Major/Career
My intended major is Nursing. I chose this major because I feel my calling to make the world a better place is through the field of healthcare. I believe this career choice is a good choice for me because I am good at working under pressure, I am very well at multitasking, and I am good at collaborating and working with people. Every Thanksgiving Day in the last 5 years I have volunteered at a community center, serving hot meals to very underserved communities with inadequate health care resources. At my high school, I was in the Governor’s Health Science Academy. In this academy I took courses that helped me get an idea of what the medical field is like and prepared me for being a health science major. I have also volunteered at Riverside Regional Hospital in the Mother-Baby unit. I prefer to work in a clinical or hospital setting. In the next 10 years, I hope to pass my NCLEX-RN, gain some nursing experience, and have obtained or finishing up my MSN degree.
Transition to college
I expect the biggest difference between high school and college is time management, as well as not having as much assistance from the teacher. I expect my biggest challenge this semester to be adapting to the life and expectations of college, as well as learning virtually. I expect my biggest challenge commuting to be, not having resources close to me as they would on campus. After getting adjusted to school and my coursework,I plan to get a job working just weekends and maybe a few weekdays later on.
Study habits
I believe there is a difference between studying and homework. Although they both happen out of class and involve studying, homework requires additional work to be done. The time I spend studying for a class depends on its credit. I plan to study an hour a credit for each class.I expect to spend most time studying chemistry since it is the most challenging subject for me. I expect to spend the least time studying for math. I plan to study at home or come on campus occasionally. I can anticipate my family and my phone to be a distraction from studying. I plan to avoid this by notifying my family when I am working and by not putting my phone beside me. My best time of day to study is at night. I tend to remember the information better. I plan to manage my assignments by using a planner and writing down what I need to complete for each class and when. Since I am now in college, school is my number one priority more than ever. Therefore, everything else like friends and family come second.
Learning style
My best studying technique is memorizing information little by little. As I memorize something, I start back from the top of my notes reciting what I have memorized so far. As of now, I use the same study technique. But as college continues that might change.
Connecting to campus
There are numerous resources provided at ODU. The Peer Educator Program is an academic resource that can earn me “As” this semester. Recreational sports is a non-academic resource that can help me by getting fit and lowering my stress and anxiety levels. I think I will use the recreational sports resource this semester to help manage my stress and to do something fun and physical during my free time. I would like to learn more about the Study Abroad program because studying in a different country has always been appealing and something I have been interested in. I would also like to learn more about the help offered at the Student Success Center because it definitely seems it will be very helpful for my future.
In high school I heavily participated in different ensembles in band like marching band, symphonic band, and drumline, and I held different leadership positions. I was a class officer in Student Government, and I was a part of the Governor’s Health Science Academy. I do not plan to join a club or organization this semester, my focus is to just get the hang of school first. Plus, since I am not on campus I feel joining things will be difficult.