Reflect on the Fall semester and the overall experience of your first semester at college.

Your First Semester
Tell us how you have grown from the beginning of the semester to now.
I have grown in my ability to manage time and engages with the course material. I initially faced challenges balancing coursework and personal commitments, but i have developed stronger organizational skills. To me my growth has improved my performance in classes.

What were your expectations for this year? Did this semester’s experiences meet your expectations? Explain.
I expected to do pretty well in most of my classes and maybe struggle at times for some classes. This semester definitely met those expectations. I thought i did pretty well in about 6 of my classes, especially english. But i did struggle with Bio a little, I never really was able to get the hang of it. I definitely should’ve gone to someone for help sooner.

What is something you wish you knew 14 weeks ago?
Something i wish i knew 14 weeks ago is that i need to make more time during my week for studying and also doing practice problems for math. I needed to manage my time better from the start. I also wish i knew that I can’t do everything by myself it’s ok to ask for help, that’s what professors and other resources are for.

Study Habits
How much time do you spend studying for each class now vs. at the beginning of the semester?
I probably spend around 2 hours a day studying now. Before i really only spent around 5 hours a week studying which was not nearly enough. Studying in high school and college is 2 very different things. You need to take your time and actually study the material.

How have your study habits changed?
I used to just look at the powerpoints and try and study off that, but of course that wasn’t working now. So i started to take notes on lecture slide the night before class and then i would take extra notes on what the teacher is talking about in the power points. I would also make note cards on practice questions he gave us and study all of that over and over again. I would also make notes on videos he gave us.

Tell us about a resource that you have used/learned about this semester that will assist you next semester.
I learned about the student success center and study groups at the library. I don’t know how much it will help but we will see.

What study habits/techniques will you use going into next semester?
I will proceed with what i’ve started with now and see how it helps. If it doesn’t help very much then i will ask for help and ask my professor what i should change, and where i should go for help. So i don’t make the same mistake with not asking for help when i need it.

Health Professions Learning Community
This semester you were enrolled in at least SOC 201S, and HLTH 101. Many of you were also enrolled in CHEM 105N and CHEM 106N, and some of you were enrolled in HIST 104H with Professor White.
On the surface these classes do not appear to be connected; however this semester each professor was intentional about drawing connections between content, and subjects discussed. Discuss the ways in which these courses are tied together.
Even Though i did not take all of these classes, they are all connected as they collectively provide a multidisciplinary approach to understanding health. 201s examines social factors affecting health, while HLTH 101 discusses public health principles. Chem offers essential scientific knowledge about health and disease, and 104h places contemporary health issues withing a historical scene. Together these courses enhance students’ ability to analyze health from a comprehensive perspective.

Parallel Plan
This semester we had presentations from different majors in the College of Health Sciences as well as from different majors on campus. This was to give you an idea for possible parallel majors to your current intended major.
Which two other majors would you be most interested in? Why?
Well I really don’t have a backup major. But i have multiple pathways i’m interested in, like i’m interested in PA and PT school. But if i had to choose another then i would probably look at Rec Therapy. The reason i chose that was because it seemed similar to PT in the rehab aspect.

What benefit is there to having a parallel plan (or two) in place?
The benefits i would say involve that if one doesn’t work out then you have a backup, that way you aren’t lost in what you want to do. Having a back allows me to not stress if i don’t enjoy what i’m doing and don’t want to do it anymore. Also if it just ain’t for me. People change their majors a lot.

How could one or both of these two majors benefit your current intended major?
PA and PT school both benefit the my intended major of exercise science by providing insights into clinical practices related to health and rehab. PA school emphasizes patient assessment and treatment strategies, while PT focuses on movement and recovery. Together, they equip exercise science students with essential skills for promoting health and managing injuries effectively.