Life at the University of Alabama
During my first semester at college I have already learned so much about myself and some valuable life lessons. I learned how to balance between my school work and my social life, how to use some of the campus resources and the importance of making connections with people. All of these things I have learned throughout my time in BCE 101 and life here on campus.
When I first heard that I was required to take BCE 101 due to the fact that I was in the Crimson Edge Program I was a little upset. I thought that BCE 101, was going to be the most boring class and that I would have a teacher that would tell me things that I already knew and that I was wasting my time. But, to my surprise it was the complete opposite. My teacher Ms.Kiara was a very sweet and approachable person, who I could tell was really genuine and caring for our class. She made each of our assignments fun and interesting. I knew that everytime I went into her class I would come out with some very valuable information. For example I knew we had a career center, but I didn’t know all the services they offered. So, when Ms.Kiara invited Mrs.Tiffany Goodin from the career center , she informed us about how they help with resumes and different internship opportunities.
Besides all of the great information I learned from all the guest speakers, we also took amazing tours around campus, one of them being a tour of Bryant-Denny Stadium. We were able to see the inside of the stadium, were we saw the recruitment room and my favorite, the locker room. Also we stepped inside the very expensive boxes people use to watch the game. Another one of my favorite places we visited was the President’s Mansion. Inside there was centuries of history and ancient artifacts, and even a haunted room! This class by far was one that I looked forward to most days, only because I met some very nice people and of course I had the most amazing teacher. Although if I were to change anything about the class it would be that we should’ve had more group projects, so we could interact and get to know more people in my class.
Outside of this class I had 5 other classes. I took a math class, Sociology 101, Music Appreciation, English 101, and a hip hop class. This semester was not much of a challenge for me other than my Sociology 101 class. This class was a challenge for me in the beginning because most of the material was learned online, then we would come to class and she would have a very long boring lecture about the information we read the night before. Now that I am accustomed to her teaching style and I have an idea of what the tests look like the class is not as hard as it was in the beginning of the semester.
On the other hand, my math class which was Math-100 was my easiest class for me. Originally I was supposed to take Math-110, but since my major is chemistry and chemistry is math based I had to take 100 to prepare for Chem-101. Math-100 was an easy class for me because I enjoy doing math and I also didn’t take the math placement test, so I wasn’t in a class that challenged me like I wanted it to. When it come to math and science, I feel that it is my academic strength, because I love the challenge that it gives me. It's like trying to solve a puzzle. As for next semester, it's definitely going to be a much bigger challenge, since I’m taking biology. Most of my friends who are taking biology this semester said that it was difficult, but if I apply myself I know that I will succeed.
Aside from my academic life, I am involved in a club called Minority Association for Pre-Health Students and Freshman Forum. I also volunteer at The Church of the Highlands where I work in the nursery. I enjoy volunteering in the nursery, because I have a passion for working with children.Which is why I plan on going to medical school to become involved in pediatrics. I even work at the Child Development Center here on campus, so I am around children pretty much everyday!
Other than children, I did enjoy all of the fun activities they had around campus. Such as get on board day, the haunted houses, and my favorite Onyx. It is always nice to see the black community come out together and have a good time. This was my first time seeing all of the black sororities and fraternities on campus, as well as my first step show. Onyx has to be the most memorable experiences I’ve had this semester, because my friend and I were chosen to get on stage and do the Keke Challenge. It was the most fun and embarrassing time of my life, partially because there was hundreds of people there and I have no idea how to dance! Nonetheless I had the time of my life.
Overall I would have to say this was a great start to my first semester in college. The experiences I had over the last few months made me realizes that I am not here alone and that people are going through the same thing as me. When I first got to college I felt very alone and stressed out, because I didn't know anything about college life, how my professors are, or how to get around campus. But once I started to get involved with different organizations on campus and I met new people, I started to build connections with them that ultimately helped make my transition to campus a smooth one. And as always ROLL TIDE!