Prelude: Before college I was a bit nervous but happy that I got accepted to the CODES program. I was initially going to go to SIUC for radiation therapy but decided to come here for the tuition. During my junior and senior years of high school my grades weren’t the best and was considering if college was even for me. I was able to get through that hump as I got accepted to this University which gave me the motivation the finish my high school career strong. In high school I was on the bowling team all four years and was on varsity two of the four. Bowling gave me some leadership experience as well as a sense of accomplishment and tangible reward for my time improving my craft. Going into college I was hoping for a great time
CODE121:
So far this class has helped me get started to my college experience. This first semester has had a bit of challenge with my home life but generally has been nice. This program specifically along with the GAME English class has made the transition from high school to college all the more smoother. The CODES program as a whole has given me a sense of community with my classmates as I hope to grow stronger bonds both in and outside of class. I am excited to see where this program goes and would like to see how future CODES students find the same sense of togetherness that we have, working towards a common goal.
CODE123:
This class helped me with learning about different types of research and how to conduct said research. More challenges that frankly have not improved in the slightest but my grades are still good for the most part. Feels like a good class for anyone in my opinion, would definitely recommend. My sense of community within the CODES cohort and am very excited for the summer internship that I get to participate in! I feel prepared and ready for whatever challenges I’m given during this internship and for next semester. The one thing I am sad about is that there is a very real chance that I will have to retake chem121A if I don’t do well on this final but only time will tell.
Year 3: After my third semester I switched to business because I thought that I would have more enjoyment in that compared to something STEM related. Thankfully I don’t have to retake any courses or even have to spend any more time obtaining my bachelor’s.
Year 4 and beyond: I am currently in my 7th semester at the time of writing this and I am very excited to graduate. Unfortunatley, I was not able to attend the career fair due to illness but I am still hopeful to gain an internship or position in the business field to gain experience and hopefully find something I really like doing. While I am still considering graduate school I would not mind taking a break from academics to try and figure out my footing in the business world. Having a full time job over the summer made me appreciate being able to focus my attention on work instead of studying. While I do enjoy learning, as with how I was learning every day with that position, it’s also nice to be able to earn money and feel as if I am contributing to something bigger while doing it.