Considering your Pre-Semester Reflection, identify the changes you have made between the start of the semester and now, and how you are going to continue working on areas that you are struggling.

Study Habits

• What classes are you doing well in, and why? 

I am interested in and hold straight As in all of my classes (HLTH 101, HLTH 120G, HIST 126H, MATH 162M, CHEM 122N) except for my chemistry lecture (CHEM 121N).

• What classes did you identify as needing assistance in? 

CHEM 121N Foundations of Chemistry I has been way more difficult than I anticipated. I learn most effectively by being active in lectures and taking lots of detailed notes. My professor’s teaching style is not compatible with my learning style, so his lectures are ineffective for me. I have had to approach this class differently than I have any of my other classes, past or present, which has been a difficult task of trial and error. 

• What changes have you made (i.e. amount of time, location, campus resources, study strategies, etc…)?

I have started going to tutoring at the Chemistry Success Center, doing all of the ungraded, optional homework, taking all extra credit opportunities, making and using flashcards, and studying for multiple hours a day. 

Transition to College

• What expectations did you have coming to college? 

In terms of academics, I expected college to be very similar to my senior year of high school, which was entirely community college classes. I expected to get lots of freedom and time to hang out with friends, as a well-deserved break after all the work I put into my high school years.

• Have those expectations come to fruition, or not? 

Yes and no.

• How? 

In some ways, they have. Most of my classes are very similar to community college classes in terms of difficulty and time requirements. However, I do not have nearly as much freedom or time with my friends as I thought I would; in fact, I have less. Living on campus means that there is very little distinction between school life and regular life. Therefore, my day-to-day has devolved into being entirely school life, where the only times I’m not studying is when I’m at work or sleeping.

• In what way is your college experience different from what you expected?

I thought that I would get to have the large friend group I didn’t get to have in high school. I have made lots of friends, but I simply never am able to join them when they want to all hang out together. 

• What has surprised you about your experiences so far this semester?

I’m impressed with my ability to buckle down and manage my time efficiently: something that I always struggled with previously.

• If you live on campus: What has been your toughest challenge with moving away to college? Easiest challenge to overcome?

Honestly, living on campus has been the best thing to come out of my college experience thus far. Living with strangers comes with its ups and downs, but we all get along well and my relationship with my family has been the strongest it has ever been.

Major

• Name something you have learned about your intended major that you did not know at the beginning of the semester.

The idea of taking five chemistry classes over the course of four years is a lot more daunting than I thought it would be. I have also discovered that my Biomedical Sciences Pre-Health major is not nearly the versatile “everything medical-related” major that I thought it would be.

• Have your feelings changed about your intended major? List some thoughts you are having.

I am most definitely considering changing my major to Exercise Science. It makes no sense to pursue a major with notoriously difficult classes that could jeopardize my GPA, when I could take more classes I actually enjoy and still be more than qualified for the same graduate program. All of my career goals align perfectly with it and every advisor I have ever spoken to has tried to convince me to make the switch. I actually did, right after orientation. My mother said that if I didn’t switch back to Biomedical Sciences, she wouldn’t pay for my schooling. She is the only thing holding me back from making the change.

• Is there another subject (major or minor) that you are interested in learning more about? 

I am interested in Exercise Science and any other related minors or concentrations that could benefit my career or interests.

Connecting to Campus

• Name one problem or challenge you have encountered this semester, and which resource(s) at ODU you have/can utilize to assist with this situation. 

When I began having doubts about my major, I was able to easily connect with my College of Sciences advisor and an advisor from the Department of Major Exploration. The Chemistry Success Center has also been very helpful and easy to use.

• Is there a friend, roommate, professor, advisor, or group in the ODU community who has helped you so far this semester? If so, how did they help you? 

My CoS advisor has been very generous and helpful in easing my doubts. My boyfriend also came to ODU as a freshman at the same time I did. He has helped more than anyone else. 

• Have you attended an interest meeting for a club? Why did you decide to get involved or not get involved?

I attended an interest meeting for the ODU Surf Club. I decided not to get involved because they mostly met on weekends, which is when I work. I didn’t want to commit to something I wouldn’t be able to attend most of the time.