Week One : Campus & Community Engagement

Introduction

This weeks topic was about campus & community engagement. We learned about all of the wonderful opportunities and resources the university offers to ensure we get the most out of our college experience. A few of these include the FYE Success Series, FYE Resources, and Mentoring. We also discussed what "engage" really means to us and how college isn't just about school and obtaining a degree. In order to have a successful college experience you must stand out, network, get engaged, and take time to fully understand yourself. Most of us in the class are extremely lucky to be able to live in the honors LLC. This opportunity allows us to make close connections to other students with the same academic goals and outlooks. In class we watched a Tedtalk about making the most off college and assure that your degree is most beneficial. The Tedtalk explained that being a successful college student takes more than just studying and getting all A’s. This sparked a very interesting class discussion on whether or not college is for everyone. Some of the students shared their own stories and concerns about why they came to college. I fully believe that college isn’t for everyone. Someone very close to me was one of those people. He went to college and without any thought, followed the path of everyone else. He knew in the first semester that it was not for him, but without being shown any other options he had an extreme internal battle with himself, believing it was his only option and knowing it wasn’t for him, and ended up dropping out due to the stress and anxiety it all caused. One of the students pointed out how high school makes it seem like it’s the only option as they never really show other options/paths for the students to take. This is a major problem and is why I believe only about 50% of college students in America actually graduate. I wish we would of had a longer, more involved discussion about this topic as its something I am extremely passionate about.

Personal Reflections

The resources and opportunities provided by Georgia Southern are some of the main reasons I decided to attend. Campus involvement is very important to me, but my academics will always come first. Having so many campus resources available will make achieving my academic goals much easier. Georgia Southern ensures that there are enough resources available that at least one of them will be useful for every student on campus. School only started a week ago and I've already used the library to help with my academics. The library is located right across from the lake. It allows for the perfect quiet place for private studying, while also offering a place to study with a group of friends. For me personally, I believe the writing center will be the most useful. I am a terrible writer, if you haven't noticed, and I know that over the next few years I will make a stop there at least a few times. Another great resource that I will definitely take advantage of is the Academic Advising. I have always been the student who takes charge of her studies and ensures everything is going as smoothly as possible, so having an advisor who can help me understand and choose what options are the best for me is a wonderful resource. 

Reading Assignments

This week we were assigned to read two readings,"Why Is Asking for Help So Difficult?" and "The Disease of Being Busy". I strongly related to "Why Is Asking for Help So Difficult?" and at times even felt is was calling me out personally. I have always been the person who would rather fail at something than ask for help. I feel as though the second I ask for help I'm allowing people to see me in a weak and vulnerable light. I'm also the type of student who takes control over group projects, which I'm sure all of you can relate to. I'd rather do drown in work and do an entire project then ask for help from my peers. This is because whenever I ask for help I know I'm allowing them to take partial control over the project and taking that control away from myself. I related to "The Disease of Being Busy" even more though. I have a tendency to put my work above all else in my life. I'll spend hours on end working. Sometimes when I get slammed I'll go days without really seeing any of my friends or family. I realized this not too long ago so I started making sure I don't get too caught up that I loose focus on the important things in life. I started setting smaller goals so once I reached them, I'd take a break to spend time with others. This has helped me a lot. The reading assignments this week were very enlightening and extremely helpful as I start my first semester.