My First Two Years Of College

This class has really opened up my eyes to many new views and opinions toward certain information and assumptions. Before taking this class I did not believe I was racist or had any downward views towards any people or cultural. This soon came to my attention that everyone has a little bit of racist in them no matter how hard you try not to be. I also thought that Columbus discovered America, I found it very interesting and almost common sense when we discussed this issue and how the school curriculum has been lying to students in a sense about the discovery of America. The finial bias I soon came to see was that no matter how much you think you will not face other cultures or other religions in schools that you are not familiar with your chances are very slim. No matter where you plan to teach at their will always be situations that you are unfamiliar with.

One of the most positive things about being an American is the ability to interact in “the melting pot” of various cultures all around. While most of us obviously identify with our own specific culture, the variety within our society is extremely diverse, allowing intercultural communication and presents a learning experience for those who are able to communicate and with one another. When observing and interacting with cultures other than my own, I am able to identify some similarities, as well as the differences from their culture to mine. Throughout this semester we have learned so many things about different cultures and worldviews, I have begun to learn a lot more about myself and my personal religious views. I have never followed a religious practice on my own choice, but it is encouraging to see how it positively impacts others in my life.

May came around at long last. So did the end of my second semester of college at Florida Atlantic University. Not only did I survive my freshman year, I thrived, passing eight of my nine joint courses with A’s and getting A-minus on the other one. Just like “Neon” Leon shocked the departed Muhammad Ali in 1978, I defied my own expectations and those of a few among my closest friends and family. Did I soon spend the next few months indulging in summer merriment at the beach, getting my tan on while thirteen-year-old boys fawned over pictures of Selena Gomez? Nope. I took summer classes to keep my mind sharp and knock out a few of the requirements towards a degree which I’d earn three years later. One such class = a six-week crash course in public speaking. Everything went well until I got an assignment to create, practice, and deliver a three-to-five-minute speech involving someone who stood out. The possibilities overwhelmed me until I recalled someone with an outstanding life, hit him up on my cell, and talked to him in person one hot Saturday afternoon.

With any course, especially one with a focus as broad as leadership, the material covered may include a range from useful to impractical. It is impossible to learn the skills necessary of an effective leader completely out of a book, it takes the application of them to understand. The development of leadership is vital to successfully moving forward in any career, so it would be beneficial to cultivate these skills academically.

This is my first semester at Mesa College. I am currently a Political Science major. The term that would best describe my current situation would be “non-traditional” student. I graduated from high school in 2006. Since then I have gotten married, travelled the world, and had two children. While in high school I excelled and took part in many academic extra-curricular activities. In the past ten years I have accumulated work and life experience. Most recently I was able to work as a legal assistant for an immigration firm. Being bilingual was beneficial, as was my interest in law in general. I plan on attending law school in the future which made the job appealing. Although I deferred college for this long it has always been my

When going into my second semester of senior year knowing I had enrolled to take Freshman Composition, I was nervous. However, despite all the negative feedback I had received, I challenged myself to do my best and try my hardest to never give up or slack off. That was unsurprisingly a challenge for me, but with a little motivation of getting the class out of the way this year instead of having to take it next year got me through the semester.

Throughout my first year at Bowling Green State University and being in the Education program, I have heard the term “unions” a lot. Within the course that I’m currently in, Intro to Education 2010, we covered information about teacher unions, but not to the extent that I would like. My question is what are the benefits of teacher unions and after I get my degree in middle childhood education should I join one?

I was desperately lost while studying theater during my first semester at Brigham Young University-Idaho. It was what I enjoyed during high school, but I want a career where I am able to spend time with my family and one where I’d be in a position to improve the lives of others. After taking my first acting class I knew it wasn’t what I wanted to do. Since then, I have considered everything from psychology to accounting. Research and volunteer opportunities, advice from trusted mentors, and my education played roles in my decision process. I learned to manage my time wisely in order to spend time with my family. Most importantly, I was able to decide on a career in optometry, and have since planned out what I want to do after optometry school.

