Ajoi is eighteen years old and a freshman here at GSU, she described her college process as confusing. Ajoi explained how she struggled deciding if she even wanted to attend college in the first place. At a young age Ajoi always had her nose in a book and even said she failed Physical Education in fifth grade because the only thing she did was read during class. She explored many subjects in school like cosmetology, theatre, and early childhood education. But none of them piqued her interest to make it into a career. However, she said that school is the only thing she succeeds well in and was determined to get an education. In high school Ajoi prided herself in her grades and study habits. But she never considered going to school until senior year. She settled on going to school for Human Resources and is majoring in Business Administration, which she says is a lot harder than she expected it to be. She is also considering sonography and keeping an open mind on anything because she has not found her passion or ‘dream job’ yet. She felt pressure to come up with an answer to ‘what are you doing after high school’ so she decided to pick one that satisfied those around her even though she was not quite sure. 

However, things changed when she got to college. Ajoi explained that she went through a lot of ‘firsts’, first time doing school online, first time having no friends in school, first time not talking to her teachers and so many more things. Her study habits also changed she said procrastination became a regular thing and lost her motivation to do good in school because everything was so overwhelming. This is what she describes as one of the most difficult time in her life because she was dealing with numerous other issues. She struggled turning in work weekly and finding a set schedule. Ajoi started her new job the same time school started so she did not know how to handle so many things at once. She explained how she felt like a failure compared to high school herself. By the end of the semester, she managed to get A’s and B’s. She learned and grew a lot in just one semester in college and is ready to use her experience for this semester. I have learned through Ajoi that life is unpredictable and to always keep your head up.  

In conclusion, Ajoi and I relate a significant amount and communicating with her brings a sense of relief knowing that there are other people who know the struggle is real. School is an opportunity to expand your mind and find yourself which is exactly what Ajoi is doing. This is a sign to remain positive and never give up no matter how hard things might be. 

I want to introduce you to Ellie Hegwood my wonderful partner who is an Obedient, Reliable and Eager student! I love how she used those words to describe her academic self because I know for me it is hard to be obedient, at times reliable and eager to be a student! For Ellie to be in high school and know her academic self already is great to me! I always thought it was cool that high school students were able to do dual enrollment! I wish I was eager like her when I was in high school to do dual enrollment! Ellie went to Cogburn Elementary School k- 5^th grade and after that attended Hopewell Middle School Ellie 6^th -8^th grade! Ellie is currently a senior at Cambridge High School and after that she will be attending University of Tennessee, Knoxville in the fall! While attending University of Tennessee she will be studying Forestry, where she wants her career to be a research scientist at the national park service!

Ellie told me something that stood out to me to support that she is eager to learn is that “I am not taking a year off because I want to go to graduate school and get my PhD so I want to get into school as soon as I can, plus I really enjoy school!” and also when she said It’s always been my plan to go to college after high school, since it is an option that I am lucky enough to have available to me I can’t think of a reason why not to take advantage of that.” I feel like those exact words support that she is eager and for sure obedient and especially at such a young age! She has goals and I know for sure she will achieve whatever she wants in the future! While she is at Gsu she is currently taking Elementary statistics and English II. Ellie’s biggest influence on academic self is a drive to succeed in her career, she is very passionate about what he wants to study in, that’s why she continues to work hard. A very big influence on her academic career is author Rachel Carson, what intrigued her was that she wrote an influential book for the environment movement. A mentor in Ellie’s life would be her old environmental science teacher who has been very helpful and important in her journey for the love of the environment!

In our interview I asked her what was she most proud of when it comes to her academic and she said “I am very proud of how productive I am academically and how success oriented I am and hardworking I am as a student” I feel like that is wonderful and very well said! Her favorite subject is English, specifically literature. I ask her how is scheduling when it comes to dual enrollment because I know the overload can get quite hectic. Her response was that “It can take a lot of specific scheduling and planning to make sure I don’t mix things up” but she gets it done because she knows that in the future she will succeed. I was wondering is her class work and college work ever overwhelming or does she focus on one more than the other, and she simply told me that they are both the same, they both must get done regardless. This semester she is a little more focused on her college classes as her high school classes are mostly done and she only has one a day. So that’s pretty cool, less stress! In the interview I asked her what her favorite video with the video that was talks about how to manage time well. I can see why she would like that because she always strives to be an obedient student! With time management you have to be obedient and dealing with her schedule with high and college I know could be hectic at time!

