Category: College Experience

I am from Mexico. The city where I live is called Obregón city in Sonora State (at north of the Mexican Republic). I attend to Obregón city campus. I came to John Abbott almost alone; I said this because the other two girls that are here too were only classmates for me, until now that I know them much more. I made friends here, so yes I do have friends studying at John Abbott. This is my first time studying abroad; I really appreciate the effort my parents did to send me here. Since I was little I always wanted to study in other place, out of Mexico, explore, know, learn about the world and other cultures make me feels so excited and happy.

I have thought in two careers, but I not really sure if I want to study that. The think that the two of them have in common is that in both you make researches. My first option is psychology; this one is because I like to understand the human behavior, help people when they need to. Last but not least, it is entomology. I truly like to investigate the insects. Indeed I like to investigate all sorts of things. Why am I not sure? Well, it is hard to choose one option, and another big factor is I need to see if there are good jobs for one of them. I don’t want to be a person who study something, but never work in what I studied. Those situations really frighten me out. It is important to say that I don’t see myself working on an office with a boss. I imagine me being my own boss, or working travelling around the world doing investigations, giving conferences, or having my own business.

My parents didn’t influence in my decision of studying abroad. Along time ago they have known that studying abroad was one of my dreams and aspirations. I hope and wish with all my heart that in another time of my life, maybe in college, go to another country to continue studying.

Right now, I don’t have any fears or feel stressed about studying at John Abbott College. On the contrary, I honestly am excited of being here. I feel confident of myself, because I know what I am capable for, also John Abbott gives you all the support you need if you are struggling. It´s very thrilling see the differences between Mexican schools and Canadian schools.

In career exploration, I would like to make tests to see if what other options I can consider, besides the two I already have and check if I am qualified for them. I wrote “check if I am qualified for them” because sometimes, but not often I doubt of myself, and I want to be really sure if the career I choose is the one for me. Contradicting, a nice motto for me is “attitude not aptitude”.

I would like to add that this is a huge opportunity to improve myself. An important thing of me is that am independent in some many ways (I mean I don’t depend if other people do it, to do it too), I have role models and take them as inspiration and motivation, but I create my own path, my own future.

Brotherhood and sisterhood. Those two words have such a significant meaning. There is a difference between friendship and brotherhood or sisterhood. They create a bond that is completely different from others. If one needs help, advice, someone to lean on, they will always know either their brother or sister will be there for them twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Sororities and fraternities are a huge part of college campuses across the entire nation, if they were to be banned, the college experience would simply just not be the same. Greek life on college campuses brings a whole new experience to students that not many other organizations can possibly do. They bring together young men and women and create this bond that cannot be broken. Sororities and fraternities honestly do create a sisterhood or brotherhood, in my opinion, in a way that nothing else can do as much. Once one gets involved in a fraternity or sorority, it truly opens their eyes on all the positive aspects that a Greek organization can bring to them.

The main concern most people have with Greek organizations being on college campuses is purely the poor reputation that these organizations have with the public eye. For a great majority of people, fraternities and sororities are nothing more than a social club. “Most fraternities and sororities, however, serve mainly as social clubs” (“Fraternity and Sorority”). They see it as a house of binge drinking, drug abusing, and hazing of new members. Sure, if one only watches movies such as “National Lampoon’s Animal House” and “Old School” or news reports of fraternity hazing or deaths caused by hazing; fraternities may appear as though that is all they have to offer are parties, drugs, and hazing. For one, there are so many laws against hazing today. It is completely different than it was twenty years ago, Greek organizations as a whole do not promote hazing what so ever. If anything makes someone feel uncomfortable, that individual not only can but also is encouraged to speak to his or her chapter advisor about the issue.

Now to approach the accusation of binge drinking and drug abuse; granted there is alcohol use in fraternity and sorority houses and parties. Saying that, all members are required to go to several alcohol use and awareness classes where they are educated on how to use alcohol wisely. Also, many Greek organizations have a zero drug tolerance policy, in which if an active member is caught with any sort of illegal substance would instantly be revoked of membership in said Greek organization.

Many people believe that at fraternity parties, the fraternity members do their absolute best to intoxicate females to get their way with her, to have a “one night stand.” “I like a girl who wears clothes that reveal some of her body, so I can, I don’t know, so I can see what she looks like” — “The whole idea is that they come cheap, I don’t ever need to see them again unless I want to” (Sanday).

Admittedly, there are a select few members in practically every fraternity that only cares about partying, getting high, and attempting to get as many women without having intimate relationship with said individual. Saying that, there are way more people like that who are not even in affiliated with a Greek organization, so it honestly is not fair for one to create a complete stereotype of members in Greek organizations. Fraternities and Sororities are not all about partying, drugs, sexual activities, and hazing. The true purpose for fraternities and sororities is to stimulate scholarship, build character, and promote brotherhood and sisterhood. Greek organizations really do have quality people as members for the most part. They look for the qualitites mentioned earlier in every single one of their possible members. These qualities without a doubt create an overall genuine, determined, and kind-hearted person.

The second argument when it comes to people wanting to ban fraternities and sororities on college campuses are the cost aspect of joining a Greek organization. It is true that there are going to be some dues that do need to be paid in the joining of a Greek organization. There are social fees and new membership fees. Some people may see this as people “buying their friendships” when paying their dues while joining a fraternity or sorority. Which may lead them to believe that the so called brotherhood or sisterhood you just paid to be a part of should not at all even be considered a brotherhood or sisterhood. On the contrary, this is not true at all. Even though one pays dues to be a part of a fraternity or sorority, they are not buying their friendships at all. These fees all go towards the national board, which is then used to improve the specific organization as a whole. Not a soul in the Greek organization pockets the money that one spends to join a said organization to then go and spend it for personal purposes. Whether it is repairs for the house in which members stay in, building new houses, supplying catering services for residents in the house, the money that is spent by members only goes towards the improvement of the chapter as a whole.

Another reason why one is not buying their friends while joining a Greek organization is because the friendships that are made are genuine and one hundred percent real. If someone honestly bought their friendships, the friendships would be completely shallow; no one would be friends with each other, but rather just more like acquaintances. According to surveys done by Abowitz, Deborah A., and David Knox of College Student Journal, members of fraternities and sororities actually are extremely relationship oriented; they voted being happy, being in love, and having close friends as the top important things to them. From personal experience, I know that the relationships made with fellow members in a fraternity are like nothing else I have had before. I know that they will always be there for me, and I would do the same for them. It truly is a bond that cannot be broken, and I am saying this after just 7 weeks of pledging. I am not even a member yet, and I definitely feel without a doubt as if I am already in their brotherhood and a brother to every single one of them.

