What were some of the values and attitudes toward education expressed in your family? Have these values influenced your thinking and practice as a student?

My parents have always encouraged me to do my best in school for as long as I can remember. When I was in elementary and middle school they were constantly checking homework, helping with projects, and giving me practice tests. They always wanted me to excel in the school department and I did. Out of my family, I was considered to be the “smart one”. If my older sister got an A, I was expected to get an A+. It was an unspoken expectation, but we all knew it was there. In a way it was true, things just came to me a little easier than it did for my sister. She would have to work really hard for her A, and I would do very little and get an A+. When I started high school, I became aware of the fact that I did not have to work as hard for my grades. With socializing, boys, and sports, I began to take advantage of this power. My grades began to drop—never far, but lower than my potential. If my parents questioned my grades, I would just tell them that I worked very hard. I always had intentions of going to college and I told myself that once I got there I would go back to the good study habits that I once had. Unfortunately, I did not do that. I continued slacking in school throughout my first two years of college. Eventually, (As I mentioned in one of my other writing logs.), reality set in. I realized that if I was going to make something of myself I needed to apply myself. I rededicated myself to school about two years ago. I have worked really hard, but it is much more rewarding than sitting back and doing nothing. I truly believe that I would not have to work as hard as I do know if I would have continued good study habits throughout my academic career. Honestly, I have had to relearn how to study. Although they never said it, I think that my parents thought they gave me too much credit when I was younger. Now, I am utilizing the educational values that my parents tried to instill in me as a child. I am a little slow so it took me a while to appreciate the importance of learning. My parents’ views on education have had a profound effect on my performance at Marshall. I may not be at the top of the class, but if I hadn’t starting pushing myself I probable would be in the class at all. I will continue to profit from these newfound values throughout my academic, professional, and personal life.

I spent my first two years of college without a major. I could not decide what I wanted to do everyday for the rest of my life. It was such an overwhelming decision to make that I didn’t even think about it until my fourth semester. The fact that I attended three semesters of school without a major really had an impact on my schoolwork. I skipped classes…A LOT and rarely studied because I was there without a goal. It is hard for me to explain my feelings about school back then. I treated it as if it were some type of summer camp. I was just there to have a good time. And I did. But, eventually, the reality sat in and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I began to panic about my future so I decided to look into possible career choices. In addition, I began to take a good look at myself. I thought about the things that I wanted out of my career. Surprisingly, I realized that money was not at the top of the list. The most important thing for me was to choose a major/career that would make me happy. I knew that I didn’t want to be one of those people who desperately dread their workweek. I also knew that I wanted to work to help other people. After many days and nights of consideration and constantly questioning myself, I narrowed the choices down. I was either going to go into special education or speech pathology. A couple of girls in my sorority were in speech pathology and they really got me interested. I talked to them about it all the time. After they had sparked my interest, I began to look on the Internet for information and question a speech pathologist in my hometown. Everything that I heard about the career was so incredible. I loved the fact that you had job options, could work with children, and help people all within the same major. My heart was set on speech pathology but I had a huge problem. How was I going to get into a competitive program with my grades? I knew that I could handle it once I was in, but how could I get in? That is when I made an appointment at Marshall with you, Mrs. McComas. Mrs. McComas was so helpful and encouraging that I thought it was worth a shot. She told me a story about how she changed as a student that really gave me hope. I kept thinking to myself if you really want to be a speech pathologist, you have to try. So, I transferred to Marshall and really worked hard to get into the program. I was so proud of how well I did and still do at Marshall. I am not one of those geniuses who get As in all of their classes, but I really try and get what I deserve. After taking the first CD class, I learned many things about the field that I was unaware of. I began to get really interested and realized that I would enjoy the work more than I initially thought. I continue to get more enthusiastic with each CD class so I know that I made the right decision about my major.