Challenges and issues regarding the effectiveness of the two way Essay

Challenges and issues regarding the effectiveness of the two way immersion program - Essay Example The two way immersion teachers integrate the majority and minority languages at the same school and deliver the content by equally using two different languages. The main goal of dual language education is to improve students’ bilingual skills, academic learning, and tendency to learn different cultural aspects from each other (Lindholm-Leary, 2012). In my research, I will discuss the challenges and issues that may negatively impact the outcomes of language learning in two way immersion and bilingual programs. These challenges may need to be considered in order to encourage parents to enroll their children in such programs. The first challenge is the perception that increased exposure to English develops higher level of proficiency in the children (Genesee and Lindholm-Leary, 2008). The study demonstrated that there is no correlation between the amount of time spent by English language learners in English language instructions, and higher level of proficiency. One study drew comparison between English language learners getting little English instructions in schools and students enrolled in a dual language program that learn the contents by equally using English language and their native language. The study showed that students who received little English have similar or more advanced proficiency compared to the proficiency of st udents that studied in dual language program (Lindholm-Leary, 2012). However, I think many other components such as untrained teachers and poor curriculum may influence the effectiveness of dual language programs. In my own experience of acquiring English language, I have observed that the Saudi schools do not mandate the teachers to use English language to teach English subjects, even though English subjects need to be taught in English. However, as a former Saudi student willing to learn English language, I tried to create my own English language environment; my TV

