Full college experience

I know a lot of people say that you won't get the full experience of college unless you live on campus. I have commuted to Bridgewater State for all of my three years here, and although I have gained the knowledge that I wished to gain, sometimes I feel like I could have benefited more socially if I lived on campus. However, if I did lived on campus I don't know that I would have been able to focus like I can living at home and being away from the temptation of going out all of the time. The distractions in a college setting are numerous and unavoidable, so it is often difficult for young adults to focus on their schoolwork. There are so many other obligations, involving friends, work and family that the stress of balancing it all can become overwhelming. Maybe this is why college is becoming such a neccessity for people; so that they can learn to balance their obligations in life, without going crazy!

MTEL crunch time

For my education major at Bridgewater State I have had to take several liscensure tests, commonly called MTELS (or Massachusetts Test for Education Licensure). In order to graduate with my degress in Elementary Education I have to pass three different MTELS. So far, in my third year at the college, I have passed two, and will have to retake one more to finish up. The cost of the tests can be high, especially if you have to take a test more than once to pass it, which has happened to me once. It is stressful to have a limited amount of time to pass the tests, and the content is often difficult. I am glad that I am two third's of the way done with the tests, but I am also worried about passing the last one in time for graduation (hopefully in May 2010).

Learning beyond the books

During my spring break I vacationed with some of my family to Paris, France. It was an incredible experience to see the sights and explore, but it was also an eye opener. Hardly anyone over there spoke English, so it was extremely difficult for us to communicate, which got very frustrating. This made me realize how essential it is to explore the world beyond books, and surround yourself with different cultures. It is like how they say the best way to learn a foreign language is to jump into a community that speaks it. The best way to really understand the way that other people around the world really live, is to experience it for yourself first hand.

The French live very differently from us, but you never really understand why this is until you travel there. I have also been to England, which is different from here as well. Europe and America are almost opposites, but it is wonderful be able to see that and experience it, rather than just learn about it from a distance. From my experience, travel is one of the absolute best ways to really learn about yourself and about the world.