“…In dreams begins responsibility.”-William Butler Yeats, Irish poet and Nobel Laureate
Ever since I was a little girl I have been dreaming about the future and what it will hold for me. When I was young, I would dream about flying and talking animals, but as I grew and matured, so did my dreams. Upon entering high school, I dreamt of college and the future beyond college doors. According to Nobel Laureate, William Butler Yeats and myself, the only way to truly achieve dreams is through responsibility, commitment, and dedication.
When I picked out my freshman year classes for my first year of high school, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to go to a four-year college or university away from home. It has been my dream since the beginning of high school to get out of dodge and go to college in another state. With every dream comes responsibility, and I knew that life would be tough for the next four years, trying to scholastically and socially prepare myself to get a secondary education in another state, but it was worth it to me. This is my dream and I am going to take responsibility for it.
After four years of Advanced Placement, honors classes, clubs, and community service, and enormous amounts of stress, the University of Rhode Island accepted me to be a part of their 2013 class. I was beside myself with excitement that I could barely contain it. All my hard work paid off; the school of my dreams accepted me.
Although a college acceptance letter to my dream school thrills me, I know that I still have to maintain my responsibilities to make it become a reality. This acceptance letter is just one stepping stone that will help to make my dreams come true. Upon graduation, I hope to start my dream career in the marketing field. In order to see it through, I am obliged to maintain my responsibilities such as; being organized, staying focused, getting an education, and learning to communicate with people. I will only be able to make my dreams a reality if I continue to step up to the plate and maintain my responsibilities.
During college, I will be forced to uphold many responsibilities in order to graduate and carry through with my dream. I will not have many of the luxuries in college that I have had in the past. I must learn how to actually get up when the alarm clock goes off because there are no parents making sure their children are not late for class. I will also have to keep up with my studies and grades because they will not be over my shoulder making sure I study.
The transition from high school to college will definitely be a considerable one for me, but in order to succeed in college, I need to maintain my responsibilities. Responsibility is the foundation for success; without it there is no way for me to make my dreams come true.
Good for you, and i wish you the best.
I have to admit that when I read blogs like this I get a little twinge of self-pity. A couple weeks ago I went to see Death Cab for Cutie at UC San Diego. I had a great time, but I was looking around at all the kids around me. I stood in line for the bathroom listening to a small group behind me who were discussing the morality of gay marriage. Most were dressed as though they had an appointment, an appearance to make. That might seem trivial to some, but I am baffled at the social construct of dress in public.
Perhaps a better way to say it is that they were all dressed to be noticed, and somehow defined. The jocks, the nerds, the social butterflies with loose legs, the artsy ones, and the rebels. All were represented well. I was both envious and happy for them, and I thought that this was something I want my daughter to have when she grows up.
I used to sneer at kids who got to go away to school who had their way paid for them. I realize that many don't have a "paid" and paved road and manage anyway, usually by incurring lots and lots of debt. Many don't get jobs that will ever allow them to graduate to an income level barely above the poverty line. Hats off to them for going ahead anyway, and believing in their dreams! I didn't even have the option of student loans because my parents refused to cosign for anything for me.
I really don't want to be bitter, but it is something I think about regarding my daughter. I think she deserves better than what I got, and I have already committed to making sure that no matter what her higher goals in life are when she reaches early adulthood, she will have the means to make them reality. I don't want her to ever be able to use the excuse of "There wasn't enough money."
I really get pissed when my fathers throws out statements like, "I guess you're my retirement policy. Social security will be dry in 6 years. I'll be living with you and kelly."
I smile and think, "F*** that, you're ass is going straight to the VA." I know this sounds awful, and I am reminded of friends of mine who have different cultural norms that obligate them to care for their parents through the end of their lives.
Your post makes me happy for you, and makes me think you enjoyed at least mental support from those around you. Part of me thinks you are "spoiled" but still, the world needs people like you. I want my daughter to be like you. I want her to feel like she can do anything, and that the world truly is her oyster. I don't want her to be burdened or bothered with concern for me. I also think that kids like you truly are obligated to work toward solving the problems of society, such as are apparent in my own familial life. You are our future, and we need you to dig deeply below the surfaces of things to find the root causes of what is causing our species to decay.
Universities are breeding grounds for free thinkers and agents of change. They are our lifeline.
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