Obviously, students come to college for an education; that is the true main purpose. I completely understand that, and firmly believe that every single student should try to give his or her absolute best effort in the classroom. Saying that, I also believe that every student should make the most of their college experience. It is true that joining an extra curricular activity such as a Greek organization does take a huge commitment and significant amount of time and effort.

Many people believe that joining a fraternity or sorority is setting oneself up for poor performance in the classroom, which will end up leading to a low grade point average in college. They also believe that non-Greek students compared to Greek students have a much higher GPA (DeSantis). But, that is not necessarily a true statement. Fraternities and sororities all require their pledges and members to have a minimum grade point average to become a member or continue to be a member. Also there are requirements for members to have a certain amount of hours dedicated strictly to studying every week and that number is monitored very carefully. Without a doubt, members of Greek organizations are much more busy than other college students who are not all that much involved. Nevertheless, there is enough time in the day to be able to manage both well and successfully. Keeping this busy actually is actually good for a person. It teaches time management; a tool that is so crucial for every person that wants to be successful in this world.

Therefore, fraternities and sororities should not be banned from college campuses at all. Honestly there is no die-hard evidence on why there should be an end to Greek organizations. Fraternities and sororities enhance a student’s college experience; college is what one makes it, so why not make it the best experience that one could possibly have? Greek organizations stimulate scholarship, promote brotherhood/ sisterhood, and build character. These virtues are what build and create the leaders of tomorrow. Also, all the people that one meets while being involved in a Greek organization creates a whole new network of connections that simply would just not have been possibly if it were not for their membership in the Greek organization. These newly formed networks will only be a positive influence for the future; a whole new job market will be available to one just because of the people that they know. The positives that one can gain from their membership in a Greek organization far outweighs the negative appearance that society attempts mold for the idea of what fraternities and sororities are actually all about. All in all, fraternities and sororities should definitely not be banned from college campuses.

The college experience and benefits could be described as a photo album. Imagine looking back upon your education and seeing a picture of each encounter and gain. My album would include three main folios. The pride taken by myself and my family upon receiving a bachelor’s degree. The abundance of knowledge of both things you believe you will never use and those things that surprise you when you do. Along with the differences in people you befriend and come across during your years at college. Each folio, however separate, culminates these events into what we look back upon and call our college experiences.

I look forward to the day I can hold my hand out and accept my diploma, to hug and shake hands with my family. That intrinsic reward has no monetary value and can never be taken away. The look upon my family’s faces of joy and pride for my self discipline and sacrifice needed to obtain my goal. Most importantly I will be able to tell my son that his Mommy and Daddy have bachelor’s degrees, allowing us to parent by example. When I look back on all the good times of my life, only a few will standout as exceptional, I believe this will be on of those times.

A college experience can simply be the forced enrollment to a variety of courses you would never take by your own accord. This core curriculum is intended to leave you well rounded with a slice of basic knowledge in all higher education fields of study. For me, the most important benefit is the ability this diversification gives you to identify false or misleading statements by the media or other experts. Everyone has an angle or an agenda and education can aid you in identifying them. While taking new courses you may discover a new interest possibly a new major. The majority of students enter college with an undeclared major or change their major multiple times. For instances, I’ve majored in English, History, Political Science, Pre-Law, Marketing, Sales and presently Business Administration. College introduces you to new subjects and with these varying areas of interest you eventually elevate one above the rest.

College is a stew of Ethnic, cultural and race diversity; there is no possible way the meat isn’t going to rub against the carrot and potato. Most people grow up in a strict socio-economic demographic and this is a chance to meet people outside of that demographic. It is interesting to hear new ideas and perspectives of people who didn’t grow up with you. It is hard to accept people different culturally if you have never had the opportunity to interact with them. One of the greatest treasures we as Americans overlook is our freedom making America a melting pot.

Benefits of college like the collage of pictures on your cork board will have favorite moments and lesser ones. Standing before the mirror with your chest out looking at the tassel that has been moved from the left to the right of your hat. The first time you realize that Joe Newspaper is controlled by the right and thus their views on the left may be askew. Or simply, hearing a sound argument against something you’ve full heartily have believed your entire existence. All are experiences that will benefit you throughout life.

Finally, I’m starting to write my college essay. I don’t know what is hard, constructing it or trying to think of my achievements, I was raised to be modest about my achievements, whatever they might be. Applying for college is nothing but bragging, and it makes me uncomfortable. Every college essay you are likely to see it entails achievements from top to bottom, that’s not me! Not yet, I don’t have it all figured it out. I’m still getting myself around this thing called adulthood. Those applicants who have already tasted far-reaching success are wellformed as people. They already know what works and see no reason to change. Why should they? They already have an invention in advance. They have life figured out, or sincerely believe they do. They are wrong. There is no better teacher than failure.

Think about it for a second. Wisdom is what you get from experience. Experience is what you get from failure. The transitive property works out from there. I know this because I failed, and it turned me around in a way that modest or even spectacular success could not have. If I can tell you, I was the first in the race but one slightest mistake I took my eyes off from the race before I knew it I slowed down and there I was a D.

Getting a D probably isn’t the worst thing in the world, but it’s not something anyone wants to see, let alone put, on a college application. It came back to me, scrawled in red, on my mid-year exam. The one the teacher had assured us was a third of our grade. I could already see my chances of a four-year college-going up in smoke before it even began.

What happened? I’m not a D student. I’ll get the occasional B, as well as the occasional A. D’s, is out of character for me, and enough of a stomach punch to really get my attention. The short version is, I didn’t study hard as I should have, and I don’t remember precisely why. There is always a reason not to study, isn’t there? I didn’t study and I went into an exam woefully unprepared and got beaten up.

I had two options here. I could accept that I was, in fact, a D student despite what I had thought. Or I could study hard for the next test and try to bring my grade up by the force of the average. I realized something pretty important: while I had already forgotten the reason I didn’t study, I never forgot the grade. Thus, the grade itself was far more important than whatever it was I was doing instead.

Imagine, instead, if I had gotten a C or even a B. It would have taken sheer, blind luck, but it could have happened. If this had happened, if I had succeeded rather than failed, I would have learned nothing. Or, at the very least, I would have learned that I didn’t have to study, which is the opposite of what any college-bound senior should learn.

