I am doing well in all of my classes right now and have A’s in every class. I am doing the best in Anatomy and Microbiology. For Anatomy, I study for the lab and lecture every day because it helps me learn the information better by repeating it daily. I am doing well in Microbiology because I complete my work ahead of time and take advantage of all the extra credit she offers. The class I identified that I needed assistance on in the Learning Styles Self-Assessment was Honors Interpreting the American Past. On my most recent paper, I received a B minus and was unhappy with my grade, so I discussed my paper with my professor, and learned from the mistakes I made. For the next paper in his class, I will use less details and support those details with more evidence, rather than using too many details and not having enough evidence.

The expectations I had coming to college included being organized and prepared for every class, getting my work done ahead of time, having good communication with my professors, and making new friends. These expectations have come to fruition because I have successfully accomplished them all so far. Before each class for the variety of subjects I am taking, I read the textbook chapters and take notes and write down any questions I may have. I stay organized by writing assignments in my planner and planning for events ahead of time. I like to get my work done in advance because it relieves stress and allows me to always be one step ahead. Also, I must ask a lot of questions to understand a certain topic, so it is important for me to always have good communication with my professors and ask questions. I also wanted to make new friends away from home so that while I am at college, I had friends that made me feel like I was at home. One way my college experience is different than I expected is that people don’t keep their living space as clean as I do. Something that has surprised me so far this semester is how fast the time has gone by. My toughest challenge moving away to college has been living with other people and my easiest challenge to overcome has been getting back into the groove of in-person classes.

Since the beginning of the semester, something I have learned about my intended major is that I have to take summer classes my junior year of college. My feelings have not changed about my intended major, but I am feeling nervous and scared about applying to the dental hygiene program. I am nervous I am not going to get accepted to the program, and then I will be wasting a year of my life. Currently, there is not another subject that I am interested in learning more about. 

One challenge I have encountered while being at ODU this semester was deciding on the number of classes I wanted to take in the spring semester. Since I have already taken most of the prerequisites for my intended major, I will have to decide if I want to take the rest of my classes in the spring or take a summer course. I have talked to my advisor about the best path to take and have gotten her advice about the courses offered. My advisor has helped me plan the courses I am taking and plan to take, and always answers any questions. Also, my Anatomy lab TA has been very helpful during my lab, and always gives me the attention I need to answer my questions. I enjoy going to Anatomy lab because when I am the last student there at the end of class, it is an opportunity for one-on-one time to review information with him. I have attended an interest meeting for Operation Smile, and I am now a member of this club. I decided to join this club because it was a club that related to my major and I liked their mission to perform free surgeries for children with cleft and lip palates.