12.14.2013

16A&B: It's Been Fun

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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