I chose to work harder. By my failure, that D, I had already learned the consequences of not studying. At the end of the year, I got a better grade than I should have, based on strict averages. The teacher weighted improvement over other concerns. Those who buckled down and worked harder as the year progressed were rewarded. In essence, my hard work paid off twice over. Had I not failed, I would have learned nothing. I might have done much worse on my finals since I ‘knew’ studying was not important. Instead, by failing, I was able to write my course. Going into college, I have concrete experience with just how important hard work can be.

College is an important path that adults need to consider taking in their life. Considering one’s culture, beliefs, and environment, people will see college as a need or a want. Transitioning into college without any prior knowledge is stressful which can cause the person to not go to college. This essay will be covering a student’s perspective on her college experiences. The positive and negative factors that she had to overcome will show how she developed as a student and as a citizen in society. College is an institution of higher learning, so there are bound to be different scenarios that the student will encounter which will help build her characteristics and hone her skills for a better future.

The idea of transitioning into college is a huge step towards investing in a better future. Students are spoon fed from their kindergarten days to high school years. Applying to college is a step that the student needs to handle all on their own. Having to plan what college best suits them, students tend to have cold feet then decide to not go to college and instead apply for jobs. Other students have support from family and prior knowledge that can help smooth the transition into college. Depending on the current status of the person, the outcome of the student going to college can vary. My transition into college was one of total confusion, stress, and regrets.

During my senior year, there were several goals that I wanted to accomplish for my future but going to college was not one of them. I was part of an elite society referred to as National Honor Society (NHS), but I did not feel more special than the other student. I was president of the business club, yet it was not in my interest to pursue a future in the business field. I was given opportunities to take the SATs, ACTs, and ASVABs, but I did not see the purpose or benefits in it. I still took advantage of the opportunity because I was not given any other choice. I had good test results and a great academic standing, yet I did not bother to apply to any of the schools that reached out. My only plan was to get out of high school and get off the rock. Apparently, the universe did not agree with my plans, and had set obstacles in my way to push me to where I am now.

During my high school graduation, I was surprised to find out that I was accepted into three off-island colleges, and I also received scholarships. I did not apply to any of these colleges or for any scholarships. I found out later that my counselor had applied for me and whenever I was told to sign papers and provide documents under the idea that it was for graduation. My plans began to change and improvise ever since my name was called during graduation. After the graduation, I made plans to live with my siblings in Utah and find a job to earn money. Money makes the world go around, so in order to survive this world, I believed that I had to make money and everything else will fall into place. My parents did not agree with my plan considering that I had better opportunities in furthering my education. It was best that I obeyed my parents because it would benefit me in the long run. I attended the meetings concerning the scholarships and I was given a choice to use my scholarship for an offisland college or the local community college. I may have been prepared to leave the rock, but I planned only to be surrounded by family members and friends. I was not prepared to meet the outside world and encounter new people in a new environment, so I decided to go to the local community college. In this situation I can apply the theory of constructivism by Piaget where it states: Piaget’s theory covered learning theories, teaching methods, and education reform. Two of the key components which create the construction of an individual’s new knowledge are accommodation and assimilation… Accommodation is reframing the world and new experiences into the mental capacity already present. Individuals conceive a particular fashion in which the world operates. When things do not operate within that context, they must accommodate and reframing the expectations with the outcomes.

My life did not go according to my plan, so the only choice I had left was to accommodate to the situation.

“One means of addressing the lack of preparedness of college freshmen students with regards to classroom behavior, deadlines, note-taking, and understanding a syllabus would be creating some forms of pre-college intervention with the local high schools” is exactly what I wished happened to me (Rodriquez, 2017). Since I did not plan to go to college, I did not want to participate or attend any of the college reach out programs. I did not care for college because no one in family went to college. I had no one in my life to influence me and help me understand why college should be an option after high school. All I had back then was a very strict counselor who would force me to go to the college outreach programs. The only college reach out I could escape was the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) which ironically was the only reach out I should have attended.

All the prior knowledge that could have helped me in my transition into college was thrown out the window because of my high school foolishness. I had a difficult time trying to understand the college jargon whenever I attended the other college reach outs. My mind would naturally shut down whenever I would encounter a predicament. Since I struggled with trying to understand college, I figured that attending college would be even worse and a waste of time and energy. I did everything in my power to convince my parents that college was not the right path for me. Fortunately, my counselor was looking out for me and she took advantage of the opportunities for me. If it was not for my counselor, I would have been sitting in an apartment that I could not afford, struggling trying to pay for rent, yet here I am sitting in my own house rent free, struggling to finish a research paper for a class that I did not have to pay out of pocket.

“Once admitted, underrepresented students … face additional challenges academically, socially, emotionally, and financially during their college career, further increasing the likelihood that these students will be denied a college degree” is a stretch of the truth when it comes to students in ASCC. I did not have to face any challenges academically, socially, emotionally, or financially when I was admitted into ASCC. Academically, my SAT and ACT scores helped me a lot when it came to choosing classes for my schedule. Majority of my graduating class chose ASCC as well, so my social life was intact. Emotionally, I was just glad that the beginning process was not as bad as I imagined. Since financial aid covered my tuition and books, the scholarship money became pocket money to buy extra school materials like a laptop. The only negative factor in my beginning process was the long wait in line for registration and the tiring back-and-forth process due to miscommunication among the staff members. Overall, my college introduction was smooth, and I started to believe that investing in my future was achievable.

“Many freshmen feel overwhelmed by the demands of college. Family support seems to be a key factor in adjustment, both for students commuting from home and for those living on campus … cost-effective peer support intervention can significantly ease the transition to college” may not fully apply to my situation in ASCC concerning living on campus, but all other factors apply. I may have been blessed with skills and knowledge, but in my family, I am the one with a weak heart. I always give up whenever I am confronted with a dilemma. One of the main reasons why I was able to graduate from high school was because of the huge support I got from my family. They continue to support me on my journey into college. My family can only help me so far, so I tread alone trying my best when I am on campus.

These individuals prefer interaction with others and opportunities for discussion. They enjoy the social context of situations and respond to verbal praise”. I love the idea of having group discussions with my classmates or friends when I am tackling a project or doing a simple assignment. My social group also act as my academic support group. Sometimes my friends would have some insight on how to approach some of my assignments because they already took the class. The class may have a rubric but extra guidelines or advices from friends do not hurt especially if it helps my case.

The other type of learning style is being a field-independent learner which is “an individual that prefers lectures and more formal teaching learning situations. These individuals tend to be more competitive and respond to external rewards, such as grades”. Some teachers love the idea of making their students compete, yet it is not effective, and students do not enhance their learning capabilities to the best of their abilities. I may love the idea of group discussions, but sometimes the information shared is not always right and credible. Lectures and independent study really help me collect my thoughts. I tend to understand some lessons in my own way that may confuse others. When students face challenging assignments, they will most likely turn to their friends for help, but the best option would be to turn to the instructor first. There are a lot of helpful programs on campus that are designed to provide professional assistance to students. These programs not only help with assignments, but also when students are interested in applying for a job.

