Dear Kalli two weeks ago,

You're going to have a terrible time but it's still going to be some of the best weeks of your life. You are going to find a lot out about people here in one game of Never Have I Ever, and you won't make eye contact with them the rest of the week. Also you will realize you fogot your hair brush and have to bum one off your suite mates for a week a 3 days before your mom finally sends you one. You will also realize that they are incapable of making good breakfast here and they like to reuse food. You also will have to write a 6 page paper on watermelon. I'm still wondering how I did that. But all in all you're going to be really sad when you leave and even more sad when you open your suitcase and see your makeup exploded on the plane. 

From yourself,

Kalli

Blog 4

Dear younger Hailey,

These two weeks have been some of the most miserable days ever but at the same time have also been some pretty memorable days too.  These past two weeks have taught me many lessons that I can use in my schoolwork and in my studying habits.  These include learning time management, communicating with my professors, and NO procrastination.  This experience gave you an insight of what being a college student is like.  In your leadership for social change class you were taught the characteristics of becoming a leader and the actions you needed to make a permanent change to your community.  In your writing class, you were taught the proper way to write a paper and how to make your papers more interesting for your reader.  Not only did you see an improvement in your classes but you also see an improvement in your communications skills with your fellow piers.  You should be proud of yourself and proud of all the things you have accomplished in these two weeks.  Now just remember to continue working hard like this and try your best not to slack off!

Blog 4- Reflection

Dear Vanessa,

You would not believe how much you are going to learn in these two weeks. I bet you would have never thought that writing four thoughtful essays would be feasible but you accomplish it! I feel ready for my first AP English class next year because of how I have learned to clearly state my ideas, look for underlying assumptions and address them, and properly format my papers in MLA style. Also I bet you would have never thought that you would read comics and learn about how they are a great medium for storytelling and the thought process behind creating them. I hope you take with you all of the arguments about college and put that into action when you begin to apply for scholarships and colleges. All in all, this course will be a great experience for you and will help you grow as both a writer and individual.

Younger me, start off with, do your work on time! I can't stress this enough, because the night before the tests you're going to be stressing and cramming then realize it wasn't that much and you wouldn't have had to anything at all if you got it done the day before. You're going to learn about fumetti, start taking pictures now and get it out of the way while you can, You're gong to have make your own one, so start thinking of ideas now. Also, you're going to learn a lot about comics and the rhetoric used in them.

Dear younger Madison,
These past couple of weeks  have been tough and rough. You have made friends, and learned time management skills you never thought you could. The past two weeks have prepared you for your upcoming year here at Texas Lutheran University. During your writing class, Do the Write Thing you have been thought how to write a serious college paper. At the begging of these two weeks you had no idea how to use MLA format, or even write an intro to a paper. You have come a long way, and should be very proud of yourself! Congrats on making it through the two weeks, keep up the good work in the fall semester.

I never really have read comics. They aren't  something I was interested in as a child. The only comic I have read is called Smile. I don't even remember who wrote it. Everyone in my school was reading it, but they didn't have anymore copies at the book fair, so I had  to borrow it from someone. I remember I read it in like one day. It was actually really cool, because I was at the age where I wanted pictures not words. After I gave the copy back to the girl I went and found one for myself. I read it like 5 times in on month. It wasn't about super hero's. It was about a girl who fell and broke her tooth and her recovery. It sounds so weird when I am trying to explain it, but let me tell you in 2nd grade it was my favorite "book" ever. I wish I would have read more comics, because it was cool to only have pictures and a few words.

Blog #4

Dear Scheurer,

You walked into this summer program with no idea what to expect. Honestly, it started out rough. Registration was a pain and class schedules were disorganized. Very quickly though, things became situated, and you began to really like your classes. Your goals for this program were to make friends, get credits and, learn the campus and you easily accomplished all three. Along the way you learned techniques and facts that can help you in your future, not only for college, but for life. Personal Well-being with Dr. Sia was a very interesting class. She encouraged you to practice what you learn in class at home. She taught us Mindplay and RAFTing techniques to help cope with stress as well as Tai Chi, (which is definitely not as easy as it looks). Additionally, she introduced us to the myfitnesspal app to help track what we eat and when we exercise. She was really committed to making our futures as healthy and happy as possible.

