I am graduating from college this June 2010 and I just have to do a story about college life because believe me it has changed me so much that I can say wow how did I do that?
I came to college in the fall of 2004 I was seventeen years old with one mission in mind I am going to study Journalism or Music Business. I was lost I was confused and I couldn't believe the ride and rollercoaster I was getting ready to embark on as a young woman. I walked in there with one of my best friends, Marisa lol she's gonna get me for putting her name in my blog. But I will tell you this when her and I went out there I had no clue what was getting ready to happen to the two of us and what we would experience on our journey through college. We were completely clueless on what we were getting ready to deal with as well. When I left my high school, Cathedral High School in New York, NY with my high school diploma I was this shy young lady who had a few friends and did not know what to expect at all. I had experiences but not enough to consider myself a journalist. I came into college as a C student my GPA was so low I was lucky to even make it to college. My writing skills were poor, my math skills were not that strong they were barely strong enough to get me into the math classes I needed. I was lost during college all i can think of is where am I going and where am I going to college this fall? My guidance counselor told me the only way I would ever be able to make into college after being rejected by four of my dream colleges: Howard, Hampton, Rutgers, and Hunter. I was not considered because my GPA was incredibly low and I would not be able to go there. Plan B came in mind with the help of my mother and a large book on Junior colleges and I applied to a two-year junior college and would get the GPA up before attending a four year college. Now mind you this was post-9/11 this was right after of course the economy had just changed. I had to decide how were we going to afford college because mind you I wasn't the kind of student who had scholarships lined up for me back then. There were no scholarships coming my way at that time. So we needed a way to get things rolling that way I could enter college and afford it as well. I applied first to BMCC (Borough of Manhattan Community College) and I was accepted but there was something about BMCC that told me no not yet Chloe not this school. Let's go somewhere else instead not BMCC. It was the last minute I needed a college to attend we were in the last weeks of the summer and I was not enrolled just yet.
Plus BMCC wanted me to take remedial courses (Yes, i said it remedial courses) but there's an upside to this though believe me. They wanted me to take 6 hour courses and I wouldn't even have credit going towards my degree. It was no fun at all it was actually disappointing because I realized there was no way I wanted to be behind. We fought my mother and I we fought together and we came up with a plan where else can I attend college?
We came up with a master plan...attend college in New Jersey and find a tw0-year college. We found two junior colleges, Hudson Community College or attend Bergen Community College in Paramus, NJ I found out by my buddy,Marisa. She told me she was applying there and they accepted her as well. As soon as I got there I knew this school is so right for me. My brain, my eyes, my instincts, and everything felt right. This is the school for me to go to. The campus was gorgeous, there were live geese walking by the golf course. When I saw the college and walked inside I felt that it was right for me to be there. I found they had two majors I was interested in Music Business & Journalism. I remember telling my mother...which one do we go with...She said Journalism. There it was...Journalism. Let's go with it and on we went. I began taking remedial courses at Bergen but at the same time I was able to take classes that would be beneficial for my associates degree as well. College was different I had to learn to be independent and had to learn how to be responsible for myself. So Bergen was the school with multiculturals around me completely. There had been a big debate of choosing an all African American college or a multicultural college. I chose the second. There was so much of a thought process in it you needed to know which environment was right for you. Bergen had a helpful program when I took my writing remedial courses as soon as I got there. I would be able to take college courses and improve my writing and math skills at Bergen while earning credit. That year fall of 2004 I met the professor who would change my whole writing experience and who would change and mold me into the writer I wanted to be when I left Bergen three years later. I met Professor Berkowitz. Marisa and I took a class with him to increase our writing skills. I did exactly that. In that class I learned how to do interviews. I almost forgot that as a child I did do an interview but I didnt realize it would have a profound affect on me as a young adult. So my professor was more than helpful he encouraged me all the way. I took Introduction to Journalism with him and he encouraged us to get involved with our college newspaper. I certainly did he and I also had a love of music as well. So it took me a while to get involved with writing. I felt my skills were not up to par with the other students. Well in all honesty it was right for me. I joined the college newspaper, The Torch in Fall of 2006. It took me 2 years to get there. I believe because I needed more experience first before actually getting there. I joined and met some of the most amazing people who were kind, funny, understanding, creative,crazy, and they would define the way my life would be from there on in that office and how it would be outside as well. I began doing interviews. My first interview was with a woman titled "How to succeed in college" something like that. She gave me 15-30 mins and it helped. I met so many people who were willing to help me out as well as critique my work. That year I also had to go through the ultimate