“By their mid-twenties, most emerging adults are either working or pursuing advanced education or both. Those who enter the workforce face a rapidly changing picture. The nature of work is changing, and work arrangements are becoming more varied and less stable” I may not be in my mid-twenties, but the world of work is a place of familiarity. My parents are self-employed, so the rest of the family was automatically part of the workforce. My father is a fisherman while my mother handles several side jobs including delivery service for my father’s catch of the day. At the age of 5, I was my mother’s assistant and at the age of 20 I have been promoted to manager. I may not get paid like everyone else, but the roof over my head and food on the table is enough for me.

Some may say that I mistake my chores for work. Any work I do that falls under one of the many businesses my parents own is considered a job. The paycheck may not physically be in my possession, but every purchase my parents make for me comes from the money I ‘earn’ when I work. Most people enter the workforce and improvise their school schedule to accommodate their work schedule, but in my case, it is the opposite. I started kindergarten late, so I had to accommodate my work schedule with my education. When the schedule has been improvised then it is time to see if I could balance both factors in my life. “Working during college may also affect the likelihood of attending graduate programs … Therefore, while work itself may not be detrimental to an undergraduate education, it may be related to difficulties meeting criteria for graduate programs” it was not a problem for me because my father decreased my workload when I started going to college. I am grateful my parents understood from heart that I needed more time to tackle my work from school, so they delayed any jobs I had for the weekends. My first semester in college was a joke. I had so much free time on my hands, so my father thought he was making a mistake by decreasing my workload. I worked my regular amount during my free time. I am grateful that only happened during my first semester because the rest of my college journey was a challenge on its own.

I do not know how other students do it. I am lucky because my parents were not strict like actual bosses would be. I did not slack off even though I knew my parents would allow it. Other students make sacrifices and go home at the end of the day dead tired but still have the energy to do their homework. Students quit their jobs when they want to focus on their education. They are only able to quit their jobs because their parents support them. In other situations, students quit school because they cannot afford it. Without any support from family, these students are forced to focus on their jobs to save enough money to invest in the furthering their education. On their journey to save enough money, sometimes these students do not have the passion to continue their education, so they continue with their lives. There were times where I felt like quitting school and acquiring a job so I could see quick results. I wanted to support my family and give back to my parents. I knew that being rash would not help me or my family, so I stood fast and strong in my decision to enhance my education.

“Whether a person completes college may depend not only on motivation, academic aptitude and preparation, ability to work independently, but also on social integration and social support” are words that could not be any truer. I was motivated from day one by family and friends. The only reason my family motivated and supported me was because they saw hope in me. They noticed that I was a little different from other siblings concerning my academic aptitude. It was difficult for me to work independently, but with enough trial and errors I was able to work independently. Although I had applied for graduation at the beginning of that semester, I was still surprised and satisfied on the day I received my cap and gown. There were semesters that made me doubt the possibility of graduating. I thought I only had to worry about my assignments, but the educational universe was against it. I had to tread carefully on dangerous waters when it came some teachers that would grade my assignments emotionally. I had to push my brain over the capacity when it came to solving math problems or tackling a huge presentation.

I have fought a difficult war. My battle scars consist of papercuts, dry red eyes, back pain, and headaches. Fighting each assignment with my pens and pencils, I have conquered a lot of college experiences during my time. Some wars could have been handled better, but from my mistakes, my strategies have progressed. In the end I have come out victorious. I will never regret my decision to sign up for this torture. I have become a better person on Earth, a better democratic citizen in society, and a better member of my family. Each skill and knowledge that I acquired during my time on the ASCC battlefield will surely help me on my journey for a better future.

As a student, I am just a regular student who simply enjoys every second of my while at school with my classmates. My four years here in St. Dominic College of Asia is a wonderful journey for me. This journey is the time where I learend a lot of life lessons, a time where I matured as an adult, and the time of self-discovery & self-growth. it’s like a ride in a rollercoaster there will ups and downs, there will be fun times also there will be hardships to conquer and challenged to face cause as you see College is not like a walk in the park but Jurassic park, there many things you have to do first since first year to your last year at our alma matter there will always be obstacles you have to solved in order to be successful and strong someday, sure there will be good memories we will build, get and treasure forever while we’re at it that will use as our foundation for what we will become in the future.

My Journey to Graduation is quite interesting and full of mysteries along the way for I have gut feeling since first year in my college of what will be ahead of me on what will become of me someday after four years will I will be graduating like my seniors cause you really can’t tell what the near future holds for me whether for good or bad I will accept it with all of my life but since I have a big dreams to achieved someday, as well as goals to experienced, places rather the my home Philippines to visit and tour and to bucket list to checked, I really want to finish my studies for it’s a stepping stone for me to reach what I need and wants someday.

I also have plans to have a stable job and get and build business that will be successful someday and a bigger house and car and wealthy financial budget that will last for as long as I lived and to my heirs and kins. But writing this essay about my journey to graduation made me realize things that I can finally have a badge of honor as a proof that I’m a educated person that I have a worth in our society and it melts my heart that I can really finish my education and I can make both my parents and the relatives that supported me while I’m Studying proud.

My Research is my Feasibility Study about Elyn Enterprise. Elyn Enterpriae is a food selling business which its primary product is Ice cream cone with amapalaya taste. This feasibility study gave us a lot of sleepless nights and caused us having dark eye circle and pimples. But everything was worth it because of the precious memories made with my thesis buddies and the skills & knowledge honed during the research. I thank my groupmates and our adviser for helping me with everything to overcome this chapter of my college life.

One of the major requirement for Business Administration before you graduate is to undergo and take the Feasibility studies course this will test you if you can produce a product that is actually feasible so we have concluded and recommendations to this we made an executive summary about our report that I will attach later below, so our Executive summary goes like this The product is feasible will most likely to be purchased by many of the people in the market if sold with a reasonable and affordable pricing. However, the price of the product can be subjected to adjustment if necessary.