Before coming into this class, I viewed it as another as another religion class that I would pay no attention to and then forget. I assumed this because I come from a Christian household and grew up going to church and private school. However, it was never boring and much more interesting and informative than I thought it would be. Because of my background, I did not know anything about the other traditions, with the exception of a little understanding about Judaism, all I knew were stereotypes. The five most important and interesting things to me that we learned were how similar all of the traditions are to one another, the idea of syncretism, Thich Naht Hanh’s teachings of emptiness, interconnected, and the way of understanding, the

At the beginning of my First Year here at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, I decided to focus my studies in the field of computer science. This is a field where I had little to no knowledge of, but I really just liked computers. I decided that during the summer before my first year here, I would challenge myself and try to teach myself how to write and read programs. I learned the very basics during the summer and advanced in my classes at school, learning more and more while enjoying it, until my second semester here, when I realized computer science wasn’t for me. I had this realization in a strange dream sequence; I was sitting at a desk in some random, plain, dull building some 40 levels up typing away at my computer. I remember looking outside the window across the room; I was looking out over a huge city scape, with a dense fog in the sky. I felt trapped and helpless in that dream and at that moment I knew I wanted something more. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in some building typing away at my computer; I didn’t want to take a desk job for that matter. A few weeks after my dream, I began a conversation with my advisor and asked him what my options were. He replied explaining to me how I still had plenty of time to figure things out. I then asked him about a rumor I had heard regarding a new major that was in the process of being made: Environmental Studies. He told me the program was awaiting approval, but if everything goes as planned, there

The impression of starting college creates such an excitement for myself. Within the article “Your First Year of College: 25 Strategies and Tips to Help You Survive and Thrive Your Freshman Year and Beyond” by Dr. Randall gives imposing tips on ways to survive college the right way. An important quote that he said was to “avoid temptation” (Hansen), such as the 8am alarm clock I have set can be so tempting to turn off every morning. He provided a substantial amount of information that will help anyone or myself who has the basic college questions. Some information he provided was to always strive for good grades, get involved, and take responsibility. By doing so will significantly help me out as I survive my freshman year of college.

When I started Unity High School I had a certain idea that I was not going to like the school but overall its a great school. My thought on how high school was going to be like was crowded people having a lot of school pride. How i thought to get through my first year in Unity High School was by doing all of my work being kind to others participating in class and following the classroom rules. I still do these thing because i think that they are great to start the school year with potential and not being a bad student. How i would complete my work in the beginning of the school is that when we had an assignment that was due next week i would do it that same day that they gave it to us because i thought that the teachers was going to check the

Even though I do not consider myself a religious person, religion is an important part of many people’s lives it is vital to have a basic understanding and awareness of the world's religions if given the opportunity to do so. I had limited, and mostly negative, experiences in Christian denominations in my childhood, while much more positive experiences in communities of other religions, particularly Islam and Buddhism. However, between this class and classes in high school, I have been given the chance to explore more aspects of Christianity and understand the history behind it better.

The first year of college comes with many changes and challenges. These changes can include the food in the cafeteria, study habits, time management skills, and much more. Every student has to find their own way to handle the first year and determine what works best for them. For many the most essential change is living away from home. Campus life provides opportunities to become a part of a unique, diversified community. With these opportunities come challenges, such as having a roommate, being away from one’s parents, and determining self-limits.

The cultural assignment allowed me to gain a new perspective on the differences of others. I have grown up in a household of dissimilar belief systems. My mom is a dedicated Christian while my dad is unassociated with any religious beliefs. Though, he grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness. There differing belief systems have been the cause of various conflicts within their relationship. I often wondered if people with contradicting beliefs could effectively and peacefully discuss their belief systems. This cultural experience showed me that a peaceful discussion is possible between individuals of dissimilar beliefs.