College Is Intimidating And Frightening

Being a freshman in college, I set impractical and unrealistic goals for myself. Throughout the year, I had to overcome various obstacles to strive in meeting the goals I had set out for myself. One of my goals during the first year of college was to earn a 4.0 GPA. I thought this would be an easy feat as I was able to academically grow throughout my academic career—excelling from being roughly a 2.6 GPA student to roughly a 4.0 GPA student. One of the biggest obstacles I had to face was taking exams. In high school, I did not need to prepare for exams as much as I do in college. I underestimated my midterms and finals as I did not know that I had to study at least a week ahead of time in order to obtain suitable grades. In high school, I was able to study one or two nights beforehand and still manage to achieve high grades.

W.J. Reeves, a professor of English at the Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, offers his idea of college being too easy to access and with that low retention standards. He begins by stating that 15 million Americans attend college and of those 15 million, half should not be enrolled. Reeves believes that students entering college fresh out of high school are not ready for the challenges college will bring to them due to grade inflation while being in high school. He also argues against colleges in regards that they do not influence one 's ability to expand their intelligence and readiness for the workforce.

For first year students coming straight from high school, college life can either be very exciting or overwhelming depending on how well one prepares for it. Some have the notion that college is fun and is all about partying, while some believe that it is an environment in which they can achieve the ultimate freedom thus escape the stringent rules made by their parents at home. Others look forward to experiencing a different learning environment while being exposed to different cultures and sharing different academic knowledge. Successful assimilation into college life is determined by the student’s capability to transform into the new role of a college student. Numerous students face challenges they have never experienced before which can

College is an exciting time with plenty of challenges and difficulties. The ones who can overcome these challenges and difficulties will be the ones who get the most out of college and their degree. In my paper I will talk about what a degree means to me personally and professionally. I will also talk about different things I struggle with so far in college and different ways I can improve these difficulties, as well as how I feel about the CSI report that we took and how I believe it compares to me personally.

College pressures dominate our lives. They begin to levitate around us and slowly derail our lives. William Zinsser elaborates about the college pressures that modern generations are facing. He reveals multiple commonalities that the typical college student encounters on a daily basis. Zinsser states, “They want a map-right now-that they can follow unswervingly to career security, financial security, social security, and presumably, a prepaid grave” (12). He is spot on, the pressures demand my attention and won’t take no for an answer. So far I’ve gone head to head with these pressures every day since I started my freshman year in college. For the time that I’ve been here, my mind is overwhelmed and distraught with the amount of stress that gets piled on top of me every single day. I drown in these unrealistic expectations written in those faulty suggestion bars about how to be successful in college and college 101 tips. College pressures surround me like a dull gray cloud. It showers me with expectations and unfinished checklists. College itself is similar to carpooling to hell and back, but with no actual guarantee with a ride back.

Many people believe that education is the key to success. Hoping that if people finished college, they will land a good and stable job. Precisely, college degree has a huge positive impact for most people because employers will look at employees’ education and experience in their resumes to exceed their expectations. However, college is ineffective to some people yet many of them become successful in life. Typical example is the governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker who was re-elected twice from 2010 and 2014. He deliberated the top tier potential presidential candidate despite not having college degree (Koplowitz, 2014). Furthermore, he is currently using his life experience and ability to take advantage in the campaign. Talent, skill, and intellect are among the most important characteristics of individuals to become successful. Moreover, many young people join the military after high school to serve the country and save up money for future references such as going back to school or starting it as a career. Therefore, it is very significant for everyone if college is really for them or not because college can cost highly which may not exceed their expectations. Providentially, some alternative ways that people may apply to become successful in life besides going to college.

The College Board is a non-profit organization composed of more than 5,900 schools, colleges, universities and other educational programs. College Board provides widely-known resources, tools and services to students, parents, and colleges on topics such as college prep, admissions, and financial aid. How College Shapes Lives is based off information found in the report, Education Pays 2013: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society. This report is an in-depth database describing the difference in earnings, lifestyles, and behavior patterns that correlate to a person’s higher education level. How College Shapes Lives further examines how an individual can benefit from higher education and how society as a whole benefits from it. How College Shapes Lives was written by Sandy Baum, Charles Kurose and Jennifer Ma.

It is a well known fact but there are many people including counselors, parents, teachers, and friends who resist saying it out loud for fear it will sound like discouragement and negativity: college is definitely not for everyone. The pressure on high schools students, especially those that excel, to attend a college or university is enormous. And in the case of a bright, industrious and motivated high school student, attending a college or university is an obvious career choice. For those students, it's only a matter of what university to attend, whether one's SAT score is high enough, and the availability of the money. Then there are the millions of high school students who are not really personally motivated but are being pressured by their counselors, teachers and parents should they attend college if they really don't care? This paper examines those issues.

Although some speak of college serving only as a stepping-stone into a career, the intended outcomes and goals of this four-year institution reach much farther. These objectives provide for a more fulfilling experience overall, but are seldom spoken of in the classroom. By pursuing a university degree, students sign into a contract laced with expectations – expectations of civic responsibility, public service, and participation in the global intellectual dialogue. Although some involved in the education system may find these purposes obvious, even taking them as assumptions, students themselves are largely unaware.

College students have the hardest time paying off their student loans, but why? Well, most students usually pick their major based on their talents and their interests.(Source, Time) This idea sounds like a smart move, but in fact it is putting students in a very difficult situation. Since most majors end up making considerably less money in their first year out of college, it is becoming more and more difficult for majors in the humanities and arts to pay off their student loans.

“Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education,” as the outstanding author, Mark Twain, once said. College is the way of life and why people begin successful career paths every day. Joining college is a major step in becoming an adult and beginning a new chapter in one’s life. Universities all around the nation offer terrific programs that match the interests of everyone. The University of Missouri, also known as Mizzou, would be a terrific college to attend for a quality education. It provides a variety of different fields to study, it offers an excellent education at a fair price, and has amazing organizations for students to join in a beautiful location.

Beginning my post-secondary education at Frostburg University, I was looking for an institution that would be able to satisfy my interests and hobbies. All throughout my educational career, I have always been interested in computer science, coding, and networking with different jobs in business and management. Living close to College Park, it was always an idea to attend a school that would be able to branch out to my interest. Coming out of high school, I was at a disadvantage— my time management skills were strong, but not where they should have been. I lacked the discipline needed to excel in computer science, but I was luckily set around the right people to guide me in the right direction. my close friends were able to introduced me to

College is a life changing experience for students. College is a new environment for most students and comes with lots of challenges. Things such as the increased difficulty of academic work and not being around the same social groups as a student was before college can make the transition very difficult. One of the best things a student can do to help with this transition is to live in a campus residence hall. Students should live in dorms because of the community that this creates. Students will gain many beneficial social interactions, will be able to better complete academic work, and will ease the adjustment to college life.

During my senior year of high school, I encountered many obstacles. One of the biggest obstacles was certainly applying to colleges and figuring out what I wanted to major in. It was a task I needed to complete on my own. My parents did not go to college, so they were helpless in the application process. I was also under the impression that my older sisters were going to assist me, but they were too busy with their own classes and work. The pressure was on, and time was ticking. I knew if I waited too long that I was going to hinder my chances of going to college at all and become a disappointment to my parents.

    Here it is, late in the school year, and what have I accomplished?  I have been living in a fantasy world for the past three and a half years.  The best years of your life right?  Says who?  I am not going to deny the fact that I have had the time of my life, but for what?  Where am I ?