Registered Area: Interdisciplinary Studies

Student: Joe Doe

Degree: Associate in Science

Introduction

One thing many of us were taught as children was to get married before we have children of your own. Another piece of advice we were given as children was to make sure we go to college right after high school. Both sound likegreat advice, but unfortunately for many of us, other things interfere and college gets put on hold. I personally was not ready to go to college after high school. I felt like I was finally getting a much deserved break from school. At the time, all I wanted to do was to work and make money, unbeknownst and clueless that I was not really making enough money and finishing school would have helped me earn a better salary. I was only 18 years old, so what did I really know or understand. The great thing about life is you’re never too old and it’s never too late to accomplish your dreams.

As I became an adult and I started having these “milestone” birthdays, I began to think back on my life and wondered what have I really accomplished thus far. I wondered about my present position and the possibilities of making it better. Then I started looking towards the future and wondered if I’ve done all that I can to ensure that my future is as bright as it can be. I reached a point in my life where I was concerned about my future and so I began this journey at Empire State College.

Goals

The road to success will began with me obtaining my Associate in Science for Interdisciplinary Studies. This degree is important to me because it is the foundation for all other degrees to come. No tall building would be standing today if it did not have the strongest of foundations and that is what the associate degree means to me. But this degree is just the beginningas I plan to continue my studies at ESC and complete the credits needed for my Bachelors in Business Administration. I also have plans to attend graduate school as I want to show my children that the sky is the limit.

My children are the main reason why I’ve decided to return to school. I try to teach them that education is important, however if I am not taking my own advice, my children will have every reason to doubt what I am trying to teach them. Another reason I’ve decided to further my education is because I now realize that education is the key that will open many other doors of opportunity. I don’t want to be in a position where I am passed up on a promotion because I lacked the education.

General Education Requirement

A number of ESC courses and transcript courses meet SUNY General Education requirement needed for graduation.The SUNY General Education courses that I’ve taken so far are:

1)Statistics- which satisfied the math requirement and provided me with technical and statistical skills.

2)On the Menu: The Science of Food and Nutrition- satisfied the natural science requirement. This course made me more aware of what I am eating and educated me on ingredients that can be harmful and/or beneficial to my body.

3)New York City History- which satisfies the American history requirement. This course taught me so much about the development of New York and its history.

4)Baseball and American Culture- this course satisfies the humanities requirement. This course taught me a lot about America’s favorite pastime and how some fans consider baseball a religion and not just a sport.

5)Cell-Phone Cinematography- this course satisfied the arts requirement. In this course I learned that there is so much more to do with your cellphone, besides socializing. There are people who have actually made mini movies and documentaries using only a cell phone.

6)Spanish- this course satisfied the language requirement. I am still a little rusty at Spanish but I did learn the proper way Spanish should be spoken as opposed to the slang that I hear and pick up daily.

7)College writing- this course satisfied the basic communication requirement and provided me with the essentials and ability to write a good college level essay.

8)Macroeconomics- which satisfied the requirement for social science. This course helped me understand why we make the decisions we make, whether as a consumer or buyer or for opportunity.

Some of the courses that I have taken were electives, meaning they were not mandatory but allowed me the opportunity to become exposed to another world and different skills. These include Introduction to Digital Photography, where I purchased and learned how to operate a DSLR camera. Gender and the Sports Entertainment Industry- I am a big fan of certain sports like basketball and football but in this class I learned about the sports industry and the role of women in it. I learned about how women entered sports in the Roman age and how Sports continues to become a growing industry today for both genders.

After getting my feet wet and becoming more accustomed to college life, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and I completed some of the core business courses that will lay the foundation down and add depth to my future Bachelors of Arts degree in in Business Administration. These courses include:Introductory to Accounting I,Corporate Finance, Managerial Leadership, and Microeconomics.

Conclusion

Getting my associate degree will now open the doors that were once not an option. Such as the time when I was stuck in a position at work and my CEO told me to think about going back to school so I can move up the ladder. As my parents stated when I was younger“education is the key to success and lack of money is not an excuse to lack education”.With that being said I’m making thefirst step towards my success; sky’s the limit.