Bose 1

Arun Bose
UWRT-1101-008
Professor Connie Douglas
19 September, 2016
What Do I Believe?
Being tasked with the assignment of a This I Believe style essay truly
makes you think. It begs the question, What do I believe? Our entire
childhood we are not asked what we believe, we are told what we believe.
The most basic and fundamental values to an individual are more often than
not force fed to them before one can even think to second guess his or her
values. Religion, political preference, sexual orientation, or most other core
beliefs are never asked of us; instead they are handed to us. Statistically,
forty-two per cent of adults in The United States have switched religions
within their lifetimes and one can speculate that this is because they did not
choose their original religion (Lipka). Beliefs have to be found on an
individual basis, not handed to them. With all this being said, my question is
still unanswered; what do I believe? I believe that by the time that you are
in your freshman year of college it is entirely unrealistic to be asked, what
do you believe? and expect a response with any sort of longevity.
I believe that respect can be taken back as quickly as it should be
given. I believe that all men and women should be treated as equals. I
believe that if Donald Trump is elected that perhaps I should begin looking
into pursuing my higher education in Canada. More than any of these beliefs,

Bose 2
I believe that had I written this essay yesterday, it would have been entirely
different. Had it been written last week it would have been more different
still. And had I written it tomorrow morning during my hour and forty-five
minute break between classes like the procrastinator in me so desperately
wanted to do, it would have been unrecognizable. To make the same
statement in fewer words, I believe that the person I am today is different
than the person I will be tomorrow.
At the time that I am writing this, I am nineteen years, one month, and
twenty-five days old. One and a half months ago, I moved out of my
childhood home that I spent the better part of twelve years in. Just days ago I
was promoted to being a manager at my part time job. A year ago, I had no
idea that I would be sitting here writing this paper because at the time I had
no intention of pursuing a college education. I found one article that said that
on average, college students change their major three times through the
course of their college career (Ramos). Another article states that 37.2% of
college students transfers schools entirely within their college education
(College Students Transfer). Despite currently being enrolled in college; I
have no idea how the rest of my college career will turn out at all. My life has
never been more inconsistent and has never changed as drastically in such a
short time as it is changing at this very moment and I am eager to see how
my life progresses. The world I live in today is entirely different than the
world I will be thrown into tomorrow and as a result, my perception of the
world around me is constantly changing and evolving as well.

Bose 3
Perhaps this essay could be written off as the manifestation of the
indecision, stress, and angst of a college freshman with an undecided major.
However, the expectation that I know how to clearly and concisely define
myself in a three to four-page essay is nothing short of terrifying. The
question, what do I believe? seemed to stare back at me from my first
paragraph for what felt like forever. It seemed to glare back at me mocking
my inability to answer. I can name off hundreds upon hundreds of trivial
beliefs that may if you are lucky provide some sort of insight as to who I am
as an individual. But, completing the statement, I believe that seemed
more daunting than I could possibly describe.
I do not think that a genuine belief can be handed to me. I do not think
that a true belief can simply be taken back tomorrow or the day after when I
decide that I have changed my mind. A real belief cannot simply be chosen
whenever my professor decides that it is time for me to write an essay about
it. A belief has to be found and I do not think I have found what I believe in
yet. So, at risk of contradicting myself, I believe that I do not quite know
what I believe in yet.

Bose 4
Works Cited
Fain, Paul. "More Than a Third of College Students Transfer | Inside Higher
Ed." More Than a Third of College Students Transfer. Inside Higher Ed,
8 July 2015. Web. 13 Sept. 2016.
Lipka, Michael. "10 Facts about Religion in America." Pew Research Center
RSS. N.p., 27 Aug. 2015. Web. 13 Sept. 2016.
Ramos, Yuritzy. "College Students Tend to Change Majors When They Find the
One They Really Love - Borderzine." Borderzine. N.p., 15 Mar. 2013.
Web. 13 Sept. 2016.