Semester Reflections

Semester 1

I think life in University has been a big change to my lifestyle, but not one that is unwelcomed.  Living in a dorm was rough for the first few days of the semester.  I had trouble falling asleep and the noise in the hallway would keep me awake until the early hours of the morning.  In addition, living in a small space with a complete stranger was also difficult to cope with, since I’ve only ever lived with my parents and am an only child.  But, as I got used to it and started making my dorm look more like home, I found it easier to sleep and even enjoyed being in my dorm.  My roommate and I get along, which was something I was worrying about before I moved in.  The workload wasn’t as hard to adjust to as I thought it would be, though occasionally there would be nights where I would stay up until very late hours in order to complete assignments.  Midterms were a bit of a struggle though, since some of my classes have many midterms throughout the semester.  It always felt like I was behind in those classes, but it has gotten easier as time went by.  Now with finals, I am worried but I am studying hard and to the best of my ability, so I can score the highest I possibly can on them.  

Being a part of Art Scholars was definitely an unforgettable experience.  I made many new friends through this program, and I found myself looking forward to every Monday so we could hang out after class.  I found the activities we did very enjoyable, and I think the TRYathlon was a great way to have us be introduced to new forms of arts and crafts.  One of the assignments that stuck with me was our class on improv.  Though I found it embarrassing, I think it was a good way to break the ice and initiate conversation in a group of people you don’t know.  I also found the musical improv the other group did on their own fascinating.  I will try to use this knowledge in the future to help me talk in conversations.  

One of my biggest challenges this semester was managing stress.  I definitely have lots of bad habits when it comes to stress, so finding a different way to relieve it in the future is definitely a must.   Through my experiences in art scholars and university in general, I think I’ve definitely stepped out of my comfort zone.  I’m not a person that really likes change, so I was surprised at my ability to quickly adapt to my new situation.  I am very grateful for this experience as it has definitely changed my perspective on life in general.  My expectations going into university weren’t at all high, as I know that college is very hard and it would be hugely different from high school.  I feel like I have generally met my expectations, my grades are decent and what I expected with a semester of college under my belt, and I have gotten to know some people.  I’m grateful to art scholars for introducing me to so many people, many of whom are like me and have the same interests.  I feel like as long as I set realistic expectations and work hard to reach that goal, I will be able to move forward with more motivation.