Influence: When I Was Just A Junior In High School

For some students, the question of what to do after high school may be a burden to even contemplate as it approaches quicker and quicker. The pressure to continue another four (or more) years of education after high school can be overwhelming considering twelve years of schooling has already been completed; why go right back to school again? When’s break time? Some people are simply just not ready for college and they know it, or at least until after they have had a long break or have had some time to recollect themselves. Technically speaking college isn’t for everyone, nor is it necessarily needed for a career. Luckily today, there are many other options that potential career seeking beings can get a head start on such as community colleges and trade/vocational schools. These alternatives to a four year college are considered to be a good start on a job (and maybe even a career). The best benefits of these alternatives involve the cost of attending, the student environment, and the degrees offered.

Many of the characters suffer from sin, but Hester is the one that suffers the most and goes to jail. Hester shows how someone can succeed even though people say a lot of things about her. Even though people don't like her she is brave and doesn't worry about it. One of the quotes that showed perseverance is “walk the streets as brave as ever (Hawthorne 12).” Even though people talked about her she was brave and minded her own business. The information that was given by the story was valuable because it showed to never let anyone stop

Her being forced to wear the scarlet letter which led her to becoming a women’s advocate reflects the theme that good things come from bad. There was plenty of negative backlash to Hester's mistake, however she gained the ability to help other women struggling just like her. “They said that it meant Able, so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength” (pg 177, Hawthorne). The sin she committed and the experience gained through the aftermath of that sin, gives her insight on what it's like to be a woman who's being discriminated. Raising her daughter on her own and her saving her from harming herself reflects the theme that everyone makes mistakes. After all Hester is human just like everyone else. It is in our nature to make mistakes or even sin. “It is remarkable, that persons who speculate the most boldly often conform with the most perfect quietude to the external regulations of society” (pg 181, Hawthorne). The actions we take to reverse or to compensate for that sin is what makes us who we are as individuals. Her being alienated from society and developing an independent thinking mindset mirrors the theme that one must acknowledge their mistakes to learn from them. Hester’s society made it abundantly clear that what she did was absolutely heinous and that she needs to repent and beg for forgiveness. The isolation she suffered through helped her become an independent thinker and develop thoughts that we would consider ahead of her time. “The world's law was no law for her mind” (pg 180, Hawthorne). Being excluded socially gave her a chance to dwell in her own thoughts and gather perceptions different from that of other puritans. This decision that Hester makes is very important to the story because it mirrors many of the major themes the author tried getting across to its

As the writing advances, the argument shifts to people capable of hands on jobs out of high school considering whether going to college should really be advocated as much as it is today. Along with this, he says that eventually attending vocational schools will become scarce due technology and the fact that many things accomplished at these schools can be done online. He also claims that income statistics of high end jobs today are skewed considering the fact that when you look at average incomes of a profession, many of us will end up in the lower percentiles. For many people, he says, the best option is to pursue a service or hands on job that doesn’t require a four year education. He ends the essay by claiming that “College isn’t all it’s cracked up to be” as well as depreciating the value of the normal B.A. that little college pursuers end up achieving. Murray writes: “the misalignment is in the optimistic direction, as adolescents aspire to be attorneys or physicians without understanding the educational hurdles they must surmount to achieve their goals”.

To start the book, we find that a young woman has committed adultery and when standing in front of a mocking crowd, she is ashamed of her actions. Continuing through the book we find that the adulteress, Hester Prynne, displays many examples of positive outcomes arising from negative situations. She becomes more and more aware of the faults of society and becomes wiser as she deals with the consequences of her actions. Even though Hester made a terrible decision that came with many extremely negative effects, she gained personality traits, perceptions, and people that rose from her mistake.

