Crossroads

Graduation Day was a very exciting yet scary day.  Life changed forever but I didn’t realize how dramatic it would be.  You find yourself suddenly at the crossroad of where to go.  I knew I would go to college but where?  We went to South Alabama where I was pretty set on going.  We had all the paperwork in order and making preparation for the move down and for some reason something kept drawing me to come to AUM and explore all my options. Not really knowing what field I wanted to go into made the decision even harder.  My mother and I came up and spoke with some of the staff members and students here.  I was so torn.  I wanted to go to the school in Mobile and my father wanted me to go there but when I realized they weren't offering me any scholarships my mind was made up.  I made some people angry and some people have chosen not to accept me because I did not choose the path they wanted for me.  I just know in my heart I am where I am supposed to be and I have to do what I feel is best for my life at this time to have a successful future for myself. 

Leadership

In the world, we have leaders and followers.  We need both to make the world what it is. Being a leader or a follower is not hard it is just the role you choose to take in life and what you choose for yourself.  We do take on different roles according to what we are involved in and what our position is such as school for example. If I am the teacher, I am the leader. If I am the student I am a follower of the teacher but can also be a good leader for my fellow students or just be a follower of instruction and get through the class.  That is what I mean by choosing what role you want in life.  A good leader has special characteristics I think.  This person likes to reach out to others and gives of themselves to make positive impacts in the lives of those around them and in the community.  A good leader leads by example and is actively involved in what they stand for, takes responsibility for their actions and for setting the standards that they choose to live by high so they are constantly challenged to push to better themselves and the people who may choose to be their followers.  Setting goals for you, short and long term, helps us Plan our work and work our plan. Being a good leader takes being able to sell yourself and your ideas so that others believe in it enough to get on board with you and support you.  

What It Takes To Succeed In This Class.

In my opinion to succeed in this class you must be driven, attentive, respectful, responsible, and creative. Writing takes patience and creativity, but you have to be driven to do it. It is not something that just happens in its own. Your work is very important to succeed, so you also have to be responsible. There is not much asked of us, so we should be respectful of our teacher and do as we have been told. You should also always be prepared. When you're asked to do something do it, because we are not asked to do much. The papers in this class are explained very well of what is expected of you. As long as you pay attention and keep up with the things you are supposed to be doing you should do very well in this class.

My Fears With Test Taking

I am a terrible test taker , because i have really bad test anxiety. So my experience with taking the ACT was awful. I am the kind of person who will stay up for hours on end to study for a test that most people would consider easy. Taking a test just is not something I have ever been able to do well. The morning I went to take my ACT i got really sick, because my nerves were all wound up. Needless to say I did not do so well. It really brought me down because I do not think that I have ever studied that hard for a test in my life. Most scholarships for incoming freshmen are based off your ACT scores which meant I was not going to be getting many scholarships. I graduated ranked 13th in my class with a 3.6 GPA and only a 20 ACT score. My fear of timed test taking really took a toll on me when I realized there wasn't much for me to do.

College vs Highschool

The big question for many new comers into College is do you like College or High School better? At first I think my answer would have been High School just because coming from a small town and an even smaller high school it was all very scary and overwhelming. I am one that loves new challenges in life but during my first couple of weeks I wasn't to sure if this was the right thing for me to be doing. The further we get into my first semester here at AUM I have grown to love it. Yes, it may not be as easy and everything may not be handed to you on a platter but it has just became an everyday routine. In college there aren't many rules and you get treated like an adult instead of you are in a prison and in lock down. I have started to get more involved in activities here on campus and intend to stay here throughout the rest of my college career, in hopes of graduating and receiving a degree from Auburn University of Montgomery.

Sterotypes

Many people stereotype on a daily basis without even noticing it. A term such as "country boy" can also be translated into white, trashy, racist, rebel flag wearing, people. When in many cases that is not of any true  relevance. I have been born and raised in the "country" and I could careless of what color you are or what you ancestors background history is, it's who you are today not what they did hundreds of years ago. Another term that people stereotype is "popular" is referred to snobby, gossiping, better then everyone, people. When deep down they are just like normal everyday people that have the same needs and desire as everyone else. These terms are just a way to classify people into groups and turn them away before you even have a chance to get to know the real them. People need to learn not to classify one another based on groups they may be a part of. Stereotyping makes it almost impossible to get to know the person on a real level.

Is Torture Right or Wrong?

In Michael Levin's essay, "The Case for Torture", he argues that although torture might not seem morally acceptable, at times it is a necessary action to take. If an individual is willing to take many innocent peoples lives then why should we sit back and not take the actions that could possibly save them an instead loose one worthless life. In my opinion if a terrorist chooses to take such actions he should loose all rights. Levin stresses that he is not saying that torture should be a regular means of punishment, only on necessary occasions. I agree with Levin because I think if a criminal endangers innocent people for the "attention" or whatever his reasoning maybe then torture could be the only thing to save the people. Torture should not be used in every occasion but if it is loosing one criminal over hundreds of innocent people, then it is the right thing to do.