The company ELYN Enterprise product is called Ampy Ala Cone, which is an Ampalaya ice cream cone. This bitter in taste ice cream cone helps in maintaining blood sugar levels, lowering bad cholesterol level, cleansing the liver, for glowing skin and lustrous hair, and curing hangovers. Moreover, the product helps in weight loss, which boosts the immune system. Ampy Ala Cone undergoes in a complex process, especially in reducing its bitter taste. The company has preserved the bitterness of the main ingredients in a tolerable level, to make it distinctive from other varieties of ice cream cone that is also served as sweet. We aim to serve customers a unique and innovative product with nutrients that can be enjoyed by children because of its appearance. This will also be patronized by adults and elderly, especially for those who are health conscious. Through the unique product, the company is expecting that the customers will prefer it as an alternative ice cream cone for a healthier lifestyle. The mission of our company aims to sell healthy and innovative Ampalaya ice cream cone at an affordable price. And the vision company aspires to be the most well-known business that sells ice cream cone with Ampalaya flavor.

My internship experience is another highlight experience for me because it gave me an idea of how the real world works. Internship exposed me to my future work field so that I’ll be familiarize with the work when I enter the workforce. The internship I had taught me to be patient, hardworking, and dedicated. I learned to balance my time wisely with work, friends and family.

Another favorite experience I had is the international tour that we business administration students did. We went at Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. At Vietnam, we had the opportunity to present our feasibility study and luckily bagged the best feasibility project award. At Cambodia, we only stay in our hotel to get some rest because we only stay in camdodia of only 3 days Lastly, at Thailand we went to explore different fooda, night market and different culture. And we have a tour to see Crocodile show and Elephant show and we ride a boat to go at wet market na boat ride is a lot of fun.

In my third year we experience how to run a company through the compentition of JA PHILIPPINES. It’s really a hard time to run a company the financial and the uniqueness of our product. In the awards night we received an award 3rd place for Product of the year, 2nd for CEO of the year, and 1st place for Annual report its really a great experience for us as a student to try this kind of activity.

SDCA has been my 1st and last school in college, and I was really blessed because I was able to graduate on time despite of all the circumstances I faced. The empowerment from the top management unto us is really powerful! I was able to learn not just our lectures inside the classroom, but also how it can be applied in a corporate setting. The curriculum is with quality, it made me excel in everything I do. I can say SDCA helped me move out of my comfort zone. It isn’t perfect, but you will be amazed on how it’ll mold you to be the perfect you in a competitive world.

All I can say that is that Best College Ever! I learned a lot here in SDCA about many great things related to my course Business Administration. All the Professors are jam-packed with knowledge and experience to share to us students. The facilities are amazing. And most importantly, the program itself has a lot to offer like lectures, saturations, research, simulation activities, feasibility studies, and educational tours! By the time you finished college, you are most certainly ready to face the real world!

Thank you. I would like to dedicate this study to our Lord Almighty for giving them unwavering strength and for granting them knowledge that facilitated the researchers perform the appropriate actions they need for this study. Faith in God is one of their greatest assets, and the researchers would like to recognize Him above all, for His constant guidance and grace throughout this study.

I thank St. Dominic College of Asia for giving me this opportunity to flourished and grow as a mature and intelligent adult. To all of my professors, thank you for all of the valuable knowledge that they instilled in me. To all of my friends, thank you for being with me since day one and giving me encouragement when im feeling so down in my students thank you for always there for me.

Teamwork might be defined in simple words as a group of people who work together in a team to achieve a goal or work most effectively. I had the opportunity to evaluate its benefits during the last module of my studies and in this essay I am going to share my experience.

Our module BUS156 focused on sustainability, social justice, and good governance as the three main challenges during the time of COVID-19. While working together in a team, I developed good research and analytical skills that made my work effective and efficient, and I learned how to function together as a team wherein I acquired knowledge from other teammates as well.

The joint effort proved to be effective as during our group sessions we discussed and learned interesting facts on COVID-19 and the effects it has on the environment and businesses. I worked collaboratively with all the students, and we had a proper division of work along with working on Microsoft Teams. We used to meet for around forty-five minutes to discuss, analyze, and develop points for arguments. I focused on learning about the problems and understanding them, which enhanced my creativity and critical thinking. The designated groups were small, allowing all of us to think, share opinions, and scrutinize every possible aspect of the challenge. Among the group, we decided to distribute the work so that everyone gets a chance to present their opinion and contribute properly to the work.

The advantages this group work provided me were that I learned how a team works to accomplish a common goal, how work is distributed among members, and how to learn from each other’s mistakes. This helped me develop a lot of skills that I will use in future endeavors. In our first challenge (sustainability), we had too much on our first page of the presentation that was not correct, and in the referencing and bibliography section, we did not change the format and left inserting citations, but we kept on improving until reached the third challenge (good governance) where we were fully focused and determined to give our best.

For some people, it was new to work in a team which created problems and clashes within the team. Some teammates thought they were correct in the argument that they made without providing any evidence, on the other hand, I presented a different idea from my expertise for the team to work efficiently that later proved fruitful. We realized that we needed someone who could lead the team, and this helped us later in our other two challenges, where work was distributed in such a way that there were no clashes and mutual deadlines were set for the work to be completed on time. We would even fix a time to conduct a meeting on teams to have better communication and understanding regarding the challenges. We used to practice our presentation beforehand to complete our work in under five minutes, as we were told beforehand. Furthermore, we nominated a person from our group who would talk and lead the presentation.

My opinions and ideas were helpful for the team’s success, I also kept in mind that we should stick to the points which were relevant to the topic. I equally participated and contributed my part of the work to the team, which helped our group a lot while presenting the final presentation. At times, we all did not relate to each other’s perceptions at an equal level and even cross-questioned each other so that we could come up with better ideas, which I am sure helped us cope a lot.

After all, my experience of working in a group was that it helped me get good exposure. By acquiring better insights, I improved my power of thinking and developed good communication skills. In other terms, I enhanced most of the skills that I thought to improve on from my peers, and I gained a lot of knowledge while working on these challenges.

Learning plans are a key component of student learning in professional practice settings. The learning plan is a dynamic document that informs the learner, preceptor, and faculty advisor in relation to selecting learning opportunities. The idea is that learning evolves over the course of the practical experience as students’ learning needs unfold, therefore these plans are revisited and revised throughout the semester. The student is to reflect on their own personal knowledge base from past courses and clinical experiences to identify their knowledge gaps related to the needs of the practice setting and the Entry to Practice Competencies by the CNO. Consider the community of practice you are entering and identify the knowledge you will need to acquire in this setting to provide safe and effective care. It is important to set both short-term and long-term goals using SMART criteria.

Accountability, i.e. organization and time management: By midterm, I will be more organized with my daily schedule. I would like to develop a realistic time management list of duties that need to be performed throughout my shift organized in a priority manner.

