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Pre-Semester Reflection

  1. Major/Career
    1. What is your intended major and why did you choose this major? My intended major is Dental Hygiene. I choose dental hygiene because as a kid I visited the dentist very frequently due to some issues. Even though many people hate going to the dentist, going to the dentist for cleanings was one thing that I have always loved to do. The sound of the tools and the smell of the clinic was never a bad atmosphere to me, I enjoyed witnessing the relationship between the hygienist and the dentist. It intrigued me, and I wanted to learn more about dentistry. I gathered more information about dental hygiene more than any other career in the dental field. I would do my research online for many hours. I would lose track of time while watching videos about the role of a dental hygienist and their responsibilities.
    2. What skills or abilities do you possess that make this major/career a good choice for you? I believe that I have many of the skills and abilities that are needed as a hygienist. I am compassionate. Many people are afraid of the dentist, because by providing a welcoming atmosphere it can make patients feel more comfortable. I can carry or hold multiple instruments in my hand and am educated in infection control, anatomy and physiology, oral histology, tooth morphology, and preventative dentistry. Also, I have great communication and problem-solving skills.
    3. What experience, if any, do you have that relates to your chosen major/career? I have some experience of working in a dental office. During my junior and senior of high school, I attended the Virginia Beach Technical Career and Educational Center for the dental assisting program. This program allowed me to assist in patient cleanings, learn from a dental hygienist and dentist, and an understanding of how the dental office works. Specifically, we learn to set up dental trays, sterilize instruments, as well as clean and prepare operatories for patients and use dental materials.
    4. In what type of setting would you prefer to work? I would prefer to work in a dental office rather than a hospital or prison.
    5. What are your career goals (in 5 years/in 10 years)?  In the next five years, I plan to have graduated from college with my bachelor’s in Dental Hygiene. Furthermore, I would hope to have a well-paying job in a nice dental office.
    6. Complete the MyMajors quiz: https://odu.mymajors.com/quiz/. Provide a screenshot of your results. Of the majors on your top 10 list, which 3 would you like to learn more about? Out of the ten majors, I would like to learn more about cytotechnology, African American and African studies, and health service administration. A screenshot of a cell phone Description automatically generated
  2. Transition to college
    1. What do you expect to be the biggest difference between high school and college? High school and college are vastly different. I think the biggest difference is the workload. The workload for high school was not bad, it was easy to complete. With college there are so many classes that require a lot of information to be learned for each. It will be challenging to manage the workload and knowledge.
    2. What do you expect to be your biggest challenge this semester? For this semester, I think the biggest challenge will be maintaining good grades and a good GPA.
    3. If you live on campus: What do you expect to be your biggest challenge with moving away to college? Due to me living on campus I think the biggest challenge is not being around my family. I have never been away from my family for such a long period.
    4. OR  If you commute to class: What do you expect to be your biggest challenge with commuting to campus? 
    5. Do you have a job/ or plan to get a job? If so, where? How many hours will you be working per week? I do not plan on getting a job this semester or year. I am still getting adjusted to college and I do not think getting a job is the best thing for me at this moment.
  3. Study habits
    1. Is there a difference between “studying” and “homework”?  Explain your answer. There is a difference between studying and homework. Studying is a review of the entire section, while it is extra practice to make sure a subject is understood.
    2. How much time do you plan to spend studying for each class every week?  For each class, I plan on spending at least 2 hours. It takes me a long time to review the material for a class and I want to make sure that I feel comfortable with the topic.
      1. For which class do you expect to spend the most time studying? For this semester, I expect to be studying for chemistry the most. Chemistry is like a math class.
      2. For which class (other than HLTH 101) are you expecting to spend the least amount of time studying? I do not expect to be studying for English as much as my other classes due to it mainly being a reading and writing class.
    3. Where do you plan to study? I plan to study in my dorm, the library, or in a study room if they are available.
      1. What potential distractions can you anticipate?  I can expect distractions from any noise near me such as my roommate, my phone, or people from outside my dorm.
      2. How do you plan to avoid these distractions? I plan to alert my roommate if I am in a class or studying. I can also silence my phone and put somewhere out of reach.
    4. What time of day is your best time to study and why? I study at night because that is when I can retain a lot of information rather in the day or after class. At night I have more time to study as well. When it is day time, it is hard to study due to me having  other tasks to complete.
    5. This Fall, you are in online courses, some of which do not meet at a specific time, how do you plan to manage all your assignments? Most of the class has a set time for me to attend the class however there are a few classes that do not have a meeting time. For those classes, I complete my work on the days that I do not have many classes or in any free time that I have.
    6. Think about all your commitments i.e. job, family, social life (from a distance and wear your mask! #ReignResponsibly). How do you plan on balancing your various commitments? To balance my commitments, I plan to a set schedule for each, so it does not interfere with another commitments
  4. Learning style
    1. What specific study techniques do you think work best for you?  The study technique that I use is practice quizzes and questions and using flashcards works best for me when I am studying.
    2. Do you use different study techniques for different classes?  Provide examples. For some classes, I must study differently, sometimes I must act as if I am teaching someone else the material.
  5. Connecting to campus
    1. Name one academic resource at ODU you can use to help you earn “As” this semester. I can go to tutoring centers for extra help and practice to earn an “A” this semester.
    2. Name one non-academic resource at ODU and how it can help you this semester. A non-academic resource that I can use this semester is study groups with my classmates.
    3. Name one resource you think you will use this semester. This semester, I think I will be using monarch one search frequently. I will use this for additional resources for my classes.
    4. Name one resource at ODU you would like to learn more about, and why. A resource that I would like to learn more about is the student success center. I do not have a lot of information about the student’s center and I would like to know more about it.
    5. In high school, what clubs, organizations, or activities did you participate in, if any?  Throughout high school, I was a part of Spartan Prep and I joined FCCLA for my sophomore year of high school.
    6. Is there a club or organization you plan to join this semester and what do you expect to gain from this experience?  If not, why not? I don’t think I will be joining any clubs or organizations this semester. I do not think I have the time to fit any clubs or organizations into my schedule at this moment. Maybe I will join a club next semester.