Journal
First Semester Reflection - December 2019
During my first semester at UF, I have gained countless new experiences which have helped me to grow both as a student and as a person. Moving away from home, meeting new people, and balancing classes with involvement activities has been challenging, but with each challenge has come a new perspective or a bit of knowledge that will undoubtedly benefit me in the future.
When I first arrived at UF, I was very nervous and had no idea what to expect - would I miss my family too much? Would I be able to make friends? Would I have time to do laundry? Would my professors be terrible? Would I remember to go to class? Everything was so new and I was afraid that as soon as I said goodbye to my parents, everything would go wrong. However, I soon found that everything would turn out okay - though I missed my family, I was able to make some new friends and focus on other things. None of my professors seemed too bad on the first day of class, and I did remember to go to class - and do my laundry. As the semester progressed, I became less nervous and afraid, and instead more confident and independent. Sure, there were a few times when I had to call my mom because I was overwhelmed with homework or felt lonely, but for the most part, I learned how to live on my own in this new community.
Something that was very important to me when deciding where to go to college was that there would be plenty of ways for me to become involved, and therefore when I came to UF, I immediately wanted to join several student organizations. However, I soon realized that my time was limited and I had to make sure that I made time to actually study and work on my assignments. I had to learn how to prioritize schoolwork and ensure that I had enough time to finish everything I needed to before deciding to go to a club meeting, triathlon practice, or other activity. By the end of the semester, I feel that I have become better at budgeting my time and priorities and am ready for the many semesters ahead.
In conclusion, though the adjustment to life at UF has been challenging, it has also been rewarding as I am now confident that I will be able to tackle the countless unknown challenges that are still to come. With the experiences I have gained this semester, I am eager to discover what my future will hold.
COVID-19 Reflection - September 2020
After my first week of this semester, I thought it would be a good idea to reflect on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on my personal and academic life. Since classes transitioned online back in March, students everywhere have experienced countless challenges and interesting situations. From learning how to use Zoom and other online platforms to attend lectures, take exams, and submit assignments, to attempting to find a quiet place to work while at home with the whole family, to figuring out how to have events such as student organization meetings virtually, we all had to quickly adapt to have a successful end of the semester. It took a lot of motivation to keep studying and working hard, but we eventually got through it.
Once finals were over and summer arrived, things were a bit less stressful, but challenging nonetheless. Instead of worrying about how to take an exam with honorlock, my task became to keep being productive and avoid being too bored or idle. By the end of the semester, I had contacted the professor who runs the lab for which I would start doing research, and during the summer I started my first virtual assignment - writing the introduction to a paper - and I also decided to take a Spanish class online. These kept me occupied academically, but I couldn't just spend all my time on the computer. A few weeks into the summer, I started working at a tennis camp, where we had to employ many extra safety protocols due to COVID-19. I also continued my triathlon training, even though I wasn't sure when I would get to race again. These activities provided some structure and helped the seemingly endless summer go by a bit faster.
After being at home for six months, it was finally time to move back to Gainesville! I was both excited and nervous for the upcoming semester. After being home for so long, it felt weird to be leaving. But after being back for a week or so, I already felt readjusted. During syllabus week, I slowly became acquainted with how my online classes would operate and fell into a groove of working, training, and balancing other activities such as rehearsal for a band I joined this semester, officer meetings for my triathlon club, and, starting in a few weeks, in-person research! I am also excited to finally be able to race again, as there are a few fall triathlons that seem like they aren't going to be cancelled - fingers crossed! Though it certainly won't be "normal," I have hope that this will be a good semester.