Caliente
Growing up, my mom raised my brothers and me with the mentality that we were always “growing,” mentally, physically, emotionally, and psychologically — in a sense, where we were almost did not matter because where we were was not going to be where we ended up. And, throughout life, from early on in our childhoods, up until now, and continuing on into everything we do for the rest of our lives, there has always been a visible aspect to the way in which we carried ourselves, allowing us to succeed in the face of challenge and opposition. As my brothers and each pursue our own, individual career paths, (engineering, culinary arts, and law enforcement) we have consistently demonstrated, and continue to demonstrate, our desire to succeed and be the best we can possibly be.
Going into college having first had the opportunity to experience and understand the concept of “learning” is, in my opinion, the strongest characteristic I have that will prove to be extremely useful throughout my college career. Not long before I began class at KSU, a mentor of mine and myself had lunch. He told me about how he had been taking a class on a college campus, years after he earned his degree. He explained how, nowadays, the majority of students do not go to college to get an education, they go to college to get a degree. But, if you go into a something with the mentality that what is being taught is actually important and will benefit you later on (even though it may not seem like it then) you tend to view things from an entirely “new” perspective. However, having the desire to succeed and do well, both in college and throughout life is only one of the characteristics necessary to be successful. While not necessarily a weakness, time management is something I continue to struggle with in every aspect of my life. Finding the time for school, work, homework, going to the gym, having some sort of social-life, and getting enough sleep to do it all again is exhausting, challenging, nuanced, and very exciting.
For me personally, I write down everything. No matter how small, irrelevant, or unnecessary something may seem, writing it down, and visually being able to see, “I have to do this, this, and this today” I can more accurately and efficiently allocate a certain time to doing a certain task. And, the more I write, the better I become at it. Eventually, I’ll notice that a certain style of writing does not work as well as another, what words make more sense in what places, and methods provide for the best types of organization, memorization, and the ability to understand.
Before the fall semester, in addition to everything else, my goal is to learn how to manage my time more efficiently. I would not consider my time management skills to be bad, whatsoever, but they can become better. However, I do not want to hone my time management, note taking, or academic skills so that my life can become better. I want to do these things so that I can make others’ lives better. My goal in life, regardless of what I do or how I do it, is the idea that I want to do good. I want the world to better because I was here. And, by improving myself, I am granted the opportunity to improve everything else.
-cole
