Last semester I took a course for emergency medical technician. Part of the requirement was to log sixteen hours of practical work in an ambulance force. We have responded to everything: from the simple falls of an elderly person, to a 65-year-old with a bilateral above-the-knee amputation infected with MRSA. Seeing people in their time of greatest need was both scary and exhilarating. You find yourself watching someone having a seizure, things you've only read in your textbooks or seen in movies, and you're the only one who can help them. At first the whole experience seemed quite daunting. But as I gained confidence in my growing abilities, I was surprised at how quickly I was able to not only cope with, but enjoy the stress of being on the front lines of emergency care. Starting my education at Westchester Community College was an overwhelming prospect. The fact that I wouldn't be able to have the “typical” college experiences that my peers would have bothered me. Unlike my friends, I wasn't excited to start my freshman year nor was I happy to still be living at home. So once I started my freshman year at WCC, it was obvious that I wasn't going to be optimistic about my ambitions when it came to my grades and attitude. I was absolutely disappointed with how I started my college life, but after a year of continued discontent I decided to do something about where I was at in my life. I have developed a unique vision of what is truly important to me in a great college experience. My time at WCC taught me how to study and how to organize myself. Now I know what I want to do career-wise and what I don't want to do. I also know what I want from a college; I want that learning atmosphere that can only be found in select educational institutions, while still being able to have fun but without the emphasis being on the latter. When I move to a new school, I hope I can get everything I want from that institution. I also want to be able to spread my wings a little.