The Next Step in Growing by Meghan

The Next Step in Growing by Meghan - January 2018 Scholarship Essay

Growth. If there was one word to explain why I want to attend college, it would be growth. Although I have not yet experienced college myself, it seems that it will likely be one of the best ways to grow as a person through new experiences, people and surroundings. College provides some of the most important years in a young adult’s life, and I think that is because of growth. I am currently a sophomore in high school and I already feel that I have grown as a person during my time there. I’ve had to overcome challenges with friends and health, while learning important life lessons about integrity, self-respect, perseverance and working to challenge myself beyond my academic and physical potential. College is a time to experience the good and the bad, and to continue to expand those skills and experiences and to mature as a person, physically and mentally.

I believe one area that will affect my personal growth in college is independence. After a lot of recent searching and narrowing down my choices for colleges, as well as hearing my parents’ own college stories, one thing I learned was how huge independence for college kids is. When you go to college you are responsible for yourself. Your parents aren’t around to hold your hand and do everything for you. You have to step up and take responsibility for yourself all of the time. You have to make your own choices about classes, money, friends, food, social activities, career, etc. and be prepared to answer to the consequences of those choices. You learn to be responsible for your own health and well-being and see the importance of how the world is affecting others as well. It’s something that can really prepare you for life in the big world.

A huge part of independence in college is building life skills such as time management, cooperation and community and professional experience. . College is where students have to develop time management skills, especially when it comes to school work. No one is there to get you up to go to class, it’s up to you to get up and go. It’s up to you to choose activities that will impact yourself and the people around you in a positive way. It’s up to you to decide whether you can afford to get pizza or a coffee with friends or whether you need to get a part-time job to help save for your future. In the end, it only hurts you, if you don’t do what’s truly right. Once you can truly experience that, I think growth begins.

I am so excited to go to college because it will be a brand new experience for me, a chance for me to grow and figure out more about who I am and what I want to do for the rest of my life. Right now I’m passionate about criminal justice and have been researching opportunities for me to build my skills in that field in order to serve the community and the world around me. I believe that with a successful college experience behind me, I will not only grow as a person, but also can encourage the people around me to grow as well.