Gendering the Development Agenda

Gendering the Development Agenda Scholars of Women’s Studies are continuously critically engaging with culturally defined gender roles and raising questions about the way we have organized ourselves, our major political and social institutions and knowledge itself. To understand the meaning that these scholars imply when they speak of gendering development agenda and the agenda itself, it becomes imperative to understand the following five forms of the interaction between feminism and development: From the above table, we can deduce that the paradigm that actually most prominently talks about gendering development is Gender and Development, though all paradigms have certain implications to this regard. [1] Since development intends to change people’s lives, individually and collectively, it takes into its purview the established structures and institutes. Overlooking relevant gender factors in macroeconomic policies and institutions can undermine the successful outcome of those very same policies and institutions as these structures have gendered dimensions which influence the processes as well as the impact of development. Therefore, it is imperative that gender perspectives, especially women’s voices and perspectives, inform policy making and development planning.[2] Gendering the development agenda makes women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences indispensable to the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all policies and programmes intended for development. It entails the embedding of gender mainstreaming and gender equality in all development agendas and asserts that without a gender perspective, development will remain but an unfinished agenda. It also talks about investing in women, not because of instrumentalism, but because of its value in its own right and their treatments subjects, not objects of policies in the political and international realm. Development policies are unlikely to be effective if disadvantaged groups in the process of development do not have the capacity to obstruct unsatisfactory policy outcomes. Therefore, planners and policy-makers must be watchful of the major aspects of socially endorsed gender functions and the specific needs of both the genders. If development policies are to be sustainable, they must consider existing gender disparities in employment, poverty, family life, health, education, the environment, public life and decision-making bodies Gendering the development agenda focusses on immediate issues like reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, sexual harassment, discrimination, and sexual violence alongside long-term issues such as patriarchy, stereotyping, objectification, and oppression. It encompasses a retake on the definition of desirable development and the strategies needed to achieve it and rethinking of development as a masculine enterprise, throughout the planning cycle. It talks about a paradigm shift from a view of development planners in which women are vulnerable and should be provided with aid to the view in which women can be empowered actors of development and challenging the traditional balance of power. Women need not be seen as victims, but their capacities as social actors who are capable of affecting change should be acknowledged and their voices should be a part of the dialogue for an inclusive and gendered development agenda. This approach looks at women’s real problem as the imbalance of power between men and women and focuses on both women’s practical as well as strategic gender needs by challenging existing divisions of labour and power relations. Thus, gendering the development agenda uses a gender lens to formulate development and shape policy, taking into account the significance of gender relations as an organising dimension within households, communities and public policies, and the implications of the universal practice of placing women in an inferior position as compared to men. If private sector labour and credit markets alongside private process of information dissemination make it likely that women will be less mobile than men, then public mechanisms must exist to offset the bias. A gender analysis of Structural Adjustment moved the focus from UNICEF’s concern with women as a vulnerable group to an understanding of the male bias in economic policies. Gendering development agenda implies not simply conducting ‘impact’ studies and auditing of budgets without being given a chance to develop and critique content of policies and budgets with respect to gender. It denotes acceptance of gender needs, not for instrumental reasons such as ‘educate women to reduce fertility’ but for reasons in their own right such as ‘educate women so as to enhance their functionings and capabilities and expand their freedoms’. It means not only well establishing gender in development discourse, but for the extent of change in women’s lives to match the discursive landslide and the development of effective gender policies within key policy spaces and documents. It represents, not a token, partial or selective incorporation of gender into policies, but an infiltration inside development agencies of gender to combat the current development planning orthodoxies and ineffective mainstreaming and changes to goals, s trategies, actions and to organizations, institutions, cultures and behaviours. It involves taking care of not only practical gender needs but also strategic gender needs and the gender division of labour that creates those needs. It envisages a pro women agenda with women specific expenditures in the areas of water supply, sanitation, solid waste management and bus transit. Identifying gender constraints is important while formulating policy. Explaining this through an example, 30% of labor in all agricultural activities is supplied by women in India and less than 10% of women farmers own land. So over 90% of women don’t have access to information and farm support services as the traditional focus of most extension services remains the farmer-landowner,who is in a position to claim credit and invest in inputs and new technology.[3] Gender relations are specific mechanisms whereby different cultures determine the functions and relationships of each sex and their access to material resources, like land, credit and training, and ephemeral resources such as power. Gender relations manifest themselves in the form of division of labour, fiscal and financial policies, the responsibilities of family members inside and outside the home, education and opportunities for professional development and a say in policy-making.