test of my life which was passing remedial math as well. I was lazy when i first got there. I did not want to make an effort at all. I was so tired and I didn't want to put in the time. I realized that in order to succeed you have to make an effort. You have to go beyond yourself if you truly want to make the best out of college. So that year I finally passed my math classes and a philosophy course as well. That year I made sure it was going to be my year. I was on the Torch for a year and I left when it was time for me to graduate in the Summer of 2007. In the Fall of 2006 I applied to two colleges Hampton University and Hunter College in the spring of 2007. I was accepted to both colleges. With the help of math tutors, english remedial classes, my professors, and all that prepared me for my major as well. I graduated with my associates degree in Journalism in the summer. Now for me Hampton was my dream college but at the time I had to realize it would be expensive. We ended up going with Hunter College in New York, NY it was back to New York City I went. I was on a journey with Hunter from the beginning. Imagine going from one college to another where you have established your life. You have friends, a place of where you feel comfortable, you feel free to express your mind, free to be creative, I was doing well and I knew this was going to hard to leave that college and manage to go on by myself again and restart a new life. Being at Hunter College the roller coaster began things had changed vastly in my academic and personal life. Things became very different and then it was time to learn how the real world works. Because I was an out of state resident from New Jersey. I had to learn how to manage everything from scratch along with my mother. My mom and I became and would become very friendly with different parts of my new college. The financial aid office was going to be our new friends. We would become friends with the OASIS office, and yes I would become friends with the Reading & Writing Learning Center in Hunter College. I had to take an exam that took me 5 times to pass! I am not ashamed at all to say this because believe me I went through work. I went through so many highs and lows in college. It has caused me to realize that when you want something so bad in life. God will put you through the ultimate tests in life. I failed this exam and I had to take CPE writing courses I did not realize what goes into writing. Mind you I am an aspiring journalist and I had to learn how to really write not just for this exit exam, but for my classes, and it would prepare me for my future as a journalist. I had three or four different tutors. I had even made the staff frustrated as well. They did not give up on me though. They believed in me and they knew this girl is going to get it. She's getting better and more successful with this exam. I also had to put myself out there in college even more before I went to Bergen. I had to learn how to put myself out there to the extent I was really out there outside talking to strangers and interviewing them. Interviewing students I don't even know. It took me to a place that I really didn't realize I had already reached. I was going to become a journalists opening my heart to individuals I don't know from all walks of life and they would get to know me. I would share there stories, they could hear my stories, and they would become the preparation I was going to need in life to become a successful writer, reporter, producer, blogger, or wherever else I want to explore. Spring 2008 I declared my major as Media Studies, Fall 2008 I would meet the professor who would change my life and the way I was going to have to deal with people and even myself. I had to put a thick shield of armor on , I had to develop an alter-ego, and I had to realize that persistence was to become my middle name. I can tell you this 2008, was a rough year for me in college. I went through the ultimate tests in my life. I could not unfortunately take classes during that time. Do to financial reasons but as my mom told me "Spring you go in there with guns blazing!" Believe me I did Spring 2009 I went in there with the ultimate preparation. I knew what to expect and I went in there with confidence and I knew that I was going to pass my exams and I was going to make it. Let me tell you by the fall 2009 I had decent grades, I met new people, and I passed my CPE (CUNY Proficiency Exam) . I developed a way of letting people see the real me. Who I am what I go through and that I have an attitude of I will never give up no matter what you tell me or what tests you will give me. A friend of mine told me a story about two butterflies and how one did not want to stay inside a cocoon because it did not want to grow from a Caterpillar to a beautiful Butterfly. Now, I can tell you this...I am the caterpillar who has gone through many cocoons to become a beautiful butterfly. Physically, Mentally, Socially, Intellectually, Personally, Financially,Professionally, and Spiritually. This year I will graduate and yes I went through the ultimate tests. I succeeded though and so many people have helped me these past 5 1/2 years. Thank you to my beautiful mother, Gina Golden, my beautiful grandmothers, my great-grandmother, my father, my stepfather, my girlfriends (my besties), all of my family, the gentlemen I met along the way (they gave me confidence and support), the Film & Media department, my professors, and ME =)!. God bless all of you. For I know the meaning of success. I may not be Magna Cum Laude but I will tell you this I know the price of an education. I will be the first on my father's side of the family to graduate with a bachelor's degree and on my mother's side I will be an addition to the club of graduate students in my family. They inspired and aspire me. Thank you College life was right for me and yes mom you were 100% right I needed skills and I needed to be in college. She and I will celebrate this day together because she really has been behind me the whole way no matter what challenge came head on for me.
