Enrique Flores

Stepping Stones

Sex, drugs, keg stands, and fraternity parties! This is what sped faster than light into my mind when I began to ponder the question, What are the reasons I come to college. Truth of the matter is that these are not my main reasons that I or anyone else should go to college. No matter how decided and then undecided that I have been in college there are three basic principles/stepping stones that drive me to attend college. One is my quest for knowledge; the other is ability to broaden my career opportunities, and the last one, which is the most important reason, is determination.

I always wondered if chasing after women in short skirts was my main priority for attending college, which I might add is definitely not a bad thing, but I have placed that aside and have put knowledge as one of my main reasons. Websters Dictionary defines knowledge as, an awareness, or understanding gained through experience or study. I pride myself on knowing as much as my brain can handle since I am more aware of my social place in the scheme of life. To be blunt there are times when I feel great when I know something that someone or some group does not. With knowledge comes the ability to change ones social place in life. I once had a friend who was a custodial engineer, also known as a janitor, until he got a piece of paper, which in this case it was, an associates degree in technology. Now he earns more than a high school level teacher. In my friends case, it was his desire to broaden his knowledge, which broadened his opportunistic endeavors.

I have attended a couple of universities in these past four years but only because I want to broadened my career opportunities. I do not want to be like my parents who have no elementary or college education. I do not want to be in their social position to begin with. My parents social position can be categorized as a low-income household in which they have to work day in and day out to get ahead. This is what forces me to go to college everyday. I do not want to work day in and day out just to get ahead but rather to enjoy my job and to see what the world has to offer in my limited life span. Today, most jobs require some kind of degree and because they require a degree I must attain this degree, because I do not want to work at McDonalds for $7.50 an hour. Because jobs require a degree it limits the jobs available to me since I am still in college. I hate that! I do not want to be unable to apply for a job due to the fact that I do not have a degree, but instead I go to college because I want to be able to walk into any building anywhere and apply for any job no matter what field it is related, except for the medical field which I dont like very well.

The final reason that I attend college is the most important one. That reason is determination. Websters Dictionary defines determination as, the act of making or arriving at a decision. I concur with Websters Dictionary but I would also add the ability to endure something until the end into the overall definition of determination. If I were not determined I would not be in college to begin with. I would not be in college because of the loss of one of my older brothers just a few days before the start of the winter semester of my freshman year in college, which caused me to wonder about not going back to college. With only four days of mourning I came back to the start of winter semester unsure and devastated. As if the death of my brother was not enough, a little over a year later during my sophomore year, I was faced with the scare of losing my mother due to someones careless and improper disposal of a needle laced with Hepatitis B where she worked. Some people would have given up at being 1,800 miles away in college only to come home to be closer to family, because you wondered if perhaps now is the time to say your final farewells, but not me.  I was determined to continue college despite what was going on back home and hoped that I was not making the wrong decision of staying in college.  I now see a couple years later that mom is still here with me and I made the right choice.

There are times when I wonder how different I would be if I had not continued my education after these low points in my college life. I also wonder how many other people have quit or succeeded in college and where they are now. I guess I am wiser and more mature emotionally and mentally for being able to see both sides of attending and not attending college. But one thing is certain and that is the reasons why I wake up to go to college. They are the experiences, future careers, and the ability to endure something until the end. But I guess college would not be as fun or interesting if I did not include women as a side point. As this is one side point I would not dare leave out.