[4] Therefore, themes related to development include the inequality between genders across all areas (even those such as infrastructure and economics which are apparently ‘gender neutral’), the disproportionate amount of work done by women, and yet the absence of women in development policy or group decision making—in general, all of this being linked to the subordination of women. The development agenda, covers, but is not limited to education, health, economic participation and oppor tunity and political empowerment. It includes all areas of life and all policies – fiscal, trade, agriculture, industry, infrastructure, labor and employment. In most economies, women encounter difficulty with regard to availing credit facilities as they are unable to put collateral up the collateral that lending institutions require. Legislation doesn’t grant women with property rights at par with men or at times fails to acknowledge them as heads of household. There are also barriers for them for joining farmers associations, especially those concerned with processing and marketing.[5] Gendering the development agenda encompasses the three aspects of gendering of international development policy, the interrogation of development policy through a gender lens and the analysis of global structural change. Gendering it would involve acknowledging non-typical and changing gender roles and questioning cultural norms regarding families and households. This understanding extends the agenda from women’s reproductive roles (health, family planning, education), through economic roles (employment, income generation, household budgeting) to generic issues of macro-economic planning, environmental degradation and conservation, structural adjustment and debt and civil and political organisation. For engendering, the development agenda includes the growth model which entails perceiving women, first, as producers of economic goods by recognition which requires integrating male-female differences in their constraints and potential to development policies and second, of non-economic goods that contribute to development which entails incorporating unpaid work as a macro-economic variable which contributes to the well-being of population and in the formulation of human capital. The 11th Five Year Plan itself had a lot of provisions for gendering the development agenda. To cite an example, the Plan stated â€Å"that 85% of farmers who are small and marginal are increasingly women and who find it difficult to access the inputs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and that â€Å"with the share of female workforce in agriculture increasing, and increased incidence of female-headed household, women names should be recorded as cultivators in revenue records [†¦] the gender bias in institutions for information, credit, inputs, marketing should be corrected by gender-sensitizing the existing infrastructure providers; women’s co-operatives and other forms of group effort should be promoted.† It also stated that female beneficiaries must be 30% in all schemes and women’s credit fund must be set up alongside provision of women-friendly technologies and appropriate training. Another instance of a gendered approach could be the High Level Panel of Eminent Persons’ Report on the Post 2015 Development Agenda, submitted to the UN Secretary General which proposes that gender equality be integrated across all goals, both in specific targets and making sure that targets are measured separately for women and men, girls and boys. To summarize, the development agenda must consider existing gender disparities in the various aspects of development as shown on the following page: References: Pearson, Ruth (2006), Gender and Development, in Clark, David Alexander [ed], The Elgar Companion to Development Studies, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK, pp189-196 Peet, Richard and Hartwick, Elaine (2009), Theories of Development: Contentions, Arguments, Alternatives, [Second Edition], The Guilford Press, New York and London, pp240-274 Graham, C. (1994), Safety Nets, Politics and the Poor: Transitions to Market Economies, Washington DC: Brookings Institution Vivien, J. (1995), How safe are social safety nets, European Journal of Development Research, Vol 7 No 1 Young, K. (1997), Gender and Development, in N. Visvanathan, L. Duggan, L. Nisonoff N. Wiegersma [eds], The Woman, Gender and Development Reader, (pp. 51-53) National Alliance of Women (2008), Engendering the 11th Five Year Plan, 2007-2012 http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/am307e/am307e00.pdf, accessed on 4th June, 2014 http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsummit/english/fsheets/women.pdf, accessed on 4th June, 2014 http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x2919e/x2919e04.htm, accessed on 4th June, 2014 [1] It must be noted that gender, being used in this context, implies its abstract nature in terms of the absence of a concrete, visible and countable body as compared to women and its relational nature in terms of the system of relations between men and women. [2] Since gender is seen as a universal organising principle of all human activity in the social, economic and cultural realm, it is rational that gender analysis should be central to all policy and practice that is aimed at engaging with and eliminating international inequality and poverty through developmental efforts. [3] Another example for this, comes from Chile, where the introduction of a new scheme (POJH) targeting heads of household (mostly made leads, women were 25-30% of beneficiaries), and which paid 40 percent of the minimum wage, led to the feminisation of a pre-existing programme (PEM), paying only one quarter of the minimum wage. (Graham 1994; Vivien 1995). [4] For instance, gendered exclusion in a lot of sectors is linked to the public/private divide that identifies men’s role as being in the public world of politics and paid employment, and women’s in caring and child-rearing in the home. [5] A closely related instance in which women have access to credit, but access remains inadequate due to gender relations that adversely affect women is the provision of credit to low income landless women in rural Bangladesh. Research finding suggest that the official figures mask a great degree of male appropriation of women’s loans. This is found to be an outcome of women’s inability to control resources allocated to them and mediation by powerful social relations and gender ideologies that put them in a subordinate position and do not give them full autonomy.

