Due Date: May 11, 2021
Beyond my Scholars colloquium, I found my biology course first semester and my psychology course second semester to be the greatest surprise to me. My biology course first semester, BSCI160, was with a great professor that I really admired. She made me want to learn more about her course and it motivated me to study and review for her exams. Additionally, the topics in BSCI160 were very interesting to me. BSCI160 focuses on ecology and evolution, parts of science that I never have really focused on in high school. The topics were really interesting to me, which also made me want to learn and study more about it. Then, I had my psychology class this semester, PSYC234, which was about the psychology of happiness. This class was actually very useful to my own life and happiness. We learned about different techniques that scientists have proven to make one happy and implemented the strategies into our own lives. My professor for this class was very kind and considerate, which made for a great professor teaching this class. I really valued the in-class discussions and small group discussions we would have.
At the beginning of first semester, I really wanted to meet with my professors and try to build a relationship with them, since I have heard from others that I should try to do this. My first success was with my BSCI160 teacher that I mentioned above. She had office hours twice a week and I would regularly attend, whether it was to ask her a quiz question or to explain a topic or to learn more about her own research. Then, for our second semester, she actually reached out to a handful of students that she wanted to take part in her research project. While I did receive the email, which was an honor itself to me, I did not get chosen to help her in her research. However, I had a meeting with her just last week because she said she would try to help me find research to do over summer. She really wanted me to find research I was interested in, and not just in anything, which I came to realize is really important. Additionally, I was chosen to be the freshman representative for SGC for the Student Advisory Board (SAB). This was a great opportunity for me to meet Central Staff at Scholars and build relationships with them. The leader of the SAB meetings, Mrs. Jeany Cadet, is on scholars Central Staff. This was a great way to build a relationship with her since I was meeting with her and my other scholar representatives once every other week. To build relationships with professors and faculty, I recommend going to your professor's office hours and joining clubs that a faculty member is in charge of.
Meeting fellow SGC students, especially within the floor of my residence hall, has made the adjustment from high school to college and leaving home, a lot easier. Everyone else is in the same position as you, so most people are very welcoming to making new friends, especially at the beginning of the year. I was shocked to see so many people being so welcoming and friendly to me, but it was very comforting. The greatest obstacle for me was just really building up the courage to talk to others. But seeing everyone else do it, made it a lot easier. Next year's freshman can make use of their connections by creating study groups for classes or friends to go to the dining hall or gym with. They can also use their SGC friends to complete some of the activities together, such as the field trips.
With the transition from senior year of high school, when senioritis was very high, to freshman year of college, when I should be working very hard, was difficult. The amount of work from the end of senior year to freshman year of college was little to a lot. Prospective students have to be ready to work their best and try their best. And I always thought college was going to be impossibly hard, but it is not if you put effort in. Incoming freshmen should be prepared for college, and not expect their high school level classes. Another challenging aspect to get used to was the amount of resources that I did not know I had to use. For example, for some of my science classes, Guided Study Sessions (GSS) were available, but I had no idea. Utilizing resources and figuring out what the resources are was very challenging, but once I knew about it, I could then use it for my own benefit. When you encounter a problem, I also suggest reaching out to your peer mentor because they will probably know the answer or at least be able to guide you in the right direction. Another great resource is your SGC professors and TA's because they are there to help you and will be with you for two whole years, which is a lot longer than your other professors.