Ode to Montgomery College

Current Mood: Fireproof by Coleman Hell

As the date of graduation slowly approaches my mind constantly replays my first semester at Montgomery College. The bitter-sweet transition into adulthood, a new presence of independence, and a semester of figuring myself out. Since Fall 2014 I have changed my major several times, I’ve  been more active in my community and academia, and this new feeling of self-awareness are all things that I have learned over the semester at Montgomery College. But I have to admit, I was apprehensive. Community college was something rare to me and unheard of. Honestly, I have never heard of “Montgomery College” until I moved to the area. So I was unsure what the difference would be between a four-year and a two-year college.

To this day I still remember the professors who made an impression on me that fall. From Professor McNelis who never failed to make COMM 108 enjoyable, to Professor Hare who never failed to share his unconditional love of his grandkids in my ENGL 101 and 102 course. The values and personality that each professor brought to the classroom eased my freshman burden semester by semester. And to this day, I honestly believe I made no mistake in choosing Montgomery College.

As the semesters progressed from fall to spring and my course load increased, I made a new clique of friends who not only helped me with this transition but also motivated me to become more active on campus. It is true that the genesis of networking starts in college. And the friends you make will last a lifetime.

So, all in all, how will this help me in the “real world”? For one, I now accepted that procrastination will be my downfall and started to plan things in advance. I have a new found love for calendars and syllabi. Secondly, multi-tasking; trying to balance my academic, work, and community activities, I have learned to say “no”. People often have a negative view of the word “no” and look at me weird when I say that the word brings me a sense of not self-worth but also empowerment and a new sense of self-awareness. By saying no, I am releasing my burden. My life has honestly been a balancing act with trying to keep up with school, friends, family, work, and everything in between, I constantly strive to please everyone and do everything under the sun. By saying “no” to certain things I establish that I cannot accomplish everything on my own. Also, it holds me accountable for my priorities unveiling my morals and values. So yes, come May I believe I will be prepared for the real world.

As always, have a great weekend and spread some positivity.

–Blue