During this interview I had fun and learned a lot about Ellie’s academic background. It’s crazy how you can share a class with someone and never ask or even know about their background history. We are all achieving the same goals just going on different paths! I wish nothing but greatness and success for Ellie and I thank her for sharing her inspiring background with me!

            Ezequiel (or Zeke) is a 17-year-old international student from the Dominican Republic. After conducting an interview and taking notes about Zeke, I have learned that he is a hard worker, who is determined at being the best student he could be. This is his second semester at Georgia State, and he has already established the fact that he is a responsible student, who works hard to achieve straight A’s every semester.

            Zeke attended Las Palmas Christian School from 6^th to 12^th grade. Las Palmas Christian School is a private bilingual school, where almost all of his classes were taught in English. This school is where he learned the majority of his English and is the reason why he can speak it so fluently. He still lives in the Dominican Republic and has to attend Georgia State online because of the Coronavirus, but he hopes that travel will be safer later this year so that he can attend school in person. He chose to attend Georgia State because he knew he wanted to go to college, but he wanted to study abroad so that he could get a better education. With a major in Computer Science, Zeke wants to work in the field of AI (artificial intelligence). Zeke says he wants to go into AI because he wants to “revolutionize technology”. He continues his explanation by saying “it’s an underdeveloped field, I want to help research and discover stuff to see how AI can be helpful in our lives.”

            With academic and career goals like Zeke, one needs to be very disciplined, determined, and hardworking. These three words accurately describe Zeke’s academic self. He is a responsible student and takes his classes very seriously. He works hard to achieve good grades and makes sure that he puts all of his effort into every assignment he has. He’s determined to do things right the first time and doesn’t let himself get too off-track when it comes to his schoolwork. One thing he takes pride in academically is that he was able to maintain excellent grades throughout high school which led to his acceptance at Georgia State.

            His parents and girlfriend are his biggest influences when it comes to doing well academically. Both his parents and his girlfriend want the best future for him and push him to be his best academic self. He is aware that his parents spent a lot of money for him to be able to go to school here, so he wants to achieve the best grades he possibly can. He knows how important an education is to him and his family. This connects to his favorite reading that we had in class so far which was the “Taking My Parents to College” article by Jennine Capó Cruce. When I asked him why this was his favorite reading, he said that in a way, he could relate to Jennine’s experience in college. Although he doesn’t attend college in person, he has parents who have never attended college in the United States, so he had to figure out the whole college application process by himself.

            With all of his academic and career goals, Zeke also mentioned that he wants to make enough money from his career so that he can help his country. He wants to improve the economy in his country and wants to make a business and provide jobs for people in the Dominican Republic. He has proved through his excellent grades, and his acceptance to Georgia State how disciplined, determined, and hardworking he is. I find it impressive that Zeke is so determined and goal-oriented when it comes to his schoolwork. As a 17-year-old myself, I still don’t know exactly what I want to do with my life after college, but Zeke has it all planned out and has proven that he is dedicated to his work and studies even though he’s in a different country, and I admire him for that.

Citations:

Acevedo, Ezequiel L. Personal Interview. 1 February 2021.

     Over the past week I was able to talk and get to know Lejla. I was definitely nervous to talk with someone through an online class. I’m very glad that I was able to get out of my comfort zone and learn about someone else and share things about myself. 

     Lejla and I decided to communicate over text messages because it would be easiest to have information about each other saved. This was extremely helpful because we were able to communicate at any time and if questions or ideas popped up, we could just share right away. 

    Lejla is a sophomore at GSU College Clarkston campus. She is planning to get an Associates Degree and then transfer to GSU downtown Atlanta to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in American Sign Language. Right now, she is fully online and taking five classes this semester. Her favorite subject is Sociology because she was surprised about all the information that she learned during the class. 