In Professor Bost’s Do The Write Thing! course, you learn that there is so much more to writing than you thought in high school. For example, it is no longer the rhetorical triangle featuring ethos, pathos and logos. It is more like the rhetorical square when we add kairos into the mix.

Still, for ten days you stayed outside of your comfort zone and learned so many things along the way. It was an amazing experience.  

Dear younger Amanda,
   Two weeks ago you had no  idea what you in for. Thinking you had it easy, it was quite a shock to see we had homework on the first day. As you dug into your classes, you realized that college is challenging, something you  really love and need to grow stronger. In just 12 short days you have changed  into somebody that I wasnt expecting. More hard working, happy you  dont have this in high school. Ive learned everything from sollilogies to kairos, Writing class has strengthened my writing and points of argument, which will come in handy when I take debate next year. Biology has taught me to be open to new ideas for my future career, showing me I might  not want to be a neurologist after all. So two week younger Amanda, I have some advice for you. First, prepare for the unexpected. It is something that will come handy in any situation you are in. Two, push yourself. You wont get anywhere just thinking you will take the high road. Three, work for what you want. Freedom is not free, you earn it just like everything else in life. Take risks. If you dont, you  might miss something that was truly worth it, even if it was a bit more work. You are a strong, intellegent little lady and I believe in you. What hasnt killed you yet has really made you stronger. Oh and dont worry about the lack of sleep you might get. Later in life, you will make up for it I promise. And take advantage of the free food for the two weeks! I  didnt do  that but I could have. I mean who doesnt want cookies, am I right? I know you will have a lot of work not only physically but mentally. TLU pushes your brain to make engaging inquiry, leadership, and determination. You have all three of those qualities, so use it. This campus is a campus of faith, so dont be afraid to show that you have faith  in every breath you take and every word you type. Thanks for listening, take the advice wisely.

Dear Harsha,

      Saying that you have the same amount of knowledge from 2 weeks to present me would be a flat out lie. At Texas Lutheran University, I've learned more than what any teacher could have taught me. Previously, you only relied on textbooks and secondary experience to know what a college life is like. However, 2 weeks from now I now know what it is like. Not only have I gained credits and writing skills, but I was able to teach myself. This was the first time I was actually able to pull something I learned from myself, a leap in my own life I never thought to be possible. Do The Write Thing and Biology: Issues on Plagues were probably the most intense and exciting courses I have taken. This experience opened up my eyes and realized how much more there is for me the learn. This is definitely an experience I will never forget! All in all, Harsha, you made the right decision coming to this camp!

Blog 4

Dear previous self, if only you knew the events that would unfold during these two weeks. You made Bs in your classes, but you didn't care. You will make many friends, some more challenging than others. I'm talking about Joey. Joey is a loon, but a fun loon. Joey will annoy the living crap out of you, but just power through it. He is just like that. You hang out with some pretty cool dudes. DO NOT refresh the page on the speech test. My teacher still hasn't emailed  back and it has been 4 days now. Just have  some patience and get through it. Luckily, you were able to finish all of your assignments and get through these two weeks. Your roommate Matthew is actually really messy. I don't think he cleaned up his side of the room the entire time I was here. It is 1:34 pm. I'm wondering if I should hint to Mom and Dad about what happened last night, but I'm probably not going to say anything. I am currently writing to you in the Library. After this I'm going to finish my final for this class and then I will be done. Good luck.

Comics Blog 3

My short-lived experience with comics also came from the Sunday newspaper. I didn't actively grab the page and read them. However, if my parents found one that was particularly funny, they would put it on the fridge and I would read. I would have to say that my only experience reading a comic would have to be a manga adaption of the book series Maximum Ride by James Patterson. This really helped me to appreciate comics as a whole. It takes the pictures in my head, for the most part, and puts them on a paper, but I still have to read it. This allows me to appreciate both the artistic quality of the comic itself as well as the dialogue and narration. I can't say that I am an avid reader of comics right now, but if they are still around in the future, I want my kids to read them so they can understand the importance of comics. I also want them to understand their history and the roles they played.

