Going Back To College

When I started English 203, I was not a good writer. I have never been the best writer. I could not remember all of the rules, where commas go, and how to correctly use a semi-colon. I did not remember not to use the word you in professional writing or whether the period went before or after quotation marks. But, I think this semester in English I have actually started to pick up the correct way to use quotations, commas, how to avoid contractions, and how to avoid banned words. It took some time but, I feel like I have learned more in the past 16 weeks of English than I have in the past 14 years of school. One of the most valuable writing skills I learned was how to write a review on an article and not

College is many things to many people. For some it is a time for fun and socialization. For others, it is a time for personal and professional development. In my case, (a husband, a father, and a proud member of the U.S. Navy) college represented an opportunity for both personal and professional development. The purpose of this narrative essay is to examine my decision to earn a college degree, specifically examining my three main reasons (higher earning potential, increased marketability, and development of my critical thinking skills) for deciding to enter college in pursuit of a college degree.

Writing throughout time has been one of the most essential ways of learning. To be good in many professions you must be able to articulate yourself in some form of writing. In class I had tools brought to my attention that would help me become a more effective writer. A few of those tools where the ten core concepts, conducting an interview and learning to write a research paper. All of which that I learned in class this semester has helped me become a more articulated writer.

Freshman Composition (EN101) is the first college course I have taken, it has certainly been one of the most challenging courses I have encountered. Initially, I was not going to enroll in EN101, figuring I did not have the skill set for this course; in fact, I was surprised by my growth and accomplishments in this course. While this course focuses on the transition from high school level writing to college level writing, my goal was to enhance the quality of my writing and to prepare myself for future courses. I can take the knowledge and skills I have obtained and use it for all my future courses as well. Also, these are life long skills that I will be able to utilize for any occasion in my future.

What I learned from this semester in English 101-102 class was to have an open mind and be creative. My papers had to have mean something to me and had to move like the rivers of Babylon. My papers had to keep the reader entertain and have resources that backed up my information. We had to use instruction that made our papers easier to understand. English 101-102 help me become a better academic writer because I learn how to make inquiries, seeking and valuing complexity, seeing writing as a conversation, and understanding writing as a process.

College is an important decision everyone has to make after they have finished high school, but if someone decides to go to college then they also have to decide what college they are going to go to. College is something everyone should decide to go to because college can get people really good jobs and college expands knowledge, wisdom, and responsibility which will benefit people in the real world. To decide to go to college a person must have some motivation and dedication to reach their goals and become successful in life. Southern Illinois University and Eastern Illinois University are two both really good colleges that anyone can choose to go to. These two colleges have individually benefitted all of the students very significantly to be ready for the outside world and to be prepared for the careers they have worked for.

What would you do if you could be able to attend a college of your choice? That’s exactly what high school students are trying to answer, considering the fact that there are many factors that are involved when deciding which college you want to attend, including, cumulative grade point averages, determination, and flexibility. According to an article from Time Magazines, they are more interested in what you know than what you learned it from.

In my writing career, I have taken English classes throughout high school and a composition one class at my local community college. These classes have helped get me where I am today and has shaped me to become the writer I am now. There is plenty of room for improvement and I am hopeful this class will improve my knowledge. Although I have never excelled in writing, I try my hardest to do well at it.

Albert Einstein studied at home with his mom and became a greatest scientist we have ever had. Steve Jobs dropped college to chase his own dream; he created iphone, the first smart phone, which changed people’s life in the whole world. They are all the great exemplary of successful. The interesting things is they do not go to any colleges, so why would a millions of people in the world now who long to be success have tried their best to get in and spent a lot of time in a college. The answer is why college is definitely a good choice because it helps its students to develop their ability as well as personality and gives them some certain advantages before they start their career.

My decision to return to school was a struggle, I was raising my three girls and working and worried about the affordability and most of all I was constantly told that I couldn’t attend college because I had a family to take care off or constantly told “put it off until next year” time and time again. I felt resentful, infuriated and guilty and all at the same time.

I made the life changing decision to return to school in 2012. I always wanted to obtain my degree, but as a single mother of one son, it was my choice to make sure that he obtained his degree first; we both could not afford to go at the same time. It was always very important to me to make sure he had the tools he needed to become successful. When my son graduated from his university, I told myself it is my time now. I went back to school for personal and professional fulfillment, and I am someone I never wanted to live a life full of regrets.

When I first came to Bethel University, I was nervous. Not only was I leaving high school behind when I was not yet an adult, but I was also going into uncharted territory. I grew up in public schools my whole life, so a Christian private school was a bit of a curve ball. I definitely had my doubts. A lot of my opinions - especially political - did not match up with a lot of people that attend Bethel and I felt a little out of place. There were issues where I did not agree with some of the covenant, I had issues with the mixing of education and religion, and going into Bethel I was very unsure of how this year would go. Now that I am enrolled in Bethel’s courses and participating in activities, I am able to understand and experience exactly

Staying on the right path in one’s classes is fundamental as this is one of the most important times in education. Rewarding oneself is one out of the many ways that students can accomplish this difficult, but crucial task. Assignments are to be completed in a timely and organized manner. It is essential that students take the time to grow as writers and change the necessary details to improve their writing skills and adapt to the changing atmosphere from high school to college. During ENC 1101, I am sure that students will undergo various ways of analyzing their writing process just as I did. I learned plenty about my writing during this journey and now I am making changes to improve my process and to become the best writer to my fullest

As a young student we were first learned the alphabet, as year passed we turned that into sentences the to paragraphs then finally to essays. Through my high school years my writing improvement seemed not to be improving. When I arrived into English 101, I realized that writing is a whole lot more than just putting words onto paper.

I figured that it can be expensive returning to college. The expense alone was enough to cause me to reconsider my decision to return to school and earn a degree. However, I came to the conclusion that my education is an investment. It was an investment in myself. For me it