Academic Goals and OBjectives

Between sun yellow walls adorned with pictures of friends and plaques of past glories and beneath a wooden shelf aging with chipped paint and slanting volumes of classics, a desk occupies space. Once neatly organized, this desk has been transformed into a collage of brightly colored college catalogues. Piles of pamphlets, booklets, and brochures cover the surface of the desktop and overlay the floor. When I close my eyes, this is the picture that scans through my brain as I reflect back on the college application process that took place in my room last fall. After sorting through the various academic paraphernalia, sending out applications, and making a final decision, I have embarked on a new journey in which this essay marks the first part. Like any seasoned traveler, I have departed from home with a destination in mind.

Upon arriving at college, I determined that I would spend my four years in a definite pursuit of new experiences and new id...