Blog #4

Dear Juliana,

At this time you are probably reveling in your naiveté and making sassy off-hand comments about how much this is going to suck. Well I’m here to tell you that you were wrong. There was a lot of work, no doubt. But you made a few really cool friends and got stuff done. Playing soccer with the kids at the Kid Fitness Fair and staying up way to late will stay fresh in your mind, along with all the diligent studying and research of course. You got to learn about an array of diseases in Issues in Biology and how to better organize papers in Do The Write Thing. In the end, you gained 4 credits towards your future and 12 service hours while having a lot of fun.  Although you may not have enjoyed every second of it, you created a memory that you won’t soon forget.

Growing up

Hey jack, I'm talking to you now as a more experienced and slightly more intellectual person. You have been great up until this point and you keep working hard. The two weeks that you are going to suffer through is going to be very long but you can do whatever you put your mind too. You have the ability to be great just like mom always says. You just have to go out there and put rubber to the road. These next few weeks you will stress and you might fail. You just need to get up and no keep pushing on. You are doing this to become a better person. You always strive to be the best. Keep at it. And don't ever give up.

Blog 3

The first memory I have of reading a comic was with my grandparents at their dinner table.  Every Sunday morning I would be dropped off at my grandparents house so I could go to church with them. My meme would make us breakfast and my grandpa and I would sit at the table and patiently wait till she was done.  Once I became old enough to read my grandpa would bring home the Sunday newspaper and we would practice reading with it.  Once I became a little older he would separate the actual paper from the comics.  I enjoyed reading the comics because I liked that their were pictures involved.  I remembered that my favorite comic was called "Charlie Brown" I enjoyed this comic the most because I loved the movie, Charlie Brown.  Now that I think about it, I do miss having my cup of hot chocolate while reading the comics and my grandpa sitting across from me drinking his cup of black coffee and reading the headlines.

Blog 3: Ben Greif

My first interaction with anything relating to comics, would be the funnies from the Sunday Chronicle. My dad would read the big news stories while I read the funnies. I have always been more interested in the animation than the actual manga or comics. For example, as a kid I watched a show called Naruto rather than reading the actual comic. I tried reading it, but the bad social stigma from it made me stop reading it. It felt like a walk of shame when I picked it up at the local library. So, I just watched the show at home in peace. I recently read AOT, which is a great show about a society enclosed by wall that the people inside from the titans that reside outside. This comic is all about the survival of the human race. The main character faces many conflicts with the idea of survival and the value of all human beings. I have never read superhero comics. They were never readily available to me as a kid. I read a lot but I never really cam into contact with them. I also never really got fascinated with superheroes. I have always like the stories where the main character starts off weak, but works hard to become strong overcoming challenges along the way.

Ben Greif Blog 2

I have recently been looking a colleges near me. My parents do not have a ton of money to work with, so I need scholarships and may even need to live at home while I attend college. So the colleges that I have been looking at have been UT Medical Center, UH, and A&M. If I were to go to UH I could live with my parent to save them some money. I have some cousins that live in Austin and would probably allow me to stay with them if I chose to go to A&M. I'm going to major in BSN, so I am in no way worried about jobs after I graduate. Nursing jobs abundantly available. I can eventually move up to being a nurse anesthetist. Nursing can be a very well paying job. Good nurses can get pay raises and overtime can accelerate the amount of money that you make even more. Charles Murray explains,"More people should be getting the basics of a liberal education. But
for most students, the places to provide those basics are elementary and middle
school." . He also says,"This core knowledge is an important part of
the glue that holds the culture together". These mean that people should know what they want to be and explore other option as a backup.

Childhood Comics

When I was around the age of five to seven, I absolutely devoured anything that had the title "Spider-Man" in it.  Everything from movies, books, comics, games, you name it, I loved all of it.  That being said, I had my fair share of comic reading as far as the super-hero went.  I remember excitingly picking up a new title every now and then, and reading it from start to finish multiple times the first night getting my hands on it.  The character of Peter Parker as a whole was completely lovable for me as a kid, the snarky lines, geeky persona, and confidence really drew you into trying to relate to him as much as you could.  Not only this, but the setting of New York, it's inhabitants, architecture, villains, and multiple story lines made me constantly want more and more of the wonderful universe I loved back then.  However, I never really dived into comics besides that, and I don't even think I've touched one since I became a teen.  I still think it's a wonderful thing for everyone to get into and find passion for, regardless of your age, just like a movie or video game.