Graduating from high school is a milestone that forces one to make major life decisions. Whether you are ready or not to make those decisions is irrelevant; choices must be made and and steps must be taken in a new direction. In his article, “Not Going to College is a Viable Option,” former Superintendent Lawrence Schlack states, “high school doesn’t always prepare students to answer these important questions” (13). Schlack argues that too many students are told that college is their only option and they are made to feel failures if they don’t want to attend college. I am thankful for Schlack’s article because it validated my choice not to attend college right after high school. I plan to pursue a career as a diesel mechanic. My goal is to

When Hester is released from prison, she ponders the effect of the scarlet letter and realizes, “she must either sustain and carry it forward by the ordinary resources of her nature, or sink beneath it” (Hawthorne 69). In other words, Hester knows that allowing other people to bring her down will lead to self-destruction. Through a great deal of inner strength, Hester decides to stay in her hometown and let “the torture of her daily shame . . . purge her soul and work out another purity than that which she had lost; more saintlike, because the result of martyrdom” (Hawthorne 71). Essentially, Hester resolves to learn from her “mistake” and use the situation as a growing opportunity. Decisively, Hester concludes that although she cannot change the past, she can show her strength and resolve by overcoming the shaming that is sure to occur in her town. Hester’s honesty and willingness to accept her punishment enable her to

Introduction: It seemed so far away, and all of a sudden I had to make the decision. A decision that would change the rest of my life. From the time I was little I knew I wanted to go to college, and here I am. I have always had the desire to continue my education and gain many experiences after I graduated from high school. I didn’t ever thing twice about continuing my education

Throughout my high school career, a teacher that has had an impact on my life consists of Michael Sherwin. He is my Advanced Placement Government and Advanced Placement U.S. History teacher. Mr. Sherwin proves to be prominent in my high school career because his lectures in class are always enjoyable and very comprehensive. He is very knowledgeable on the subjects that he teaches and he is able to provide insight on countless topics. As his student, he is the reason that I have taken the initiative to partake in much more difficult classes throughout high school.

Our guest speaker was Haul Romer. He is an offshore diver and works at the Gulf of Mexico. When he was in seventh or eighth grade, he was questioned about college but of course like any other child he was unsure. Romer was a C average student. His family didn’t have enough money to go to college, so he didn’t attend. His first job was as a Lobsterman in Maine. He worked for ten dollars an hour, but he loved it so much he would’ve done it for free.

So freshman algebra rolled around and I loved it. After two weeks in the class I was three and one half chapters ahead of the teacher. He would only assign the odd problems for homework, but I’d do them all. Geometry was even cooler. But thinking back, not one of the teachers even commended me for doing so well. My father noticed I was good at it, but I thought he had to tell me I was good; he was my father.

For many, after graduating high school the next big step is college. I never asked myself why or if I even wanted to. Yet, since I was not yet ready to join the work force, and didn’t want to disappoint my parents, I simply followed the path that I was supposed to take. For a while I had no direction, but through the loss of my high school English teacher and my dream of making my family proud, I discovered that college was the place I wanted and needed to be.

Hawthorne uses Hester’s portrayal as a hero to advocate for the Romantic ideology of individualism while shaming the negative effect society’s collectivism has towards advancement. In his novel, Hester is used to represent the Romantic hero, one whose honor is not determined by society’s rules, but by her own individuality. The Romantics believed in the value of

In middle school I struggled with math a lot. There was an older lady that came into the classroom and helped anyone that was struggling with math. I would always need her help with homework and I would often stay in for recess, stay in before, and stay in after school in order to get extra help in math. It would frustrate me because I wanted to be good in math, and it just never clicked. I began to get down on myself, and would give up. I accepted the fact that I would probably never be good at math. However, the lady that helped me in middle school gave me confidence that I could do it. She would help me understand math more than my teacher. The one on one helped me personally because I was able to take the time I needed in order to review each problem in a pace that was appropriate for me. Having her in middle school helped me a lot.

It is easy to say that a parent has had the most influence on your life, they taught you how to walk, talk, drink and among many other things hopefully right from wrong. A good parent is there for you most of your life, quick to lend a hand or offer advice (unless it’s your mother-in-law) when needed, but the trait that impacted my life the most was the integrity my father exhibited with me and the people lucky enough to have met him.