I Didn 't Have High Expectations For College Dropout

Many students are so overjoyed to fly the coop and go off to college that they have a hard time remembering that all education, not only college can be very challenging  therefore  “let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up”(Galatians 6:9) . The shock of it all can cause very negative reactions on people of all ages from partying all the way to simply procrastinating. Excitement is an amazing feeling but keeping it at bay can be a serious challenge.

I came to college knowing, that so much of what I was over the first eighteen years of my life would be put to the test. Not simply because I was a conservative, in a liberal environment, but because I would be faced with four years, in a place that was in such

My personality was stretched to its maximum that mid-way through the week, I had been with at least other person 24/7 and I desperately NEEDED some Me Time. I also felt homesick since the longest I'd been away from home was 3 days and 2 nights, never 6 days and 5 nights. I went to that program enthusiastically, and because of my motivation to absorb as much as I could, I made a lot of friends and learn new things to help me being leader and applying for college next year. This experience has put me in perspective of the saying, "Being out of your comfort zone makes you

After a hectic first semester at the community college, I began to find myself. I realized that the four-year university I wanted to attend initially, would have not been a good fit for me. Being part of different student organizations and creating connections with my professors at the community college is what helped me find what I was really looking for. I wanted a place where I felt like I mattered and not a school with fifty thousand students where I would just feel like a number. The additional semester I got to stay home, I was able to do more research and find a university where I would fit in and connect with.

The beginning of my college experience was as typical as any other: I missed my family, friends, and home. Being uprooted from familiar soil and forced to settle in a garden teeming with (obnoxious) roommates, communal

Before I came to college, I had a preconception of what and how everything would be. Because Kent wasn’t my first choice and the first time I actually visited was during the summer at Destination Kent State, I wasn’t very sure if I would like it here. Also, I simply didn’t want to go to the same college where my sister graduated and ironically met her husband! Even though I wasn’t sure of anything, I still wanted to accomplish many things here at Kent State University. Because I let anxiety get the best of me during high school, I wanted to get involved in many student organizations and become active outside of academics. I wanted to meet new people, make long-lasting friendships and get out of my comfort zone because I didn’t have many

We can all recall that time between graduating high school and beginning our freshman year of college. For many people, myself included, going to college meant a chance to finally escape that small town that we called home. The summer began to come to a close, and we could hardly contain our excitement to finally start our new adventure. College began, classes and homework took over our lives, and we made new friends and experienced many memories with them. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, right? While most of my newfound classmates opted to go back to their home towns for the summer, I've decided to stay in my cozy college town, much to my parents disdain. It is wonderful, yet bittersweet to not have to go back to that boring

It became more than just a place to work towards, it was a place to work past. College was eating breakfast in the car on the way to school, and living in the library between classes and falling asleep in your car. It was actually doing a foreign ritual called studying and humbling myself enough to ask for help. It wasn’t the fun, simplistic challenge that I had expected it would be, and quite frankly, college beat my ass until

My college experience so far has been hectic, to say the least. I originally came to college 10 years ago; however, I was very immature and did not understand the importance in my school work or attending classes. After my 10 year break, I decided to return so that I can better my little family’s future. Now, I am a full time single mother to a sweet, smart and gorgeous 5-year-old daughter. I work full time, as a paralegal, in East Memphis, which is a 3 hour round trip daily, from my residence. I say that college has been hectic for me so far because of the obstacles of my day-to-day lifestyle and finding the time to complete and turn in all of my assignment. Another reason college has been hectic is because I’m trying to do everything online,

During this time, I was taking a graduate seminar at UMass Amherst, and managing an independent study at Hampshire. I would drive 5 hours down to Philadelphia each Thursday, work for about 30-35 hours over the weekend, and then drive back up sunday nights to get to class on Monday. It was grueling to say the least, and while it afforded me the chance to maintain my pace on an academic track, I felt even more isolated from the “college experience.”

I don’t feel like I am ready to pack my bags and leave for college today, I still have more to learn. The rigorous workload from multiple classes helped me learn proper time management. I am able to write essays in correct MLA format with confidence. I am more trusting in my own perceptions of things and do not feel I need to rely on outside sources. I have confidence in myself and don’t always need to validate my opinions in other people or sources. I feel that I have a firmer grasp of the curriculum as a whole and am a more hard working student than I was last year. A lot of this year consisted of independent work so I had to learn to rely on my self and not my teachers, which I’m aware, will pay off in college. No one is holding your hand and helping you through college, you get back what you put into it. My having to work independently and occasionally with peers has me well prepared for the

The battery on my phone was low and I chose not to write her back. A few hours later I received a call from her friend Courtney, Courtney was hysterical “What’s wrong”? I kept asking Courtney if she was okay. She responded real quietly and said “Makayla was in a car accident.” My heart broke into a million pieces I could not believe what I was hearing. I asked if Makayla was okay Courtney remained silent. I asked her again and she said: “She’s dead.” I did not believe what I was hearing. It was extremely hard difficult to comprehend that my dear friend Makayla was dead. I was trying not to cry in front of my family: however, they knew I received bad news. I told them the news I heard and they could not believe it my mom could not hold her tears back, but I knew we had to get home soon so I could be alone. My family and I were on our way home, we were traveling and started over heating it took forever to get home. My boyfriend called and I told him the news and he could not believe it either. How could a nineteen year old be dead? She was to young to die. Her family cremated her remains. Makayla was given a celebration of life. Many people came and talked kindly of

College usually is a hard concept to grasp, especially to a freshman. Being a freshman myself, my life has been like a rollercoaster since college started and I keep going through the same loop. But being pushed too quickly, too fast, can sometimes make you lose yourself and  the reasons why college was right for you. I honestly thought that when I went off to college, I was finally able to be that adult I have been wishing for since I was sixteen. As incoming college freshmen, we firmly believed that we had a sense of entitlement, that we were grown, and no one could tell us what to do.  However, that came to a halt for me when I realized that I was starting to slowly lose myself being on this big campus.

Throughout my lifetime I have listened to people reflect back on their college experiences and explain how college is supposed to be “the best experience of your life.” The summer after my senior year I use to try and imagine what my first semester was going to be like based on what I had heard people talk about in the past. After my first semester at NC State I realized that I couldn’t fully understand what college was like until I experienced it for myself. My first couple of weeks at Ohio State was rough and really tested my strength (mental and physical). I faced challenges and obstacles that I had never heard about in those past college experience conversations. All of a sudden there was no one to get me out of

Sitting in class for the first time, it was half of what I expected. I expected to sit by people I didn’t know, learn about old things in new lights, and writing a lot of papers. What I didn’t expect was me hating college. I am not as creative as some teaches would like, but that isn’t my personality, and I dint want it to be either. I fully expected college to try and morph me into a perfect little student that I knew I wasn’t. College so far to me hasn’t been fun and I will treat it like Wal-Mart. When I say that, I mean that I will get in and get out as fast as possible. If I pick up stuff along the way then alright, but if I don’t, then it won’t kill me.