Running head: EXPLOSIVE TALES

Explosive Tales

Explosive Tales of a Family Sciences Student: An Introspective Look At My Collegiate Career and Beyond Jessica Becker Texas Womans University

Running head: EXPLOSIVE TALES Abstract

Explosive Tales

This is a list of goals compiled and over analyzed by a family sciences student. The paper covers current goals and goals for the future in both college life and career life.

Running head: EXPLOSIVE TALES Explosive Tales of a Family Sciences Student:

Explosive Tales

An Introspective Look At My Collegiate Career and Beyond In this paper I will be focusing on my goals for my college career and my professional career. Consider these lyrics, This is our decision to live fast and die young. Weve got the vision, now lets have some fun. Yeah its overwhelming, but what else can we do? Get jobs in offices and wake up for the morning commute? and you will consider what it means for many to be a college student (MGMT, n.d.). I will be discussing my goals as a family science major and my goals for the future as a professional in this paper, and I will be using these goals to demonstrate my ultimate goal of creating a well written paper in APA style. Being a Successful Family Science Major My personal goals as a family science major are probably very common when compared to other students goals, though they are also personal for me and take into account my past college experience goals for the future. Making Grades That I am Satisfied With My first goal, though they in no particular order, is simply to make grades that I will be satisfied with. I know that if I am realistic I may not make straight As throughout my collegiate career, but if I can make the best grade with the time available to me, and not neglect my life outside learning, I will be satisfied. Create Inner Motivation My next goal is to master the skill of creating inner motivation, as described in our textbook (Downing). Id like to avoid missing or arriving late to classes so building up

Running head: EXPLOSIVE TALES

Explosive Tales

motivation will be a wonderful skill. I am working on this goal now by keeping in mind the value of college for me, which is very high. Learn Something of Value Realizing, of course, that value can be subjective- Id really like to fond something of meaning in every class I attend and learn from it. There are many days I do not feel much like attending class much less learning something valuable or helpful for my life, but my goal is to turn those days into an opportunity. This opportunity that I create can become a perfect reason not to miss classes, with the potential for each class to be a fulfilling experience containing knowledge that will aid me my whole life. Goals Beyond College While I am still not completely certain of my future, and am even contemplating changing my major, there are some things I am already certain of. In this section I plan to list several goals I have for my future career. Consistently Do My Best This goal is very important to me and is inspired by a story about the Chinese bamboo tree and how you can put in all this effort for years and see nothing, but one day you may realize that, almost overnight, your seed has grown to a huge tree. It is this story that inspired me to put forth all my efforts and, even though it may take many years, I hope to see the fruits of that labor by being appreciated in my field of work. I have not always been a hard worker, but I have always been capable, and this goal exists to remind me that my hard work can pay off in a big way (Covey, 1997, p. 22-24). Make a Profit

Running head: EXPLOSIVE TALES

Explosive Tales

It may seen like a very obvious goal, but Id love to be able to make enough money to pay my student loans and enjoy my life without the looming insecurity of indefinite debt. Making money is a huge motivator for me to do well in school and learn as much as I can to benefit myself personally and professionally. As a parent, I know the importance of being able to provide and then parent without any insecurity. In order to achieve success in my degree I will seek resources when I need them and not be too prideful to ask for help. I will take responsibility for my mistakes and find solutions instead of simply complaining (Downing). I will also take what I have learned from other text books and classes, like my communication text book and utilize all my resources. I will communicate clearly to my support system my needs and wants (Duck). To conclude, my path to graduation will certainly be a challenge, but it will provide solid evidence of my ability to follow through- and perhaps even more importantly, it will create in me a role model for my children and family. Im certain that, as I walk across the stage to accept the empty tube that doesnt really hold my degree, I will be muttering to myself what I wish I could say to the entire collegiate system in America, After all you put me through You'd think I'd despise you But in the end I wanna thank you 'Cause you made that much stronger. (Christina Aguilera, 2012)

Running head: EXPLOSIVE TALES References

Explosive Tales

Aguilera, C. (2012, March). Metrolyrics. Retrieved April 7, 2014, from http://www.metrolyrics.com/fighter-lyrics-christina-aguilera.html Covey, S. R. (1997). The 7 habits of highly effective families: building a beautiful family culture in a turbulent world (pp. 22-24). New York, NY: Golden Books. Downing, S. (2010). On course: strategies for creating success in college and in life(6th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth. Duck, S. (2007). Human relationships (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Inc. MGMT (n.d.). Thought catalog. Retrieved from http://thoughtcatalog.com/madisonmoore/2013/04/the-43-greatest-quotes-about-being-in-college/