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In life, everyone has a specific goal they wish to obtain. For me, I wanted to earn a Bachelor�s Degree in the area of my choice. I picked psychology because, I believed I could help others empower themselves and give guidance to young adults. As a young adult, I was not guided in the right direction. My parents did not attend college. They were unable to give me the guidance I needed. They were happy that I planned to go to college, rather than stay at home and work. My guidance counselor, though extremely nice, did not help me to develop my interests. He simply asked me to give him the name of a college I wanted to attend and he gave me an application. The State University of New York (SUNY) at Farmingdale was the college I picked. My curriculum was Business Administration. This curriculum was ideal because I wanted to own a shoe store. Business Administration would teach me to run a store and manage my money. I would also learn marketing and promotion. I enjoyed SUNY Farmingdale, but its only downfall was that SUNY Farmingdale was a two-year college. I obtained an Associates Degree, but was unsatisfied because I really wanted a Bachelor�s Degree. At 20 years old I finished Farmingdale and decided I wanted to continue my education. I went to several schools, in the hopes that my credits would be accepted. With 64 credits, I applied to other schools hoping to be accepted as a transfer student. To my dismay, none of the schools accepted all of my credits. Two schools accepted 23 of the 64 credits I transferred from SUNY Farmingdale. I became extremely discouraged, I ended my college career and decided to find a full-time job. My previous typing skills, allowed me to work as a secretary.

As a secretary, I learned and mastered computer programs such as MS Word, WordPerfect, Excel, PowerPoint and Lotus. I worked in various industries with great salaries, but always yearned to achieve my goal and earn my Bachelor�s Degree.

While looking into schools with psychology curriculums, I stumbled across a City College catalog that offered a Bachelors of Arts and Master of Arts (BA/MA) in Psychology. I contacted the school to find out the requirements of the program.

My advisor was very helpful with the acceptance process. He steered me in the right direction and provided me with a list of the classes I would need to complete in order to be accepted into the program. I attended classes at night to complete the requirements. I studied hard to get into the program.

This program was unlike any other program I had previously applied to, because I was asked to submit references and to receive As in the classes I was currently taking. All of the classes for this program were offered in the day session. My advisor explained that I would have to become a full-time student to complete mydegree. If I wished to pursue my education, I would have to give up my job. I spent a year in evening classes and made arrangements to become a Full-time student in Fall �96. My advisor guided me in every step of the enrollment process.

Over the summer months, I mentally prepared myself to return to school. I had been out of school for six years. I was afraid that I would not be able to survive without a job. I would not allow myself to become discouraged. I wanted to achieve my goal. I wanted God to give me a sign, letting me know that my decision was correct. To my surprise, City College accepted 59 of the 64 credits I transferred to the college. I believed this to be the sign. I was on my way back to school.

I am currently a senior, working on my Masters Thesis. I expect to graduate in May, 1999. It�s been an absolute pleasure to attend City College. One reason for my positive experience is my advisor who gave me guidance. He explained each process in depth and provided alternatives to the problems that arose. He monitored my progress and encouraged me in every way. He was essential to my achievement.

Another important factor, was the support network I built in my three years at City College. Many of the students in the BA/MA program shared similar experiences to mine, in that they were older and were returning to school. I did not feel alone in my quest for knowledge and a new career. I have made many friends. These friends will remain with me after my college career has ended. I have also managed to supercede my goal of obtaining my Bachelors Degree. I will receive a Masters Degree in Psychology in May 1999. For this reason, I am extremely proud. I am well on my way to my next goal. I will become a guidance counselor to young adults.