     Lejla’s three academic words are: emotional, advocate and prepared. She told me that emotional was the first one that came to mind because she was born deaf with Profound Sensorineural Hearing loss. At 7, she underwent surgery to receive a cochlear implant on her right ear. Throughout grade school, she was delayed with speaking. Her parents are from Bosnia, so English was already difficult. Lejla had a speech therapist 4 times a week for 7 years and had a deaf and hard of hearing teacher one hour everyday. She expressed that it was emotional because school and being social is hard due to understanding others being difficult, or asking a teacher or fellow classmate to repeat themselves. She used advocate to describe her academic self because there have been numerous challenges thrown her way, but it keeps her being able to speak out for herself and to never be ashamed of asking for help. It has encouraged her to never give up and to stand up for herself. The last word was prepared because she feels like she does a great job staying on top of her assignments and she loves being able to get ahead on her work. 

    I learned that her favorite reading that we have done so far is the most recent one with the first generation college student. She really enjoyed this one because she related to it. She is actually the first generation from her family to continue her education at a collegiate level. Lejla being in college and on a pathway to graduate is a huge deal to her family because her parents lived in Bosnia. While her parents were in high school, there was a war. Her mom was a nurse and her dad was a soldier. They were never able to finish college. She told me how similar her story is to the one that we read. 

     I asked her if she had someone who was her biggest influence or mentor. Lejla told me that she had a few mentors. Her mentors are her mom, dad and Randi. Randi was someone who helped her parents understand the whole process of deaf situations. Randi is a second mom. Randi works for parents whose children are deaf. She understands the process of the difficulty being deaf and always tells Lejla how smart she is in her own way. Randi taught Lejla that it is okay to ask someone to describe or explain something and to ask someone to repeat what they said. Her main mentor is her mom who never gave up on her. Her mom is a kind, positive person who always provides advice and taught her how to stand up for herself. Seeing how much her mom has done for her shows Lejla how much she is cared about and that she will always make her mom proud. 

    The last thing we talked about was in-person versus online school. Lejla enjoyed being in person in high school because she was able to get involved in many activities. She was the co-captain of the volleyball team and chief editor of the yearbook. With school, she prefers online because she is able to pay attention and catch what the teacher is saying. In person she would have to ask several questions out loud in front of her classmates and ask for extra explanation, so that she could make sure she was understanding the material. With online, everything is on the computer. Online school allows for flexibility. Lejla is able to do school work, hang out and babysit to make money. 

    The conclusion from this discussion with Lejla is that every student is different. Her experiences throughout life are obviously different than mine, but gave me a different perspective on life. I complained about a lot of minor inconveniences that I had been challenged with in life, but after talking to and learning about Lejla she had to go through more challenges than I could have ever imagined. After talking to her, I realize how much of a strong person she is and I know that she will be able to accomplish anything she wants to in life. 

What do you want to be when you grow up? Everyone has been asked that question as a child. The journey to becoming what you dream of, comes with different seasons, challenges, and levels of academic progression. Academic performance is related to how well you do in school. However, I believe a person’s academic self is defined differently depending on their upbringing. The person I interviewed is an example of how different upbringings reflect your academic self. We conducted our interview through emails, where we shared educational value, and hobbies, and career goals.  

Emma Cohen is a current student at Lakeside High School. Her favorite subject is English Literature. Her academic self-shows that she is structured, lively, and determined. Influenced by her grandmother who was a Missionary worker. It has always been of value for Emma to help those in need. As a child her parents always laid a firm and strict foundation about her academic performance. Although her parents are divorced now, they both still implement the importance of education. Looking for a new challenge, Emma chose to compete with self. She signed up for the Dual Enrollment program, and this is her second semester at Georgia State University. She told me “I take Dual Enrollment to challenge myself, and I love the independence it gives”.

Emma has been a gymnast since childhood. Having a strict coach and strict parents has increased her structural skills. She is very competitive and disciplined. Emma’s biggest struggle is Mathematics, and her fear is taking standardized test. Since Math is a struggle for Emma, she creates study projects to increase her memorization. A study schedule, with color coded tabs, helps her study for tests three days in advance. It also allows her to participate in extra tutoring, and personal activities. Addicted to be becoming a master of all trades, she and her sister competes with GPS average and who brings home the most A’s.  

