At the beginning of Autumn quarter, I hoped to learn about my passions and garner a broader perspective about the world. Now, as Autumn quarter comes to a close, I can see how some small steps I’ve taken outside of my comfort zone this quarter have actually gone towards meeting these goals partway. Although I’ve made a little bit of progress towards each one, I’ve realized that these are goals that are important to keep in my heart for the next four years. I want to constantly be developing new passions and pursuing learning. I want to be persistent in my curiosity. I also want to continually be thinking deeply about the world around me; there are issues so complex that have remained unsolved for generations. This is what I want to be lying awake thinking about--not personal stresses or academics but problem-solving for the world.
Something that surprised me about myself in my first quarter in Honors was the improvement of my time management, and my capacity to think in various different lenses. Especially towards the end of high school, I had gotten very unmotivated with my learning, in a sense that I would put off assignments for days before doing them, and I felt very drained each day. Going into UW, I found myself eager to sit down and work on my assignments. I felt more driven and fascinated with the courses I was taking, which ended up being a crucial factor in the improvement of my time management. Getting to choose my classes in college and getting to learn about things that I found engaging made assignments feel so much more relevant; I oftentimes even found myself excited to tackle concepts that confused me. I also began planning my time better based on the activities I wanted to do outside of class for relaxation and enjoyment. Through the interesting combination of classes I took this quarter, I was also able to explore interdisciplinary learning. Computer science logic, the perspectives of Americans during the Holocaust, and writing with chance. Honors 345 really helped me exercise my creativity in this aspect as well; I came out of each class more contemplative about the various ways that chance and accident are manifested into writing, interactions, and experiences.
Coming to UW, it felt daunting that I would be in lectures with six hundred students compared to the twenty that was used to. I was worried about how resources would be allocated if I needed more individual help, and if I’d even be brave enough to seek them out. But this quarter, I can think of many times where I’ve gone to office hours, visited the IPL, and even approached my professors with questions. The campus really doesn’t feel so huge either; I see familiar faces every day, and the diversity in the student body at UW has allowed me to meet so many new people from various walks of life. This quarter, I’ve been able to find meaningful community. I’ve found an amazing church fellowship. Through the relationships I have been building, I can see how much spiritual growth will persist within me as I go through this year. I’ve also been able to explore possible career paths through Dub Techs workshops. Each session I’ve gone to has been lead by someone very knowledgeable and experienced in their subject. It has been incredibly inspiring to learn from people similar to my age who are passionate about what they do in a way that I haven't seen before.
Ultimately, this first quarter at UW has been so amazing; I have learned so much, and I am looking forward to the person I will grow into at the end of this year. Trying to predict who I will be at the end of these four years is impossible, but I hope that I will continue to seek out my passions and maintain a pressing empathy for the world. Above all, I hope that I will be true to myself, my morals, and my values. At the end of the day, the time I have on this earth is so short. I want to live each day concerning myself with things that truly matter, and I want to live faithfully by what I believe in.
Something that surprised me about myself in my first quarter in Honors was the improvement of my time management, and my capacity to think in various different lenses. Especially towards the end of high school, I had gotten very unmotivated with my learning, in a sense that I would put off assignments for days before doing them, and I felt very drained each day. Going into UW, I found myself eager to sit down and work on my assignments. I felt more driven and fascinated with the courses I was taking, which ended up being a crucial factor in the improvement of my time management. Getting to choose my classes in college and getting to learn about things that I found engaging made assignments feel so much more relevant; I oftentimes even found myself excited to tackle concepts that confused me. I also began planning my time better based on the activities I wanted to do outside of class for relaxation and enjoyment. Through the interesting combination of classes I took this quarter, I was also able to explore interdisciplinary learning. Computer science logic, the perspectives of Americans during the Holocaust, and writing with chance. Honors 345 really helped me exercise my creativity in this aspect as well; I came out of each class more contemplative about the various ways that chance and accident are manifested into writing, interactions, and experiences.
Coming to UW, it felt daunting that I would be in lectures with six hundred students compared to the twenty that was used to. I was worried about how resources would be allocated if I needed more individual help, and if I’d even be brave enough to seek them out. But this quarter, I can think of many times where I’ve gone to office hours, visited the IPL, and even approached my professors with questions. The campus really doesn’t feel so huge either; I see familiar faces every day, and the diversity in the student body at UW has allowed me to meet so many new people from various walks of life. This quarter, I’ve been able to find meaningful community. I’ve found an amazing church fellowship. Through the relationships I have been building, I can see how much spiritual growth will persist within me as I go through this year. I’ve also been able to explore possible career paths through Dub Techs workshops. Each session I’ve gone to has been lead by someone very knowledgeable and experienced in their subject. It has been incredibly inspiring to learn from people similar to my age who are passionate about what they do in a way that I haven't seen before.
Ultimately, this first quarter at UW has been so amazing; I have learned so much, and I am looking forward to the person I will grow into at the end of this year. Trying to predict who I will be at the end of these four years is impossible, but I hope that I will continue to seek out my passions and maintain a pressing empathy for the world. Above all, I hope that I will be true to myself, my morals, and my values. At the end of the day, the time I have on this earth is so short. I want to live each day concerning myself with things that truly matter, and I want to live faithfully by what I believe in.