Assignment:
Analyze the causes or effects of your having taken a certain course.

Accounting Principles I

Of all the college classes I've taken, one stands out among the rest--not because it was the most interesting or because it was taught by the best professor, but because it was the class that had the greatest effect on my life. I know this may sound crazy, but this class was Accounting Principles I. This class led me to tackle college with renewed confidence and vigor. The positive effects of this class will stay with me throughout college and hopefully into my professional career.

Accounting I helped improve my self-esteem. At the time I took this class, I was just starting at Pitt--Titusville after three difficult semesters at the Penn State main campus. At Penn State, I became lost in the crowd, homesick, and discouraged. I began to doubt my own abilities. I had always been a straight-A student; at Penn State, I struggled in all my classes, not because I wasn't smart enough, but because I lacked the self-esteem that had previously kept me motivated. So when I moved home and started going to Pitt, I was in desperate need of something to get me back on track. My Accounting I class did this. Everything in that class just clicked. I understood everything, and I finally started to feel smart again. This was a wonderful feeling that I hadn't felt since high school. It felt so good to know the answers to all the teacher's questions and to get a 100% on all my tests and quizzes. This class boosted my self-esteem and gave me the confidence I needed to recommit to my college goals.

Along with this increased self-esteem came direction. Before taking Accounting Principals I, I was undecided about my major . This class let me see that there was something I was good at and liked to do. This course helped me decide to major in accounting and pursue a career in either public or managerial accounting. After nearly two years of feeling lost, I finally began to see the direction my life was taking. What a relief that was! I was starting to worry that I would never find something I wanted to do, but my Accounting I class gave me the direction I needed.

My Accounting I class has also introduced me to many new friends. Penn State was so big that I was too intimidated to try and make friends with people in my classes. But in my accounting class I met some very nice people. The class was small enough that I didn't feel intimidated, and it was two hours and forty-five minutes long, so it allowed plenty of time to get acquainted. This class caused me to become more comfortable with my surroundings by giving me the opportunity to meet new people and form friendships.

These positive effects of my Accounting I class will stick with me throughout my college and professional careers. The self-esteem, direction, and friendships that I gained from this class changed my life. I no longer feel like I'm lost and alone in college. I now have a goal and the renewed confidence to go after it.