. In 2010, we were unable to pay the monthly bill for the storage and our storage unit was sold in an auction; we lost all of our belongings. It had felt as if my parents and I had just immigrated to the United States – we had nothing to call ours. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I saw this misfortune as a motivation to set long-term goals and I pledged to my parents that I would be college graduate to eschew living under the same circumstances during my
This Article “What Is College For?” by Gary Gutting is stating that people are going to college for all the wrong reasons. So, Gary Gutting is claiming that people are going to college to simply, to get in and get out. With a degree in the field of the job of their choice. Which according to him, Gary Gutting, is not the true meaning in going to college. In that case, we could just start putting the students through trade schools, public service programs, this would be a lot cheaper as well as a lot quicker as far as getting a job. Gary Gutting states “There would be no need to support, a great expense, the highly specialized interest of, for example, physicists, philosophers, anthropologist, and art historians.” So he is claiming that
Gutting talks about college students as well as the faculty at colleges. One argument that he uses is “Teachers need to see themselves as, first of all, intellectuals, dedicated to understanding the liberal arts”. what he does by calling out the teachers like he is trying to say that the key to students futures is from the ones they are learning from, Making it clear who his audience is which is the Students and Faculty at universities. Before the article even started he Does an amazing job of drawing the reader in and making it clear what he 's talking about with the title “ What is college for?”. That question being a question whose answer is obvious to and americans society who thinks college is the only option. What I liked about Gutting approach is the way he used logos throughout his article, for example when he uses the Pew Research that show a positive correlation between a college and and a workplace and that having a college degree can defiantly help you in life after college . Also I like how he used counter arguments, in his next paragraph he talks about the failure of higher education and the proceeds to highlight what exactly those failure are ( like people
I am an undocumented student at UC Davis. When I am asked a simple question such as, "describe your personal experiences", I ask myself: Where do I begin?
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you someone else is the greatest accomplishment.” This quote is by Ralph Waldo Emerson. He was a man who always put his education as a top priority, so I highly admire him. As I read this quote, I realized that my greatest accomplishment is something that I am constantly progressing and excelling in, my education. There are three reasons that I will explain as to why my education is my greatest accomplishment. First, education has never been a factor in any of my family member’s lives. Secondly, it took a long time for me to get on track with my educational values. Lastly, I will explain how far my education has gotten me.
I can remember sitting in class, feeling eyes burning through me, dodging inquisitive glances from all sides, and anxiously awaiting the bell to ring for lunchtime. As most people know, lunch is the most dreaded part of the first day at a new school. First day of school memories are still fairly vivid for me; my father was in the JAG corps in the Army and my family moved with biannual regularity. In fact, I even attended three different high schools. While this may seem highly undesirable to some, I learned an incredible amount about myself, the world, and other people through movement that I may never have learned otherwise.
I created many lasting friendships in that class, strengthened the ones I already had, and had a very incredible learning experience. The atmosphere in that class was just so different from any other class I had. It was so laid back and fun while still very serious and educational. The only class that has had this same feeling for me has been my senior year world history class. A class where you feel extremely comfortable with everyone is just so exhilarating and learning becomes so enjoyable.
I’m tired of trying to explain why I did what I did when honestly, right now I don’t even know the answer to that. It was the start of high school year. There was a significant amount of pressure on us as freshman because we were at the bottom of the school. I went up to my old football coach that I played for last year and asked when I could go and try out for the team. I wasn’t ready to go that day, but I went anyways. I felt the pressure because all of the other players that were there had been there all summer so they had a chance to be a team together and I was an outcast. The first day was okay though. I was put as wide receiver again and that’s what I’m best at. I was so beaming to be in football. Whenever I play I
Not only was I interested in the topic, but I felt that I was making progress in my professional skills. Early in our junior year, I would have said that I was bad at making long term lesson plans and that was something I wanted to work on. I had an dynamic learning mentality already. This class pushed me to focus on progression and growth through our mini unit. I was challenged and struggled at times, but in the end I succeed.
Although it took me a solid year and a half to finally call College Station my home, it is a year and a half I will never wish away. Even though there were several unknowns to moving away from the security of my parents, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. For Sarah, it was hard for her to get used to the idea of calling Anna, Caleb and their father her own family, but she eventually grew accustomed to it. Having made the decision to attend Texas A&M taught me valuable life lessons about how to fit in, how to cope with moving away from home for the first time, and ultimately finding out more about myself as an individual.
This was it. This was what it all comes down to. Right here, right now is my time to prove myself. They say in aspects of life that you either make it or break it. Well, this was my time to decide which would happen. I guess you could say that I revolved around softball my whole life, and usually I put my heart and soul into the game. Today was different. I had very ounce of myself in this game, but in this game my mind had to be in it too.
Ever since I was little I’ve been what you would call a “high achieving” kid. I did well in school, I did well in sports and I did well in my community. I was always the first one to class, and the last one to leave the field. I was the kid that all my friends’ parents compared their children to. I was the kid with a room full of trophies and awards. In my mind, the worst possible thing I could do was disappoint the people around me. In elementary school I was involved in every club imaginable. I was in the band, I played in the orchestra, I sang solos for chorus, I was in the math club, I was president of student council, I played travel soccer, I was involved in every activity possible, and I excelled in all of them. This
It was dark that night, I was nervous that this dreadful day was going to get worse. Sunday, October 23, 1998 I wanted to start writing this to tell about the weird things i’m starting to see in this new neighborhood. Gradually I keep seeing pots and pans on the sink suddenly move to the floor. I would ask my sister but she is out with my mom and dad getting the Halloween costumes. When they got home I didn’t tell them what I saw because i've seen Halloween movies and I have to have dissimulation otherwise the ghost will come out and get me first. October 24, 1998 I think I got a little nervous yesterday with the whole ghost thing. 12:32pm, Went to eat lunch with the family today and I go to get my coat. I heard the words furious and madness,