My name is Erica Cheman, I am enrolled in the Tourism & Hospitality degree program where I have two more semesters to complete. I waited until I had reached my 30’s to attend college and it is the best decision I have ever made. The present semester is actually my fifth because I decided to take it slow at the beginning in order to become re-acclimated into school. Genesee Community College in Arcade, New York has been perfect for me because the campus is close to where I live and work.

The experiences I have had and the opportunities available to me are more than I had ever dreamed were possible. I was nervous at first about attending college; mostly due to the thought of ambiguous situations and awkward moments. However, I have learned to challenge myself and have actually surprised myself because of the amount I have added to classroom conversations and the initiative I have taken with group projects, papers, and homework. Overall, my fellow students and the staff have been great to work with, they are all very helpful and friendly.

The greatest advice I can give is to be present and try to actively participate in every class. I have learned that by applying what I have learned into real life not only serves to make connections with the given material but helps one to remember its importance. One of my favorite classes was Management Principles because I learned a lot about who I am, why I am the person I have become, and the importance of managing oneself before attempting to manage others. Our professor also assigned fun yet challenging homework assignments such as recording a five minute conversation with another person in order to determine how we carry ourselves and how others respond to us. It was an interesting technique, but it worked!

Although being a full time student is time consuming I have learned to manage my responsibilities and my time because I love college and what it has done for me. It has opened so many doors and I am truly grateful for the experience.

This blog was Contributed by Tourism & Hospitality Student Erica Cheman.