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Independence
Regan Deonanan
I have been at Howard University for just under seven months now and it
seems like only yesterday that I left home to attend this institution.
Already, I have been exposed to many aspects of campus life and the
abundance of experiences that they invariably offer. However, of all
that has happened thus far, being independent has had the greatest
impact on me.
Independence has had the effect of
encouraging me to focus on proper time management. Since I am now
responsible for all my bills, meals, supplies and maintenance of
personal items, in addition to my academics, I am forced to plan and
coordinate all of my activities in an efficient manner, in order to get
them all done. I believe that proper time management plays an integral
role in attaining success and is something we must all learn. Parallels
can be drawn between managing my time now and effectively managing a
career later on. For instance, my ability to attend all classes
regularly and on time and meet my assignment deadlines is a good
indication of how productive I will be in the future. I now have a much
greater appreciation of the value of time and feel confident that I can
manage the toughest of schedules at any given point in my future.
Independence has also had the effect
of making me more self-sufficient. It has, for example, catalyzed my
acquiring of skills such as cooking and doing laundry. Such basic skills
are necessary to my survival and well-being and empower me to
effectively manage other areas of my life. I believe self-sufficiency is
critical to attaining success. At Howard University, I am being trained
to assume a position of leadership but I can never hope to manage others
if I cannot take care of myself. For me, self-sufficiency has promoted a
higher level of responsibility and I have been able to meaningfully
apply this attitude to my academics. I know that it can be applied, in
the same way, to other aspects of my future as well.
The most important effect that
independence has had on me so far is that I have been able to re-assess
myself and my goals. I have been able to get to know myself better in
terms of my strengths and weaknesses, the things in which I believe and
what I want to achieve in life. These introspective exercises have made
me realize that such self-examination is indeed important from time to
time. The only constant in life is change. Any rigid plans I might make
detailing exactly how I intend to attain my future goals may never be
realized due to this ever changing nature of life. I know that I must
constantly review where I am and in what direction I must proceed to
fulfill my ultimate dreams and ambitions.
From all that has been discussed, it
can be seen that being independent has positively influenced me. All the
effects mentioned have had the overall result of making me much more
responsible and mature and in so doing, have complemented my academic
enlightenment. I look towards the future with confidence and enthusiasm,
knowing that I am capable of effectively dealing with any challenge that
will arise.
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