In conclusion, at this moment in Emma stated her academic journey she has no frustrations. Ms. Cohen is enjoying the liberation of College life. Her major is Political Science, and she plans to become a (defense) lawyer. She has not decided if she wants to practice corporate, or entertainment law. Her academic self has been molded by a foundation of structure, determination, and discipline. Emma’s determination to organize and pursue such crafts, at a young age is inspiring! She shared different ways I can study and utilize my time more effectively.

Ajoi is eighteen years old and a freshman here, she described her college process as confusing. Ajoi explained how she struggled deciding if she even wanted to attend college in the first place. However, she said that school is the only thing she succeed well in and was determined to get an education. She settled on going to school for Human Resources and is majoring in Business Administration, which she says is a lot harder than she expected it to be. She is also considering sonography and keeping an open mind on anything because she has not found her passion or ‘dream job’ yet. She felt pressure to come up with an answer to ‘what are you doing after high school’ so she decided to pick one that satisfied those around her even though she was not quite sure.

        This essay contains information from an interview transcript with Sheila Dixon about her academic self. We called each other on the phone and shared our academic histories, frustrations, and goals. Sheila is 45 years old and is from Buffalo New York. She attended grades k-12 there, but she did not go to college immediately after high school. When I asked her if there was a specific reason as to why she did not go immediately, she said, “I ended up getting pregnant and I wanted to be the one to raise my daughter. I did not want anyone to do that for me.” She first went to college in 1997 where she attended Erie Community College. Later in 2014 she moved to Georgia and started at Georgia State University in the Spring of 2019. She is majoring in Nursing, and her overall career goal is to start her own traveling nurse business. Her favorite subject is psychology which she believes is important in nursing because you should know how the mind works.

        When asked how she would describe her academic self she said that she is a hard worker. She is often very busy during the day but still manages to make time for her schoolwork. She is quite intuitive and tries to find ways that make college work the best for her. An example would be that she is going right for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree instead of just becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and then going back to school. She even said, “I did not want to leave to become an LPN and then come back to school later because I know once I leave school I will not come back.”

        During the interview Sheila told me that I should get to know my professors. She said that even though I am online I should email them, so they will know who I am as a student. She believes that you are likely to do better in a class if you develop some kind of a relationship with the teacher. What she said here is linked to the Vimeo video about the differences between in person and online courses. When you are taking an online class, you are not able to talk to classmates, or ask about due dates right then and there. This means that when you are taking an online class notifying your professor during their office hours through email, text, call, etc. is extremely important. If you have a question about your work, you should ask the professor. This way you can be sure that you are going to get the grade that you want in the class. Sheila’s advice that she gave me goes along with the information given in this video.

        College can be fun, but many people face challenges throughout their college experience. Sheila mentioned a few challenges that she is facing right now. The first one is that since she is 45, she has a harder time with some subjects since she is not right out of high school like other college students. The second challenge for her is that she finds it annoying that she must take prerequisite classes that have nothing to do with her major. The final challenge she deals with is test anxiety. She tends to get nervous while taking tests and often second guesses herself. She said that these challenges make it hard for her however, she mentioned that she found something that has helped her. Sheila said she really liked Dr. Steven Chew’s videos on study strategies and metacognitive behavior that help students become successful. In the videos he gives good studying strategies to follow and mentions what not to do when studying. Sheila took note of what he said and has been trying new studying tactics.

        The conclusion of the interview with Sheila is that no matter how old someone is, or what challenges they face in life, they can still go to college and reach their goals. Sheila was a young mom, but she did not put too much pressure on herself about going to school. She waited until the time was right for her. She really thought about what she wanted to do and chose the right degree program for her lifestyle. Even though she may not be like the typical college student she has found ways to be successful, and she encourages others to do the same.

Sources:

Chew, Stephen. “How to Study.” How to Get the Most Out of Studying, www.samford.edu/departments/academic-success-center/how-to-study.

