6A&B: Self Assesment

To be completely honest, my first semester at Southern, as full time college student, was tough. Everything was completely new to me, so different from anything I have ever experienced before. There were times when I didn’t know if I would even make it this far. I survived it though! Now I can say, with great accomplishment, that I am going into the second semester of my college life with a wealth of knowledge and lessons that will help me to succeed. As I reflect back to the beginning of the year, I can see how much I have achieved and learned.

My biggest challenges, so far, have been getting my homework in on time and staying focused on school work. I found myself getting distracted by my phone, Netflix, my friends, and almost anything else. It was harmless at first but, it began to get in the way of my assignments. I also didn’t realize how much time and effort was needed for just one assignment. I would end up underestimating how hard it really was and, then, I would cram to finish it an hour or two before class. Even something that was easy to do, still involved a lot of time and effort. It would require research or interviews or, even, some added creativity. Luckily, I was able to fix these challenges before my grades began to suffer too much.

My biggest achievement, so far, would, most likely, be not going home every weekend. One of the reasons I picked this school was because it was far enough away from home, where I could stay and create a life but, still go home as often as I needed to, without it being too much of a hassell. Little did I know that this would be such a tease. Every time Friday rolled around, I was so tempted to jump on a ferry and go back to my comfy home. Especially, because almost everyone here clears out on the weekends. I am also very close to my family and a lot of my friends stayed home. There was a lot was temptation for me to go home, but I knew I had to start learning how to live on my own, and I needed to make new friends. I try to go home at least once a month.   

Next semester has to be different, I am going to make sure of that. My grades are going to matter more for the Communications Disorders Program. I can officially apply to the program. This means I need to keep, at least, a 3.0 average. I also want to take on some more responsibility, too. I really need a job. I would really like to get one on campus, mainly because I don’t have a car here and I don’t want to bring it on campus. I am hoping to get a job as a lifeguard during free swim hours at Peltz gym. I also want to join a sorority. I will be rushing Delta Phi Epsilon in the beginning of January. I know its a lot more to take on, but I know I can handle it if I stay focused.

My first semester at Southern taught me a lot. Not all of it was academics either. I learned how to make friends and how to be a better friend. I learned how to set and maintain achievable goals. I have even learned how to be a better all around student. I can’t believe the first semester is over already. It was such a great experience for me. Time really does fly by. Hopefully, the next semester will teach me even more.