Graduation Speech : Life Long Learning

A higher education has been an important priority in my life. While I realized a high school education was important, my parents expected more. They said if I wanted to succeed in life, a college education was something that I could not live without. What they don’t tell you is how exhausting and confusing the process is to get even into.

Every fall, millions of students return to school to learn about math and science, English and history, every weekday until summer finally returns. Year after year, the same fundamental classes return and, time after time, seem to faintly impact the students. Schools have been designed so you learn the same information, slightly more in depth, from kindergarten to senior year. What about topics that would further the student in their future after graduation? Schools emphasize the same core subjects throughout the years, but not the real life obstacles millions of millions of people face. What if schools required classes on survival, job interviewing skills, studying, how to pass the SAT- all classes which would further students in their

Learning is the single most important aspect of any school education. Being able to retain the content and apply the information is much more important than simply memorizing facts. Earlier this year, I had initially started to take a certain class that would not benefit me in the future, and instead create an abundance amount of stress for me, as I had no interest in taking that course and was merely taking it to fit the norms of other students. Soon after, I realized that taking a different class that actually interested me would be more beneficial, and thus I would be able to focus on my other courses of high levels. This switch genuinely allows me to develop a much higher level of commitment for my other classes and help me retain the information for future purposes.

Growing up, it is easy to imagine the future playing out something like this: attend college, score that dream job, get rich, get married, have kids, and live happily ever after. It all sounds pretty familiar, however many young adults find that life does not always happen so simply. There are horror stories everywhere. Students graduate, fail to find a job in their field as they expected, and are left feeling hopeless as their credit card and loan bills pile sky high. Take Paige Nichols for example. Paige grew up in a family that was well-off financially. Her parents were able to pay for her two younger siblings’ college educations and, like many middle class children, she was used to getting what she wanted. However, by the time it was her turn to go to college, her parents’ financial situation had gone downhill and she was left to pay for her education by herself. After four years she graduated with a business degree and $20,000 in debt to go with it. Her payment plan was set at $300 per month, and although she had jobs, she was used to living frivolously, and therefore only made the bare minimum payment of $50 most months. This left her in a position where she would remain in debt until she was 50 years old. A few years after graduating with her bachelor’s, she considered going back for her master’s in forensic psychology, something she had grown very fond of. However, since she was already inundated with student debt and could not afford to spend an extra

Starting in the fall of 2012 was a big change in my thinking and learning skills. This was the year that I started my Liberal Arts Education here at Bridgewater College. Before I entered college everything had come easy to me whether it was sports or school, but during my first two weeks at school I knew that had all changed. In high school I rarely had to take notes and homework was optional in my school district and so I carried that over to my new classes at Bridgewater. That did not go so well because on the first test in General Chemistry I got the lowest grade I had ever gotten on a test. This was where college changed for me. From then until now was a change in the way that I learned both inside and outside of class. In the classroom I started to take better notes and really paid attention to the lecture. Outside of class I started to read and take notes on the textbook and also used the resources of the college and got a tutor.

Everyone has a special talent when it comes to school. Some people are good at sports, some people excel in math and some people like myself are good at English. As a Freshman in high school, I had no interest in how essays are written or how poets compose their rhymes. Them I entered Honors English and my view changed drastically. I was engaged and eager to know how a writer could write a novel so well, that you got lost in a book. I wanted to know more. Being as interested as I was, I wanted to know how I could do this.Now entering my Freshman year as a college student, I still feel the same way. I want to constantly learn more and improve. This is how my education influenced my course choice.

When I finished junior high school I enrolled in a training program to teach elementary students in some of the most remote regions of Mexico. I was excited about the prospect of teaching reading, writing, and mathematics to underprivileged students in areas of my country that needed education more than anything else to bring them into the modern era. I had seen the difference a few good teachers had made in my life. It was one of my earliest ideas to help the youth in my country rise above the limitations of their past and see the possibilities available to them with hard work in school.

How are you doing? This is Will, the tall black guy you would sometimes see in service. I'm writing to say goodbye. My project in Carson City came to an end and I've moved back to Texas. Thank you so much for making me feel at home at Hope. Your messages kept me going while I was in Reno. God used your words to truly bless me and also show me where I need to improve. Sorry I didn't get a chance to say goodbye in person, but everything happened so fast.

In my life thus far, the three most important learning experiences came from college-level learning/previous college classes. Those three classes were Sports Psychology, The Fundamentals of Coaching, and Multicultural Relations. In regards to personal growth, I feel that these experiences have shaped me into a more well rounded person in terms of athletics and personal qualities. In addition, these courses allowed me to acquire new information on each subject, engage in critical thinking, apply the information to actual situations, and demonstrate my knowledge on each subject.

As result of creating and implementing this artifact, I realized that the most effective lesson plans are those which initiate with the final assessment in mind. So, I applied a pre-test at the very beginning of my lessons with every different group I would be teaching to measure a starting point or the amount of pre-existing knowledge on the topics to be taught. Based on this, I planned the instruction to deliver and how to differentiate it.

Congratulations on graduating from Cathedral High School! You have been put in so much effort, determination, and hard work into school these past four years. You are graduating with an excellent GPA while at the same time participating in many activities, church, and working your job at Target. Your demonstration of priorities has been very impressive to me and you certainly have found a good balance!

II. Main Point (state as a single declarative sentence): The progress that I have made helped me lead up to writing well-developed essays. The main reason I believe my essays are improved because of the time I take on my pre-writing.

This English class has indeed helped me grow over the course load and lectures. For example, I now know how to write about a topic that I am not interested in whatsoever. Many of the English classes before this one, I did not have to apply myself as much which helped me not care about the topic being discussed. However, being in a difficult collegiate class, I must try my best whether I am interested in the assignment or

During our lives, most of us have hated getting up early. Whether we as humans enjoy mornings or not, we’re always looking forward to that unforgettable day. That special is high school graduation for me. Graduation is a ceremony that recognizes students that have excelled through school. Graduation was one of the best days of my life, perhaps even better than the day that I started college. There is no other day like graduation where there comes this feeling of success, achievement, and excitement.

Growing up, all I ever heard was the word college. From the old days of kinder garden and especially up until senior year of high school my entire life revolved around what college I wanted to go to. I believe that most people see a college education as a luxury, a grand accomplishment. There’s many different type of colleges to go to; community college, state universities, and so on. For me, the biggest thing is not where I go to college. For me, the biggest thing is simply to finish my college education and be able to walk across a stage and receive my diploma. A college education is valuable to me because it will help me in life. I will benefit from a college education career-wise, financially, and personally.