I came to college in the fall of 2004 I was seventeen years old with one mission in mind I am going to study Journalism or Music Business. I was lost I was confused and I couldn't believe the ride and rollercoaster I was getting ready to embark on as a young woman. I walked in there with one of my best friends, Marisa lol she's gonna get me for putting her name in my blog. But I will tell you this when her and I went out there I had no clue what was getting ready to happen to the two of us and what we would experience on our journey through college. We were completely clueless on what we were getting ready to deal with as well. When I left my high school, Cathedral High School in New York, NY with my high school diploma I was this shy young lady who had a few friends and did not know what to expect at all. I had experiences but not enough to consider myself a journalist. I came into college as a C student my GPA was so low I was lucky to even make it to college. My writing skills were poor, my math skills were not that strong they were barely strong enough to get me into the math classes I needed. I was lost during college all i can think of is where am I going and where am I going to college this fall? My guidance counselor told me the only way I would ever be able to make into college after being rejected by four of my dream colleges: Howard, Hampton, Rutgers, and Hunter. I was not considered because my GPA was incredibly low and I would not be able to go there. Plan B came in mind with the help of my mother and a large book on Junior colleges and I applied to a two-year junior college and would get the GPA up before attending a four year college. Now mind you this was post-9/11 this was right after of course the economy had just changed. I had to decide how were we going to afford college because mind you I wasn't the kind of student who had scholarships lined up for me back then. There were no scholarships coming my way at that time. So we needed a way to get things rolling that way I could enter college and afford it as well. I applied first to BMCC (Borough of Manhattan Community College) and I was accepted but there was something about BMCC that told me no not yet Chloe not this school. Let's go somewhere else instead not BMCC. It was the last minute I needed a college to attend we were in the last weeks of the summer and I was not enrolled just yet.
Plus BMCC wanted me to take remedial courses (Yes, i said it remedial courses) but there's an upside to this though believe me. They wanted me to take 6 hour courses and I wouldn't even have credit going towards my degree. It was no fun at all it was actually disappointing because I realized there was no way I wanted to be behind. We fought my mother and I we fought together and we came up with a plan where else can I attend college?
We came up with a master plan...attend college in New Jersey and find a tw0-year college. We found two junior colleges, Hudson Community College or attend Bergen Community College in Paramus, NJ I found out by my buddy,Marisa. She told me she was applying there and they accepted her as well. As soon as I got there I knew this school is so right for me. My brain, my eyes, my instincts, and everything felt right. This is the school for me to go to. The campus was gorgeous, there were live geese walking by the golf course. When I saw the college and walked inside I felt that it was right for me to be there. I found they had two majors I was interested in Music Business & Journalism. I remember telling my mother...which one do we go with...She said Journalism. There it was...Journalism. Let's go with it and on we went. I began taking remedial courses at Bergen but at the same time I was able to take classes that would be beneficial for my associates degree as well. College was different I had to learn to be independent and had to learn how to be responsible for myself. So Bergen was the school with multiculturals around me completely. There had been a big debate of choosing an all African American college or a multicultural college. I chose the second. There was so much of a thought process in it you needed to know which environment was right for you. Bergen had a helpful program when I took my writing remedial courses as soon as I got there. I would be able to take college courses and improve my writing and math skills at Bergen while earning credit. That year fall of 2004 I met the professor who would change my whole writing experience and who would change and mold me into the writer I wanted to be when I left Bergen three years later. I met Professor Berkowitz. Marisa and I took a class with him to increase our writing skills. I did exactly that. In that class I learned how to do interviews. I almost forgot that as a child I did do an interview but I didnt realize it would have a profound affect on me as a young adult. So my professor was more than helpful he encouraged me all the way. I took Introduction to Journalism with him and he encouraged us to get involved with our college newspaper. I certainly did he and I also had a love of music as well. So it took me a while to get involved with writing. I felt my skills were not up to par with the other students. Well in all honesty it was right for me. I joined the college newspaper, The Torch in Fall of 2006. It took me 2 years to get there. I believe because I needed more experience first before actually getting there. I joined and met some of the most amazing people who were kind, funny, understanding, creative,crazy, and they would define the way my life would be from there on in that office and how it would be outside as well. I began doing interviews. My first interview was with a woman titled "How to succeed in college" something like that. She gave me 15-30 mins and it helped. I met so many people who were willing to help me out as well as critique my work. That year I also had to go through the ultimate test of my life which was passing remedial math as well. I was lazy when i first got there. I did not want to