First Semester Experience

Finding My Way

When I first started looking at various colleges, I wasn't exactly sure where I wanted to go, but I was primarily looking at schools in Indiana. After doing some research, I found IU Indianapolis and applied to the college and to the Honors Program. I learned in November that I had been accepted to IU Indianapolis, and I received the invitation to be in the Honors College in March. I was then between two colleges and really wasn't sure which one to choose, but in the end, I ended up choosing to attend IU Indianapolis. When I attended orientation in the summer, I was nervous and felt like I wasn't prepared to start college yet, but I loved my time and was excited to have my schedule and start my classes. The excitement turned into anxiety again during Bridge Week, though, because I felt like I was out of place and missed home tremendously. Then classes began, and I started to get into the groove of studying and finding new people to hang out with. Looking back now, I have changed a lot since the start of the semester and feel more like I am at home here at IU Indianapolis. 

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Along the way, I have had oodles of experiences that have taught me lessons about myself and why I am here. When I first started one of my classes, Structural Kinesiology, I did not have effective study methods and was not doing very well on the quizzes. This was very unlike me and made my anxiety worse. I realized that I would need to communicate with the professor, Dr. Naugle, and find ways that worked for me in order to succeed. I was nervous to reach out at first, but then, one day I went to his office before class, and he was able to help me realize what I needed to do in order to succeed. I also asked my Honors Peer Mentor for advice as well and took her advice of watching the lectures before class, and now this class has turned into my favorite class of the semester. This event was significant because it showed me that college is different than high school and that I would need to find new ways to study in order to succeed. From this experience, I learned that I shouldn't be scared to reach out for help when I need it and that there are multiple people here who want everyone to succeed. 

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Throughout this semester, I have learned about my varying strengths and weaknesses. I have learned that one of my strengths is that I am very determined in anything that I do. I am determined to succeed in my schooling and will not listen to anyone who tells me that I can not do something or that I am bad at something. For example, in all of my classes, I am determined to do my best on all assignments, especially exams, so I make sure that I ask any questions and do all I can to prepare for each exam. For Structural Kinesiology, I went to almost every single office hour to review the material to ensure that I understood what it was about, and overall it caused my grade to increase. One of my weaknesses I have learned is that I am not good about getting out of my comfort zone. Towards the beginning of the semester, I was more likely to go to an event even if I did not know anyone, or talk to anyone in class, but now, I stay back and let people come talk to me rather than reaching out. For example, many of my professors talked about making study groups, and at first, I tried to, but then I decided that I study better on my own, causing me to not reach out to any of my other classmates. I am going to improve on getting out of my comfort zone more often, though, and branching out and trying new things to make the most of my college experience. 

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One big lesson I learned from this semester is that I have to make the most of my experience and that others cannot do it for me. I realized that I will not always have someone I know interested in something I want to do, but instead of deciding not to go, I need to be my own person and make the most of every experience I encounter. This lesson will allow me to look at my life in a different way and will allow me to enjoy every experience rather than being anxious that people won't like me. One piece of advice I would give myself for next semester is to not be scared to reach out to other people to hang out or have a study session. Oftentimes, other people also do not want to reach out, but that doesn't mean that I can't be the one to put myself out there. Also, I would tell myself not to stress so much about the little things and to just enjoy all of the opportunities I have here in college.