I JUST FINISHED MY FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE! Sorry for yelling, but this is the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life! I’m not just talking academically either. I never knew the amount of effort that goes into maintaining physical and mental health all while striving for more than stellar grades and getting involved. I did manage to find my footing, but there’s still much work to do.
Year in Review
First Semester
The first semester was all about adjusting to a new environment, the struggles of “adulting”, and learning to balance so many things at once. I even had a new job! Mastering the art of time management was a huge feat during this time and I think I did a pretty good job at tackling it. There were times I had to remind myself to get some use of that expensive planner I bought last Summer as I noticed that I was really leaning on sticky notes and whatnot. I think when my current planner is outdated, I’ll opt for a much cheaper one since I evidently don’t use them like that.
Besides struggling with this, I also had to learn how to study for math. I think the right side of my brain is stronger than the left because I can read something a few times and it’s whatever, but when it comes to math, there’s a lot of practice involved. Practice, as in redoing problems until you can do them in your sleep. My math grade wasn’t as cute as my others, but I studied really hard for the final and pulled a B; I’m very proud of that B too!
Second Semester
The second semester was so much harder and I mean by a landslide too. It’s like the workload of my classes had doubled and I had to come up with an entirely new routine for everything. Labs were a totally new thing for me as well– the reports were the bane of my existence. Not to mention that this was the first semester of me actually taking some prereqs for med school. I eventually found my footing towards the end of the semester. I also had to come to terms that that 4.0 GPA that I wanted was not going to happen, maybe next semester. This semester really did make me appreciate the fact that I will have more balance next Fall as I will be getting into the classes for my major.
Personality Wise
I’m still as socially awkward as ever. I have conversations at length and when it’s all said and done the “Why would you say that?” and “Why are you so awkward?” questions start swirling in my mind. I’m working on it though! As far as student organizations, I really hope I can get more involved next semester. Going to meetings regularly was a goal of mine this semester, but there were so many conflicts with my schedule (those darn night classes) it just didn’t work out.
I’ve decided to take a cue from Shonda Rhimes and learn how to say “Yes” a little more without overwhelming myself. College is supposed to be an enjoyable time. Premed or not, being present is definitely something I’m working on. Overall, I didn’t have a bad year. I was accepted into the Honors College, the LLC of my choice, and have become a better student. I’ve also learned how self-care is imperative when trying to tackle those hard, exam-packed weeks.
Proudest Moment:
Making that B in math after having a C for the bulk of the semester
Biggest L:
I misread the schedule for Finals and ended up thinking that my math exam was on Tuesday when it was actually on Monday. Basically, I poured my soul into the email asking my professor to let me make up the exam. I’m so grateful that I wasn’t the only one who made this mistake. I’m abundantly grateful for my professor’s grace because she didn’t have to do what she did.
Biggest Challenge:
Making sure I was “good” while having to deal with so much work and studying.
Most Embarrassing Moment:
I didn’t realize I had a presentation to give until it was time to give it. I’m so glad it wasn’t a research-based presentation because I would’ve been screwed.
Greatest memory:
Going to see the Christmas Illumination with my suitemates; we had the best time!
Lesson Learned:
It’s okay to strive to be the best, just as long as it’s based on your standards, not anyone else’s. That’s exhausting.
Let’s talk about Summer!!
I had something planned for this Summer, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out. That taste of misfortune left me scrambling– I had no idea what I was going to do! Thankfully, I’m participating in a Research Bootcamp which will hopefully open some doors for me in that field. I really want to work on some applications for Summer programs though; there’s so many out there with so many different prompts/essays and I just want to get them out of the way. Most of all, I want to chill out before I have to come back and deal with the madness of college all over again.
Leave a Reply