Journal Five
Megan McInerney
Writing for College Success
Professor: Elizabeth Isenkul
MWF 9:00 am
Journal Five
Midterms week as a first semester college freshman can be very overwhelming. The demands of each social role we hold become tasking. As a friend, one is required to be there for each friend emotionally and ensure that everyone is okay. As an individual, sleep, hygiene and food command our bodies and our time usage. To falter in these responsibilities results in physical and mental fatigue as well as a poor emotional state. Beyond this, the demand to be involved in our community, in our majors, and in sports is exhaustive. One club meeting passes another, often overlapping each other or in conflict with class study sessions. Classes press on with exams, homework, essay submissions and project deadlines march forward with a vengeance. To keep afloat requires constant vigilance over blackboard and an active presence in the activity of all seven of my classes. Today I realized that I had only turned in the physical copy of an essay and failed to turn in the digital copy on time— this has certainly had ill effects on my mental state and my grade point average as well. I have no patience for dramatic friends because I have no time to entertain trivial detriments to my mental state, and friends that irritate me or drag me down are the leading cause of my stress. Today has involved a two part history midterm, the completion of a five page post-lab for chemistry, studying for a sociology exam scheduled for 8 am tomorrow, completing my chemistry lecture homework, my history homework, registering for a chemistry exam for this Friday, and completing my NCAA registration paperwork. Despite reaching out to the director of the IGNITE Pantry for community service, scheduling a meeting with the head of the Medical Technology Department, and scheduling an appointment with my student advisor, I am still behind on speaking with the head of the nursing program as well as achieving a steady community service position within the health community. I also need to look more into internship, co-op, and study abroad opportunities to learn more in my career. To build my resume, I am also pushing myself to earn some form of health profession certification. As a member of my community, I was supposed to give blood today in support of my nation and its citizens in need. Unfortunately, I will have to schedule a time later for tomorrow’s blood drive as I was not in physical health adequate to donate today. Among the many responsibilities I hold as a family member, these are a few of the challenges that I am struggling to balance as a new college student.