First Year: 2012 - 2013
Looking back...what a blur. Everybody says these are the best years of your life and they fly by. I believed that in high school but it is even more true now! It seems like just yesterday I was moving into Turner Hall, saying goodbye to my
parents. What a year it has been. I have learned so much about myself as a person, about other people, and obviously about my future career subject matter in the past eight months.
Growing up, I considered myself a strongly independent person. However, after living on my own I realize how much I really did still rely on my family and friends. I can confidently now say that, yes I do need help and support, but I am able to survive on my own and solve my own problems.
parents. What a year it has been. I have learned so much about myself as a person, about other people, and obviously about my future career subject matter in the past eight months.
Growing up, I considered myself a strongly independent person. However, after living on my own I realize how much I really did still rely on my family and friends. I can confidently now say that, yes I do need help and support, but I am able to survive on my own and solve my own problems.
My roommates: Move In & Move Out
Whereas in high school I tended to try and hide in groups of people and
fit in, never be alone, now I am strong and willing to do my own thing without worrying about how others perceive me. I now know to a much greater sense of what it means to do what makes you happy instead of trying to please everybody else. In high school, I was bothered when I was constantly made fun of, but now I realize I was not the one at fault, rather they were the immature and ignorant ones. This realization and moving past this has made all the difference in my growth as a person. This development would not have been possible without the relationships and bonds I built, with my roommates, teammates, and classmates. The quality of friends I have here is incomparable to those of my past, for which I am incredibly blessed and thankful.
fit in, never be alone, now I am strong and willing to do my own thing without worrying about how others perceive me. I now know to a much greater sense of what it means to do what makes you happy instead of trying to please everybody else. In high school, I was bothered when I was constantly made fun of, but now I realize I was not the one at fault, rather they were the immature and ignorant ones. This realization and moving past this has made all the difference in my growth as a person. This development would not have been possible without the relationships and bonds I built, with my roommates, teammates, and classmates. The quality of friends I have here is incomparable to those of my past, for which I am incredibly blessed and thankful.
#OneTeam
When I think about all the different experiences and activities I encountered this past year, one of the most influential was being a member of the Track and Field team. Although in the end I did not perform as well as I would have liked, the experience itself trumps any disappointment I feel in the actual running. The relationships I built I believe (and hope) will be lifelong. The lessons I learned, from time management to believing in myself to finish a task, are invaluable and will forever be impactful on my life. There were days when I just wanted to give up: for it was too hard, I didn't have enough time for everything, I wasn't good enough..there were endless excuses to be found. But in the end, I persevered through all hardships and have come out a stronger person, both physically and mentally. I cannot imagine how different my freshman experience would be without being in the athletics program and as of now I have no intentions of finding that out.
Fountain Square
Another defining characteristic of my first year was adapting to a new style of life. I grew up in a middle-class suburban area. Moving to Clifton and the city of Cincinnati was a quite a change. Aside from the occasional robberies and shootings, I love it. Living so close to a city there is so much going on! There is always something new to do, see, or explore. Although the majority of my friends are from the Cincinnati-area and thus have experienced most of what it has to offer, they have been more than ecstatic to show me the ways. Their love for this city has quickly rubbed off on me.
Living in a different area has strongly affected who I am personally. Although I was open-minded growing up, I am even more so now due to the people I interact with daily and my new surroundings.
In retrospect, I cannot think of many things I would change from my first year of college. I definitely have not doubted one moment that I do not belong at the University of Cincinnati. I never question the faithfulness and trustworthiness of my friends that I have made. I still am confident that I will continue my pursuit of a Biomedical Engineering degree in four years, rather than the conventional five year program. The only thing I would change would be to remind myself at the beginning of the year that time is will fly by, take advantage and make the most of every opportunity and moment.
Going into next year, I will capitalize all presented opportunities, starting in the classroom, extending to extracurricular activities and athletics, and culminating with interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, I will develop closer relationships with various faculty members who may be essential to the success of my career in the future as well as provide insight to opportunities I may be unaware of in the present.
Living in a different area has strongly affected who I am personally. Although I was open-minded growing up, I am even more so now due to the people I interact with daily and my new surroundings.
In retrospect, I cannot think of many things I would change from my first year of college. I definitely have not doubted one moment that I do not belong at the University of Cincinnati. I never question the faithfulness and trustworthiness of my friends that I have made. I still am confident that I will continue my pursuit of a Biomedical Engineering degree in four years, rather than the conventional five year program. The only thing I would change would be to remind myself at the beginning of the year that time is will fly by, take advantage and make the most of every opportunity and moment.
Going into next year, I will capitalize all presented opportunities, starting in the classroom, extending to extracurricular activities and athletics, and culminating with interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, I will develop closer relationships with various faculty members who may be essential to the success of my career in the future as well as provide insight to opportunities I may be unaware of in the present.