Dixon, Sheila. “Academic Self.” 29 Jan. 2021.

Mounica is an 18-year-old dual enrollment student and describes her academic self as visual, self-motivated, and engaging. She discovered the importance of her first academic self-word, visual, in elementary school. At her first school Crabapple Elementary, she realized she learned best with visual displays of information such as charts and graphs in front of her. Being able to see what she was learning while learning it, was something that helped her understand and retain information. She carried this learning style with her throughout her years in school.

In K-6th grade, Mounica was surrounded with familiar faces and friends until she moved to Piney Grove Middle School in 7th grade. She left behind her old friends and learned how to function in a new and unfamiliar environment. In her 5th-grade science class, she discovered her love for evolution. Although she did not quite understand it, she was eager to learn more, further sparking her interest in the sciences.

Mounica carried her love for science with her to high school and developed a passion for technology, specifically coding. She noticed a lot of girls at her school who were discouraged from taking computer science and coding classes at her school because they were male-dominated. Mounica became dedicated to making a safe space where they could enjoy the fascinating world of coding. She founded the Girls Who Code club at her school and became the president. She was the vice president of community service of the Red Cross organization and a member of FBLA and HOSA where she competed in regional and state events and honed her public speaking skills.

Mounica does not consider herself to be an extraordinary writer but she believes that with hard work and time she can be. That is why she decided to challenge herself by taking dual enrollment English this year through GSU. Mounica’s situation reminded me of the reading, “Some People Are Just Born Good Writers” by Jill Parrott. Where the author says, “Good writers are not born. They are learned.”

Growing up, Mounica’s biggest influence was her dad. When she moved to Denmark High School she was overwhelmed. It was a very competitive school, and all the students were taking AP’s and rigorous courses to bulk up their GPA. All though there was so much pressure to fall in with the crowd and take these classes Mounica remembered her fathers’ advice and it kept her grounded. Her father instilled in her at a young age that excelling academically was important, but she should also do things at her own pace and do things she enjoys. She spent her time in high school taking courses she enjoyed, including her favorite subject, biology.

Like many others, Mounica plans to go to college after high school. It is expected in her family and required for the career path she wants to pursue. Mounica plans to continue studying her interests by becoming a biochemistry major at her dream school, The University of Michigan. There she hopes to go the pre-med route or even go into medical law.

Through our interviews, I noticed how hardworking and self-motivated Mounica is. She is a student who puts lots of effort into learning about topics that interest her and even goes a step further to make something creative of them. I hope to stay connected with her in the future and wish her the best in continuing her academic journey.

Citations:

Parrott, Jill “Some People Are Just Born Good Writers”

Katragadda, Mounica Interview (2021)

It has been a pleasure being paired with Parisa Talukder and getting to know more about her for this Academic Self Project. As incredibly busy students juggling both school and work, we decided it was best to communicate through text. Our swift exchange of information made me realize how incredible of a person she was. Parisa’s academic story, filled with mental and emotional struggles, not to mention her road to recovery, is one many would admire.

Though originally from New York, Parisa attended her k-12 years in Georgia at the following schools: Suwanee Elementary, North Gwinnett Middle School, and North Gwinnett High School. Afterward, she started college at GSU in the Fall of 2016, interested in math and technology. Parisa’s transition from high school to college did not come easily; she experienced inner turmoil regarding what she wanted to do and who she wanted to be. It led to her decision to take a two-year break to focus on herself before returning with the determination to complete her computer science degree. Parisa plans on continuing her associate degree at GSU’s perimeter college and eventually earn her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the future.

As I got to know Parisa more, I noticed there were certain aspects of her academic self I could undeniably relate to. She described her past self as irresponsible, confused, and uncaring due to her battle to find a balance between school, work, and personal health. Constant distractions and procrastination harmed her productivity, something I feel most students go through. Parisa also struggled with mental health illnesses, some including ADHD, depression, and anxiety, which affected how she perceived her academic self. To her, it was like fighting a losing battle until she was able to get proper help. Not only did she deal with mental health issues, but she also encountered problems with stalking, relationship mess, and academics. Parisa revealed she “had a severe problem with giving up,” and luckily, she wanted to change that aspect about herself.