1. Starting week 2, I will make a schedule with a breakdown of every 15 minutes of my shift to organize the activities that I have planned for the day, such as medications and vital signs. By creating a schedule with my daily activities, I will be able to keep track of what I have to do and ensure I am accountable to my patients by allocating time for all of them. (Windsor, 1987)
2. By October 20th I will be taking on more patients and will be improving my time management skills to be able to prioritize patient care to be able to complete my duties in a timely manner and complete required documentation. “In a study surveying the perception of preceptors on the newly hired nurses’ competencies, it was revealed that most lack competencies in psychomotor and assessment skills, critical thinking, time management, communication, and teamwork” (AlThiga, 2017) By improving my time management skills early on I will get in the habit of keeping track of my to-do activities and not risk forgetting or leaving anything to the last minute and rushing to complete them.
3. By the end of the semester, I will maintain my competence, and I will refrain from completing any activities in which I am not competent and confident. I will keep my preceptor informed on the activities I am not competent in completing but will work on becoming competent by reviewing procedures and learning from my preceptor. “The action that you take in response to this situation is guided by your sense of accountability. The patient, the institution, and society rely on your judgment and trust you to take action in response to this situation”. (Potter and Perry, 2014) Thus it is my responsibility to act accountable and only act in skills that I am confident in.

Knowledge, i.e. knowledge related to your specific clinical unit: The unit is called a short-term rehab unit, however, most patients are more long-term rehab waiting for long-term care. By week 4 I will be moving to more of an orthopedic acute care unit. By week 7, I will have a better knowledge of the process of recovery after orthopedic surgery. I will become more attuned to signs and symptoms to watch for to insure patient safety and comfort. I will become more familiar with medications often used for patients recovering from surgery.

1. By the end of the semester, I will “increase my knowledge about the diagnosis, side effects, nursing considerations, medications, and treatments, read patient’s charts to connect and understand the diagnoses, medications, and therapies.” (Lewis, 2017) During nursing school, students study in a specific way for their exams; however, during clinical, the objective is to be able to think and care for our patients critically. Thus, I need to make reviews and connections differently from school time. (Hosseini, 2011)
2. Throughout the semester, I will use the Medical Surgical textbook and my instructors as reliable resources for learning. With the amount of information we have available to us today, it is easy to get misleading information on the internet. Therefore, it is essential to use reliable sources to get information such as textbooks, instructors, checklists, agency protocols, and materials developed by the university as reliable sources of information (although, 2017).
3. Throughout the semester, I will review all drugs related to my patients and get familiar with side effects to watch for. Also for situations when you would hold certain medications depending on the patient’s condition. By week 3 I will also review the Semester 3 theory topic Post surgery to get myself more familiar with the procedures and interventions for common post-surgery complications. “nursing interns thought they are not adequately prepared with knowledge base and skills while faculty indicated that they prepare their students with the knowledge base and skills. These results represent a gap between what occurred in the clinical setting and what is considered important by students and faculty” (AlThiga, 2017).

Knowledge Application, i.e. nursing assessment and critical thinking: By week 9 until the end of the semester, I will be more confident in my abilities to thoroughly complete a head-to-toe assessment with more consideration regarding pain. I will be watching for verbal and non-verbal cues from my patients regarding pain. I will be performing the assessments in a more fluid manner without missing assessments or body systems.

1. Starting week 2, every shift I will practice my head-to-toe assessment on the more stable patients, in my current unit, when I approach them to complete their vital signs. Knowledge is the basis of everything, patient care, and critical thinking, but the desired outcomes will never be reached; the knowledge is not applied to the situation. (Potter and Perry, 2014) Knowledge application is the integration of information from several sources to understand and explain what is happening in the present case.
2. Throughout the semester, I will observe the way the other nurses on the unit perform their head-to-toe assessments to help develop my own strategy that works best for me. “Teaching is an interactive process that promotes learning. Teaching and learning generally begin when a person identifies a need for knowing or acquiring an ability to do something. A nurse-teacher provides information that prompts the patient to engage in activities that lead to the desired change” (Potter and Perry, 2014). Working with more seasoned nurses helps develop a more seamless routine to be able to get a proper, thorough, and timely assessment.
3. Throughout the semester, I will use the Physical Examination & Health Assessment text by Jarvis (2nd Ed.) and the Health Assessment labs checklist to approach the assessment in a logical order to make sure I don’t fail to assess a critical system. According to Popovich (2011) “the importance of a standardized system during shift changes reduce errors and achieve accurate, consistent communication. Students also reported that using the tool and reviewing it with instructors helped them overcome initial feelings of anxiety and fostered confidence.” Having a reliable resource is vital in reducing errors and making sure nothing is forgotten or misinterpreted when conducting a patient’s assessment.

Continuing Competence, i.e. skills related to your specific unit including documentation: By the end of the semester I will seek to expand my knowledge with as many opportunities made available to me. I will seek situations and patients with diagnoses’ that I have not worked with to maximize my clinical experience. I will also learn from constructive feedback given to me and through constant personal reflection.

1. By the end of the semester, I will take the initiative to learn new skills and get new experiences from my colleagues and other health care members in the hospital, and volunteer to watch or participate in skills that I have not had a chance to practice in a hospital setting. There are several opportunities for learning, and we should take advantage of them when “assuming responsibility for her/his professional development and for sharing knowledge with others” ( Lewis, 2017). It is my responsibility to grow by taking opportunities to learn. This requires “investing time, effort and other resources to improve knowledge, skills and judgment” where I need to seek resources to learn and grow.
2. Once a week I will seek feedback from my preceptor and other nurses on the unit and reflect on my practice based on their feedback and constructive criticism. My unit works very closely together so I am able to assist and receive feedback from many nurses. According to Potter and Perry (2014), “Teaching is an interactive process that promotes learning. Teaching and learning generally begin when a person identifies a need for knowing or acquiring an ability to do something. A nurse-teacher provides information that prompts the patient to engage in activities that lead to the desired change”.
3. I will reflect on my practice after each shift and have weekly meetings with my instructor to get her feedback and constructive criticism on my practice and ways for improvement. According to Popovich (2011) “Clinical instructors can impact students’ confidence and independence. Also, respondents have mentioned the relationship between the nurse preceptor and the student, which can decrease or increase the feeling of fear and the communication between the parties.” Constant communication is vital for learning development, thus having clear communication with my preceptor in a timely manner is important. Therefore, I will be able to get timely feedback and set clear expectations for my clinical experience.

