Transition from high school to college.
When senior year rolled around I realized that I didn't really have a plan for after I graduated. My dad would always tell me about how he wished he would have had the chance to go to college and how he wanted me to go to college. He would constantly tell me that I should apply to SDSU, and that if I went to college I could pursue a career where I don't have to work hard like he does everyday (as a contractor). I didn't really know what career I wanted, so it seemed like a waste of time and money to go straight to a university.
I remember talking with my mom about how I wasn't sure if college was for me. I didn't like school up to this point why would I want to go to college. She insisted that college would be different and that I should at least give college a try. By this time it was too late to apply to any universities, so I registered for classes at San Diego Mesa College in the fall.
When the fall semester started I took on a new view of school. I was no longer wrestling, and I missed that sense of competition that came along with the sport. So I started approaching school as I would approach wrestling. I would stay late after class to perfect my understanding of the material just like I would stay after practice to perfect my technique. Exams were no longer exams, they were like a wrestling match to me. Each question was like an opportunity to execute a new move I learned that week at practice. That's when I began to see school not as a chore, but as a competition. It became something I enjoyed, and that semester was the first time I had ever had a 4.0 GPA.
That transition was a very significant point in my life. I found out where my strengths were academically, and was able to determine that a career as an engineer is probably the best fit for me. Had I not changed my attitude about school I would probably still be in community college without a sense of direction.
This is me after my commencement cerimony this past May with another friend (the former math club president).
Congratulations on your transfer from Mesa to SDSU, Phill. And thanks for sharing your transition, how you moved from high school and not really even liking school to Mesa and beyond, how you used your wrestling experience to navigate the change.
ReplyDeleteSome people seem to know exactly what they want from life, even at age 18, but the more time I spend with college students, the more I realize that those people are the exception. I certainly didn't know what I wanted when I started at Mesa. Yes, I also transferred from Mesa to SDSU.
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ReplyDeleteUnknownSeptember 3, 2018 at 11:36 PM
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice and sweet post. Thank you for sharing your experience over the past few years. I can tell how much a struggle it was when you first stop wrestling. But what was the trigger that you turned around and start school instead of something else? Was it because of the conversation between you and your mom?
The reason I asked is because I went through the similar thing. It was a conversation I had with my friend. When it became so difficult at school that I wanted to quit, thinking school is no use at all, a friend told me: whether you use the degree in the future, you will be a different and better person after graduation. And now I couldn't agree with her more. Along the way here I've met so many wonderful professors and friends and faculties, they open up tons of windows so that I could see this world differently.
Glad you made it all the way here, I can totally see the sun shines on your path.
Hi, Phill
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to read about the contrasts between your high school academic life and your college academic life. I had the same opinion on math back in high school; I wanted nothing to do with it and could not be convinced to spend any more time on homework outside of the designated amount.
Your approach to your academics is fascinating. You managed to create a competition within yourself and had yet another contrast to your high school and college life and managed to keep an integral part of your character. In high school you were physically competitive and now in college you’re mentally competitive.
Reading your posts (and others) about making a significant switch has reassured me a little and that changing perspectives is going to be inevitable as we get older, no matter how much we stubbornly try to hold onto something or how much time we’ve spent having a different view.
It was fun reading your blog!
Hey Phill,
ReplyDeleteI'm in the same boat with you going after high school. I've never liked school. Perhaps it was simply the environment rather than the subjects, but the entire idea seemed rather bogus to me.
However, my family insisted that school was the way to go. I was inclined to agree with them, but I had no idea what I wanted to do. My entire objective was to choose a career path that would allow me to sustain myself in San Diego. Turns out that engineering is more fulfilling than I initially anticipated. Hope to see you out there one day.