Reflecting on my First Semester of College

Reflecting on my First Semester of College Happy Holidays, everyone! I can’t believe it’s already December and that I have officially completed my first semester of college. Coming into my freshman year, I had many expectations. While many of those were met, I also encountered a lot of surprises. Not to mention, I learned more about myself and developed as a person. All throughout high school, teachers would tell students that college was going to be a lot different from high school and that high school was meant to prepare us for the rigor of college. In high school, I never stayed up past 11 working on homework. Now, I often find myself staying up until 1 or 2 AM (or even later) to finish my assignments One night during finals, I stayed up until 4 AM studying for an exam I had at 8 AM that same morning. College isn’t a joke; every single assignment, attendance point, and other minuscule things add up very quickly! I can’t just read the chapter or briefly look over my notes for exams. Now, I have to read my notes, reread the chapter, rewrite my notes, go to office hours, etc. While this is different from class to class, college coursework is not something that should be taken lightly. Although my first semester of college was difficult, I can say that I wouldn’t mind doing it again. This past semester taught me so much about myself and I’ve realized how much potential I have, along with the passion I have for psychology. I know it’s not going to be an easy road for the remainder of my time at the University of Illinois, but I’m excited to embrace the time I have left here. I’m stoked to go through college with some of the amazing friends I’ve made here. Thanks to everything I’ve endured this semester (good and bad), I know that I am more than capable of being successful throughout the remainder of my college career. Here’s to 7 more semesters and here’s to an amazing 2019! Nisha Class of 2022 The first time I visited Illinois, I knew that it was the school for me! I am on the pre-med track, majoring in Psychology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.