Final Essay Exam
As everyone knows, education is the key to success, even though there might be some challenges. I personally was able to find one of those challenges which unfortunately I was not able to overcome. For the first time in my junior year of college I had failed a class. After seeing the letter “F” as one of my grades, I knew at that point that I had to work twice as hard from previous years if I wanted to make up for it. Now, that I’m about to register for my senior year is where I start to realize that failing a class does make you fall behind. In order to make up for the class that I failed, I will be taking six classes for next semester. As you can see, education has shaped my life; it has taught me that there is no time to waste.
One of the hardest things that education has to offer to students I would say is reading. Not everyone has the time to sit or lie down and read a book. I am one of those students that do not like to read because it does not catch my attention. The only time that I do read is when the professors assigns it to me. However, when I do read those readings, I always learn new things such as, what has and could happen in real life. For instance, the book that I identify with is Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria Anzalduá. In her writing she shows us a new direction that women need to take in order to free themselves psychologically, spiritually, and sexually. Furthermore, Anzalduá argues that as a result of the traditional patriarchal system that benefits men and exploits women, the Latina woman is at the crossroads or between borders when it comes to her culture and way of being as an individual. I can identify with this literature because it has many things that I have heard and seen. In chapter two for instance, she writes, “Today some of us have a fourth choice: entering the world by way of education and career and becoming self-autonomous persons.” (page 39) I can say that I chose the fourth choice; I want to graduate from the university and get a job and not have to depend on nobody. Moreover, Anzalduá mentions that Chicano Spanish is a border tongue which is true because it is not easy for other people that are not Chicanos to have the ability to switch from English to Spanish in one sentence. Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestizaje has taught me the most because not only can I identify with the author’s point of view toward women but how she can get that message across by using essays, poetry, and colloquial language to express herself to her audience.
Education is really important, especially if you are planning to live a successful life. Not only can we see that education is important by personal experience but also through literature. Reading and writing will always be part of education. Gloria Anzalduá is one of many Chicana writers that promote freedom of women on borderlands; women have the choice to decide how to self-identify themselves.