Ethics, i.e. ethical principles, cultural competence, confidentiality: Starting immediately, I will be mindful that each patient does not feel the same and may want their care performed differently than other patients. I will do my best to encourage their independence in the duties they are able to perform themselves to maintain their privacy and dignity.

1. Throughout the semester will take time to involve each patient in their care and ensure they are comfortable with the duties I will be performing and always ask permission. According to Potter and Perry (2014), “Development of trusting relationships with clients, capacity building, and collaboration are central to effective case management.” By just talking with the patients and asking for their permission builds a more trusting relationship.
2. When able to, I will teach patients duties within their capability, even if it does slow their care down. I will also give the clients the choice of care and respect their wishes if they do not wish to have the care I am there to provide. According to Potter and Perry (2014) “The ethical responsibility of advocacy includes protecting the patient’s right to choice by providing information, obtaining informed consent for all nursing care, and respecting patients’ decisions.” Allowing the patient to choose, gives them participation in their care, and creates a therapeutic relationship between the nurse and the patient, which is based on trust, and there is no judgment.
3. Throughout the semester I will only discuss each patient’s condition progress with those included in their circle of care. “His right is usually violated unconsciously because medical personnel does not realize that the patient’s basic right to confidentiality is violated even during a ward round when individual patients and their conditions are discussed. Conversations between medical personnel in the social room, in hospital corridors, lifts or buses also constitute a violation of medical confidentiality. On the part of medical personnel, it is unprofessional behavior” (Belowska, 2014). Confidentiality is crucial in healthcare. It is always important to be mindful of your surroundings when discussing patients

Relationships, i.e. therapeutic nurse-client relationships: By midterm, I will apply my therapeutic relationship skills with clients and families by constantly communicating with them. I will also use my professional communication skills to work on my relationships with the healthcare team.

1. Starting immediately, I will work on my professional relationships with my colleagues by trying to work collaboratively with others instead of alone. By working with others, I can develop my communication skills and improve on my teamwork skills. “the importance of developing a good relationship with mutual respect and trust between faculty and training hospitals including nurses’ staff and instructors to provide a positive learning experience for them.” (although, 2017)
2. Starting immediately, I will apply my therapeutic relationship skills with my patients and take the time to listen and get to know their needs. “However, the nurse’s role at the end of life is holistic and complex; the role involves offering not only physical care, but also the emotional, spiritual, and sociocultural support necessary to meet the needs of the patient…” (Heise, 2016) Building on the nurse/patient relationship will help me develop a better plan of care that is more tailored to the specific needs of each patient.
3. Throughout the semester I will take the time to develop relationships with the family members of each of the patients. Showing the family that you are engaging with them will help them feel better at ease that their loved ones are being cared for and listened to. “Nurses are responsible for giving holistic support not only to the dying patient but also to the patient’s family.” (Heise, 2016) Being in the hospital is a stressful time for both patient and the family. Listening to family wishes for their loved ones will better help you care for the patients as the family knows more about the patient than you do, especially if the patient isn’t able to communicate directly themselves.

Leadership, i.e. working as a team member: By the end of the semester, I will take part in more leadership activities and take more initiative to be a more active member of the healthcare team.

1. Each shift I will seek opportunities to work with other members of the health care team so I can become known as someone that wants to assist and be included as a regular member of the nursing staff. According to Potter and Perry (2014), “nurses must provide leadership to ensure that nursing care takes place in quality practice environments and that these work environments are essential for health, high-quality patient care, and patient safety.”
2. Throughout the semester I will watch for opportunities to teach other members of the health team anything that I have experience in doing. There are many other nursing students working in the unit so the opportunity to help other students should arise. According to Windsor (1987), “The quality of learning was reportedly affected by …the variety of clinical opportunities to which students have exposed” “the clinical experiences that hindered learning is an unnecessary amount of paperwork, practicing more basic procedures such as vital signs and bed making rather than advanced nursing skills such as wound care, cannulation and managing respiratory cases.” (although, 2017)
3. Effective immediately I will open myself to communicating with the entire unit staff to build an effective working relationship. This will demonstrate my willingness to learn and be involved and will help me gain my independence by the end of the semester. “students become more comfortable with performing nursing tasks and become interested in expanding their role and becoming more independent. As the students strived for independence, they identified more closely with staff nurses and withdrew from instructors.” (Windsor, 1987)

References

1. although, H., Mohidin, S., Park, Y. S., & Tekin, A. (2017). Preparing for practice: Nursing intern and faculty perceptions on clinical experiences. Medical teacher, 39(sup1), S55-S62.
2. Belowska, J., Panczyk, M., Sienkiewicz, Z., Kaczyńska, A., Zarzeka, A., & Gotlib, J. (2014). The Analysis of Opinions and Attitudes of Students of Nursing with Respect to the Observance of Patient’s Rights in Poland. Polish Journal of Public Health, 124(4), 209-214.
3. College of Nurses of Ontario. (2002). Professional Standards, Revised 2002. Retrieved August 2018, from http://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/prac/41006_profstds.pdf
4. Godbey, K. L., & Courage, M. M. (1994). Stress-management program: intervention in nursing student performance anxiety. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 8(3), 190-199.
5. Heise, B. A., & Gilpin, L. C. (2016). Nursing students’ clinical experience with death: A pilot study. Nursing education perspectives, 37(2), 104-106.
6. Hosseini, S. A., Fatehi, N., Eslamian, J., & Zamani, M. (2011). Reviewing the nursing students’ views toward the OSCE test. Iranian Journal of Nursing & Midwifery Research, 16(4), 318–320. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.gbcprx01.georgebrown.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=100679129&site=ehost-live&scope=site
7. Lewis, S. M., Collier, I. C., & Heitkemper, M. M. (2017). Medical-surgical nursing: assessment and management of clinical problems. Elsevier, Incorporated.
8. Popovich, D. (2011). 30-Second Head-to-Toe Tool in Pediatric Nursing: Cultivating Safety in Handoff Communication. Pediatric Nursing, 37(2), 55–60. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.gbcprx01.georgebrown.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=63168935&site=ehost-live&scope=site
9. Windsor, A. (1987). Nursing students’ perceptions of clinical experience. Journal of Nursing Education, 26(4), 150-154.

I had an educational tour of Cebu and Bohol which are 2 of the biggest tourist areas in the Philippines. My college SLU organized our trip with the goal of sharing us to visit and gather knowledge of what it is like to experience ourselves about tourism, and to observe the common traits related to HRM which consists of work that involves lodging and food service that is most important in the hospitality industry. The outing is regarded to be a learning process to help on our training to be future HRM staff or management. My college believes that the best way to gain knowledge and a good contributor of the hotel industry is to be involved in excursions that allow you to envision what career you are taking, and get a clear view on what to study and skills to improve on to be a better employee after graduation.

