Assignment 7 Danielle Dutton

I’ve always wanted to make a difference. Cliché, I know. But that’s what I want to get out of a college education – the tools and skills to be able to make a difference. It doesn’t have to be a big difference, I don’t have to be the next Steve Jobs or Nelson Mandela or anything, I just want my life and my job to positively impact the lives of at least a few people. I don’t know what college I want to attend, or even for sure what I want to study, but at least I know what I want to get out of it.

College will expand my horizons. I generally try to avoid change when I have the option, but college will force me out of my comfort zone. A new environment, new people, a new flow of life, a new phase of life. I’ll be forced to adapt. The learning experience extends beyond the classroom. As I learn the skills to succeed in a career, I’ll also learn the skills to succeed in life. Time management, getting along with others in occasionally adverse circumstances, living on my own, taking care of myself without any reminders, all just as - if not more - valuable than any knowledge I could glean from a lecture.

And if I want to make a difference, I’ll need those skills. I’ll need to be independent and outgoing. I’ll need to know how to be involved but still be in control of life. Those four years will provide not only the knowledge necessary to obtain a job, but also the skills imperative for adding meaning and leaving impressions on others – exactly what I want.