Is college like high school?
Will the work be hard? Where will I park? Will my teachers be nice? Did I make
the right decision by commuting? Where can I go for extra help? These were
all questions going through my head when college, and the next chapter of my
life began. In all honesty, I was really nervous for college because I had no
idea what to expect. I realized I was growing up and this was the point in my
life where independence and self-responsibility was key for success.
Looking
back now, after completing my first semester, all those thoughts, questions,
and mixed feelings are gone. I have learned so much this semester more so than I ever did in high school. Not only have I obtained information from my courses
but I have also found out a lot about myself, which previously, I had never
realized. Most importantly, I have
learned that I am capable of anything I set my mind to. Although I feel I have
learned so much throughout the past 18 years of my life, and especially this
semester, I have come to realize that in life you never stop learning and right
now I’m in the beginning stages of mine. Although, this may discourage many
people thinking they have so many more classes to take and so many more years
of school, for me, it’s the opposite. I feel that I have found a major that I
am truly passionate about and this motivates me to keep learning and eventually,
pursue my career.
This
semester I have been extremely proud of myself in regards to my achievements.
In the beginning of the year, I was extremely nervous to get back my first test
in college, which happened to be a math test. In high school I always did okay
in math but it definitely wasn’t my strongest subject. When tests were passed
back I realized I had gotten a 98. I was so excited! This really was a great
confidence booster and an accomplished feeling. Starting college, one major
personal goal of mine was to achieve good grades in all my classes. Its safe to
say that now I have close to all A’s in all my classes and I am extremely proud
of myself. I feel my grades truly reflect on how hard I have been working.
Even though I have been quite
pleased with my performance this semester, with success comes challenges and
luckily, I have only faced a few this semester. I’m the type of person who gets
really stressed out when I have a lot of work to complete. I have handled this
problem by using my time wisely and improving my time management skills. My
daily and overall schedule I write out for myself has also decreased my stress level.
Both have enabled me to work in an efficient and relaxed manner. Math class has
also been somewhat of a challenge for me. As the semester progressed the
material got harder and I realized I was going to have to work harder and put
in extra hours if I wanted to get a good grade in the class. Luckily, my hard
work paid off and I have an A in the class, I even took advantage of my
teacher’s office hours and she was a big help. 
Southern’s resources have really
helped me this semester and contributed to my good grades. Because I am a
commuter, the library happens to be the most helpful resource for me. I went to
the library a lot in between my classes to do assignments and study. I would
recommend the library to anyone who wants to focus on their work considering
there are few, if any, distractions at all. Like I mentioned earlier, I also
took advantage of my teacher’s office hours when I needed to get a little extra
help on math before the midterm. I also visited the writing center once with a
friend of mine, but never actually got to submit a paper they could revise. I
definitely plan on using this resource next semester. 
Along with learning everything
else, I have figured out what techniques work for me and what don’t. Habits I have developed have really helped me
get good grades this semester. One being, discovering when I work best. I’ve
noticed that I work best in the afternoon. A few times this semester I caught
myself doing homework late at night. This work ends up not being my best work
because I find myself rushing through because I am tired. I have also found it
helpful to put away distractions because it helps me to stay concentrated on
the topic at hand. These realizations are helping me maximize my learning. 
Assessing where I am, based on the
goals I had set for myself beginning college, I feel I am currently where I had
hoped I would be ending this semester. I feel my hard work, drive, and
motivation is what really got me through this semester successfully. I am extremely proud of the good grades I have
achieved and I plan to stay on track for the many semesters to come. Throughout
the rest of my college career I plan to practice agency, creativity and
autonomy. Inquiry class has helped me realize the importance of all three of
these words and how beneficial they are to college students seeking a career.
Lastly, I’ve posted a few photos
representing some of the people in my life who I love and have always supported
me throughout my life and endeavors.
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