First Semester

• Tell us how you have grown from the beginning of the semester to now.

Looking back to the beginning of the semester, I can say I have grown academically and personally. Academically, I have enhanced my critical thinking skills and problem solving skills. Personally, I have explored my own personal interests and gained some social skills through clubs.

• What were your expectations for this year? Did this semester’s experiences meet your expectations? Explain.

My expectations for this year were that my classes were going to be challenging. I also expected to learn more about myself as an individual. This semester’s experiences did meet my expectations because my classes did challenge me as I figured out how to balance them. Plus I learned that I am good at being independent.

• What is something you wish you knew 14 weeks ago?

Something I wish I knew 14 weeks ago is that I am not going to be perfect in all my classes, and that’s okay. That’s why there are tutoring resources to help.

Study Habits

• How much time do you spend studying for each class now vs. at the beginning of the semester?

I have started to study a lot more than I did at the beginning because the topics in my classes have gotten a bit more challenging, which required me to dedicate more time to studying. At the beginning of the semester, I would cram all my studying into one or two days. Now I study and review material Monday through Thursday, and I only study two classes per day for at least 30 minutes each. However, I will increase the amount of time and extend my studying through the weekend depending on what quizzes, tests, and exams are coming up.

• How have your study habits changed?

My study habits haven’t changed that much. I just think I have learned to better manage my time and not procrastinate doing it. I still like to study in a quiet environment.

• Tell us about a resource that you have used/learned about this semester that will assist you next semester.

A resource I learned about this semester is the writing center located in the library. This resource will help me a lot next semester because I will be taking literature and a 400-level sociology class that I will probably be writing papers for.

• What study habits/techniques will you use going into next semester?

Study habits and techniques I will use going into next semester include taking notes, quizzing myself, making flashcards, and setting up times specifically for studying.

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.

This semester I took SOC 201S, CHEM 105N, and CHEM 106N. These courses are connected because in sociology we learn how people’s social factors influence their exposure to different health risks, for example, environmental pollutants. While in chemistry we can analyze the chemicals and determine the effect the pollutants have on one’s health.

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?

Two other majors I would be most interested in are Nuclear Medicine Technology and Exercise Science. I choose these majors because they are interactive, and I like to be moving as I work. I like that Nuclear Medicine Technologists work with different equipment in a lab, but I also like that Exercise Science majors work and interact with people.

• What benefit is there to having a parallel plan (or two) in place?

Having a parallel plan can open me up to more potential career paths, and it gives me more than just one option to work with because sometimes things do work out or go to plan.

• How could one or both of these two majors benefit your current intended major?

Nuclear Medicine Technology could benefit Dental Hygiene majors because there are some overlaps. For example, they both involve patient care, chemistry, and biology. Nuclear Medicine Technology uses radiology, and in Dental Hygiene they also use radiology for taking x-rays.