College Girl who Lives as if She's not Broke (she's broke)

Peaking into my personal essay The prompt for this personal essay is extremely vague. This vagueness scares me. Like many college students, I’m not very used to being able to write about any topic I see fit, in any format I choose as well. I don’t do very well with little structure, but let’s see how this goes.  My first proposed topic A possible topic I was considering is the question of What is really of value in our lives? My dad had a ‘97 Chevy S10 white pickup truck when I was growing up. I spent a lot of time riding in the little foldy back seats of it and cranking the windows down with my weak 7 year old arms.                                       Me hanging on the tailgate (2006) But as soon as I hit my 16th birthday, I got my license and a job. The only thing needed ...

Learning a new identity in the surf/skate sales world  (me) When I clocked in on my first day at a retail job I had no idea what to expect. I’ve always been a shopper since that first paycheck I got from my first job (working at a crappy pizza place). Sales associates had always helped me around stores I shopped at, selling me things without me even realizing... and now I took up the role as well.   and it was a lot harder than pulling pizzas out of an oven.  Working at a surf/skate shop had always been a dream of my adolescent self (the high aspirations of a SoCal beach baby, am I right?), and my 17 year old self had finally gotten the job. But it was more than just being familiar with the name of the clothing brands and saying things like “that’s rad” and “super sick”.  This was a sales job. Meaning sales goals. Meaning make those sales goals or you’re cut.  (I feel like I should also include that this was a  commission based...

When first reading Murphy Paul’s descriptions of learner types I definitely wished that I could classify myself as a deep learner. It is clear that she highlights this type of learner as the “ought to be” for college students. Although I wish my main drive for learning was for pure, deeper knowledge, I find myself at times more concerned with the grades I am receiving in class over understanding conceptually. I know grades should not be the top concern when discovering yourself throughout college, but this mentality seems to have been instilled in me since before high school. College has definitely allowed me to enjoy my classes more, but I do still find myself being consumed by exam grades. As a psychology major, many of the exams taken are vocabulary based. Instead of taking time to fully understand and relate to each term, I’ll cram the night before the exam , answering questions based on memorization, rather than clear understanding.  (I had started this ...

I am from kindness from eskimo kisses & The Giving Tree before bed I am from tie your own shoes  & hold my hand  I am from low tides unveiling seashells  treasures I keep  as if they were gold I am from Joe and Bridget The Misfits & The Beastie Boys From tanned, tattooed arms & the fair skinned From drive thru dinners & home cooked From Thrasher magazines   & solved crossword puzzles sprawled on the table I'm from two very different worlds who found their way  loving every second of it I am from wandering with cousins Constructing unimaginable estates  hanging blankets from chairs stacking pillows as tall as our bodies From shadows covering the walls us sitting in front of our flashlights Instilled in me is acceptance  of everyone  no matter where they are from  regardless of who they are  always love You don’t need...