Sociological Autobiography: Academic, Adaptable, Affordable
Although I attended free public schools all my life, the institutions I attended placed emphasis on academic success. After being a part of the GATE (Gifted And Talented Education) Program in elementary school, my understanding of academic culture within school was molded. Having been grouped with other GATE students, the facilitators of GATE instilled in us the importance of academic success as expressed through high-achieving grades with all A’s, exemplary descriptive assessments from our teachers, and the belief that schoolwork should take precedent over everything. Through socialization I learned that school was a place for academic success which has shaped my educational journey …show more content…
As of a result of socialization, I was involved with the school choir, student government, and GATE, all while getting the best grades I could because this was the norm for GATE students.
Similar to my elementary days, I was fortunate enough to attend a high school that placed similar emphasis on academic rigor and success. Even though there wasn’t a specific GATE program at my school, students were quickly assimilated into two unofficial groups: college track and non-college track. The culture for college track students was similar to the culture at my elementary school. For the college track students, it became the norm to take AP and Honor courses in order to challenge yourself in preparation for college classes. However, in all actuality, students weren’t necessarily challenging themselves for college; they challenged themselves because it was more beneficial socially. Since the two groups were so rigid, it became more beneficial to be a part of the college track group even if college was not their end goal. It was more …show more content…
In the same way that my environment promoted academic success, the lack of exposure from my school regarding the financial aspects of college explains my cluelessness towards the topic. Not having exposure to the FAFSA, CSS Profile, and financial aid packages ultimately illuminated my low-income status because instead of feeling capable of attending college despite being low-income, the lack of information made college daunting. During the college application process, I started to actually feel stigmatized because of my lower class in a way that wasn’t present when my only goal was to perform academically. Seeing my wealthier classmates pay for private test-prep programs and college advisors highlighted the disadvantages of my class. Even though I was no different within the classroom, how was I supposed to compare outside the classroom when I was not privileged enough to afford these supplemental outlets? However, despite these disadvantages, my academic nature prompted me to gain accessibility in another way. Instead of relying on cultural capital, I was able to attain social capital through my involvement in Questbridge and through online relationships with college mentors. Questbridge is a national program that provides high-achieving, low-income students with the knowledge needed to tackle the college admissions process. I was awarded a
Although I attended free public schools all my life, the institutions I attended placed emphasis on academic success. After being a part of the GATE (Gifted And Talented Education) Program in elementary school, my understanding of academic culture within school was molded. Having been grouped with other GATE students, the facilitators of GATE instilled in us the importance of academic success as expressed through high-achieving grades with all A’s, exemplary descriptive assessments from our teachers, and the belief that schoolwork should take precedent over everything. Through socialization I learned that school was a place for academic success which has shaped my educational journey …show more content…
As of a result of socialization, I was involved with the school choir, student government, and GATE, all while getting the best grades I could because this was the norm for GATE students.
Similar to my elementary days, I was fortunate enough to attend a high school that placed similar emphasis on academic rigor and success. Even though there wasn’t a specific GATE program at my school, students were quickly assimilated into two unofficial groups: college track and non-college track. The culture for college track students was similar to the culture at my elementary school. For the college track students, it became the norm to take AP and Honor courses in order to challenge yourself in preparation for college classes. However, in all actuality, students weren’t necessarily challenging themselves for college; they challenged themselves because it was more beneficial socially. Since the two groups were so rigid, it became more beneficial to be a part of the college track group even if college was not their end goal. It was more …show more content…
In the same way that my environment promoted academic success, the lack of exposure from my school regarding the financial aspects of college explains my cluelessness towards the topic. Not having exposure to the FAFSA, CSS Profile, and financial aid packages ultimately illuminated my low-income status because instead of feeling capable of attending college despite being low-income, the lack of information made college daunting. During the college application process, I started to actually feel stigmatized because of my lower class in a way that wasn’t present when my only goal was to perform academically. Seeing my wealthier classmates pay for private test-prep programs and college advisors highlighted the disadvantages of my class. Even though I was no different within the classroom, how was I supposed to compare outside the classroom when I was not privileged enough to afford these supplemental outlets? However, despite these disadvantages, my academic nature prompted me to gain accessibility in another way. Instead of relying on cultural capital, I was able to attain social capital through my involvement in Questbridge and through online relationships with college mentors. Questbridge is a national program that provides high-achieving, low-income students with the knowledge needed to tackle the college admissions process. I was awarded a