make an effort at all. I was so tired and I didn't want to put in the time. I realized that in order to succeed you have to make an effort. You have to go beyond yourself if you truly want to make the best out of college. So that year I finally passed my math classes and a philosophy course as well. That year I made sure it was going to be my year. I was on the Torch for a year and I left when it was time for me to graduate in the Summer of 2007. In the Fall of 2006 I applied to two colleges Hampton University and Hunter College in the spring of 2007. I was accepted to both colleges. With the help of math tutors, english remedial classes, my professors, and all that prepared me for my major as well. I graduated with my associates degree in Journalism in the summer. Now for me Hampton was my dream college but at the time I had to realize it would be expensive. We ended up going with Hunter College in New York, NY it was back to New York City I went. I was on a journey with Hunter from the beginning. Imagine going from one college to another where you have established your life. You have friends, a place of where you feel comfortable, you feel free to express your mind, free to be creative, I was doing well and I knew this was going to hard to leave that college and manage to go on by myself again and restart a new life. Being at Hunter College the roller coaster began things had changed vastly in my academic and personal life. Things became very different and then it was time to learn how the real world works. Because I was an out of state resident from New Jersey. I had to learn how to manage everything from scratch along with my mother. My mom and I became and would become very friendly with different parts of my new college. The financial aid office was going to be our new friends. We would become friends with the OASIS office, and yes I would become friends with the Reading & Writing Learning Center in Hunter College. I had to take an exam that took me 5 times to pass! I am not ashamed at all to say this because believe me I went through work. I went through so many highs and lows in college. It has caused me to realize that when you want something so bad in life. God will put you through the ultimate tests in life. I failed this exam and I had to take CPE writing courses I did not realize what goes into writing. Mind you I am an aspiring journalist and I had to learn how to really write not just for this exit exam, but for my classes, and it would prepare me for my future as a journalist. I had three or four different tutors. I had even made the staff frustrated as well. They did not give up on me though. They believed in me and they knew this girl is going to get it. She's getting better and more successful with this exam. I also had to put myself out there in college even more before I went to Bergen. I had to learn how to put myself out there to the extent I was really out there outside talking to strangers and interviewing them. Interviewing students I don't even know. It took me to a place that I really didn't realize I had already reached. I was going to become a journalists opening my heart to individuals I don't know from all walks of life and they would get to know me. I would share there stories, they could hear my stories, and they would become the preparation I was going to need in life to become a successful writer, reporter, producer, blogger, or wherever else I want to explore. Spring 2008 I declared my major as Media Studies, Fall 2008 I would meet the professor who would change my life and the way I was going to have to deal with people and even myself. I had to put a thick shield of armor on , I had to develop an alter-ego, and I had to realize that persistence was to become my middle name. I can tell you this 2008, was a rough year for me in college. I went through the ultimate tests in my life. I could not unfortunately take classes during that time. Do to financial reasons but as my mom told me "Spring you go in there with guns blazing!" Believe me I did Spring 2009 I went in there with the ultimate preparation. I knew what to expect and I went in there with confidence and I knew that I was going to pass my exams and I was going to make it. Let me tell you by the fall 2009 I had decent grades, I met new people, and I passed my CPE (CUNY Proficiency Exam) . I developed a way of letting people see the real me. Who I am what I go through and that I have an attitude of I will never give up no matter what you tell me or what tests you will give me. A friend of mine told me a story about two butterflies and how one did not want to stay inside a cocoon because it did not want to grow from a Caterpillar to a beautiful Butterfly. Now, I can tell you this...I am the caterpillar who has gone through many cocoons to become a beautiful butterfly. Physically, Mentally, Socially, Intellectually, Personally, Financially,Professionally, and Spiritually. This year I will graduate and yes I went through the ultimate tests. I succeeded though and so many people have helped me these past 5 1/2 years. Thank you to my beautiful mother, Gina Golden, my beautiful grandmothers, my great-grandmother, my father, my stepfather, my girlfriends (my besties), all of my family, the gentlemen I met along the way (they gave me confidence and support), the Film & Media department, my professors, and ME =)!. God bless all of you. For I know the meaning of success. I may not be Magna Cum Laude but I will tell you this I know the price of an education. I will be the first on my father's side of the family to graduate with a bachelor's degree and on my mother's side I will be an addition to the club of graduate students in my family. They inspired and aspire me. Thank you College life was right for me and yes mom you were 100% right I needed skills and I needed to be in college. She and I will celebrate this day together because she really has been behind me the whole way no matter what challenge came head on for me.
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