Discovering Myself at Westwood College (Atlanta)

Discovering Myself at Westwood College (Atlanta)

 By Michael Thierry

 Westwood is not an Ivy league or big ten school it is mostly working class people with families or veterans returning from war who hope to better themselves under the banner of the Blue and White. Westwood College is also not an easy school the time and class requirements are strict and fast paced. I first learned about my true strengths and weaknesses in my first semester of class it was a culture shock to have to face a number of classroom exercises that soon helped me acknowledge that forging ahead would not be easy and that I needed to create a plan to utilize my strengths and minimize my weaknesses as an individual and a student. Each class challenged my knowledge and forced me to acquire new skills. I try to  keep my focus and commitment to my future by treating every opportunity as a chance to learn.

 

I spent time writing in my notes at the beginning of each class this allowed me to be introspective but I also made the most of opportunities in each class to voice my thoughts and opinions forcing me to focus on those things that were seemingly small and achievable but when added up helped me to achieve high grades. I realized that higher education has an intrinsic value that cannot be taken away. This value goes beyond the profitability that having a good education can afford me by gaining decent wages and employment. Education allows me to see and discover values within myself I might not have recognized otherwise.

 

I have a habit of procrastination which I am diligently using the tools I acquire in the class and from positive interaction with my peers to combat. Tools such as better time management by writing down a schedule, and asking others for help if I feel overwhelmed by my workload. During class I take the opportunity to participate fully and enjoy the atmosphere and camaraderie the instructor allows. I endeavor to complete every assignment for I have found that if I truly dedicate myself to my academic classes I will find success there also. What I have learned about myself is that If I put forth the effort and believe in the lessons I have been taught then the courses become not quite as difficult or daunting and my end results seem to improve over time.       

By placing tasks next to times during the day I force myself to focus on the accomplishment and relegate the not too important stuff to a secondary list which I can work on at a more leisurely pace. After one week of monitoring my time I found that I spend two hours a day on public transportation. This is time I utilize to do reading assignments and begin note-taking work for some classes. I believe with each passing day at Westwood I am allowing my strengths to overcome my weaknesses which should make me not only a better student and employee but also a better person overall. This <a href="http://www.centurylinkquote.com/scholarship">scholarship</a> is sponsored by <a href="http://www.centurylinkquote.com/">CenturyLinkQuote.com</a>.