Building character outside the classroom
Alexia Lang
Issue date: 3/30/09 Section: Forum
Entering the final stage in my college journey with a bachelor's degree in sight, I look back over the past four years with mixed feelings.
One part of me feels very sentimental about my memories and the times I have had.
Another part thinks I could have learned all of the practical things that might actually be helpful in the future in about a quarter of the time I have spent in college.
We commit to at least four years of classes and professors we might or might not like to get a degree we might or might not use.
In all honesty, I fail to see how I will be able to apply what I learned in Biology to my future job at a newspaper (assuming they will still be in existence a few years from now).
And I can't really tell you much about the pieces of art I studied in Ancient to Renaissance Art.
However, college has offered some life-changing opportunities that define who I am and how I will live my life.
I learned this lesson my freshman year. While walking down the hallway on my way to Comp I, I noticed a school newspaper.
I spent the next two years at Johnson County Community College (JCCC) working for that newspaper and now I can't imagine working in any other profession.
Not only did I get hands-on experience, I was able to travel all over the country to attend conferences that gave me additional training in my field.
After entering college without any sense of direction like so many other students, I still thank JCCC for helping me find my calling.
I have also learned that college is not all about training for a future job. It's also training to be a benefit to the community.
In the past four years, I have had the opportunity to work with Catholic Charities in food drives organized by students and faculty, to volunteer with Project Finish to teach English to Spanish speaking people seeking a GED and to speak to high school students about the importance of finishing their educations.
One part of me feels very sentimental about my memories and the times I have had.
Another part thinks I could have learned all of the practical things that might actually be helpful in the future in about a quarter of the time I have spent in college.
We commit to at least four years of classes and professors we might or might not like to get a degree we might or might not use.
In all honesty, I fail to see how I will be able to apply what I learned in Biology to my future job at a newspaper (assuming they will still be in existence a few years from now).
And I can't really tell you much about the pieces of art I studied in Ancient to Renaissance Art.
However, college has offered some life-changing opportunities that define who I am and how I will live my life.
I learned this lesson my freshman year. While walking down the hallway on my way to Comp I, I noticed a school newspaper.
I spent the next two years at Johnson County Community College (JCCC) working for that newspaper and now I can't imagine working in any other profession.
Not only did I get hands-on experience, I was able to travel all over the country to attend conferences that gave me additional training in my field.
After entering college without any sense of direction like so many other students, I still thank JCCC for helping me find my calling.
I have also learned that college is not all about training for a future job. It's also training to be a benefit to the community.
In the past four years, I have had the opportunity to work with Catholic Charities in food drives organized by students and faculty, to volunteer with Project Finish to teach English to Spanish speaking people seeking a GED and to speak to high school students about the importance of finishing their educations.
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