Journal #1 : My transition from high school to college has gone smoothly so far, today’s my first day of class and I’ve made it to all my classes either on time or early. I was actually surprised because I thought the large campus would overwhelm me. High school for me was a breeze, but I know college will be more of a challenge with larger classes. I feel high school somewhat prepared me for college in the sense that I took AP classes, which were more of a challenge than the standard high school courses. The only thing that really held me back in high school is that they basically hold students’ hands, through everything giving no room to figure thing out on their own free will.

Journal #2: If I had the chance to move to a different state, it would no doubt be California. California seems to have the most opportunities for up and coming young individuals. I’d also choose this state due to the fact that it’s a sunshine state, year round the weather is warm and enjoyable. While in Virginia, one minute it’s sunny and hot and the next minute it’s thunderstorm clouds visible in the sky. All together California seems like the place people go to reach a higher level of successful. My major goal in life is to just be successful.

Journal #3: My dream job is to be a lawyer, it has been the same since I was twelve. I’ve always felt that the court room is where I belong. I’ve also always enjoyed arguing and proving my point to people. Here at Old Dominion University I am a criminal justice major although when applying here, it wasn’t my first choice because here they have no pre-law program. After I finish my four years here, I would like to attend law school to continue my journey. I know it’ll take a lot of work to get into my dream career field , but I’d like to hope I can achieve anything I put my mind to.

Journal #4: Growing up in Virginia I haven’t been many places, Ive only visited the surrounding states. Also I’ve never been on an airplane. A country I’ve always wanted to visit is Dubai. Although it’s a desert and has constantly climbing temperates While looking into visiting Dubai I’ve found that you can go skiing in the desert. Dubai is home to a ski slope in the middle of the Arabian desert, it measures at 85 meters high. Even though it is an indoor ski slope, I found it interesting that they have that. Dubai is also home to the tallest building in the world, which is nearly twice the size of our New York Empire State building. I would love to be able to climb this building and be in the clouds.

Journal #5: Right now at college, we are currently finishing our sixth week here. The workload hasn’t been as stressful as I thought, I am managing pretty well. The only thing I seem to be struggling with is being homesick. The dorms here feel nothing like home to me; the beds are small, the food in the dining halls are always the same, and the dorm look like jail. I really miss my mom the most, I haven’t been separated from her like this in a very long time. At home, I think I took her presence for granted and didn’t appreciate her as much as I should or could have.

Journal #6: Growing up with an abundance of siblings, I was always shy and reserved because I had so many people to talk for me. Sometimes I would find it difficult to make friends because it was hard to open up. I had somewhat of a lack of social skills because people never get an education on how friendship works. Lack of social ties in high school, made it more convenient to just stay at home on the weekends. Nowadays, it’s especially prominent because of the internet, cell phones, and social media apps. With social media you can just talk to people online and not in real life. Here at college, I’ve been trying to work on my social skills because the few friends I did have were at home. At college I find it easier because I literally have to live around these people.

Journal #7: The best day of the year for me has to be Thanksgiving. From spending time with friends and family to the delicious feasts, there’s so much to love about the holiday. Thanksgiving has all the elements of the perfect holiday; you get to each as much as you want, spend time with friends and family, and you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home. Every family has unique traditions, but giving thanks while enjoying turkey and sweet potato pie is our tradition. Also there are tons of dishes, so there’s always something for everyone to enjoy.

Journal #8: Five years from now, I hope to be in my first year of law school at a dominating school. I’d also love to be interning at a law firm to build my resume in my career aspects. Also I would like to have my own apartment and car, so I would no longer haver to depend on my parents or anyone else. Along with the internship I would also like to have a second job, a more stable and higher paying job than the internship.

Journal #9: To be having good friends is important to me because everyone should have someone to depend on other than their own family members. Good friends are loyal and accept you for who you are during the good and bad times. Good friends are also honest, honest enough to tell you when you’re not being a good friend yourself. Some people only want to surround themselves with people who will tell them what they want to hear, but that’s not what I want and I also don’t think it’s good for friendship. Friendships like that don’t lasts.

Journal #10: I’ve always thought history could repeat itself because humanity is so consistent and predictable. No matter how far we have come or how far we go there are very few things that truly change. In history class we learn about the past of our country, like we learn about World War I and how leaders said that would never happen again, but we had three more wars just like it. So I do believe history repeats itself in some aspects not all because sometimes it can be avoided.

Journal #11: If I were President of the United States I would make college education free to all who were willing to obtain a higher education. If college is essential for building a career and being a full participant in our democracy as high school once was, shouldn’t it be free, paid for by public dollars, and treated as a right of all members of our country? We have made K-12 education free because it is good for the individual and for society. The same is true for higher education. As several recent studies have underscored, a college degree is a pathway to a more stable life, financially and otherwise, even for students who struggled in high school. Those who denounce free higher education should recognize that they have gotten nowhere by repeating, over and over, that we need more resources.

Journal #12: We’re constantly told winning doesn’t matter, but something deep inside suggests otherwise. There is nothing quite like the feeling of victory. When we win at something, our body shoots us with dopamine. Boom, we feel like we can conquer the world. This is the feeling that can be dangerous, but it also has the ability to produce greatness. and that is why I love to win, because when I win it gives to the strive to go and complete another challenge.

Journal #13: A lot of people overtime have come to hate the word moist, me included, leading people to wonder why? Personally I hate the way it sounds and the vivid memories it conveys. When I hear or read the word ‘moist,’ I immediately think of the locker room at the public pool where I learned how to swim when I was a kid. It smelled like mildew and frogs, the walls were coated in grime and hair, and it was always at least 80 degrees in there, It was truly a moist locker room. It constantly grossed me out for years.

Journal #14: It’s only winter of my freshman year of college and I have a plan for my summer. Planning ahead is a thing I’ve been into since I first became a teenager, I liked to be ahead of the game. This summer all I would like to do is work, two jobs if I must. I would like to be able to keep building my savings account to where I can be comfortable. I’d rather not work in the food industry this summer because I’ve experienced it and, I wasn’t too fond of it. So, hopefully this summer I find two stable jobs I can work.

Journal #15: In college I have observed that in class it is beneficial to keep your professors happy, it creates a better educational environment for everyone. Making your teacher happy serves many purposes, and demands something in return – it makes school go more smoothly, it makes your family pleased and proud and ultimately it makes attaining what you want in life easier. But it also means putting in the time and effort to learn and thoughtfully apply the things you’ve been taught in class. It requires remembering that a simple smile in passing goes a long way. And that certain behaviors will gain you no favors with your teachers.

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