Jhovani Contreras
English 250
Instructor: Warren
December 3, 2008
Success in Your First Year in College
Many people ask themselves how can I succeed in college and what am I supposed to do? I would like to tell you how you can succeed in college and how goal setting and problem solving are keys to your future and can determine your standing in college.
First, I want to say that I believe success is a matter of choice not chance, like my friend Sara had told me. The reason I say this is because you should not risk your education by the flip of a coin or by what some one says to you. Instead it’s of matter of you wanting to do better in your life and have it easy not hard, shooting for a high goal and benefiting you in the end. Also, if you make short-term goals they can guide you towards the direction you need to go. I believe that if we set a goal for ourselves every day we can achieve our all-time dream, for example to be a nurse, graduate from college, or start in your future career.
Another thing that college students have a problem with is how to problem solve. For many of us it’s our first time ever attending college. You may be first generation or may be returning back after leaving college for a while or whatever the case may be. Many of us will face problems that you would never think you would encounter or would never have to decide on. As a college student you will confront a lot of homework and many obligations outside of school, it could be family or work-related. But whatever the case may be you will have to decide the best outcome for many of your every day activities. That is why, once you step onto a college campus, everything changes and much is expected of you.
According to Leticia Palacios, Trio counselor for Gavilan College, had a few things to advise the students who have had trouble in college, as well as some college students currently attending. She explains that goal setting and problem solving can play a major role in your success. She believes there is a major choice that the student must make being fresh out of high school to either have your parents tell you to do things or start acting as an adult and being responsible. Also she understands that it’s hard to make a choice like this, because high school students are mainly focused on social life rather than school, and that having a high school student make a choice can be hard for them to do because they depend on the parents most of the time to make the choice for them. She added that they will encounter a big change, being that just showing up for class and not doing the homework will not be enough to pass the classes anymore, and that extra credit in college is rare to come by.
She adds that soon after they have been in college they tend to learn how college life is and realize the reality of how school is a lot different and that their future rests on their shoulders. Also, she further explains that she has seen students leave but come back later down the road. Leticia says that what gets the students sometimes after they leave college for a while is, that they come back after being away from school is that they see their friends getting ready to graduate and they are barely getting ready to start again after leaving school. If you don’t have a goal set for yourself, you are not going to go very far. Palacios says, “When you have a goal, you make things happen, rather than things happening to you.” But on the other hand, many that come to college have a clear goal that they set for themselves, and make it a reality by them going forward and overcoming any obstacle that comes at them.
In closing she stated that “it's your choice either to have this great opportunity knocking at your door but it's up to you if you want to open the door.” Meaning that you must think about the choice you end up going with, and if it will end up getting you somewhere or not. She also says, "Success is a journey not a destination.” You are in control, you can’t control what happens, but you do have control on your actions and attitudes.
Also I wanted to talk to you about a book named Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. In this book I received information that I always questioned and it all came clear to me with Goleman’s explanation, some of them being how the human reacts to certain types of situations. He states that “while strong feelings can create havoc in reasoning, the lack of awareness of feeling can also be ruinous, especially in weighing the decisions on which our destiny largely depends” (53). Goleman also explains that “Such decisions cannot be made well through sheer rationality: they require gut feeling, and the emotional wisdom garnered through past experiences” (53). I believe this to be true, reason being is that more people relay more on strong will and less on awareness and don’t think of the outcome that can present itself.
Now that you have received information on how college is different than high school, you may be asking yourself, “Ok, how has this helped you? Or have you been through this yourself?” The truth is I have been through many obstacles that have challenged me, whether it is academically or with other problems. And each time a situation like that was presented I have had the determination to search for a good outcome or a solution to help me come back out on top. I was not always the student with good grades or one that made good choices, but I never let anything put me down. I had a vision and once I had it and was focused on it, there was no changing my mind and no stopping me from achieving it. Like the counselor said and understands, that its hard and I agree. It is hard because you could be the first in your family to go to college and setting the example it can be hard because much is expected of you and some one could be looking up to you and all you can do is keep going forward.
You may think, “Man, college is going to be the greatest challenge I have ever come across. I don’t know how I am going to make it by myself, and my parents are no longer able to help me as much as they used to in high school.” The reality of things is that you’re not alone, believe it or not. There are many programs and people that are waiting to help you and make sure that you first college experience is a good one for example there are MESA, for math, egineering, and science students, as well as Trio, which is for first generation low income students as well as for any student in search of help. They explain to you the places where if you ever needed help with any type of homework where you could go and get help with your schooling. Also if you need help you with money by letting you know the places you can go to help you pay for college like visiting the Financial Aid Office, which can make it less expensive for you to attend.
In the end if you think that you cannot do well in college or think college is not for you I would like to say that you can be successful in college and that you can do it with sheer heart and determination to be a successful individual. My advice to you as a first- generation student is that the information and resources are there and that it’s up to you to find them. Also it never hurts to know lots of information about college and it’s never to late to think about your future now because before you realize it, it has come upon you and you don’t want to be stuck doing nothing, you want to be in your career. I went through so much my first year from being a full-time student, to having a part-time job, and coaching. Through all of that I was able to keep up with everything, but nothing would have been possible without the support from family, friends, counselors and teachers, their advice and guidance is what allowed me to keep going. It’s all on you. Like Leticia stated, “It’s up to you to open the door.”