On November 9 and November 19, I was given the privilege to serve my local community with the IGNITE organization. IGNITE Norfolk is a Christian-based organization that aims to transform local communities and cities by unification, generosity, and service to others. They focus on honoring love and God not only on Sundays but every other day of the week. Their mission is to not only emphasize the need for community and unity but the Christian values that we as ODU students can share. One of their most popular services if the food pantry, which collect non-perishable foods from the community to distribute it to others that do not have access to such foods. During my time volunteering for them, I advertised upcoming food pantries and other events by handing out flyers and putting them up on the bulletin board for other students to be informed.

After volunteering for IGNITE Norfolk, I gave me a better understanding of what other ODU students and local residents are going through financially. I felt a closer bonds through my mentor and trainers at the organization because of how close knit the staff was. Although I am a nursing major, this volunteering opportunity focuses on public health, which is a subject very prevalent and useful in my field. It shows the demographics of the community and highlights one way we can help the community maintain good health. Public health would be a good minor as a nursing major because as a community, we must strive to aid in each other’s health and well-being.

For each of my six classes, I spend roughly around 12-15 hours of studying every week. My grades definitely are a direct correlation with how much I study. If I were to study less, my grades would drop significantly. One of the classes that I am doing not so well in is history, and I feel that if I were to put more time into studying, I would do better. I typically study in the library or in the University Center in the Webb. If I were to study around people to keep me accountable while studying, I would not get distracted. If I were around people that talk a lot, I would much rather be willing to be distracted and socialize. Surrounding myself with accountability partners while I study can motivate me to focus on my studies more. Due to my busy schedule, I study whenever I have the time to. I am most focused during the morning because I am not groggy or sleepy.

New study techniques that I have learned while studying this semester are making study groups and using flashcards and other forms of visual representation to better reinforce the learned material. I think making study groups and being around other people to help me study is the most effective way to prepare for a test. By combining the material that I learned with the material that other people learned, I can better comprehend and analyze the information more thoroughly. Because I am in the Health Professions Learning Community, I am surrounded by the same people in most of my classes so making studying more manageable.

College has not been what I expected. Growing up in the area, I honestly thought that I would not get the full college experience with being so close to home. Living on campus and being so involved on campus has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and become a better version of myself. In the back of my head, I always held the idea of transferring as an option, but now that I am where I am, I cannot imagine myself being anything other than a Monarch. The biggest challenge for me has been time management. Being in several clubs and Greek life has given me the challenge of balancing my time and effort while still being on top of my schoolwork and mental wellness. The food on campus is definitely not as bad as everyone says it is.

One problem I have encountered is how planning my day ahead of time. Being so far from campus in the ODU Inn has challenged me to plan out my entire day a day before, so that I would not have to walk all the way back to my dorm during the day, I could speak to the Housing and Residence Life Office, but I am sure they will not be willing to move me to a better suiting location of a dorm. My friend group in the learning community has helped me expand my horizons and learn. Being surrounded by this group of students has allowed us to get closer as friends and classmates. Currently, I am involved in Greek life, Filipino American Student Association, the club field hockey team, and the Student Nurses’ Association. Greek life and FASA has also given me a family when I am away from my own. Joining these two organizations has given me a place where I belong, while giving my opportunities to get involved on campus for the greater good. I have loved the sport of field hockey for nine years, and it is hard to see my life without it. Joining the club field hockey team on campus gives me the opportunity to let go of the stress of academics and focus on one of the best sports there is! Although involved in a  lot of campus, I find that it can be easily overwhelming to balance; therefore, I often look to the counseling services to make sure that I am academically, as well as mentally, on track. One resource I find is unhelpful is the biking services located within the Outdoor Adventure Program. Whenever I need to rent a bike, they are always out of bikes. I wish there was a way to reserve a bike for a week without going all the way to the Student Recreation Center, which, for me, is time-consuming. Now that I have one semester to go before I am no longer a freshman, I will remember how to prioritize my time and focus on my academics before anything else.