Lessons I Learned in College

Despite great odds, I graduated from college on December 15, 2017. My degree is in Early Childhood Development and Education with Honors. Here are some of the lessons I learned from college.

1) It does not matter how long it takes to get there as long as you get there and get there to the best of your ability. It took me a long time to get this degree. I took my time and because of that I was really able to focus on my studies and excel. I doubt I would have done as well had I not taken things slowly.

2)  If you make an effort and show you put your best foot forward then you will reap the benefits. At the end of my first Practicum, I got a grade by my Mentor Teacher that was REALLY bad and was not accurate to my performance and could have dropped me a letter grade. After talking to my Practicum Coordinator and Practicum Instructor, I discovered that because of the way I have shown myself at school and in my observations that they took the evaluation with a grain of salt and I still  got A for the Practicum. This was all because they saw the effort and hard work I put in and the type of student I was.

3) I learned what I was capable of for the first time! I wasn't in special classes like I was in high school. I didn't use any accommodations  expect taking test outside of class and having double time. This was a whole new world for me. It was challenging but I had extremely good attendance and because of that I did really well. I also was not afraid to seek help such as with my English papers which is no different from people without my challenges.

4) I learned how important the support system I have is. I never took my support system for granite but college has made me even more thankful for my family and friends. I could not be where I am without them. Yes, I did a majority of the work myself but without them I would not have able to believe I was capable of doing the work and doing it well.

5) I learned to trust people. I have bad experiences with people who did not treat me fairly in a work situation like my 1st Practicum experience but my Mentor Teachers in my 2nd and 3rd Practicum really showed me that I can trust people! They gave me so much confidence in my abilities and their evaluations revealed to me just how capable I am.

6. I learned how to communicate with people. I saw how willing my instructors were willing to how me and my classmates to succeed. I took advantage of every help they were willing to give. I had them go over assignments before they were due and they gave me suggestions. I learned it is okay to ask for help when you need. If people see you wanting to your best, they will willing to help most of the time.

7. Life is truly about the journey and not the destination. The journey of getting through college and then crossing that stage is something I will never forget. I will never forget my days as a college student. The tears I cried and the accomplishments and joy. I will never forget the people I meant along the journey who helped me believe in myself.