The focal point of current educational trend in the United States is on preparing the leaders of tomorrow (National Task Force, 2012). Student success has been expanded to include civic responsibility which is a dimension of the college experience largely ignored until recently (Upcraft, Gardner, & Barefoot, 2005). The Department of Education has taken this charge and developed the National Task Force for Democratic and Civic Engagement. This initiative places developing civic responsibility as a national priority based on the tendency of young people who are often too caught up in ‘narrow collegiate worlds’ of their own existence to understand the larger role of being a contributing member of society (Upcraft, Barefoot & Gardner, 2005). Thus, engagement as a participating citizen living in community is frequently beyond the scope of young student leaders in college. Due to this, the government has renewed its interest in creating civic-minded young people prepared to advocate for change. This has led the charge for a civic engagement initiative nationwide.
As a high school senior, I spent all year searching for a compatible college that fits my requirements. I wanted a college that is affordable, so when I graduate I am not stuck with a massive debt. I wanted a campus that is has friendly people and feels like home. Finally, the college must provide me with the right skills to start my career. With those three standards in mind, I narrowed my choices to one perfect college.
College 101 has been a very informative class. It has taught me a lot about college and the changes you have to make while attending college. I learned a lot about certain programs that the school offers, I knew nothing about these programs before I took this class and I probably never would have known anything about them if I never would have taken this class. In this class I have learned about three important concepts that can be very useful throughout my college years to come. I think time management, determining values and balancing lifestyles are the three most important concepts you need to help you succeed in college.
It is also a “boundary spanning” activity in that it requires active involvement from people both within and outside of the classroom context, often resulting in participant contributors who represent a variety of generations, ethnicities, social groups, and experience levels (Billig and Furco, 2002, p.vii). Service-learning is designed to reduce the boundaries between an institutional campus environment and the community around it. It is designed to connect learning to real experience through service and reflection (Ball and Schilling, 2006; Becker, 2000). As a baseline to facilitate this development, service-learning is distinct from other types of community service and civic engagement experiences in that the service-learning experience must not only have a service and reflective component but also be clearly tied to the curriculum through learning objectives and theoretical underpinnings (Bloomquist, 2015; Pritchard, 2001). As Barbara Holland, former Director of the U.S. National Service-Learning Clearinghouse, shared, “Service-learning is all in the hyphen. It is the enrichment of specific learning goals through structured community service opportunities that respond to community-identified needs and opportunities.” (Kenworthy-U’Ren, Taylor, and Petri, 2006: 121).
A couple months back I met with a Tulane Admissions representative who first sparked my interest in the college. She opened my eyes, and made me ponder the reality that I could actually see myself as part of the school. Compared to the other schools that were also being represented (NYU, University of Miami, Georgia Tech, and the George Washington University), Tulane grab my interests the most. Before attending the information session about the colleges, I can honestly say I had never heard of Tulane. However, the representative did such an amazing job informing us about the
People in the past did not stress value of receiving a higher education because it was not as indispensable as it is today. Now, people perceive others not only by their appearances, but by their accomplishments. Employers always hire people with the most education and experience. The majority of students are concerned about getting a higher education throughout the years. Nevertheless, some people question the purposes of getting educated, and consider it meaningless. The concept of education has a significant meaning. It enables one to take control of knowledge and apply it. It is education what prepares the mind to comprehend and learn important ideas. A higher education is very important for an individual's success in
I’ve never had the opportunity to experience university life after high school as a result of financial responsibilities to my family. Community college was my best hope at beginning my journey to a fulfilling career in the medical field, but it wasn’t enough to fulfill my goals. What I want, or what I need, is a University that will give me the tools and opportunity to move forward even further with my ambitions in life as a contributing member of society. As my friend and I visited different universities, California Baptist University (CBU) gave us a sense of hope and importance we got from no other. I believe by attending California Baptist University I can better myself and that this private university will give me the attention and care I need.
Taking time to volunteer at the many nonprofit organizations, homeless shelters, advocacy centers, philanthropic fundraisers, local schools and child care facilities in the inner city is not always at the forefront of young people’s minds while navigating through their college experiences. But, with a little push from student organizations, local nonprofits and passionate individuals, volunteerism and community change can start to take a front seat and become not just an opportunity, but also a priority in the lives of young people.
After graduating high school, no one prepares you for college. Most kids when they are finished with high school don’t even fantasize about going back to school. I have always wanted to go to college ever since I was a young kid. I also had dreams of myself going to college, but in my dreams, everything was picture perfect. In reality, college has been very challenging for me. No one tells you about the adjustments and complications that you would have to face to become a successful college student.
According to Kathleen Flecky and Lynn Gitlow, service-learning is defined as, “learning that occurs in experiences, reflection, and civic engagement” (Flecky & Gitlow, 2011). In recent years more universities are implementing service learning into their curriculum. A key concept of service learning is civic responsibility. Civic responsibility can simply be defined as your responsibilities as a citizen. As will be shown later in this paper, service learning can have many benefits not only to a student, but also to the community members
Everyone has or should have an ideal; something which he can look forward to, of which he may dream, and for which he may strive. In our colleges we come across many defects or limitations. We often discuss these among ourselves. And in course of these discussions, and as a result of them, we come to cherish a vague notion of what would be an ideal college, at last, what we would regard as an ideal. Here of course I speak mostly for myself.
All people can be good successful students, if they try hard and use self discipline to push them self harder. Being a successful student doesn't mean you are so smart you get to skip grades, it just means that you get good marks, work well with others, and don't get held back any grades. If you are a person who wants to keep your life on track, it takes hard work, determination, and patience.
College is a competitive environment; in order to succeed in it a student needs certain skills. Those skills can only be learned. A college professor mentioned that there five basic rules that need to be followed in order to become a good student: study, do all the homework and the assigned reading, attend class, and, most importantly, develop self-discipline and time management 1. In the following lines, a detailed analysis of those different steps will be done. So, let’s get started.
Higher education is optional, but to enter a respectable career, one must continue their education in order to achieve his financial and/or personal goals. Teenagers who attend college use their extended schooling to further obtain knowledge. The primary objective of higher education is to enhance one’s abilities for his future. A student can learn from school in numerous ways, but liberal education is not a way to attract students into further and higher education. However, students can learn a lot more through experiences that have affected their personal lives. I agree with author Mike Rose’s theory that education needs are reached to obtain a higher academic level by teaching students information that can be related to their personal
Shakespeare once said, "We know what we are, but know not what we may be." While I do not know what my future holds or how I will spend the bulk of my adult life, I know that only education will give me the opportunity to detect my interests and enrich my soul. I believe the University will provide me with the perfect atmosphere for bettering my life and my creative abilities.