When I was younger, my parents thought reading graphic novels were too "boyish" so I wasn't allowed to read them. They didn't want outside influence to make me more tomboyish. But my dad grew up with the Archie Comics so when we went to the store he would sneak me the Archie Comics series. I grew up with Betty, Veronica, Archie, and Jughead as the "friends" from the comics I read. I was allowed the news paper comics on occasion but it was not the same to me as the Archie Comics, which were my favorite because for me, it was my childhood. If I had the chance growing up I would have read more comics. But I still think that the Archie Comics would have still been my favorite. Although the X-men comics would probably come a close second. I got the chance to somewhat read them, because I had to sneak what I could from my parents, last year.

Growing up, I honestly never read any comic books. I often heard of them being in the Sunday newspaper, but I never actually read them myself. I’ve probably glanced over a few comics about some marvel superhero, but I would be fabricating the entire story if I gave you any detail about that experience. I’ve seen flashes of comics on shows that are about superheroes, typically before a movie. That should count for something, right? Even though I have no experience with comics, reading the comic books in this class made things a bit more interesting. They add action to the story, and make reading a bit more fun. Nowadays, we barely have pictures in the books we are required to read at school. This class has definitely given me a new approach on the way I view comic books. The can be a huge help to the individuals who cannot stand reading old fashioned books with no pictures or colors.

The Fight of the Century

I was not much for a comic reader, I got these old comics when I was at an old market with my grandmother once though. These old comics comics were so terrible I do not even recall their name. There was one that stood out though. Glowing with passion and energy this comic was the one that would be the best one ever. This comic was titled Batman v Superman. The title alone was incredible. I was so intrigued to see my two hero's duke It out. I read this comic over and over for months. This comic was like the bed time story you read to your kids every single night. My experience with comics may yet be short and small but is large in understanding and liking if it.

 Star wars fanatic

  As a huge star wars fan,I have read quite my share if comics. I really love reading comics because its basically a adult picture book in my mind. It allows the readers to read something and give an visual at the same time. One reason I really love star wars is that the action to action shots are phenomenal. I love reading about the wonderful stormtroopers and the empire (yes I do very much love the dark side). I guess what sets star wars apart from all other comics is that it has SO MANY elaborate different characters. Overall, I have read many of the comics and I cant love them more.

Blog #3

When I was about six, I remember my parents driving to the gas station every morning after my dance class to buy the morning paper. When they were finished, they always let me read the comics section and my sight traveled straight to Garfield. My six year old self was committed to this comic solely for its splendid use of cute, furry animals. Now that I have branched out to other comics, I find myself coming back to those drawn by Scott Hilburn. Hilburn uses well known characters such as the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz, Spongebob, Frankenstein, Pink Panther and many others to convey puns and illustrate common everyday practices that turn out to have incongruities. One of his comics that I’ve always enjoyed includes Mr. Clean and the Scrubbing Bubbles character from the TV commercials, facing off with Pig-Pen from the Peanuts comics. Under the picture, it says “In a dark alley, Mr. Clean and the Scrubbing Bubble eyeball their next victim…But this was no ordinary opponent.”  Although I am not sure why, that particular comic has always been one of my favorites. I like the idea of using comics as a medium for storytelling. I feel that it brings new dimensions to the story, and allows the reader to grasp a better idea of the situations taking place.

Blog 3- Comics

     I have never had much of a background with comic books. I have seen the movie adopted from the comics and seen numerous people read them. However, I have only read about one Batman comic… and you could hardly even say I’ve read it. More like skimmed through it and when it didn’t interest me put back on the self and went to the young adult novels.

