#spelman17

Spelman College, where do I even begin… Well I guess I can begin with saying Thank you. Thank you for allowing me to understand that I am important. Thank you for being an institution dedicated toward educating African- American Women and ensuring that they know that despite what society consistently tells us that we are valued. Thank you for staying your true and RAW self since 1881.

Spelman has taught me more than I can EVER imagine. I constantly tell people how grateful I am for Spelman because Spelman saved me. Spelman exposed me to a world that every African- American woman deserves to see. Spelman accepted me despite every single one of my flaws and turned my negative traits into positive traits and my positive traits into masterpieces.

 See, here at Spelman, I get to be surrounded by African- American women (the same women that are seen as the must underprotected people in this country because not only are we African- American but because we are women too) every single day and fight to be something different. I get to watch this fight against stereotypes and the low expectations set for African –American women every single day. I get to see my Spelman sisters fight each day to defeat every single odd set against them. Every single day I watch my Spelman sisters work hard and dedicate themselves to making a change in this world and NOT be a sterotype, or another mad “Black woman”.

“10 Instances You Consider Dropping Out of College.”

By Jazmin Brown

1.       Finances

·         There are thousands of scholarships available for students, but we hardly ever get one. So you find yourself standing in the financial aid office the entire first week of school wondering why you enrolled in school to begin with. Some may consider getting a job while in school, but that is a lot to handle especially when you want to have a social life and free time to do whatever you want. Not having enough money to pay for school can dip into your funds to spend leisurely and that can cause a huge hit to your account and overall happiness.

2.       Stress

·         Your professors often think you are taking only their class and decide to assign you four 25 page chapters out of your biology book to read on top of your English professor wanting a rough draft of your analysis of Shakespeare’s Othello, but you haven’t even opened your book to analyze anything. This often happens when we as college students decide to postpone starting an assignment or decide to do everything in one night. Cramming may work for some, but not all. You may find yourself falling asleep in your 9:00 class in the morning. The stress of academics also comes along with the stress of your social life and it all becomes very overwhelming, especially when you have to deal with everything happening ALONE.

3.       Horrible Roommate

·         Before coming to college or even while you’re enrolled, you’ll hear horror stories about terrible roommates. The nightmare comes to life when it becomes YOUR roommate. You may come across a roommate that is dirty, disrespectful, a thief, inconsiderate, self- absorbed, lazy, loud, or any combination of those descriptions. It may be okay to deal with for the moment, but an entire school year or even a semester becomes the ultimate struggle. No one wants to come to their dorm room from a long day of class, to a roommate who has no couth. It is so frustrating that you may find any reason necessary to not be in your room and leave campus, but that is simply outrageous when you’re paying all of that money for housing.

4.       Homesick

·         That newfound freedom and no rules definitely has its benefits, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility. Some students families send them off to school with a notion that they will become less codependent on them for things and it works for a moment, but having to be responsible for everything makes you miss the years when you didn’t have to spend your own money to go out, taking trips was a ride in the car and you didn’t have to worry about gas, a home cooked meal was the norm, all of your friends were right down the street, and your dog that you’ve had since the age of 6 was there to comfort you. Being homesick is the worst. It can last from a week to an entire semester and I know students who have dropped out because they didn’t like being away from family for so long. Sometimes it takes a little bit of discomfort to help you grow into the person you want to be and figure out who you are as an individual.

5.       No Friends

·         College is where you’re supposed to find your lifelong friends and potential bridesmaids or groomsmen. Not everyone is that great at making friends or putting themselves out there so you may find yourself as somewhat of a homebody that doesn’t mesh with other people. Ways to fix this are to go to the cafeteria and sit with someone that may be sitting by themselves, form a study group with fellow classmates or go to the coffee spot on campus and someone may come your way. If not you may have a lonely four years of college. Sometimes you need those friends at school to uplift you when you feel like giving up or just someone to make you laugh sometimes and not having that can make you want to drop it all and go home.

6.       Tired of School

·         Most of us have been in school almost all of our lives and depending on how old you are, an average of 12-13 years of school prior to enrolling in college. There have been over 100 tests, quizzes, essays, projects, and presentations. Coming to college to doing it for another four years is draining. We couldn’t wait for high school graduation, but the freedom from having classwork and homework only lasts a few months when you go off to school in the fall. Some students don’t even get those few months since they enroll in the summer. Sitting through four more years of tests, papers, projects, and presentations is annoying, so some students just drop out and get a job.

7.       Fear of Failure

·         A lot of students find themselves excelling in high school and falling short in college. Not everyone graduates with a 4.0 or even 3.5 which is crazy because it seemed a bit easier to do so in high school. Pressure can get intense and some students find themselves crying every night, not eating, and losing their minds because they don’t feel like they are excelling. This fear can come from comparing yourself to what others around you are doing. Yes, it is gratifying to be at the top of your class and getting involved in school, but don’t let it get you down if you’re not doing as well as you would like to. Dropping out because you’ve made a few C’s in a couple classes isn’t the way to go. You have three more years and a few summers to get it right. Sometimes those words of encouragement just don’t do the trick and students drop out of school anyway.

8.       Don’t Like the School

·         Some of us find ourselves going to schools without really knowing what the school has to offer academically or just never really fit in. This ruins your overall experience and even if you’re on scholarship, you may even drop out because the school just doesn’t stimulate you in a way that you’d want it to. The process of switching schools is not that easy especially when it comes to transferring credits. Some people just say forget school all together and decide it’s the end of the road.

9.       Family Obligations

·         Going away to school can sometimes be an escape from dealing with your family, but far too many times students have to drop out because they have to help their families. Whether someone is sick or the family is having financial hardships. Some students have children of their own and though they manage to balance school and raising a child at the same time, it is nothing easy. It may be a situation where younger siblings need someone to help them and you’re the only one who can help them. It is unfortunate that sometimes students have to put their academic endeavors on hold for their families, but that is reality for some people.

10.   No Guidance