(Spring 2023)
This past semester has been wildly different from the first semester. I was able to set up a study schedule and maintain daily to do lists so I can be more organized. I stayed on top of all of my classwork and became more vocal during in class discussions. I also got a job which I think helped me stay more on top of things because I work early hours which means I like going to bed early so I’ve gotten better and finishing my homework earlier in the afternoon so that I can go to bed at a decent time and not be super tired for work the next morning. Another good thing that has come from my job is, it’s a before/after school program. That being said, when I get off work it’s around 9am and my classes didn’t start until about 12/12:30pm so I had about three hours in between to get stuff done. If I was able to stay awake for that time, I was super productive which definitely helped me stay on top of my assignments. Moving on to talk about my major, that has become a question too. When I came into SIUE, my plan was to major in Elementary Education and minor is psychology, then the minor changed to dance and theatre until I decided to just drop the minor. Now, I am between Early Childhood Education or Elementary. I really like the early childhood age group and I think that that age is so much fun. I also have had a few times where I rewatched Legally Blonde, and questioned if I should change my major to pre-law, but I don’t think I’m cut out for that kind of work. I would say my biggest accomplishment this semester has been keeping my grades up. At the beginning of the semester, my grades weren’t too hot, especially my math grade. But I was able to work hard all semester and get them up. There were even a few weeks where I would get emails asking if I wanted to drop math, but I knew I needed it and I knew I would have to take it again either way so I stuck it out and raised my grade up to a B. I have also grown closer with my friends this past semester, especially my friends who are in CODES. Last semester with class we would go, work in class and then leave. This semester I feel like we all bonded so much and became so much closer and sometimes we hang out after classes sometimes. Overall, this past semester has been so much better than the first semester and I have been so much happier and I cannot wait for the next semester and the years that follow it.