The Importance of Family

When I first got into UMBC three years ago I could not wait to get out of my parents house. Now however, when I only get to see my family for a few fleeting hours each Sunday, I have a different view of my home and of my family. The reason I am in college is not because I am smart. I am here because my family expects me to become someone, to do something with my life. I am in school not only because of their financial support, but because they instilled in me the importance of education in order to succeed in today’s society. Thinking more about how I got here, I have realized the importance of family and just how much they have taught me.

All my life I have had the best of things—loving care,never-ending support, and even the grace of material comforts. Looking back I have found these blessings to be the basis of my being, which have helped me, evolve into who I am today. These things taught, though indirectly by my parents, were regarded as important values to learn. I cannot even imagine what my life would be like without their guidance and instilling values. As a result, I have adopted the same principles my parents regarded as fundamental, as my own personal morals and in return it has created my general outlook on life.

The positive perspectives I have developed can be attributed to the upbringing my family has given me. I was always surrounded by people who cared. Whether it was about schoolwork, sports games, an injury-- or anything really, my family has been there to give me the reassurance of help if I could not handle things on my own or if I did not have confidence in my abilities. Even then, I was never made to feel inadequate or disappointed in. I believe this kind of support was integral in building my self-esteem and let me know I could be who wanted without feeling afraid of not being accepted.

Spending time with my sister and my parents has increased my patience, understanding, and awareness of how short life is. I have learned to embrace them with their all their quirks and flaws because after all, “they are family.” I am reminded every day of how wonderful a family I have when I look in the mirror because I am a reflection of them. Family, is what I believe in.

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The American Ideal

The most common American "ideal" job is comprised of what you can show for it with the paycheck you receive. However, I hold a completely different view of what that ideal is and what it can be.

Ever since I was young I had no financial burdens resting upon my shoulders. I was actually a spoiled kid and pretty much got whatever I wanted-- granted, always in moderation. Even so, I never adopted the notion that you need material things to be happy. This may have been due to my parents, or maybe I just had never developed the desire to find happiness in money. Whichever path led me to here, I realized I have adopted a very humanitarian view on the ideal job and the American dream.

As my major is social work, I have a strong opinion as to what the ideal job is, and what my American dream is. I believe the title of "social worker" suits me perfectly. Helping those who are not in the position to help themselves is what I want to do with my life. I am content and satisfied in knowing that I will enjoy what I do and live by the quote, "if you find a job you love, you will never work a day in your life."



However, the American ideal looks down upon dependency and those who cannot help themselves. After all, we live in such an independent and everyone-for-themselves kind of society. Therefore, I feel like my American ideal greatly contrasts with the view of what many other Americans may hold as the quintessential job, and that may be why teachers, social workers and other social service employees get paid the least amount for all of the efforts that may be making the most impact on our society.

Analyzing the "Route of Administration"

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term Route of Administration, it is mainly used to describe the way in which drugs and alcohol are taken in to the body. For the purposes of this class though, I am talking about the way in which I have taken educational material in for the past umpteen years.

As a young student I never seemed to do well in the classroom setting because of all the distractions I could find in almost anything-- other kids, my snazzy notebooks and colorful pens, etc. However, when I started to get serious about my schooling, I found I could focus when I was interested in the material presented to me and if I simply liked and admired my professors.

One of the worst experiences I have had educationally was when I was taking a course with a professor who was extremely monotonous, only read off the slides, and could not relate to the students he was teaching. The reason why this class was so "destimulating" for me was because I did not feel connected to the material or the professor. We were in a lecture hall setting and it was just not a conducive environment for learning.

On the other hand, one of the best learning experiences for me was when I was in a small , bright classroom setting last semester, with only 7-8 other students. We all sat in a circle facing one another and had discussions in every class. Not only was this fascinating and stimulating to me, but I loved to learn more about the material with each passing day!



Because of these two experiences I can see what helps me learn more material and better. I need an approachable and interesting professor coupled with the right learning environment.