Why Some Are Content With Primary Education
After twelve long years of primary education so many people, including myself, simply are excited to graduate and just walk the stage in high school that going to college or a vocational school is the last thing on their to-do list, primarily because many do not realize that higher education is just as important as primary education. Coming out of high school I did not realize the importance of higher education and I also did not understand that higher learning did not just consist of going to a two or four-year college but also included vocational schools or certificate programs. I was already a mother of one and I remember thinking that not only did I not want to do another two or four years in school but that I could not do it solely because I was a mother. It took me until I was about twenty-five and a mother of five to realize how important higher education really was in order for me to get a better paying job to support my family and how much technology has changed that I did not have to spend all my time in a classroom but that I could still work full-time and pursue getting my degree by going to school online. However, it took me another six years to realize that higher education was needed for more than just career preparation, to learn the skills, training, and knowledge needed to enter into the career of my choice but that it was also needed for personal development.
Personal Development and Communication Skills
When many hear the words higher education they instantly reference it to a better job and/or better pay however, higher education also helps with personal development, such as better communication skills, critical thinking discipline, as well as, “the confidence and ability need to take responsibility for their own personal and professional development” (Stephenson, 1998).
Personal development helps develop personal integrity as well as academic integrity. Even though it is helpful in all areas of life and is really needed in order to successfully complete any higher education school or program, personal integrity and academic integrity are essential in higher education because they both help with creating character development as well as help mold you as an individual and as a student. The best way for a student to show both personal and academic integrity is by taking responsibility for their personal conduct. In order to do this, a student must follow the school’s academic dishonesty policy. Academic dishonesty policy consists of four things: submitting other people’s work as your own, using the copy-pasting method in writing papers, fabricating, and paraphrasing without citation. Things like submitting other people’s work as your own and fabricating are easier to avoid. However, based on my own personal experience copying-pasting as well as paraphrasing without citation can happen a lot easier and not necessarily for the purpose of being dishonest but also due to being careless.
Importance of Continuing with Education
Copying-pasting and paraphrasing without citation can simply happen from a student having poor time management and rushing to complete an assignment as well as a student not knowing the correct way to use citation. After having experienced issues with several citations for plagiarism for failure to use the correct citations and using the copy-paste method I have learned that all four things are simply avoidable by making sure I time manage all assignments, create an outline with the information that I plan on using along with the citation, never submit anything including information that is not true, as well as remember to cite any information used that is not common knowledge and always always use Turnitin before submitting and assignment just to make sure I have used all the correct citations.
I can not speak for everyone but making the decision to return to school to further my education was the best decision I have ever made. Not only will it help me pursue my career goals as a teen group home provider it also help me grow personally as well. I have since learned time management and take all my assignments seriously. Returning to school also shows my eight children the importance of not just primary education is but how important higher education is as well. It also shows them how they can do anything even when life throws them curve balls.
