Life Experience
By: Shanequa Burton
I attend Shaw University in Raleigh North Carolina. I am now 19 years old and a freshman at Shaw University. Over the time spent at Shaw I’ve grown to love the school not only because of the teachers and the students, but also for who I’m becoming. Shaw has a lot of down falls, which can all be fixed. I came to Shaw University for a reason and I promised myself I wouldn’t leave until my goal accomplished. It’s safe to say I am proud to be a Shaw Bear.
Since the first day I arrived at Shaw University I expected things to go smoothly. I believed the students here would be different from the students back home in high school. I was hoping college would be like the movies I saw on TV such as, “Stomp the Yard” and “Drumline”. Coming to North Carolina I had thought I was from a different world than everyone else, with me being from New York. When I arrived, I realized even though we are from different areas of the world we all have faced the same type of struggles. My biggest struggle was believing in myself. In the back of my mind college was not the place for me. Being on my own away from my family with no job isn’t the easiest. Although this is new to me, I have learned to get things done on my own. Getting up early every morning making sure I go to class and get my work done isn’t as easy as High School anymore.
After, arriving at Shaw University I struggled with believing there would be a brighter future for me by just attending college. Being in college requires a lot of money, hard work and that’s why all colleges must provide students with a bookstore. The bookstore is where you purchase your books that will be need for a specific class and it also has snacks, drinks, hair supplies, technology, and personal hygiene items. The only thing is that Shaw University’s bookstore is right next to the smoking pit. When I first got here I was hanging out in the smoking area with a few of my fellow Shaw Bears. Over the time I spent in the smoking section I started to realize I needed to spend more time in the bookstore than in the smoking pit. The smoking pit shouldn’t have been next to the bookstore because most of our students hang out there instead of the library. To me the bookstore should be a reflection of our future at Shaw. I don’t want my time to be wasted in the smoking pit.
Then, there’s the Café where nothing but magic should be made. Waking up on Shaw’s property every morning may not be the brightest, for the way the sunlight hits your face in the morning the thought of a brighter day is near. Upon waking up I start to get ready for class. Classes are usually about Fifth minutes I leave class around 12noon meaning the café would be open by then. By time classes are over I’m hungry, tired and exhausted. I usually go in the café to get something to eat it gets worst over the time. So, I stop going period even though we don’t have the best food we do have the best staff. Our Staff truly cares about us students. They help us, gives us advice on how to make this experience better for our peers and ourselves.
Shaw having a staff that cares about the students is what makes this school so significant. My main goal is to finish school. Not only because I want to make something of myself, also want to make my family proud. My oldest brother is 25 years old he hasn’t made all the right decisions yet but he is working hard and moving forward with his life. My mother was so disappointed in him and the decisions he made in life. My brother and I used to be together all the time until she implied I was going to turn out like him. Even though my mother is wrong her opinion still means a lot to me. I’m going to prove her wrong and make her proud. I plan on doing so, by following in my other brother’s footstep. Who graduated from the Arts Ins June 13, 2014 at the age of twenty-two. This made me realize you can do whatever you put your mind to. So that means if he could make it graduate from college and make his own money, then anyone can do it.
As long as you set a goal for yourself that can be reached you will later on accomplish it. Before attending Shaw I’ve never been in any legal trouble. Since I’ve been here I have encountered some trouble. Which requires me to attend court. I took it upon myself to deal with this on my own instead of running to my mother for help. Didn’t inform her because I didn’t want to hear her say nothing about me not doing my work. An obstacle can get in the way of your accomplishment. I don’t plan on letting this down falls ruin my life, that’s why I took it upon myself to handle things on my own. When I overcome this obstacle it would be a good lesson learned. Now, I can focus more on my schoolwork and not get in any more trouble.
In Conclusion, having courage is what makes me a Shaw student. Courage is a “quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear.” People on the outside looking in may not see this mainly because they thing school is easy as 1,2,3. Well, lets just say college is not that easy. Being on your own in college is a life changer. This is where you find out who you are and who you want to become. Some people may say being on your own is best for you but its not it’s hard. There’s no one there to tell you what to do and what not to do. No one there to pick you up and dust you off when you fall. Shaw University may not be the biggest or the nicest college in town, but what I can say is that it helped me becoming the young lady I am today. Its taught me being on your own may be hard but its as easy as you make it for yourself.