    This course has been the first real exposure I’ve had to the art of comics and I have really enjoyed it. I would never have picked up a comic myself and read it; however, now from reading McCloud’s Understanding Comics and Losh, Alexander, Cannon, and Cannon's Understanding Rhetoric, I have a new-found respect for this type of medium. I feel that, although they are unappreciated, comics would be a great way to get kids to love reading. They provide pictures as not to scare kids with; seven-hundred pages of straight words per say, but still have exceptional language that will increase a kid’s vocabulary. I plan to incorporate comics into my reading every now and again for a enjoyable and entertaining read!

I have not had much experience with comics. I have always been around them but unfortunately have never picked one up. My father and brother however have a huge collection of comics from the 70s- the 80s. Every comic book is in a sleeve to protect it from the outside world. My brother has been interested in comics for years, the expressions on his face while reading spiderman is pure joy. There collection has collected to over 100 comic books, each individual comic holds a special place in their hearts, I one day wish to find the love for comics just like my father, and brother. 

Blog #3

As a Marvel fan I have much regret to say that I’ve never read any actual comics. When newspapers were still relevant, I used to ask my mom for the paper and read the comic strips in the morning. My favorite is Garfield, which I cannot actually recall reading in a newspaper. In my elementary school, they had huge books of collections of Garfield strips, which amused me to no end. They were humorous in my 5^th grade mind, and I liked the action-to-action transitions that may have displayed Garfield hitting John’s dog, Odie or Garfield stuffing his face with lasagna. I have read a few manga, but not as seriously as some people do. I used to read a lot in middle school, but I am keeping up with Attack on Titan now. I’m guessing that the illustrations found in manga would be different because Western comics use more subject-to-subject while manga uses more aspect-to-aspect.

DC Comics

I couldn't believe  I ignored all the DC comics in my room for four years. I became bored and picked up these comics, and they lit up my world. I also read all the graphic novels piled up in my room too. These novels include Batman: The Long Halloween, and The Sinestro Corps War. The comic circling around Batman, the Dark Knight, is a story revolving around the hunt for a serial killer dubbed "Holiday", as Batman fights off villains and mobsters. The comic about Sinestro is a revenge story. After Sinestro gets kicked out of the Green Lantern Force, he creates his own Yellow Lantern Force to combat the Green Lanterns. Both of these comics are filled with action packed adventure, and are riddled with suspenseful moments. These comics remind me of when I used to play with action figures all day long as a child. When I read comics like these, I can be a kid again, free from judgment and juxtaposition. Overall, I think all comics are great not just DC comics and graphic novels such as the previous two examples. Cartoon strips, manga, and doujinshi are just as exciting as the comics I prefer. I hope I never stop reading comics and always continue to expand my horizons.    

College

My decision making on the what college I'm going to is pretty simple, it's nothing that crazy. I really only have three things that would want me to go there. The first would be it would have to be unique. It's can't be like the rest. It would have to stand out from the rest. Second of all it would have to have a good cost range. I wouldn't want to go to a college where I'm going to be in debt in “the more someone has to pay to attend, the lower the net benefit of attending.” Owen and Sawhill. That would be crazy. And last but not least it was have to have a good program. And what I mean is that if I want to major or minor in something that class or program would have to be really good. I want it to be good because that's something I'm going to be doing for the rest of my life and don't want to be missable doing. I would want to love the job I'm doing. As Charles Murray says, "College is seen as the open sesame to a good job."

College Decision

           During my college search, location played a large factor as well as price. I was primarily looking for a college that was within commuting distance and was financially affordable. TLU came up late in my college search and it statistics were highly appealing with its small class sizes and new, highly accredited nursing program. Yet I never thought I'd attend being that it is a private school. But upon receiving my acceptance and scholarship, I knew I could not refuse. My parents, mostly my dad, strongly believe I should attend college in hopes of attaining a promising career. I felt the medical field provided the best opportunities and as a result, I surfing became my selected major. I feel that my decision is sound, but there are still doubts from time to time on if this is the best decision. Owen and Sawhill touch on this concern in their article, Should Everyone Go To College, saying "A bachelor's degree is not a smart investment for every student in every circumstance." What helps quell my concerns though, is an idea presented by Charles Murray discussing intrinsic rewards in his paper, Are Too Many People Going To College? He states that there is an important decision and that is "the satisfaction of being good at what one does for a living (and knowing it), compared to the melancholy of being mediocre at what one does for a living (and knowing it).