The Role of Women in America Essay -- Womens Studies

The Role of Women in America In her essay, â€Å"Housewives and Homework: The Lacemakers of Narsapur,† Chandra Talpade Mohanty focused on how men sold products that women produced and profited from women’s work. The essay basically pointed out how work can be defined according to sexual identity. It made me wonder if American women are still perceived by men in society as being housewives even though some of us are doctors, lawyers, teachers etc. Is the work that women do seen as what Mohanty pointed out in her essay as â€Å"leisure time activities†? I think that to some extent men believe that women’s sole purpose on Earth is to be their wives/partners and to be good mothers to their children. Even though we â€Å"leisurely,† as Mohanty so plainly categorized our work according to men in India, go out to our different careers or occupations everyday, we are not truly seen as providers or given credit for being part providers for the family. Some men may feel that we pu t forth more of an effort in being a woman who cleans the house, cooks, and takes care of the children. Maybe our â€Å"le...

Behavior List

Sternberg’s theory of intelligence states that intelligence is made up of three components; analytical intelligence refers to the ability for understanding and assessing ideas and for problem-solving and decisions making. Creative intelligence refers to the person’s ability to create new and interesting ideas and practical intelligence is the ability of individuals to transform their environment or themselves to realize their goals.These three intelligences is what Sternberg refer to as successful intelligence, which means that this intelligences can ensure that a person will become successful in his/her life within his/her sociocultural context (Sternberg, 1999). Sternberg’s theory has been borne out of his researches on intelligence wherein he found that most people had the capacity to work with math problems, number equations and to reason logically in practical situations but failed in traditional intelligence tests (Sternberg, 2000).He also reported that the context at which intelligence is viewed is an important determining factor for measuring intelligence (Sternberg, 2004); he found that Kenyan children scored well on indigenous intelligence tests but did poorly in western intelligence tests. Lastly, he also observed that when creative and practical intelligence is integrated into the definition of intelligence, the group of Yale students corresponding to these intelligences became more diverse in terms of race, background, sex and socioeconomic status than the traditional concept of intelligence (Sternberg, 2004).Taking into consideration Sternberg’s theory of intelligence, I found that my list of everyday intelligence did correspond to his definition of intelligence. My everyday intelligence list includes doing the laundry, cooking, and gardening, following directions and bargaining. People who cook well seem to know the correct amount of ingredients to put in the dish and yet might not get good scores in tests of fractions and ratios, then those who are excellent gardeners know when the weather is just right for sowing or when to transfer the seedlings to the pots but cannot actually explain humidity and soil content.Doing the laundry also takes the ability to know how much soap goes with what type of cloth and the temperature of the water, but I am sure that they would not answer a math problem of the same variables. Following directions is also an everyday intelligence because it involves abstract thinking and imagery and a sense of direction.Now most people could find an address based on landmarks and street names but the same person would have difficulty working on pattern recognition and sequencing and bargaining is an ability that takes rapid computational skills to calculate the discount of the item or to assess how much one is willing to pay for an item. When intelligence is defined according to Sternberg’s concepts I then realize that intelligence is not just about perceiving relation ships and analogies but it is being able to make use of ones strengths and abilities to become successful at life.Practically speaking, the person who knows how to cross the street safely arrives at their destinations and is more able to achieve their goals. Sternberg also emphasized that intelligence is defined in terms of the sociocultural context of the individual thus a fisherman who knows the ocean and the types and behaviors of fishes cannot be called unintelligent if he fails in an intelligence test because as a fisherman those are what constitute intelligence.References Sternberg, R. (1996). Successful Intelligence. New York: Simon & Schuster. Sternberg, R. , Forsythe, G. & Hedlund, J. (2000). Practical Intelligence in Everyday Life. New York: Cambridge University Press. Sternberg, R. (2004). Why we need to explore development in its cultural context. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly 50; 3, pp. 369-386. Sternberg, R. (2004). Successful intelligence in the classroom. Theory Into Prac tice 43; 4, pp. 274-280

