Happy St. Patrick’s Day. A brief flash of the color green forms memories in my mind today. In a determined struggle to pursue success in life, I have completed degree requirements from three colleges: University of South Florida, University of Miami and Nova Southeastern University. Each experience plays out differently in mind now, however.
In the case of USF, I remember myself immersed in a true, campus environment that included 1.Taking great risks to become a well- rounded, pursuer of knowledge and 2.experiencing social highs in an appealing, college atmosphere (minus a football team). In the case of UM, the element of hectically commuting by car through dense, Miami streets to class each day combined with endless amounts of drudgery spent studying silently in the library, clouds my thoughts. From my NSU time, class attendance at night and Saturdays took the fun out of learning per se, as I continually crammed classes there to improve my credential in education.
Without a doubt, I enjoyed the four year experience at USF the most. In view of my innocent pursuit to become a curious scholar in a fun atmosphere there, I have wholeheartedly adopted USFMan as a logical choice for my Word Press User Name. I realize that college students today want “the best bang for their buck” in these times of exorbitant tuition fee payments and tight job markets. It seems that for many of our aspiring graduates, the”true”college experience, however, is in serious jeopardy now.
Snippets of a Traveling Mind 
Ah…so that’s how you came up with your username.
Indeed, there are exorbitant fees that come with earning degrees, but more of the lucrative jobs require them. Often a high school diploma is simply not enough. That said it’s still a pretty crummy job market for students nowadays, regardless of a degree.
Btw, I also like how you merged three topics in one. 😉
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Did you attend USF first or last? Thinking if the college experience is connected with age. The older we are, the more we savour the experience from a different perspective. Or the younger we are the fewer responsibilities leaves a stronger memory.
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Yes , USF was my 1st college experience . It became very difficult to duplicate as I got older. I can relate it to being newly married with only love on your mind , not responsibility.
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I tell my kids to finish college first as it’s an experience they remember before the strain of life weighs them down. Sweet to read that love was part of the experience. It surely enhances it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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I’m afraid many students these days are so focused on their degree that they forget to get an education. What I mean is that I hear a lot of students worried about getting a certain grade because it will impact their GPA; they’re much less concerned with what they’re learning (or if they are). There are so many opportunities in college settings, but some students are missing out on those. It’s good to soak up everything–especially since students will be paying for that experience for years to come!
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Exactly my thoughts amymorrisjones.
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