 What I take from this is it's better to receive a degree in something that you know that you will enjoy as opposed to something that you don't. And nursing provides me that satisfaction. So, with all the factors put into place, TLU came up on top and I am thrilled to see how the next four years go. 

My college decision

Once I complete high school I plan on coming and attending Texas Lutheran University.  The three things that I really stressed on while making my decision about which college to attend was making sure that the school had a strong academic environment, had a community of faith, and had a small campus.  My moms boss, Dave Sather, was actually the one who introduced me to TLU.  He is a professor here who teaches the Bulldog investment class.  Mr. Dave was able to get me an "exclusive" tour here that involved sitting in a freshman biology class, meeting personally with two professors, and having lunch with the cheerleaders.  After seeing how the professor of the biology class was so into getting her students to be involved in the lecture and meeting so many friendly people throughout the day, I immediately fell in love.  I realized that TLU had everything that I was looking for.  

Not many people know this but my mom is a single parent.  My mom is constantly having to work so she can support the both of us.  This made me step up in my responsibilities and take on the chores around the house so my mom wouldn't have another thing to worry about.  I have many jobs through summer so my mom could take a break from working so hard.  So honestly, my mom becoming a single parent has helped me in learning how to make a living and how to support myself in the future.  

When I attend TLU I am wanting to major in education.  When Charles Murray stated in his article "Are Too Many People Going to College", that those wanting to become "high-school teacher, social worker, journalist, optometrist, interior designer, or football coach, four years of class work is ridiculous." I found that to be very offensive.  To me, I picture a high-school teacher just as important has a doctor or lawyer.  Teachers influence and inspire their students to become successful in what they are wanting to do, so why should they not go to school for the full four years?  Charles Murray also states that "As personal computers acquired the processing power to show high-definition video and the storage capacity to handle big video files, the possibilities for distance learning expanded by orders of magnitude."  This is another idea that I find really offensive for teachers.  For me, learning online is probably the hardest thing to do.  I love sitting in a classroom and listening to watch the teacher has to say.  Having that one-on-one time with your teacher is extremely important.  It teaches you on how to speak to people and how to go and ask for help.  Learning off of a computer defeats the purpose of having teachers.  

Long story short, listed above are the reasons why I want to attend TLU and why I how I feel about a college education.  

Picking a college has been hard for me, because I'm going to be an upcoming junior and it's not on the top of my mind right now. I already know what kind of school I want to go to. I want it to be a SEC team, because I love college football and I want it not to far from home. For me college isn't fully about making a living. It's furthering my education and what I do with that will decide if I'm going to make a living. As Charles Murray says, "College is seen as the open sesame to a good job" which I don't believe in, because it doesn't matter if you have a college education if you didn't learn anything. I also think college is about growing up. You enter college barely legal and you leave being twenty-two or older. You mature a lot, so you're going to become a different person. I would go college no matter what, because of the experience. It's worth being a kid for four more years to get a college education. Also going to college makes you more money Owen and Sawhill's article, Should Everyone Go To College, confirms," 23 to 25 year olds with bachelor's degrees make $12,000 more than the average high school graduates, but by age 50, the gap grows to $46,500." Just in that statement alone that makes me want to go to college, because a piece of paper can pretty much make you $50,000 more by the age you're about to retire.

My College Decision Reasoning

My decision for college has not been made yet. In all honesty it scares me to start to think this is my last year for decision in this because after this school year is finished, next will be college. My college decision will be based on how their psychology program is and what all their students act like. If they are going to be a boring college where everyone is so worried about their grades that they forget about their own personal happiness then I will not choose this college. If I lose a social aspect in learning then I will feel as though there is no motivation to get through the classes. I would consider TLU but it might not be my first option because I enjoy the campus and majority of the professors so far but I really enjoy Texas State University as well. The reason for my consideration of Texas State is because I once again just really enjoy the campus but majority of my best friends already go there plus the town of San Marcos is great! If I had the choice to go into my field of choice straight out of high school I wouldn't. Only because I want to know as much as I can for psychology before I put people's emotional and mental well-being on the line