DNA the Master Code for All Living Things

Bacteria, zebras, mosquitoes, anacondas, essentially all living things have one thing in common which makes them what they are. It is DNA. It is one of the greatest biological discoveries in the history of mankind. It is not only related to biology but is tied to the study of chemistry as well because of the convoluted molecular structure. DNA is short for the molecule deoxyribonucleic acid. RNA or ribonucleic acid is another nucleic acid derived from DNA and used as a template to make proteins, the product of the genetic code. In an article, â€Å"What is DNA? † written by James Randerson, DNA is described as, â€Å"†¦ he master code for life †¦ the instruction book that each organism uses to run its body and govern its behavior, a book that each creature hands on to its offspring, either in full or in part. † In other words it describes how at times not the whole book (DNA) is passed down from parent to progeny. A father and mother both contribute their DNA making the son similar but not identical to his father and mother. Also, because DNA stores all genetic information including diseases, which can be passed down from generation to generation. These diseases are the effect of a mutation in the DNA structure. In 1868, a Swiss physician and biologist extracted a phosphorus containing substance. He called it nuclein because he found it in the nuclei of several cells. He managed to extract this substance from discarded surgical bandages, specifically by examining the pus cells (pus cells are white blood cells). James Watson, an American geneticist, and Francis Crick, a British physicist studying in the University of Cambridge, began examining x-ray images made by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins. In 1953, James and Francis constructed the first three-dimensional model of the DNA structure. The model showed all nitrogenous bases, pentoses (sugar), and phosphate groups. Several years later, James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. Before the three-dimensional model, Erwin Chargaff discovered a pattern between the base pairs. He discovered that the amount of adenine is the same amount of thymine. the same is true for the other base pair guanine and cytosine. Chargaff’s discovery led him to understand the basic pairing rules. You might wonder what makes our DNA different from the DNA of a sheep, sea urchin, or a turtle. Based on the studies of Chargaff and the rest of his colleagues at Columbia University, the four nitrogenous bases occur in different ratios in the DNAs of different organisms and that the bases have a numerical relationship. For example, The base composition (mol percentage) of Homo Sapiens is 30. 9 % adenine, 19. 9% guanine, 19. 8% cytosine, and 29. 4% thymine. This shows that Chargaff’s study was very helpful for James Watson and Francis Crick’s three-dimensional model of a DNA molecule. I chose to research DNA because it is a very interesting topic to discuss. It makes me who I am, my hair, eye, and skin color, my height and weight, overall health, metabolism, etc. I find both biology and chemistry my favorite subjects and DNA because it is a key molecuel that defines health. In the future I plan to become a M. D. (Medical Doctor). I will definitely have to be familiar with this molecule and what DNA sequences mean in case I needed to diagnose a patient with a certain genetic disease. By examining his or her genetic code I could determine possible diseases. I really enjoy any type of problem solving. I could utilize this knowledge to explore disease in my own family, specifically my dad’s side. From my grandfather to my own father and uncles, everyone has minor cardiovascular diseases caused by high cholesterol. I want to discover what mutation in my family’s DNA that causes this condition and develop treatments to improve their health. DNA molecules are located in the nucleus of a cell. When they are tightly packed together they are known as chromosomes. The structure of DNA is very complicated. DNA is a double helix molecule. The structure looks like a twisted ladder. A double helix is the molecular structure created from double-stranded molecules of nucleic acids held together by hy drogen bonding between nucleotides. Nucleotides contain three characteristic components: (1) a nitrogenous base, (2) a pentose (sugar), and (3) phosphate group. Four nitrogenous bases make up DNAs support of the double helix: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). These bases are split into two groups. (A) and (G) are in the purine base group and (C) and (T) are in the pyrimidine base groups. In the structure of DNA base pairs are formed between the four bases. A base pair is when two nitrogenous bases (a purine to a pyrimidine or vice versa) are linked by weak hydrogen bonds. Adenine (A) and thymine (T) form a base pair and guanine (G) and cytosine C) form a base pair. In the structure of DNA (A) and (T) are held together by two hydrogen bonds, while (C) and (G) are held together by three hydrogen bonds. The next components of DNA form the backbone of the two spiraling strands. The backbones consist of