Your First Semester
- Tell us how you have grown from the beginning of the semester to now. What were your expectations for this year? Did this semester’s experiences meet your expectations? Explain. What is something you wish you had known 14 weeks ago?
I have grown in various ways throughout this semester including how I learn, study, think, and feel. I believe I am now a more mature person, even if by a little bit, and I understand that I have to want to learn in order to further my education. I expected this semester to be very challenging academically and personally. I thought that I would have a hard time learning college material, motivating myself to study, time management, and making new friends. However, I could not have been more wrong. I was more prepared for college than I had thought, and I was successful in making it through all of my courses with passing grades and no missing work. I am getting better every day with my time management skills because practice makes perfect, and though I am not on campus 24/7, I have made new friends that I can count on for anything. Lastly, I wish the old me from 14 weeks ago, at the beginning of this school year, knew that it was okay to not take written notes for every single PowerPoint and class. Though, I believe that taking notes is very helpful for me to learn, some classes or materials were just not necessary to take notes on, or the notes that I thought I would need, I didn’t end up using. So, I wish I knew not to spend all my time taking notes, though I cannot complain because I was very prepared for all my classes and was always able to follow along by remembering what I had written earlier.
Study Habits
- How much time do you spend studying for each class now vs. at the beginning of the semester? How have your study habits changed? Tell us about a resource that you have used/learned about this semester that will assist you next semester. What study habits/techniques will you use going into next semester?
I’d say that I spend around the same amount of time studying for classes as I did at the beginning of the semester. This is because I knew coming into college that I would have to take it upon myself to prepare for tests and exams, so even with the first quizzes I took, I studied. I also quickly understood which classes I would need to spend more time studying for than others. However, in the beginning, I was more focused on doing assignments and homework that I used as a way of studying, which left little time for true studying like using flashcards. Furthermore, if a big test was coming up, the way I used to study was doing assignments for that class and studying practice problems a few hours before the test. However, now I spread out my study time for each test over a few days where I can do practice problems, flashcards, quizlets, and similar things, which has helped tremendously with my memory and understanding. When it comes to academic recourse that ODU provides, I have yet to use any this semester, however, I did learn about the writing center and tutors that are available that I will most likely utilize next semester. This is because I am taking both English and math, which are challenging subjects for me at times. So, now I know that for those difficult essays that will be due, I know how to contact the writing center for help, and also find a math tutor for when those exams start up. Additionally, I will continue to spread out my studying days, using a different way of studying each time including flashcards, practice problems, and quizlets, in order to be prepared for exams and tests. I also will continue to take written notes for my classes that I know will help me succeed.
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.
These courses are tied together through themes of health, society, and science. I commonly found myself saying, “Oh, I know this” or “Hey we just talked about this in another class”, in these classes that shared underlying connections in content. Subjects such as social determinants of health, various populations, the foundation of health, scientific functions of health, vulnerable populations, and so forth were commonly brought up in almost all of my classes this semester. These courses all gave us a deeper understanding of health, how it is and works, and its impact on society from various perspectives.
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? What benefit is there to having a parallel plan (or two) in place? How could one or both of these two majors benefit your current intended major?
The two majors that I am most interested in since learning about them from the presentations are Nuclear Medicine Tech and Recreational Therapy. I think imaging the body and seeing the functions from the inside are unique and spark a lot of interest. I also find helping people physically and cognitively through crafts, activities, and physical exercise to be interesting, and I like how there are various ways in that major to help one’s body. Moreover, it is beneficial to have a parallel plan as a backup in case something goes awry with your intended plan. This could be because you have lost interest in your original major, or you potentially discover that you enjoy something else more. Parallel plans allows for flexibility and adaptability when you decide to start on a different pathway. Furthermore, my intended major currently is Health Service Administration, and with this major, it is very beneficial to have backup knowledge and skills in other healthcare occupations and operations. By having one or both of these majors as a parallel plan, I can be more prepared for a career in my intended major because I will have that knowledge and understanding of those majors. Additionally, it can give me insight into how other parts of healthcare operate.