As an avid outdoor enthusiast and lifelong daredevil, I find
myself in various risky and new situations.
Often, I find the activities I pursue are a lot like one’s pursuit of
academic achievement here at Salt Lake Community College.
Typically, my various friends with whom I share adventures
have different levels of expertise depending on the activity we’re doing. Various hiking or climbing friends are the
proverbial type A personalities who say “this way, hike here.” Or, “follow this trail.” I find that because we are all shapes,
sizes, ages, lengths and whatever qualifier one might add, our precise trails
may differ. It really doesn’t matter as
we proceed to the same general destination.
When the trail or the route up a mountain or down a slot canyon,
however, gets progressively sketchy, there are certain steps or handholds one
must watch for, and hopefully take advantage of to enable one to make the next
step or reach the next hand hold. In
some instances, you won’t make it there from where you are unless you follow
precise instructions.
I find this to be the case in one’s studies as well. American educational system relishes
choice. Often international or younger
students want precise direction.
Academic advisors, nevertheless, explain that one has so much liberty to
choose what they want to take within the general education options as long as
each category is fulfilled. Go at your
own pace, make your own path, as long as at the end you have completed all of
the various requirements, you’ll all reach the end goal. As you near the end of your journey, however,
there are various precise steps to take – certain prerequisites – to reach the
next step. Additionally, there are
certain steps without which you cannot make the next step toward the end.
When I was younger, I was happy to follow others’
paths. We were all going to the same end
so it didn’t matter. As I’ve progressed,
I know where I want to go and make sure I investigate the planned route as much
as possible prior to setting out on the adventure. Thus, when I reach perceived pitfalls, I’ll
be prepared with skills or equipment to enable the next step in the
process. The more familiar you are with
your program or your route, the more planning you make on your own; the more
invested one is in his or her plans, the more likely that person will reach the
set goals, much more than the person who is waiting for someone else to show
them or carry them. In those cases, you
may not get to where you want to go as it depends on someone else.
Lee Martinez
June 24,
2015
Lee is the Business advisor at SLCC with the Academic & Career Advising office. His background includes work with state and local government and within higher education. His lunar New Year animal is a Tiger and as you can see, he has a lot of energy and grit! Thank you, Lee, for contributing to the blog!
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