alternating phosphate and pentose (sugar). Two kinds of pentoses are found in nucleic acids, deoxyribose and ribose. Deoxyribose is basically the same as ribose but it has one less oxygen atom in it’s structure. The phosphate group is connected to the pentose (deoxyribose or ribose) on the backbone of the DNA structure. They are both held together by covalent bonds. The pentose is also connected to the nitrogenous base. When a pentose (sugar) and a base combine it is called a nucleoside. An example of a nucleoside, is when the base thymine bonds with the pentose (sugar) deoxyribose, deoxythymidine forms. The nucleoside then combines with the phosphate to make the nucleoside a nucleotide. In the article â€Å"How DNA Works,† Craig Freudenrich explains how the â€Å"hydrogen bonds between phosphates cause the DNA strand to twist. The nitrogenous bases point inward on the ladder and form pairs with bases on the other side. This makes DNA look somewhat like a spiraling staircase. DNA functions to store the complete genetic information required to specify the structure of all the proteins of each species of organism, to program in time and space the orderly biosynthesis (the process of converting simple nutrients like: sugars, lipids, and amino acids into complex products like, proteins and vitamins) that make cell and tissue, and organs which determine the activities of an organism throughout its life cycle, and determine the distinctiveness of the given organism. DNA also has another function. It is meant to be replicated so copies can be passed down from cell to cell and generation to generation. The National Human Genome Research Institute describes the transfer occurs â€Å"In sexual reproduction, organisms inherit half of their nuclear DNA from the male parent and half from the female parent. However, organisms inherit all of their mitochondrial DNA from the mother. This occurs because only egg cells, and not sperm cells, keep their mitochondria during fertilization. To complete these instructions, DNA sequences are transcribed into messages made of RNA and ultimately translated into sequences of amino acids to produce proteins. DNA genetic information is composed of specific long sequences of A, T, G, and C. The process begins with the sequences being transferred to a single strand RNA molecule. RNA is only slightly different from DNA. The important difference between them is that one of the pyrimidine bases are not the same. Thymine is a principal pyrimidine in DNA, while uracil is a principal pyrimidine in RNA. The new RNA (mRNA) molecule is a messenger containing transcribed code from the DNA molecule. The mRNA travels out of the nucleus into the cytoplasm. According to The National Human Genome Research Institute, in the cytoplasm â€Å"the information contained in the mRNA molecule is translated into the â€Å"language† of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. This language tells the cell's protein-making machinery the precise order in which to link the amino acids to produce a specific protein. This is a major task because there are 20 types of amino acids, which can be placed in many different orders to form a wide variety of proteins. † Proteins do most of the work in our bodies; they move molecules in our bodies, they help us move by making our muscles, they help create our immune system that helps protect from any infections in our body or illnesses, and much more. DNA is one of the greatest discoveries my man. It was not discovered by a single human being but several. DNA is what makes a female human to give birth to a baby girl not to a baby giraffe or cub. DNA is passed down from generation to generation by sexual reproduction. Half of the father’s genes and half of the mother’s go to their son or daughter. Your DNA is not the same as your brother’s because sometimes you get more from your mom’s side or more from your dad’s side, it all depends. It is extraordinary how we are made from a string of DNA molecules that construct our body and make us who we are. DNA is now at a point where we use it for many reasons, not just for research. DNA forensics is one of the most practical ways of using DNA. Forensics is the application of many sciences to discover aspects about a crime. A government website describing DNA forensics, lists many examples of DNA uses for Forensic Identification. They include: â€Å"identification of potential suspects whose DNA may match evidence left at crime scenes; exoneration of persons wrongly accused of crimes; identification of crime and catastrophe victims; establishment of paternity and other family relationships; identification of endangered and protected species as an aid to wildlife officials (could be used for prosecuting poachers); detection of acteria and other organisms that may pollute air, water, soil, and food; Matching organ donors with recipients in transplant programs; determination of pedigree for seed or livestock breeds; and authentication of consumables such as caviar and wine. † It is great that DNA has been incorporated into forensics. Hopefully, in the near future, DNA technologies will be incorporated in a variety of ot her applications.

