Final Reflection

I have learned to make adjustments in and out of the classroom. Once I spent some time in each class I was able to develop study skills and decide on how much study time I should spend for each class. Additionally, I was able to balance my social life, extracurriculars, and school. I expected the transition from high school to college to be difficult. This semester’s experiences did not meet my expectations. I have not struggled so far in any course. I am maintaining my grades and have time to do the things I like. Something I wish I knew 14 weeks ago is to write down all the due dates in advance when we got our syllabi. Also, I wish I knew to not get too stressed out about school when it hadn’t even started yet and that I was going to be able to manage my course work.

For chemistry I spend at least two hours studying. For sociology and history I spend about an hour studying. I don’t need to study for English, because there is no material that is assigned for us to review and be tested on. Compared to at the beginning of the year where I assumed that I would need to spend three hours studying each subject matter. I used to take notes in every subject and make flashcards out of those notes. Now I only make flashcards for the theory’s venn diagram in sociology, chemistry, and history. I was able to take advantage of the writing center resource that is provided. It was very helpful, though I was skeptical at first. The writing center helped me compose two essay’s, and one of them even got a 100%! A study technique that I will use next semester is deciding which classes I should use flashcards to review material and which classes I should just review the notes. 

While doing readings and taking notes for history and sociology, I noticed some historical events mentioned to explain some sociological theories. As well as for history, I picked up on some sociological terms used in the History readings. As for chemistry, an extra credit opportunity was relating to the Flint, Michigan water crisis. Though it can be tied to chemistry with the lead that was found in the water, it was also a social injustice because the people of Flint suffered greatly. The food security event was most beneficial to me. I was surprised to see what a big issue it is and how a lot of people actually lack access to the proper nutrition that they need. As many know, a balanced diet plays a major role in one’s health. Therefore, if people do not have access to the nutrients they need, there is a higher probability that their health will be compromised.