Pre-Semester Reflection
By far the thing I’m most excited about is getting to be on my own and have freedom for the first time. I know it’ll be challenging adjusting to a new lifestyle, but it isn’t anything that I can’t handle. My only real commitment other than my classes right now is the Health Professions LLC; however, I am considering joining clubs as well. So far I spend about 4 hours in the gym each week, have at least two days dedicated to only homework, and I use the rest of my time depending on how school is going and what my friends are up to. In high school, I participated in a lot of extracurriculars: theatre, choir, orchestra, volleyball, lacrosse, equality club, spirit club, and operation smile. This semester I plan to figure out which clubs interest me the most before I decide to add any more things to my schedule.
My intended major is nursing because it is simply something I’m passionate about. For the longest time, I actually wanted to be a cosmetologist and I got very good at makeup, hair, nails, skincare, etc. Then one day I realized that nursing is what I needed. My biggest fear is leaving this world without making people feel special and cared about. You can help people in most careers, but the people who lack this compassion from others the most in our country are women of color. They’ve been denied proper care throughout all of American history, especially when we take a look at Gynecology and Obstetrics. I want to become either a neonatal nurse, CNP, or an OB/GYN, but all with the exact same goal. I want to make every woman or person who comes to me for help feel welcomed, heard, understood, and cared for. I may not have a lot of experience yet, but I did take an Introduction to Health and Medical Sciences class, which got cut short by the beginning of the pandemic. In the next 5 years, I should have graduated from nursing school, working, and I should have decided whether or not to go further into Medical School. It will be an extreme challenge, but I have worked for this and I can keep working towards my next goal.
One difference between high school and college that I have noticed is that very little work is actually done in class. Classes are meant more for lectures and note-taking. Homework to me is completing assignments and turning them in, whereas studying is taking notes in a format so I actually process and learn the information. The class I will spend the most time studying for is American Past because I get assigned a couple of reading to take notes in every class. Right now Sociology is a close second because we take notes before class in order to understand the lecture. However, Chemistry will probably catch up soon since that’s the subject I struggle the most with and it’ll be crucial later on. Statistics definitely requires some time to do homework, but always under an hour because I’m very good at math. Health 101 takes the least amount of time because our assignments so far have been fairly easy for me. I study pretty well at my desk in my dorm, but later on, I may study in the library more as chemistry gets more difficult. I’m worried about studying anywhere more public because I get distracted very easily in new settings, but I will probably need to start working on that anyway. The best time for me to study is in the afternoon because I’m awake, but I can still go out and have fun after. So far I’ve been very successful when I just sit at my desk, turn on music, and never let myself stay on one thing for too long.
Mid-Semester Reflection
To my surprise, I am doing much better than I expected to be doing in chemistry. I’ve always struggled with that class any time I’ve taken it, but it looks like my hard work is paying off. Aside from that, I am doing well in sociology too. I’m not sure that it’s anything I’m doing in particular, but I find it easy to keep up in that class. I turn in all my work on time if not early, show up to class, and study before any quiz or test. I don’t currently need help in any classes, but I could be doing better in my history class. The issue is more that I am creating too much stress for myself in that course, not that I need help with anything.
Coming to college everyone does and should expect change, stress, some anxiety, and excitement. So far I have done a really good job balancing all of these things while starting college. I have a group of friends where all of us are different, but all supportive of each other. We focus on our school first, and then make time for all of us to relax and have fun; I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to go through this transition with. I am surprised at how easily I’ve made these friends. Every last one of us just kind of stumbled upon each other and now we all have a strong support system. Making friends was the easiest part of college for me so far. The hardest part is probably learning to manage my anxiety and depression while trying to meet others’ standards. However, it is something I’m put all my effort into and I know it’s nothing I can’t handle.
My intended major is nursing, and I have learned so much more about it this semester. Of course, the main lesson I’ve learned is how difficult it is to get into the nursing program, but in the same way, I’ve learned of new ways to push myself and work towards that goal. I haven’t changed my mind about my major, but I’ve thought about potential minors such as biology. I’d also like to learn more about minoring in sociology if that is possible.
I think all of us can honestly say we’ve encountered more than one problem on campus and had to learn how to seek help for ourselves. In the last few months here I’ve had to make a lot of adjustments regarding my mental health. I’ve struggled a lot these last few years and one of my biggest struggles is my eating disorder. Being on my own means a lot of responsibility including feeding myself and making sure I do so properly. Not only do I have a sister who also currently attends ODU, but I’ve created a network of people I know I can go to for help. My therapist and I meet virtually if necessary, one or two of my close friends is aware of my situation, and I keep the information for the student health center and women’s center on me just in case they could help in some way. I haven’t joined any clubs or attended interest meetings. I briefly stopped by a convention sort of event for greek organizations, but I decided against joining anything right now. For this first semester, I want to focus on school and time management before adding more commitments to my schedule.
Final Reflection
I’ve changed a lot throughout this past semester, but I think everyone does their first semester of college. Going into it I knew it would be difficult, but I was prepared to work for it. This past semester exceeded my expectations all around: I met amazing people, I was constantly learning, and I became a better person and student. Right now I wish I could tell myself from 14 weeks ago that she should stop worrying so much because attending ODU is beyond worth it.
Throughout the semester, I usually spend the same amount of time studying (about 1-5 hours per class a week depending on what each class requires) plus more for tests and quizzes. Recently I’ve been studying significantly more and reviewing the curriculum for all my upcoming exams. My study habits haven’t changed too much, but I do try to get out more and do my work in more places like the Webb, the library, study rooms in Owens, etc. I’ve also become a lot more organized with my assignments. Tutoring is the resource we learned the most about because it is so easily accessible and helpful. I believe next semester in microbiology I might have to spend some time with the tutors at the school. Next semester I plan to keep up my organizational skills and study in the library and the Webb more often. I think getting out keeps my brain active, at least for a little while.
Our theme this semester was Social Justice, and the professors tied the classes together really well. In sociology, we learned about injustice in our society and how it’s formed, and in American past, we see that put into action and we think about why these events occurred. Even in chemistry, we learned how social injustice affects people’s access to basic necessities for human life. There were what felt like endless events where we met people we can look up to, and I value each experience. I think Ted Ellis’ presentation left the most lasting impression because it tied our entire semester together.