Since Bohol and Cebu are top traveler destinations you can tell that the islands are in very high demand. My college made a superb choice of selecting the two islands as it was a great place to gain exposure for time since I am new to the HRM industry.

When I arrived in Bohol, I really enjoyed the island and the beautiful ambiance of the place. We were able to visit the Loboc River, where we were able to enjoy a buffet of a lot of food on the water. It was a great experience and I really ate a lot. While on the boat I got to encounter a tarsier while floating on the river. They are cute little animals and was my first time seeing one. After leaving our group was able to check some older churches and experience the history in Bohol while taking many pictures. Afterwards our group was able to see the famous Chocolate Hills. It was beautiful just as people told me, and definitely a great experience. We stayed in a beautiful resort that was very accommodating to all of us and made us feel like a tourist so we can know the feeling of what our future customers might feel when they come to visit the Philippines.

After a day or two in Bohol we took another plane to Cebu to tour there as part of our educational trip. Bohol was lovely but now I am excited to see what Cebu has to offer. Our group heads to the airport for our flight to Cebu. We wait and then board our plane. One hour later we arrive in Cebu where I instantly loved the place. Many items were budget friendly, and I was able to bring stuff home as a gift. Our group checked in at our hotel and then we began to tour the city. I got to see the different churches and my favorite one was the Simala Church. It was a very big castle like church very beautiful and has a lot of history. I also enjoyed visiting the Santo Nino Church, which was built during the Spanish colonial times. It was a good experience getting to see the history of my country and a church that was built back during the Spanish era. I was told it was the oldest church in the Philippines that is still open until now I found that very fascinating. After leaving Santo Nino Church I got to see the Taboan Dried Fish Market, which had a lot of fresh dried fish that is my favorite. After we walked around the wet market we went back to our hotel and ate dinner and talked about the many sights and lessons we learned on our first day in Cebu. I took hundreds of photos with my friends to cherish the experience and to brainstorm the many things I can learn from this educational tour. On day two our group looked at some other tourist areas in Cebu.

The biggest part I remember is the shrines that were very huge and the fact that I could buy things very cheap. In Bohol I gained a lot of analysis of life there and the best it has to offer compared to Cebu. The Chocolate Hills was something I will never forget. I am very thankful for this trip because of the experience and the sights I got to see and the memories I got to share related to my HRM course.

“This is just a journey, drop your worries, you are gonna turn out fine” – Andy Grammar. I truly feel like college is full of fun and great opportunities, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t physical and mental hurdles that obstruct the path to your future. To me, the most notable responsibility of being a college student is being able to balance hardships and leisure time.

One major personal struggle that I have experienced, as well as witnessed around campus was relationship breakups. A lot of couples coming into their freshman year were attempting to partake in a long-distance relationship, hoping that it would last throughout their time in college, but most of these relationships only lasted about a month. I on the other hand ended things with a girl that I had a relationship with because she didn’t want to date in college. The worst part about us ending things was that we never dated with an official title, due to this reason, a rather apparent question continuously repeats in my head; “What if it worked out”? I personally would’ve rather ended ties with someone knowing we weren’t meant for each other, rather than end the relationship for no reason. Everyone experiences a break up from time to time, but this one hit me really harder than I expected, due to the fact that it was my first relationship. Based on that factor, for the longest time in a while, I felt ridden with an unshakable sense of sadness weighing down my heart. For the longest time, I thought to myself every single day, hoping that she would text me that we had made a mistake. In the end, I learned that if you truly love someone, you have to learn to let them go, and if they love you back they will come back to you.

In addition to struggling with relationships, I remember having a mental breakdown because I wasn’t happy with not being able to accommodate myself to college life just yet. For instance, I would wake up with the sole goal of going to class and going home to do my homework. During that time, I called my mom for the first time and she caught on that something was wrong. When I first called her, I told her that adapting to this new school was hard, making friends were hard, and overall I just didn’t feel happy. Surprisingly enough, my mom was actually glad that I had told her because that was the first time I’d actually opened up to her. Talking about personal struggles wasn’t necessarily an easy nor a common thing to talk about with my parents one on one, but at that moment, it was an exception. I knew that I wasn’t afraid to ask for help, so I told her everything, and my mom actually gave me great advice.

The first step that I took to lessen my sense of isolation in college was meeting fellow hallmates to make some friends, but most people don’t normally want to just stop there, they try to make more friends from other social outings, whether that is joining a fraternity/sorority or student organizations that heavily involve socializing amongst members. My first two weeks at James Madison University were notably difficult since I didn’t really feel like I was making actual permanent friends, but more like acquaintances; people that I knew around school but not people I would actually talk to. The reason for this was based on time itself. While trying to focus more on my academics, I didn’t really put in any time for socializing.

With that reason in mind, I felt that I wasn’t managing my time efficiently, so I decided to join a fraternity. Joining a Fraternity was probably one of the best choices that I had made because it gave me the chance to make a lot of new friends that I wasn’t able to meet around campus. What I mean is that meeting people around campus did get me to meet new people, but not people that had the same mentality as I did prior to joining the fraternity. Therefore, the fraternity presented a more definite variety of people to get to know, some of that I can soon call my close brothers. Brothers that I know will stand by me with any aid to my problems throughout my time in college.

The Fraternity that I am pledging to has mandatory study sessions, and mandatory workout sessions. Their thoroughly processed times really helped me with being able to plan and efficiently organize my time with academics and my social life. In addition to that, it really helped me not stay locked up in my room all day after finishing my classes.

As time passed I felt a lot happier, but I did start to get a lot of homework. Homework in college hasn’t been challenging as I thought it was going to be, but it is how you prepare yourself for class. I started to read a week before my classes because I was taught that it helps me pay attention in class as well as better retention. Reading before my class helped me to better comprehend what my teacher was saying during lectures. I remember teaching myself calculus, and when I went to class it helped a lot with my exams. Overall, tending to myself mentally really made me more comfortable with college life.

College is a great experience with many ups and downs, but from my experience how to pass through the downs is by learning from your mistakes. When you are struggling you feel as if you are going in circles, but you have to conquer your mind. You can let your emotions overwhelm you, or you can create positive emotions that lead to positive actions. This is the story of how I overcame my physical and mental hurdles so far in my college life. As Lauv says in one of his songs, “Sad Forever”, “I’m callin’ through to the other side ~ I’ll make it through tomorrow”.