University of Leeds

I hope to be going to the University of Leeds in Leeds, England. I know the school is majorly different from a school such as TLU, but I think that I am prepared to take on the challenge of getting into it. The whole culture itself and the complete difference from life here is what indices want to go there. For me, the idea of a big change, such as moving to another country for college, is very appealing to be and something I would love to do. I crave challenges and changes of environment, so for me, if this works out, it will be something that will push me to my limits and help me grow into myself even more. As Charles Murray would recommend, one of the reasons I want to go to college in England is because it would mean a better living for myself because the job field for Occupational Therapists, which is what I plan to be, is more vast and pays at least four times as much as it does here in the United States. Similar to Ungar, I will be getting my undergraduate degree in Psychology which is a Liberal Arts degree, If I don't get into The University of Leeds, I am planning on applying to TLU because it is a good school that has the degree programs that I want.

College Reflection

For my future as a potential college student, I hope to attend Texas A&M (Corpus Christi) for the field of Marine Biology.  Over the course of my life, I have always had a love for oceanic life and all it's mysterious contents, and I think studying Marine Biology would help me establish my passion.  I believe finding out how to make a living is something I myself will figure out, while college on the other hand will give me tools to help me along the path.  Looking back at Charles Murray's   Are Too Many People Going to College, he states "More people should be getting the basics of a liberal education".  This can be interpreted to say that we have already received knowledge from the previous years in our lives that will undoubtedly assist us in making our spot in the world.  Regardless of the benefits of a college education, I believe that there may be worst case scenarios where I should at least consider employment opportunities that lack the requirements of a college degree.  From there, I could wait to help myself learn about being a part of society, and use that to make surviving college less intimidating.  From Owen and Sawhill's text, Should Everyone Go to College?, "Study after Study reminds us that higher education is one of the best investments we can make".  Something such as this makes me want to reach higher and obtain such an investment, regardless of the financial issues that can outweigh the benefits.  Overall, I hope to attend a college that grants me the education that will not only allow me to make my position in society, but also to allow me to follow my passions in life.

Blog 2- College

I would like to attend college at Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Cambridge is a very prestigious school and excels in all of the fields of study I am looking into. It is also culturally diverse which, while most people would scoff at this reason; is very important to me because I believe it will allow me to open myself up to new ideas and opinions and learn outside of the classroom as well as within it. I feel that I have the determination and skill to do well in college and Charles Murray would agree as “the students who are in the top percentiles of academic ability,” (Murray 5) are the ones who will go to complete and enjoy college.  However, this education comes at a high price and  “the more someone has to pay to attend, the lower the net benefit of attending.” (Owen and Sawhill 1) My parents cringe at the thought of the tuition, but the investment for my college should come from myself and I know that if I can get accepted and pay for college myself then I will become a better person overall.

TLU

Back in my sophomore year of high school, I started visiting college campuses. The very first college I ever visited was Texas Lutheran University. I was completely impressed by everything I learned and experienced there. From the size of the school and classes to the ability to customize one's major. They had exactly the kind of major I was looking for, Communications. It's exactly what I was looking for if I wanted to become a journalist. As a journalist who wants a liberal arts education, I should hopefully one day be able to "lead the way back to comity and respectful conversation about issues before us" (Ungar).

From the time I finished my first visit to TLU, my standards were set extremely high for other college campuses. When the end of my senior year of high school was fast approaching, I had two colleges in mind: TLU and UT Tyler. To be completely honest, I was set on attending UT Tyler. It wasn't until later that I saw the transfer rate for UT Tyler was 49%! As soon as I saw that my mind was set on TLU. I am very excited to attend in the fall. In closing, for those who do not believe in going to a four year college, I present a quote from Owen and Sawhill: "...it is hard to deny that, on average, the benefits of a college degree far outweigh the costs."