Upon realizing the dangerous path she was on, Parisa took time off to reevaluate her goals and improve her mindset. She spoke to specialists who encouraged her to work on personal development skills and taking ownership of her actions. During her break, Parisa managed to find a major to pursue, become a top employee at her retail store, and be a reliable background extra for the tv show “Legacies”. She even gained the confidence to return to school again with the intent to dedicate herself to her studies. Parisa received immense support from her family and most importantly, her boyfriend. Her improvements over time allowed her to describe her current academic self as organized and confident.

While some college courses may be dull, Parisa has found taking Dr. Becky’s courses rather fun and helpful. She finds the content interesting and even has a favorite article from the previous semester with Dr. Becky. The “Face-to-Face Courses are Superior to Online Classes” was the one Parisa like the most as it helped her change her mind about online classes. She initially struggled with online platforms but with effort, it was something she could overcome. Parisa also had to find a way to continue her diligence towards her academics with classes being mainly online. She found that “communicating with the instructors or peers increased my work ethic” and encouraged her to manage her limited time wisely.

I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn about Parisa’s academic self. I realized that all students have their own stories and struggles that have played a role in developing who they are academically and as a person. Parisa exemplifies this as someone who was able to turn her struggles into determination for success. If she could do it, so can you. It is possible to turn your life around if you are truly willing to change yourself for the better.

Esohe Uhuangho is a 17 year old who is a senior at Alpharetta High School. She is taking this class as a dual enrollment student at GSU. The three words that describe her academic self are fast-learner, confident, and resourceful. 

From a young age, Esohe became fascinated with space. She loved dreaming about the world where stars and galaxies lived. This was the beginning of her curiosity. Wanting to learn more about space, she became resourceful with her supplies at home and created her own mini telescope to look through. As a student at Suwanee Elementary, Esohe’s curiosity began to grow outside of just space. In school, she became interested in math. As doing math formulas and step-by-step problems, she finds it fun as doing a puzzle. Being a fast-learner who is confident in her skills, she enjoyed her time in school. Additionally, she had a safe space at school with her childhood friends whom she knew she could always count on. However, like most people, Esohe was pushed out of her comfort zone when she moved to New Prospect Elementary School in fifth grade. Here she had to establish new friends in a new city. At first it was difficult since it took her some time to get used to her new surroundings, but eventually, using her confidence and resourcefulness, she found her new core group of friends.

At Webridge Middle School, Esohe set her own expectations in life such as to always keep As and stay active in her extracurriculars. This ideology was reinforced by her parents and friends, leading her to have a positive support network throughout her academic life. At Alpharetta High School, Esohe began to focus more on her social network. She became more outgoing and made new friends while staying in touch with her old ones. This social aspect led her to engaging in many after-school clubs such as BETA Club and Women in STEM. Inspired by the book The Hate U Give, Esohe even started a new club at school: Black Student Union. As the Vice President and a social activist, Esohe encouraged discussions in this club about current events in pop culture and modern day racism experienced in school. Throughout middle and high school, Esohe continued to reiterate her academic self words: fast-learner, confident, and resourceful. 

Since she was young, the biggest influence on her life has been her parents. Her parents instilled in her that education was important and pushed her to always try her best. Both her parents graduated college in Nigeria, therefore Esohe is new to the college application process in America. Similar to the main character’s dilemma in “Taking My Parents to College”, Esohe, who is a senior applying to college, found the process a little overwhelming. While her parents supported her endeavors and helped her strive for the best, they couldn’t help her with the process. Fortunately with the help of her friends, Esohe was able to successfully apply to her dream schools, including the University of Georgia.

Esohe is a hard-working individual who has undertaken many fun and inspirational projects throughout her life. As we talked throughout this interview, I saw her easy going nature and how dedicated she was to her future aspirations, whether that be a lab technician or PA. In the future, I hope to stay connected with her and see her journey progress.

Citations:

Taking My Parents to College by Jennine Capó Crucet