So far, my journey at SIUE has been both interesting and exhausting. Every day, I find myself fighting the urge to go home. I knew I would feel some sense of homesickness when my mom left, but I didn’t anticipate just how strongly I’d miss my family. Academically, I’m managing well, though I wouldn’t say I’m thriving just yet. My two science classes, in particular, have been a challenge. I’m actively experimenting with different study techniques to figure out what helps me retain information best.
As of now, it is December, the day before winter break. I wrote the first paragraph in late September or early October, and I can honestly say I haven’t felt homesick in a while. I’ve made amazing friends and gotten used to college life. I would say my biggest accomplishment in CODES is my reflection discussion leads in DR.SHEA class as well as my DP#3 and my MC#2. I chose these specific assignments because each one has allowed me to let myself be okay with collaborating with other people as well as learn the importance of having grace and being understanding when it comes to working with other people. I especially loved my DP#3 assignment because I had the pleasure of attending Riverlands Bird Sanctuary. It was very beautiful and peaceful, the staff there was so welcoming and fed my group and me so much knowledge about the site as well as their water dams. As I approach the new semester I hope to have the chance to experience many more organizations such as RIverlands as well as continue to enhance my collaborative and reading skills.