Study habits:
I’m doing really well in my sociology class as well as my history class right now, which I believe is due to the readings that come with the course. I try to do every reading and take my notes as I’m reading. I do this before each class and then add any other notes clarified by my Professor that I may have missed or interpreted wrong when I’m in class. I try to highlight important terms that make the rest of the information in the readings more understandable. I’ve noticed that I could use a little help regarding my chemistry lab class, as the terminology makes it difficult for me to grasp the subject. Due to my lack of understanding of the terminology, it reflects in my assignments and my grades and overall performance with the experiments in lab. A couple of changes I’ve made in my study habits include dedicating certain subjects to certain days of the week, so that I don’t get overwhelmed by taking on everything at once. I also chose to study certain topics that I might not be familiar with alongside others, and topics that I’m more confident in on my own to ensure that I stay focused on the task at hand. I also have learned to give myself breaks every now and then to ensure that I don’t burn myself out

Transition to college:
Expectations I had coming to college included an insane workload as compared to high school, lack of connections due to myself being in a new school in a completely different state, and many nights packed full of studying and homework. Many of these expectations never became reality. For instance, my expectation of having no one was immediately put down, as I found many friends in my classes, in my dorm, as well as professors, advisors and administrators who connected with me in some way shape or form. I know now that I have people in my corner to ask for help if I need it. The workload was much different than I expected, as I found out that homework assignments had a much larger timeframe to complete them than I previously had in high school. It was different too because in college, material is run through a lot faster than I was expecting, as I’m covering around a chapter a day for each class. I was surprised that professors were as easy going as they were, as I had been previously told that they would be very strict and hard to please. As far as living on campus, the toughest challenge for me would be having to calculate how long it takes to get from place to place, as I was unfamiliar with the area entirely at first. This was my first “moving” experience, as I have lived in the same house for my whole life. it took me at least a couple of weeks to understand the layout of campus. The easiest adjustment would be staying on top of chores. This was easy for me because I did my own laundry, cleaned my dishes, cleaned and made my own food at home, so I had no issue handling it here at college.


Major:
I learned that my intended major of dental hygiene has connections with sociology and psychology recently, something I was not aware of before the start of the semester. The connections include the distribution of resources, as well as mental conditions that may cause someone to act out in different ways. Those topics could definitely help me understand things I may run into on the job, allowing me to be able to provide better care for my patients. My feelings about my intended major haven’t changed, but rather I am more excited to pursue studying dental hygiene. I have picked up an interest in possibly pursuing a minor in psychology and possibly doing it abroad to improve my ability to provide the best care for my future patients. I chose psychology because I took AP Psychology in high school and I’ve noticed myself making connections between psychology and what I’m learning this semester.

Connecting to Campus:

A challenge I’ve encountered this semester would be struggling with a post lab assignment. I couldn’t figure out how to go about completing a certain part of the assignment, no matter how many angles I looked at it. A resource here at ODU that would have been helpful for me in this situation would have been my professor’s office hours, the Science tutoring center, and my peer mentors. I have many people: friends, professors and advisors that have helped me so far this semester. Whether it be answering a simple question I may have had in class, studying alongside me, or doing an extra question to help me understand, each one of them have helped me further my understanding in my classes. As far as clubs go, I have not looked as far into what ODU has to offer as I would have liked to, but I have joined 2 clubs so far- The First Year Service Experience, a community service club that I joined before moving onto campus and the Student Veterans of America at Old Dominion University with one of my friends. I chose to get involved because I want to look back on my college experience with no regrets and make the most of the time I have here. It also gives me and opportunity to stick out her at ODU.

Sustainability:

I’ve learned that by using metal water bottles everyday over plastic bottles, I cut down on my overall waste and in a way help the environment. As far as sustainability in my environment here at ODU goes, I’ve learned about the importance of using the resources that are readily available on campus to my advantage. The guest speakers helped me understand that it is important to love what you do and to take care of yourself along the way. It’s important to sustain yourself throughout college, surround yourself with good friends who want to see you succeed, and take time for yourself to prevent burning out. Practices of sustainability that I’d like to start to take part in would be having more study sessions with other dental hygiene students so that we can all help each other better understand the concepts we are learning about.