My first semester of college has finally come to an end.
This semester has been an exciting, stressful, fun, and difficult experience all at the same time.
I was very unsure about what college would be like going into
this new chapter of my life, and I was extremely nervous that I would not do as
well as I did in high school. I was faced with quite a few challenges that I
had never experienced in my previous schooling. I learned that I am no longer
able to float by with the bare minimum of effort. Each of my courses gave a significant
amount of work, and I was forced to increase my effort substantially in order to
remain on track. I think that the hardest challenge I faced this semester was
managing my time with such a large work-load. Thankfully, I am not the type of
person who gives up in the face of adversity, so with the help of a strict
schedule and determination to get a high GPA my first semester, I succeeded and
did not fall under the pressure.
Along with those challenges, I have also experienced quite a
few achievements at Southern so far. Despite the times when I just felt
completely overwhelmed and wanted to curl up in a corner and give up, I always
persevered. I think that the key to success is simply not giving up when the
going gets tough. It always seems like the easiest and best option at the time,
but in the long run, facing your problems head on is the only way to conquer
them. I feel that I have put my maximum effort into every project I've done or test I've taken in college so far and that work has paid off in regards to my
grades. I wanted to get “A”s in all of my classes this semester, and I have
achieved that goal.
Next semester I may be applying to the education program and
I think that I need at least a 3.7 GPA to be accepted. That fact was my main
motivation factor in my courses so far. If I want to follow my dream of being a
teacher, I have to put all of my time and energy into my classes right away. It
is not like high school where your junior and beginning of senior year are
really all that matters and once you’re accepted to a college you can stop
trying. I was told from the first day of orientation that it is extremely difficult to bring
your GPA up significantly in college, so I knew I had to try my hardest
immediately. I do not feel that I necessarily need to change anything in order
to improve next semester because I have been successful so far in my college
career, but I definitely need to keep working as hard as I have been and not
start slacking off.
My goals for next semester will be generally the same as
those I had for this year: get “A”s in all of my classes and keep my GPA above
a 3.7 so that I can get into the education program. If I study for all of my
tests and quizzes, read and comprehend whatever readings I am assigned, make a
specific schedule for my assignments, avoid procrastinating, and go above and
beyond requirements, I can absolutely continue achieving these goals.
I have come to realize that college is a very difficult
journey. It requires far more work and energy to be thrive, but it is my future
at stake. I know that all of the time I put into my studies now will pay off in
the future, and that is what has driven me to succeed in this semester, and
will continue to push me in semesters to come.
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