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End-of-Semester Reflection

Lauren Solomon

The past few months have taught me a lot about what college will be like and how I can shape my
individual experience. I have learned that college, and being successful in college, is a skill. You
must make mistakes, learn and practice. In my beginning weeks, I truly enjoyed the freedom and
ease of college compared to High School. However, I had not yet reached the first test of my
college readiness that was so heavily talked about in junior and senior year.
As I reached my first tests I attempted to study in the manner I was familiar with, cram a few
days before the test. I spent over 15 hours in the library studying prior to my test. Especially
compared to my peers, who seemed to spend considerably less time studying than I, I felt as if I had
done all I could, I had tried my best. When I received my grades, and they werent what I was
expecting, I was unhappy and extremely discouraged. With the mindset of having already done all I
could, I didnt see how I could have studied more. This is where my error lies, I have learned that it
wasnt the amount of studying, it was how I was studying. College is a skill, you must learn what
works best for you, and clearly my ways were not the best. Unfortunately, I made a few bad grades
before I truly understood this lesson. Nonetheless, these failures were necessary for me to recognize
the change that needed to be made. I have tested various studying methods and now understand that
studying is a continuous process, you must be studying in correlation with your class far before any
exam or test. With this realization, I also understood that my idea of the use and purpose of studying
was off. The most successful type of studying is studying to learn not studying to memorize.
I, unfortunately, learned this lesson a little late in the semester and could only apply it to my
finals. With this new skill and knowledge, next semester I plan to adjust my school and study habits.
I want to get in a routine of studying daily so a stressful, anxiety filled cram is not necessary. I plan
to be dedicated to my classes and my studying. Aside from academics, I also plan to show dedication
in other areas of my school life as well. Next semester I plan on creating and kick starting a club for
an organization that has heavily influenced me and is a personal passion of mine. This organization
is called CISV, CISV is an international peace organization that promotes global friendship and
understanding. This program has made such a large impact on me and I want to show and share its
value with others. I hope to host several educational events that will help others understand the
program and its goals. My goal is to have a club of at least 10 people by the end of next semester.
Along with my volunteer and service to this organization as a whole, I would like to be more
dedicated to my service on the local level. I plan to have a lot of involvement in planning and
organizing our upcoming program in summer 2017. I hope to connect the Chattanooga CISV
community with the one I will create here at UTC.
Overall, I am pleased with the improvements I have made this semester and look forward to those
I will make next semester as well.

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