Your First Semester
- Tell us how you have grown from the beginning of the semester to now.
At the beginning of the semester I doubted myself significantly. Throughout the semester I learned that I should have faith in myself because I’m smarter than I think. I have learned to give myself time and space out assignments as well as complete assignments before the weekend because I learned I forget over the weekend and it negatively impacts me.
- What were your expectations for this year? Did this semester’s experiences meet your expectations? Explain.
My expectations for this semester were met but not in a way I had hoped so. I thought this semester was going to be difficult and in a way it was but I myself could have put in more effort. I also believed I wouldn’t have done well in my classes but I have found that when I put time and effort into my work that it pays off.
- What is something you wish you knew 14 weeks ago?
I wish I knew 14 weeks ago that attendance is important and will affect your grade as well as your knowledge in the class. I also wish I knew that I didn’t need to bombard myself with all my work in one day. I wish I wouldn’t have waited until the last minute to complete assignments on their due dates and would have stretched assignments out. I also wish I knew meal exchange was a thing instead of using all my flex points in the first 2 weeks. You live and learn.
Study Habits
- How much time do you spend studying for each class now vs. at the beginning of the semester?
At the beginning of the year I definitely over-studied and it did not benefit me. Now I pay attention to what is going to be focused on more rather than everything in the chapter or unit. I also feel throughout the semester my work ethic decreased and I know now that is not acceptable and I cannot afford to miss assignments and not study.
- How have your study habits changed?
My study habits have not changed from the beginning of the semester. I still study better with a group and feel more obligated to complete work when everyone else is. I enjoy studying in a nice environment instead of inside. I like to have background noise while studying whether it is a movie or music.
- Tell us about a resource that you have used/learned about this semester that will assist you next semester.
I have learned that booking a room in the library is better than staying at my dorm because it allows me to work harder rather than going to my room. It also helps me because I am surrounded by resources in the library that can help me study and complete my assignments.
- What study habits/techniques will you use going into next semester?
I intend to continue working in groups with others in my classes. I will also continue to go beyond my dorm and do work in different areas around campus. I will continue to spread my work throughout the week and complete assignments before the due dates.
Health Professions Learning Community
- 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.
- 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 two classes that were most connected were history and sociology. An example of this would be in sociology we learned about specific gender roles and expectations which connected to the topic of coverture in history. The two courses went side by side when talking about different topics. The teachers always referred to each other and the things we were learning in the opposite class.
Parallel Plan
- This semester we had presentations from different majors in the College of Health Sciences as well as from different majors on campus. This was to give you an idea for possible parallel majors to your current intended major.
- Which two other majors would you be most interested in? Why?
The two majors, other than my chosen major, I would be interested in are Speech and Language Pathology and Nursing. I would choose nursing because there is such a broad variety of jobs in the nursing field. I would choose Speech and Language Path because it is the most closely related to dental hygiene. Either way all three of these majors are beneficial and give you an opportunity to help others.
- What benefit is there to having a parallel plan (or two) in place?
A benefit from having a parallel plan would be that if you don’t get accepted into your intended degree program you have a backup that you also enjoy. Another benefit is if you do get into the program and you don’t enjoy the career path you have other options.
- How could one or both of these two majors benefit your current intended major?
For my intended major we are required to minor in something. I can minor in speech and language pathology and still have it as a backup career plan. Not everything in life goes as planned so it’s helpful to have something to fall back on even if it’s not your first choice.