Washington The Indispensable Man essays

Washington The Indispensable Man essays In the book, Washington: The Indispensable Man, author James Thomas Flexner exposes the real man behind the myths that surround George Washington, the father of our country. In doing so he portrays Washington as a man with real flaws and real strengths. This paper deals with the beginning of Washington's political career and answers questions about Washington's influence in shaping a new united nation from 13 independent colonies several years after its independence from Britain and the man George Washington was a Federalist who fervently believed in a strong central government, which would hold power that would pervade the 13 colonies, which represented the Union of the late 1700s. In private writings, Washington wrote, "experience has taught us that men will not adopt and carry into execution measures the best calculated for their own good, without the intervention of a coercive power (198). Without this coercive power, Washington believed that the nation would not exist for any length of time. Prior to what became known as the Constitutional Convention, the states ignored the Continental Congress to the point that at any given meeting there were seldom enough delegates to form a quorum. It seemed that each state violated the Articles of the Confederation when it was beneficial to the state to do so. Flexner notes for instance that New York resented any authority that would weaken its own laws that milked other states (198). In addition, states succumbed to the whims of the majority, while neglecting the minorities, creating class conflict. Though this saddened Washington, he had no intention of intervening. After the Revolutionary War he had retired to Mount Vernon to experience what many claim were the best years of his life. Upon his retirement he had vowed not to return to public life. Because of this he did not plan to attend the ...

Free Essays on Admissions

It’s unbelievable how each year, since the beginning of high school, my perfectly laid plans for myself have unavoidably deteriorated. When I entered my freshman year, I had aspirations of becoming a computer programmer. Now, here I am, entering my senior year of high school without any idea of what I want to do in life. Now seems to be the time to start taking life seriously and making responsible, educated choices. Looking back on it now, I realize that I cannot become the computer programmer I wanted to be. I have come to realize that, that dream was not only my own, but a dream of my family. My parents often talked of me becoming a programmer and although their enthusiasm continued throughout my childhood and early adolescence, mine slowly diminished; until finally I realized I did not want to become a programmer. I remember how hard it seemed to tell my parents of my decision, I felt as if I was letting them down, but I eventually came to realize that they wanted me to do what made me happy. I am not definite why I changed my mind in regard to being a programmer, I had the grades, the drive, and the willingness to make certain sacrifices, but somewhere I was missing something and I felt that I would not be satisfied in this career path. So I started thinking about what I wanted to do; I went from doctor to lawyer to accountant to other professions. Now I have come to a crossroad in my life w here I must choose what to do with my future, choose what will make me happy. I have always wanted the typical ‘American Dream’ to have a husband I am in love with, a stable job, loving children, and a house in the suburbs. But now I realize that there are so many other steps I need to take in order to achieve these so-called goals. This includes graduating from high school and college, finding that special someone, and finding that perfect job. I have begun to realize that I have yet to begin my life; everything up until now has bee... Free Essays on Admissions Free Essays on Admissions It’s unbelievable how each year, since the beginning of high school, my perfectly laid plans for myself have unavoidably deteriorated. When I entered my freshman year, I had aspirations of becoming a computer programmer. Now, here I am, entering my senior year of high school without any idea of what I want to do in life. Now seems to be the time to start taking life seriously and making responsible, educated choices. Looking back on it now, I realize that I cannot become the computer programmer I wanted to be. I have come to realize that, that dream was not only my own, but a dream of my family. My parents often talked of me becoming a programmer and although their enthusiasm continued throughout my childhood and early adolescence, mine slowly diminished; until finally I realized I did not want to become a programmer. I remember how hard it seemed to tell my parents of my decision, I felt as if I was letting them down, but I eventually came to realize that they wanted me to do what made me happy. I am not definite why I changed my mind in regard to being a programmer, I had the grades, the drive, and the willingness to make certain sacrifices, but somewhere I was missing something and I felt that I would not be satisfied in this career path. So I started thinking about what I wanted to do; I went from doctor to lawyer to accountant to other professions. Now I have come to a crossroad in my life w here I must choose what to do with my future, choose what will make me happy. I have always wanted the typical ‘American Dream’ to have a husband I am in love with, a stable job, loving children, and a house in the suburbs. But now I realize that there are so many other steps I need to take in order to achieve these so-called goals. This includes graduating from high school and college, finding that special someone, and finding that perfect job. I have begun to realize that I have yet to begin my life; everything up until now has bee...