Assignment: "Changing Our Lives" Thesis Statement

Adaliza Rodriguez

English- Writing Fundamentals

Charlotte Walker

Think about this: a young innocent girl from a small neighborhood in Puerto Rico sitting at the dining table trying to work on her math homework. Her younger siblings are playing in the living room, as her mother is busy preparing dinner. Her father, because of irreconcilable differences, separated from the family and she is wondering if she will indeed manage to make it thru high school with all these emotional and psychological interference. That young girl is me. I did not make it pass high school. Thankfully, I managed to pass my GED when I moved to NJ with my aunt, and continue to pursue in further education.

Acquiring a college degree is undoubtedly a significant step in an individual's life that it now one of the core components of the American dream. Earn a degree, get a job, start a family and buy a house. Ordinarily, it is challenging but it begins with a college degree. Many first generation university and college students experience wide range of feelings, such as being the first child in their family to attain a college degree. I also want to experience the same feelings. I was overwhelmed with pride for being the first in my family to attend college, It's a dream come true. Normally, those in possession of a college degree enjoy numerous opportunities. Thus, it is a significant accomplishment that I will one day also receive.

Many students, particularly the first generation university or college students, encounter enormous challenges in finding the courage to face the college life. This is because of the changing lifestyle as well as the fear of adjusting to a new and different schedule. For me, college presented an opportunity to continue progressing in my career, and that motivated me. It is true that new students are normally worried about learning and understanding new technology and how it works. For this reason, I spent much of my time on the computer and learning how beneficial it is to take courses online when it is convenient for myself and family. Thus, I was able to pick up on the blackboard and follow along with the instructions, that proved to be helpful.

College life provides students with an opportunity to build up their self confidence. Many use the opportunity to show pride in their academic success and build up their self esteem. College and university students are exposed to people from various backgrounds as well as expectations. An individual encounters some experiences that may make him or her feel socially, emotionally as well as physically uncomfortable. I used the new exposure to expand myself awareness and in understanding the world beyond student life.

Before getting into work environment, it is better to earn a college or university degree to enhance financial, social and career growth. That's if, I could have earned a degree first, but I am pursuing it now. Earning a college or degree requires a lot of persistence, intellectual prowess, perseverance as well as the ability to work in a challenging environment. These are the important qualities necessary for the position of a manager or an administrative director. I spent personal time on my own reading and taking exams for administrator positions, and it has enhanced my opportunity of dreams for a lucrative career. I am currently the activity director for an adult day care in Turnersville, NJ. I have used the opportunity to showcase my leadership skills and craftiness I have learn from other schools. For example, in school and in life, I learnt that leaders must be able and willing to work with people from different cultural backgrounds. I continually to use these skills to manage the organizations diverse workforce. Hence, one must be successful in demanding situations requiring discipline, stamina and leadership as well as the ability to operate in a diverse working environment in order to climb the career ladder. These important skills can also be acquired and enhanced in a college environment.

On top of the mental prowess associated with higher education, university and college graduates are generally healthier. They enjoy high economic status as exhibited by their financial earnings or incomes. This is also directly related with better psychological and physical well being as well as life expectancy. I am going to college to boost my mental status, climb the career ladder and make extra money. With the extra money I can comfortably pay off my financial obligations including housing mortgage, student loan and car loan. All work and no play is a boring life. It is for this reason that I also want to spent part of my finances to take my family on vacations so as to spend valuable time with my family and relax from the challenging and difficult work environment. I want my daughter to have a better life than the one I had and as such I must allocate some time to interact and discuss important issues such as the importance of education with her. My work is so demanding, hence consuming much of my time to have leisure with my husband and daughter. Thus, I must set some time to bond with my husband, arrange for the future of our daughter and iron out any tensions or differences within the family.

Many people attend college for various reasons such as attaining stable jobs as well as enhancing their financial security. But there are other personal benefits of attaining college education: improving the quality of life; improving self esteem; making healthy choices; job satisfaction; and passing the legacy to other family members. The list is endless.