My plan is to attend Texas Lutheran University for the next four years. I believe it is essential to go to any type of college to attain a degree of some sort. In high school, I did a project on the tools needed to get out of poverty and education played a huge role in that. By obtaining a degree, a person can actually make more at the same job than if they only had a high school diploma. I personally agree with Murray when he says that undergraduate education should be spent at a rigorous liberal arts school because of “the kind of wisdom [it] can encourage.” Ungar even shares that a high percentage of employers look want individuals who are “innovative and creative,” and look for more emphasis in “the ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing.” I chose TLU because it was not too far from home, and the high graduation and retention rate. I love the curriculum and the importance of finding a leader in every student. College in general teaches students how to be independent and responsible. Unlike high school, students are not “spoon fed.” College can also expose people to a plethora of different cultures. Even in attending the Summers Scholar Academy, I have come in contact with people from all over Texas, and even a few from different states. It is also very important to know people in order to be successful.

Picking your poison-Jack King

When it came to choosing a college I was one hundred percent focused on football. High school I was a good football player and I was looking for the full ride scholarship to glide me through college. This turned out not to be the best idea. I was not offered by division one schools, but I was prepared to decide on one anyways when I met with my old coach. His name was coach Hilster. I told him I was wanting to go to Texas Tech and he looked me dead in the eyes and said why. I stood confused and said because football, duh. He proceeded to laugh in my face for a good ten minutes. He said jack, if you go to a school you must know what you want to leave with. Up until that point I never thought I wanted to leave college with anything but an NFL contract. I figured that was my destiny. I took a long time in my room thinking of what I wanted. Around three o'clock that afternoon coach Braxton Harris texted me asking if I wanted to consider Texas Lutheran University. I gave him the benefit of the doubt by looking up the school and the first thing I saw was a five year deal and I get a master's in Athletic Training. That set the deal for me. I can live anywhere and do anything but I am at TLU because they have a quick masters program in a subject I desire. That is why I chose TLU.

The education I need
    I have looked at many colleges, and have definintly narrowed down my choices. I have a limited amount of colleges to choose from, neurology is not a field most are interested in. When I am considering a college, I consider first getting a liberal education because before I graduate high school I will have an associates degree in liberal education. It is a really great base to start on, as Ungar's chronicle describes. Also, Should everyone go to college made me look if I really did need college for my education, which I do to be come a doctor in neurological science. Over all, I have considered the schools that dont cost as much, but would love to go to college in the future to continue my education.

Blog #2

I have yet to select a college. What I am looking for in a potential college for me to attend in the future is the location of the university, possibilities for study abroad programs, types of classes and curriculum. I do consider “making a living” the main reason for college because I don’t know what I would like to do career-wise after high school. College could help to narrow down my choices while preparing me for the future, although, as said by Owen and Sawhill in Should Everyone Go To College?, “a Bachelor’s degree is not a smart investment for every student in every circumstance”. Other reasons college could be beneficial are that college may provide a bit more structure as one leaves high school and it presents opportunities to learn and meet new people. If I could have a high-paying job without college education, I wouldn’t go to college unless I did not enjoy this high-paying job, because, as said by Charles Murray in Are Too Many People Going to College?, “the topic is no longer money but job satisfaction”.

Blog #2

When I was choosing a college to attend, I wanted something relatively close by and affordable; that also gave students the opportunity to easily meet with their professors. I had done my research on this school, but after I saw the scholarship and the small class sizes, I decided that I would attend TLU. My family is what influenced me to go to college, being that I will be the first one in my family to attend. They want me to go, so I an get a good education that will lead to a good career. With my background and experience, business is the major that I chose. Still, I had my doubts about if going to college would be worth it. As Owen and Sawhill say in Should Everyone Go To College? "A bachelor's degree is not a smart investment for every student in every circumstance." Additionally, Charles Murray discusses intrinsic rewards in his paper, Are Too Many People Going To College?, allowing people to consider the comparison of "the satisfaction of being good at what one does for a living (and knowing it), compared to the melancholy of being mediocre at what one does for a living (and knowing it)." In my case, if I go to get my degree, I want it to be for a career I enjoy, and I want my bachelor's degree to be a good investment. Nevertheless, TLU looks like an excellent university. I have already made friends and am excited to begin my first year in the fall.