The College Effect

College Effect

I have always been a very technologically savvy person, building PCs and websites since my early teens. So when I decided to go to college instead of straight into a "good" job, a lot of my friends were puzzled. They said I didn't need a full degree because I could already get a good job. That I was only going because my father had gotten his masters and wanted the same from me. Admittedly the more I listened to them the more they started to make sense but I held my resolve. I knew that I was going to college to find something more than just a nod of approval from my father or a nice fat signing bonus at my next job. I didn't know what I'd find but I knew it would be life changing. I've been attending Georgia Perimeter College for about a year now (technically two) and the time I've spent here has already helped me in developing advanced social and emotional skills, aided me in expanding my global awareness, and has given me a greater understanding of the physical world around me

After high school I took a short one year sabbatical and then started College the next fall. My re-entrance in to school was a little shocking to say the least. I wasn't aware of how much I missed being around my peers. I missed hanging out in the commons, going out to the mall between classes, partying 5 days a week. It was high school all over again except I could set my own hours and leave or sleep through class whenever I felt like it. I failed almost every class in my freshman year and had to drop out. I wasn't alone. A bunch of people I hung out with failed as well. All of who were really good students in high school.

"Children have to be educated, but they have also to be left to educate themselves."-Ernest Dimnet

It took a while for me to get the hang of this new found freedom. Not just for schools sake but for life outside of school, I would have to my adjust my priorities and learn a few things about responsibility if I wanted to do well. I still had to socialize, (in fact it is encouraged to build a few relationships with class mates,) but in a healthy way that stayed true to its position on my priority list. Communicating concerns became a vital strategy as I realized that if I notify key people involved, solving them became a group effort. No longer would I just walk out of class in frustration. If I could go back and change that first year I wouldn't because it forced me to address some very important emotional and social issues within myself that were better of being dealt with sooner than later. Thus, allowing me to be the son, student, and father that I am today.

On the first day on my world history class, my professor say to the class "Students, you will have to do a group assignment worth 25% of your final grade." My partner turned out to be a native