Go Back To School example essay topic

Why Go Back To School: My Motivation and Reasoning "I don't care how rich and successful a man is... he's nothing without an education". This is the counsel 50-year-old financially successful Norton (played by Rodney Dangerfield) bestowed upon his only son Jason in the comedy movie, Back To School. It is the same point I delivered recently to my son, in much the same manor, and at pretty close to the same age! I, like the middle-aged Norton, found myself well into my career having been fortunate enough to have experienced relative financial success. However, the nagging consequence to my dissatisfaction is having never accomplished the goal of completing an education. My son would make me revisit this goal.

As irony would have it (and what would later become an epiphany), my son's response to my counsel of being "nothing without an education" was much the same as Jason's in the movie script. "Why?" my son asked, "You didn't get your degree and you did okay". It was as if we were continuing our conversation directly from the Back To School script and storyline. My son's words made me stop and think. It was the motivation I needed to take action on, what had become a stagnant educational goal. How could I explain how difficult it had been for me to make a living and pursue a career without my degree?

The epiphany was: if my son was following my example as justification in dropping out of college; I had better change my example. Although setting a maternal example was not the only reason for my commitment to return to school, it was definitely what I found to be the motivation. Long ago, an undergraduate education was something I lost sight of. The difficulty in managing to support a family, an education, and a career was practically an impossible activity set forth by mainstream colleges and universities in the United States. Not any more. Colleges now offer outreach programs enabling rural ites of all ages and job levels to earn a college degree.

The University of Phoenix seems to have been a vanguard in adult education, efficiently serving working adults with family and job obligations who need to compete in an evolving and highly educated economy. It was investigating the educational philosophy and curriculum at The University of Phoenix that fueled my motivation to get my degree. I was encouraged and excited by the fact that it looked to be possible. The motivation to go back to school was clear. However, motivation without reasoning makes it difficult for me to establish commitment. Next step: I needed to establish reasons to set my goals by.

This time I was determined to commit. In defining my reasoning I quickly discovered the logic for a formal education (although obvious) had not changed in the past 25 years. They were as follows: 1. Fulfilling that ever present longing for more knowledge; for the latest in information; and the involvement in new interests. 2. To rekindle my inherent drive to broaden and create new experiences; to develop new ideas; and establish new view points.

3. Finally, to invest in myself. An investment in building the self confidence and self esteem that comes with starting and finishing a challenging and worthwhile goal, in this case, to earn my college degree. "Hoping to beat Jason at his own game, Thornton enrolls in school, insisting that he and his son go through college together". (Movie Archeology and Review 2001; Back To School, review by Nick Ala way.) Good idea! Being inspired by and relating to Rodney Dangerfield's portrayal of the endearing and selfless parent, I approached my son with the idea of going to college together.

He was hesitant at first, but we began to get more and more excited as we looked into the idea. We listed everything we needed to find out. We divided up assignments as to how we would proceed with funding, financial aid, and student loans and / or grants. I, unlike the T horton character, was not obnoxiously wealthy and limitless in cash stash or flow! We coordinated schedules and commitments. We each identified and shared our motivation and reasoning for returning to school.

We made a promise to each other, that we would encourage each other and support each other in our educational endeavors. And, most of all, we would have fun and cherish this opportunity together. As a result, we became increasingly motivated and identified even more reasons supporting our goal! I have attempted to communicate my motivation and reasoning for returning to school. reviewing the above paragraphs, I see I may have fallen short in portraying the excitement I feel around this topic. Perhaps the reader is, at least curious enough to rent the movie Back To School to see if the correlation exists outside of this writer's view!

One thing is for sure, if I may reiterate... I am motivated to set an example for my son. I am committed to learn and to grow and discover new things. I have felt privileged to invest in my (four) children for the past 30 years, and I have to say I feel pretty darn good about investing in myself, this time! And, I am looking forward to getting my degree. Back To School; Sally Kellerman as Dr. Diane Turner: "Who is that?" Back To School; Paxton Whitehead as Dr. Phillip Barba y: "The world's oldest living Freshman, and the walking epitome of the decline of modern education".

Back To School; Keith Gordan as Jason: "Yea, but he's my dad, and we are SOMEthing... we have an education!" (from the script of Back To School; Movie Scripts. Com).