Transition to College

a. What did you expect college would be like 14 weeks ago?

Honestly, I thought college would have been much more difficult than what I have experienced these past 14 weeks. Although this is just the first semester and I still have much more work to endure, I think I am doing pretty good for a freshman in college. My high school teachers would always scare me about college by telling me it was literally impossible to get straight A’s unless you spent your whole time studying. I have taken some time out of my everyday routine to study, but I still have a social life and I still managed to get straight A’s.

b. What is something you wish you knew 14 weeks ago?

I wish that I knew that finals are not something to joke about and procrastinating to prepare for them will not do me any good. At this moment I am not preparing well enough for them I have my first one this week in Chemistry. Also, professors are very good at answering emails and I should not be afraid to ask any questions or concerns about a certain subject or about the class that I may have.

c. What is a resource or activity you have found helpful this semester?

I found that reaching out to my classmates very helpful especially if I had a question about the lesson or homework that I would like someone to further explain. Not only did I learn something new about my courses, but I also built friendships that my future self will thank me for one day.

d. What is a resource or activity you have found unhelpful this semester?

Although I did not use the tutoring resource that ODU offers, I did very well in my classes without it and therefore I would say it was not very helpful. I will not rule out never using this resource because I know one day I will, but for right now I think sticking to my studying habits and techniques will be for the best.

e. Name something you have learned this semester that will assist you next semester.

I did not think that reaching out to my advisor would be very helpful since I knew what classes I wanted to take but I was wrong. After sending her an email she clearly explained any concerns I had and even recommended some classes to take and which ones I should not take to overwhelm myself. I will be reaching out to her next semester as well and probably will be needing her assistance for the next 3 years after that.

---

Study Habits

a. How much time do you spend studying for each class now vs. at the beginning of the semester?

At first, I would spend about 2-3 hours studying for each class. However, now I spend 1-2 hours studying for each class but instead of only dedicating one day to studying, I give each class 2-3 days depending on what I am studying for and how well I understand it. For example, I would study for 1-2 hours Tuesday and Thursday per week for Sociology but only study one day a week for my music class since I understand the material very well.

b. How have your study habits changes?

My study habits have changed a bit since the beginning of the semester. Now I like to spread out my studying time instead of using one day for one class. I give each class 2-3 days per week of study time which are about 1-2-hour sessions depending on what I am studying. Also, I feel like this has helped me relieve some stress of studying for long periods without much of a break and I can now combine study sessions between classes since I have more time to study.

c. What specific study techniques do you think work best for you? How do these vary from class to class?

The specific study techniques that work best for me would be spreading out my studying time throughout the week instead of one day and taking breaks between study sessions to rest my mind. I think taking breaks has really helped me focus more and even has helped minimize the headaches I get when I stare at my computer screen for long hours. I think what varies for each class for me is how much time I spend studying for each class and if I have to study for about an hour, I take 5-10- minute breaks. For the longer study times like for Chemistry or Sociology that last for about 2 hours each, I take 15-20-minute breaks.

---

Health Professions Learning Community

a. This semester you were enrolled in at least SOC 201S, and HLTH 101. Many of you were also enrolled in CHEM 105N and CHEM 106N, and some of you were enrolled in HIST 104H with Professor White.

i. On the surface these classes do not appear to be connected however this semester each professor was intentional about drawing connections between content, and subjects discussed. Discuss the ways in which these courses are tied together.

The first connection I can make is between HIST 104H and SOC 201S. In history, Professor White had set us up in groups at the beginning of the semester and in this group, we worked together to make a presentation about a health-related topic. This same group was used in the article review that Professor Lopez had us do and that was a relief since I had worked with this group before and it was easier to communicate and get the work done faster. Another connection would be between HLTH 101 and CHEM 105N because my chemistry professor sometimes included slides about health-related topics that go along with the lesson of the day and in health professions we are learning more about health-related careers and why we chose these said careers. Lastly, the major connection between all these classes is that they all included something health-related like articles, projects, lessons, and insights on careers such as Nursing.

b. This semester we provided events (Health Chats) for you to hear from health professionals from ODU.

i. Which Health Chat was most beneficial for you as a student, and why?

The Health Chat that was most beneficial for me as a student would be the first event, I attended which was the Nursing Careers Panel. This panel not only provided me with information about how to create a path for a career in Nursing but also the different career opportunities and challenges that nurses may face in their workplace. I also got to meet some of the future professors that I may have when I get into the nursing program and that eases my mind a bit about what my next years at ODU might be like. I enjoyed this event and I found it very helpful and encouraging that Nursing is the right path for me.