8B What Was "My Beloved World" About Anyway???

"An American Spirit with an Italian Attitude"

                 I have never been a fan of memoirs, and that is still the case after reading this book, but I do think Southern made the right decision by having every first year student read it. Throughout the book Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor,  talks about her struggle that came with having diabetes and living in a housing project, but she doesn't dwell on that, instead she focus on the perseverance  and the determination she had to do something important with her life.

                One thing that I think is important for us first –year college students is to take from this book, is never be embarrassed or afraid to talk about the struggles you are dealing with.  In Sonia Sotomayor’s book, she always kept her diabetes a secret from her friends until one day she was having a party and collapsed from having low blood sugar, and everyone watched her as she had to shove the cake into her mouth. She said that after that incident occurred, she never lied to anyone about having diabetes again, because that way there would be someone there to help in case she ever went into diabetic shock again. I think this is an important lesson for not just first-year college students, but as well as any college student because they should never be afraid to tell someone about the problems and issues they are facing, and should know that there will always be someone there to help and support them.

                Another important aspect that students should learn from Sonia Sotomayor’s memoir is never give up or let yourself get discouraged. Sonia Sotomayor grew up in a family that didn't have a lot of money, but she still ended up at an Ivy League school, and it wasn't because she was lucky, but rather determined. Ever since she was young she knew she wanted to be in law, and she battled through every adversity to get where she is now and that’s what we as students have to take away from this book. If you know what it is that you want to do with your life, do it, and don’t let the struggles that you might face become a roadblock to your success, but rather just a minor speed bump on your way to getting there.

                So, even though My Beloved World wasn't my favorite book in the world, it still taught me some valuable lessons when it comes to dealing with college, and can later translate into my life outside of school.