I am going to college to show that no matter the challenges, with the correct mindset and determination, one can not only attend, but also earn a quality college degree. I took the opportunity to improve on my self confidence. There is something unique about college graduates that make them stand straight and tall. Surely it has to do with something about enhancing an individual's self esteem as well as confidence associated with acquiring a college degree. Higher education graduates are adequately equipped to face mental challenges resulting in higher achievements. One of the benefits of earning a college degree has to do with passing on the mantle to their children. Thus, I am attending to acquire a college degree to act as an example to my daughter. Children of college graduates have a higher chance of leading better life as well as pursuing higher education. They also have easier time of gaining entry into good learning institutions because of their parents' advice on the significance of attaining a higher education degree. They similarly record better grades as well as test scores.

I also am going to college to gain extra experience; go beyond my current status and acquire more knowledge on how to manage a business. As a human being I am a lifelong learner. I constantly strive to add more to my knowledge reservoir; by challenging myself academically and gaining new experience, something that I consider more rewarding. Thus, acquiring a college education will provide me with the opportunity to learn more in a structured manner for my personal satisfaction.

Finally, with a college degree I know I will be more productive at my place of work. I know I will enjoy enormous access to recourses and also share my experience of knowledge with my colleagues. I will be able to accomplish greater deeds at my workplace and probably will have more respect as well as recognition from my colleagues. Unquestionably, a college degree makes some difference in an individual's resume. It communicates something about the individual and the dedication he or she has taken to achieve his or her academic success.

In conclusion, I decided to join college for emotional and personal as well as financial reasons. I believe that they are valid as well as strong matters of concern as they keep on pushing me on my daily activities. The idea of being the administrative director of a company and looking forward to acquiring a college degree as well as self belief in my capabilities despite my childhood challenges is enjoyable and exciting. Thus, I can attain my desires if I want to. Finally, I will use this essay as evidence that everything is possible and that a college degree is indeed important for a better life.

College degree is very important not just in the American life but also in several parts of the world now. It has numerous advantages when compared to just a basic high school diploma. While there are many merits in having a college degree, these advantages, which seem rather similar for all people, are attained in different ways. What I mean by this is, there are different motivating factors for a person to pursue a college degree.

In general, it is arguable that those people that have a college degree have advantages such as better paying jobs, an easier way of finding jobs compared to those with an education lower than them, the advantage of meeting now people, having a sense of accomplishment, higher social status, better salary, better satisfying jobs and greater self-esteem among many other endless reasons.

It has never been and was never an easy way for me into having a college degree. I was a first born in a family that had parents separated. It was a psychological devastation to engage in school work with the burden off having to ensure my parent's separation. As a first born however, I had to set a good example to my younger siblings. Earning a college degree thus was going to at least give them some element of hope by proving that it is possible despite our challenging upbringing in Puerto Rico.

College education isn't easy all the same. It involves engaging with new people, new environment and numerous challenges of having to adapt to what a person had not been used to. Upon imagining improved economic status, the improved chances of moving up the career ladder, respect from peers and an ability to tackle problems from a different dimension, the motivation and desire to gain a college degree overshadows the problems and obstacles.

Definitely my career as an administrator will have an immense boost. I have mentioned the respect from peers. The improvement in expertise is as well likely to earn me a position of higher responsibility and thus, promotions are now more likely with a college degree. Needless to say, in a related area, I will be able to advance my education to may be masters an even doctorate. Without a college degree this would be technically next to impossible.

One area that most people never really think about with regards to a college degree is family. There are so many advantages associated with a degree; the social status, economic advancement, ability to network with great minds and all that. It is a fact that it is partly due to social selfishness that drives us into wanting a college degree so badly. We want the best for ourselves. So, it is obvious that with a college degree, the benefits allow for better relaxation such as vacations with husband and children. Every parent looks forward to their children having a better life. That is not an exception with me. With a proper knowledge of the education system, the ins and outs of the jobs that my degree will enable me to interact with and the higher income just to mention but a few, are some of the things that will be very beneficial to my children. I'll pass the academic legacy to them and if I am in possession of a college degree, the will have to aim higher and do better than me. Overall too, my family will have stability, all factors held constant, economically and health wise.

Conclusively, earning a college degree opens up someone's eyes, improves their social status and self-esteem and also opens up opportunities not only for the person but also for others.