Andre Roddy

4-18-16

Comp 1

On August 6, 2015 I woke up at 6:00 a.m. preparing myself for orientation at UALR. My
clothes were already ironed, so I had no reason to arrive late. I was excited about seeing the
university that I would attend starting in the middle of August. I was shocked that I would soon
be attending college because during the summer I was scared to make my decision on going to
college. 8Luckily UALR was the perfect opportunity for me.
After yawning and stretching, I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and showered. I was
lucky to have a ride to orientation from my high school counselor because my mothers car was
in bad shape for the highway. Orientation started at 9:30 a.m. and ended at 2:30 p.m. My
counselor and I left at 7:00 a.m. and arrived to Little Rock at 9:10 a.m. Hes the type of person
that likes to be prepared and on time for events.
On the ride to little Rock, my counselor asked me what I would expect from UALR while
in orientation. Ive never attended an orientation, but I hope that UALR discusses thing that I
need to be aware of while Im in college, I replied. Hopefully youll meet new people. I
remember when I first entered college at Gonzaga, my counselor shared. The people were nice
and I felt like Gonzaga was a great place for me. Experiencing new things and meeting new
people will take you far in life, Andre.
After my counselor got done talking, I prayed that my orientation would be similar to his.
I have heard good and bad stories about college, such as, the people that you meet arent always
friendly and can get jealous because theyre not making good grades like you. My cousin used to
tell me these weird stories. Of course, none of us is perfect, thats why its best to never give up
and try harder every time. I knew that once I went to college that the work was going to get
challenging. The best thing for me to do was to prepare myself for the courses.
Around 9:15 a.m., we arrived in the DSC meeting room B waiting to be toured around
UALR. We were in groups by major. My major is business management, I plan to own a lawn
care service yearly round. Its best to start thinking early what your long term goals for a career
are in business. Around 9:30 a.m., the tour around campus started. The sun shined bright on my
face while walking around UALR. I felt like touring UALR gave my joy because I started
thinking about my career and setting goals.
I think the sun was letting me know that Im in a good atmosphere. I want to grow in life
while receiving a bachelors degree in management. My dreams are big, Ive been this way since

I was eight years old. Dreams come true, but what does it take to make a dream come true? It
takes persistence and motivation.
After walking around outside of the DSC, business majors entered the college of
business. The college of business emphasizes the importance of corporate strategic partnership
with major corporations. It also, has a competitive advantage through its location in the center of
Little Rock, businesses and government activities. All business classes are located in the college
of business.
Meeting Dr. Hall and Dr. Cox was great experience for me. Both of them were professors
of the college of business. Dr. Hall is a professor of the accounting, business perspectives, and
business statistics courses. Dr. Cox is a chairperson and professor of management. Both of these
professors were amazing and their speaking was credible.
When I say credible, I mean that they were looking forward to turning a college student
into a business major. One thing I learned from Dr. Cox and Dr. Hall is that getting connected is
very important in the college of business. The college of business provided numerous workshops
for preparing students for careers. I was impressed by this, because I felt like getting connected
and participating in the college of business activities will help me grow in life and career.
While hearing the professors speak, I met Darryl Farmer who was also wanted to major
in business management. I shook Darryls hand, greeting him, and he greeted back. Darryl
seemed pretty cool and was just two years older than me, but was classified as a freshman at
UALR. I learned that Darryl was in the military and his desire was to get a college degree. We
both shared similar stories because he, too, was the first in his family to attend college. We both
believed that college will take us far in life as long as we stayed motivated.
We learned about the college of business for two hours and there wasnt any chance of
me changing my major. When all majors were done presenting, UALR encouraged us to enter
the gym to learn about opportunities and programs at UALR. Programs included AAMI, AAFI,
TRIO in other words student support service, and fraternities. I wasnt interested in the programs,
but I hoped that I would be when attending UALR. All of the programs were great to learn about
it was just hard to choose which one to enter.
It was great that UALR provided lunch for orientation while learning about these
programs. The food was delicious UALR had different fruits, vegetables, and club sandwiches
with turkey and ham. I ate about three or four sandwiches after walking around the UALR
campus. My stomach growled a lot while learning about the college of business, but I didnt let
the growling keep me from learning.
When leaving UALR, I felt dedicated. The atmosphere confirmed my desire to attend
college. The people were amazing and the college of business was going to be my investment.
My counselor and I talked about the college of business the whole two hour drive back to West
Helena. We left UALR at 3:00 p.m. and arrived at home by 5:00 p.m. Once I arrived home, I
thanked my counselor for taking me to orientation and he said, Andre stay focus kid. I stepped

out of the 2015 Jeep Cherokee and walked in the house. I smiled and told my mother that I think
UALR is great college for me.
I hated that I was going to leave her in the middle of August, but I felt like going to
college was a great decision for me because I could make her happy and become a role model to
my younger siblings. I could also make myself happy, but first Ill have to work hard and stay
focused. After orientation, hearing the stories that my cousin told me didnt scare me anymore.
The negative things that people who felt like college was a waste of time didnt either. Im just
glad that I made a right choice in life.
It seemed like when I made it home all of my family members questioned me about
college. I had already made the decision to go to UALR and answering their questions wasnt
going to be a problem. I was glad to see that they cared about my education. Each one of them
gave me motivation and I appreciated the advice that was given. What a long day Ive had by this
point!
But, the day is not over I am tired, but I feel like enjoying the nice breeze outside. I
walked out of the front door enjoying the cool breeze. The sun was down so, I made a decision to
walk around my neighborhood. While walking I thought about the college of business and how
interesting the business courses will be.
I know that its not going to be easy, but whatever it takes to pass these courses Im
willing to do. I am willing to start from the bottom and work my way to the top with a great
career. Imagining my future the lawn service company kept me relaxed. I started to feel like my
plan is going to work if I just stick to it. I turned around and made my way back to the house.
The smell of dinner was profuse. My family and I were about to eat fried chicken,
spaghetti, and garlic bread. I waited patiently for this meal once I arrived home. I knew that Id
miss these meals once I left for college, but this wasnt my last. I ate the meal like it was my last.
While eating and thinking about my moving to Little Rock, my mother and I laughed
about my childhood. I have good and bad memories. As I grow older, I will try my best to never
forget this day. This day was very important because it made me want to become a hard working
person and earn a bachelor degree in business management. Still focused on my future success, I
grabbed another plate of food. Then, I decided to clean the kitchen up for my when dinner was
almost over. I took out the trash, washed dishes, and cleaned the kitchen table. I know shes
going to miss my help around the house.
After eating a dinner, I kicked my shoes off, showered, and laid in my bed. I have had a
long day and finally made a big decision. The trip to UALR College of Business made me want
to accomplish my dream. I will never forget this trip because it prepared me for the future. I am
always worried about the future because I dont want to fail. Failure was a big fear, but now I can
ignore it and set goals to succeed.