Year-in-Review for 2015-2016
My first year at the University of Cincinnati was a big change for me. I went from living on 25 acres of farmland with two brothers and both of my parents to sharing a dorm suite in the middle of a huge city with three other girls. It was scary at first, but also exhilarating. It was the first time that I truly had to make decisions for myself. I took two honors classes during the 2015-2016 academic year, and I really enjoyed them. Everyone I met in those courses seemed genuine and driven. The topics were interesting and thought-provoking without being so difficult that my other school work suffered, and I think the inclusion of interactive class activities was brilliant.
Gateway to University Honors really helped me to better understand not only what was expected of me in the program, but how to best accomplish those tasks. My teacher was fantastic and always willing to answer any questions our class had. Speakers were brought in; both adults and students who could offer us advice and guidance on our journey through the program. My class got along very well, and the atmosphere and learning environment was always a good one. We discussed where we wanted to go both after and during our college careers, and it really helped give me a solid framework to build off of when I think about my future.
Exploring Leadership was an honors seminar that I took to complete one of my experience requirements. Some of the faces were the same ones I saw in Gateway, and others were different. Through this class, I was able to help tutor some of the high school students attending Hughes STEM HS. It was a very eye-opening experience, and teaching others allowed me to analyze the way I lead. I discovered that a leader does not necessarily have to commandeer the whole room or dominate the conversation. I unearthed my own style, and improved some abilities I used to struggle with. Along with strengths and weaknesses we also talked about what qualities we consistently see in leaders, and how they are used. This provided me with the reasons that I admire some of the people I do.
As a UC Honors student, I must meet with my honors adviser and talk about my progress in the program so far. At first I was nervous, but once I met her and we conversed about my goals I was put at ease. She let me know that aspiring to be involved while excelling academically was a great thing and completely doable. Her advice about the community service requirement was also a tremendous help, and I left our meeting feeling motivated and prepared.
Overall, I would say my UC Honors experience this past year was an awesome one. I feel I have grown as a person because of it, and made a lot of extremely helpful contacts who will be accessible to me for the rest of my time at UC. I'm glad I decided to apply for this program and hope to continue enforcing my future with all the things I have learned. If I had to give this year's interval a grade, it would be an A.
Gateway to University Honors really helped me to better understand not only what was expected of me in the program, but how to best accomplish those tasks. My teacher was fantastic and always willing to answer any questions our class had. Speakers were brought in; both adults and students who could offer us advice and guidance on our journey through the program. My class got along very well, and the atmosphere and learning environment was always a good one. We discussed where we wanted to go both after and during our college careers, and it really helped give me a solid framework to build off of when I think about my future.
Exploring Leadership was an honors seminar that I took to complete one of my experience requirements. Some of the faces were the same ones I saw in Gateway, and others were different. Through this class, I was able to help tutor some of the high school students attending Hughes STEM HS. It was a very eye-opening experience, and teaching others allowed me to analyze the way I lead. I discovered that a leader does not necessarily have to commandeer the whole room or dominate the conversation. I unearthed my own style, and improved some abilities I used to struggle with. Along with strengths and weaknesses we also talked about what qualities we consistently see in leaders, and how they are used. This provided me with the reasons that I admire some of the people I do.
As a UC Honors student, I must meet with my honors adviser and talk about my progress in the program so far. At first I was nervous, but once I met her and we conversed about my goals I was put at ease. She let me know that aspiring to be involved while excelling academically was a great thing and completely doable. Her advice about the community service requirement was also a tremendous help, and I left our meeting feeling motivated and prepared.
Overall, I would say my UC Honors experience this past year was an awesome one. I feel I have grown as a person because of it, and made a lot of extremely helpful contacts who will be accessible to me for the rest of my time at UC. I'm glad I decided to apply for this program and hope to continue enforcing my future with all the things I have learned. If I had to give this year's interval a grade, it would be an A.