I can’t say that the first time I signed up for classes at Parkland wasn’t intimidating. When I was growing up, even though I wasn’t the youngest, I acted like I was the youngest. Since I acted like the youngest, I was always being told what to do. I did have a choice to refute my parents and their rules, but that would only land me in trouble, so I did what they told me to do for the most part. When I was signing up for classes for my first semester at Parkland, I came with that same mentality that my classes would be chosen for me and I would have the choice to refute, but I wouldn’t, thinking that there would be consequences in the end. I have always realized this mentality that I have, but it wasn’t until this last time that I signed up for classes that I saw how problematic it is. Once you reach a certain age, no one can stop you from making choices. In this case, no one can tell me what I want to do with the rest of my life. The advisors here at Parkland, know and understand that they can only do so much for a student. As I sat in the office talking to one of the advisors, I realized that I cannot expect anyone to tell me what to do with my life. It was one of realizations that was something I have always known, but it finally applied to my situation.
I encourage everyone to take charge and take responsibility of their own choices. Don’t be afraid of surrounding yourself with people that challenge the way you think. And don’t allow yourself to be intimidated by other people. From experience, allowing people to intimidate me had some sort of a hold on me. By allowing myself to be intimidated, I automatically give intimidating people around me the power to guide my choices. So when you do go to sign up for classes with an advisor, know exactly what classes you want to sign up for. There are so many resources out there for you to look through that tell you what classes transfer, which classes fulfill graduation requirements and pretty much all the general information you need to know about Parkland. Do everything in your power to be self-sufficient. Be confident with the choices you make. And if you fail, take it as a learning experience and move on as quickly as possible. And always remember… Advisors are there to guide you, not to make the choices for you.
