Santa Monica College

From a young age, I could remember that infamous question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I wasn’t your typical little girl who’d just want to be a princess or a fairy, I always wanted to be something in the medical field with the exception of wanting to be a chef. I’ve bounced around from wanting to be an ultrasound tech, to a dermatologist and finally came to the conclusion that I want to be a pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP). I’ve always enjoyed working with children and the…

on research. This phase consisted of compiling possible resources, theories, and practices which could prove helpful in later phases. This also entailed the gathering of data through a survey to determine what fuels conflict within the community college system and what characterizes those conflict situations. This survey data aided me in creating themes and determining the basic direction for the project. Phase two, the creation of the curriculum, entailed me taking the previous research data…

Statement of the Issue For many Americans obtaining a college degree is the ultimate American Dream. Getting a degree generally signifies success and opens the door for better jobs, health insurance, and economic independence for future generations. The dream of college graduation is especially one that foster youth wish to obtain. For many foster youth, attending college, getting a degree, and changing ones circumstances, is the key to a better life then the one they had. Unfortunately for…

motive, are students without the inclination or willingness to identify the reason for their college attendance. Although William Zinsser proposes in his article, “College Pressures,” that students have become victim to the competition, rigorous coursework, and demands of college, it is the motive of the student that determines their college experience. Just as Zinsser wishfully submitted in his essay, college education ought to be enjoyed and coveted as a period of exploration…

The Folly of Over-Education In 2012, for the first time ever, the majority of the unemployed in the US had attended college (Shedlock). With more and more parents pushing their children towards college and university education, is obtaining a degree no longer a stepping stone towards employment? It seems now that a higher education won 't necessarily lead to a better life. With the increase in university educated individuals, there are consequences. The job market is flooded, there 's an…

research studies some are beginning to blame colleges and universities for the steady increase in college student obesity (Nicklas, Baranowski, Cullen, and Berensosn, 2001; Huang, Harris, Lee, Nazir, Born, and Kaur, 2003; Brown, Dresen, and Eggett 2005; Nelson, Gortmaker, Subramanian, Cheung, and Wechsler, 2007; Blankenau, 2009). Many argue that neither blame nor responsibility should be placed on the institution of higher education. Students are entering college overweight and obese. They are…

Not a Man’s World Elaine McArdle and Michelle Conlin are writers for magazines such as The Boston Globe and Business Week. McArdle and Conlin articles are about boys falling behind in college education and girls becoming the lead gender in higher education. McArdle and Conlin argue that event though were the leading beneficiaries’ is education it has change in recent years. Their arguments of the articles suggest that boys today are becoming less interested in higher education due to their…

Students are consistently asked what they want to do with their lives pressured to fit in and decide in this short amount of time. The real question isn’t “why” or “what” you want to do here in college but is it important to yourself. I’ve seen countless examples of peers explaining how they only go to college to make their parents proud or they don’t have a passion for their major but instead just making money to have stability. Instead of asking us to figure out what we want to be, why not…

For the past four summers I have been the lead Summer Missionary at the Calhoun Baptist Association. The Summer Missionaries are high school and college students that spend most of thier summer helping local churches with Bible School. We plan and lead the entire Bible school for small churches that have never had one before and we just come along side and help those who just need a few more workers. Most weeks we would lead two schools one in the morning and one at night. Thorugh this role, I…

After school on Monday I went to the school trainer, whom after a lengthy examination of my knee, told me the good news that I had no torn ligaments in my knee. I had strained my MCL, a muscle on the inside part of the knee that allows lateral and horizontal motions (Zumerchik 688-689). She told me if the ski on my left foot had twisted even an inch further, I would have had a season ending injury such as a torn MCL or ACL. It would have been very hard to wrap my mind around the fact that I…