Study Habits

• What classes are you doing well in, and why? What classes did you identify as needing assistance in? What changes have you made (i.e. amount of time, location, campus resources, study strategies, etc…)?

I am doing well in all of my classes, and I have been able to keep up with my assignments and grades. I also actively participate and listen in class to take extra notes or further understand concepts. Preparing before each lecture by taking notes and reading over the material given on Canvas has set me up for success in my classes thus far in the semester. Additionally, I need not necessarily assistance, but motivation, to study before texts/exams. I have an issue with procrastinating studying for tests, specifically for chemistry exams. I set myself up for success and prepare myself to study, however, I always end up prioritizing other tasks that end up leaving no time leftover to study. Motivation is a continuous process that I have to remind myself of, so I am learning how to manage my time more wisely in order to feel confident in the outcome when I complete a test/exam. Furthermore, a step that I have taken so far to feel more confident in my academic performance is paying more attention to my chemistry lectures than before. I found that I had stopped paying as much attention in that course when it started because I felt that I knew the material well enough with background knowledge from high school. That is a given mistake, so now I am better at actively participating in the lecture to learn the material that I did, in fact, not know. I also have taken more time with practice chemistry questions which has helped my memory. Additionally, I have found that I work better in a public setting (the library) rather than a private one (my apartment). So, I try and do most of my work/studying when I am at school because I know that I will be focused on it and not have my mind working on a million different things at once. 

Transition to College

• What expectations did you have coming to college? Have those expectations come to fruition, or not, and how? In what way is your college experience different from what you expected? What has surprised you about your experiences so far this semester? If you live on campus: What has been your toughest challenge with moving away to college? Easiest challenge to overcome? OR  If you commute to class: What is the toughest challenge with commuting to campus? Easiest challenge to overcome?

Coming into college, I expected to struggle with time management, friendships, and schoolwork. However, I also expected to begin a new lifestyle that was super exciting. All of my expectations were on point. I am not completely struggling with my time management because I am a very organized person, however, I know that I can be better with the things that I prioritize and how long tasks should take me to complete. As I predicted at the beginning of the semester, due to me not living on, or near, campus, I have not been able to progress the friendships that I have made to deeper connections, but it just takes some time since I don’t see them every day. Furthermore, I was nervous about the college-level schoolwork I had to take on, however, I was way more prepared for it than I had originally thought and I have been doing better than I could have guessed. Lastly, I could have never predicted a few years ago the different, exciting, but weird, lifestyle that I am living today, but I am so grateful for the experiences it is giving me and I am taking in every day as much as I can.

My college experience is different in the way that even though all the new changes are exciting and I am grateful for them, my emotions can become overtaking. I have to balance myself a lot and look at the bigger picture because there are a lot of things that can become overwhelming very quickly if I don’t take a step back when I need to. I am surprised by how much I enjoy living and going to school here. I obviously hoped that my experience would be good, but I also did not expect myself to necessarily like it here just because it was different from what I knew. However, I do enjoy my lifestyle here and seeing the sunrise over the water every morning. I take in every bit of it whether that’s walking in the sunshine with the autumn leaves falling or working on assignments endlessly in the library. Though, I do not live on campus, I did have to move away (3 hours) from my hometown. The toughest thing with the move besides the physical action itself, was trying to find my place in a new environment that I could control. I am still figuring out where I belong, who I am, where I want to be, and who I like and dislike, all while not having the same support system that I am used to back home. On the other hand, it is a freeing experience to become independent. To choose who I am and who I choose to be is a great privilege, yet scary. Additionally, the toughest challenge with commuting to campus is preparing each night to be successful the next day. I have to make sure I get enough sleep so that I can wake up on time. I then have enough time to get myself and everything else ready so I can leave on time to avoid any traffic or accidents, to then get to class on time. It’s all about working the schedule for success. Nonetheless, the easiest challenge that I have had to overcome is accepting that my freshman experience is not the same as others who don’t commute, but I have learned to be okay with that and embrace it. 

Major

• Name something you have learned about your intended major that you did not know at the beginning of the semester. Have your feelings changed about your intended major? List some thoughts you are having. Is there another subject (major or minor) that you are interested in learning more about? 

I have learned that the Health Service Administration major is really a combination of business principles and healthcare knowledge. At the end of my college education, I would plan to use this education for a career in managing finances, ensuring compliance with healthcare laws and regulations, supervising staff, directing medical services, and more. Yes, my feelings have changed about my intended major. I am having thoughts about wanting to be more hands-on and involved in healthcare delivery and I am not sure if the business aspect of it is for me. I honestly am not sure what career I am looking forward to with my intended major and I feel like I may need to explore other majors that may spark interest, whether those majors are still in the Health Science realm or outside of that. That being said, I found Nuclear Medicine very interesting, however, I was mostly intrigued by the ultrasound aspect of it. Being able to see the inside of the human body and understand what you are looking at or for is very impressive to me. 

Connecting to Campus

• Name one problem or challenge you have encountered this semester, and which resource(s) at ODU you have/can utilize to assist with this situation. Is there a friend, roommate, professor, advisor, or group in the ODU community who has helped you so far this semester? If so, how did they help you? Have you attended an interest meeting for a club? Why did you decide to get involved or not get involved?

One problem I have encountered thus far is preparing for my chemistry exams to feel confident going into each test. I have yet to utilize any resources at ODU to help me with this issue. However, I am already figuring out ways to help myself do better and if I do want to look for more help I know that I can go to my chemistry professor during her office hours and look into success mentoring/tutoring workshops. I do have a few friends in all of my classes that I regularly talk to about assignments that help both of us do better. We help each other whenever we are confused and motivate each other to submit our work with confidence and before it is due. Though I have yet attended any interest meetings for a club, this may change next semester. This is because I have decided so far not to get involved, right now I am focused on my classes, work, and home life.