Exams are stressful

           

2/25/2018

Last week on Friday, I had to take an exam for my calculus two class. Just hearing the words calculus and exam is frightening.  I probably studied for seven hours throughout that week but it seemed like it didn’t help me as much as I thought it would. However, the thing that helped me a lot on the exam was a six by ten note card that our professor allowed us to use.  Of course other students in lower math courses aren’t allowed to use note cards but that's because in calculus two we have an abundance of formulas to remember.  We also need to know trigonometric identities so that we can switch a piece of the function so that when we try to make an integral simpler.  It will help to get rid of the integral so that we are able to get the answer. Monday through Wednesday, I wasn’t really able to study for maybe ten or thirty minutes each night.  I was busy with finishing homework for other classes and studying for my history quiz.  On Thursday, I only had one class and then I came home to study the whole day after I finished my homework.  I spent probably five hours just looking at the review sheet our calculus professor gave us.  It seemed like the list kept on going forever and that there was too much to learn.  After studying for hours, I felt confused and distraught when I couldn’t remember how to do some problems.  After I finished the exam on Friday, I knew I messed up on a few of the problems and I felt that studying for so many hours barely helped me with only a few problems. Now I have to wait until next week to see how I did. Don’t get me wrong, I love math but it can stress me out like crazy.        

Self management

This week has been so stressful with all the things I have from all my classes and preparing for my calculus two exam.  Throughout the beginning of the week I am not as busy as I used to be since I changed my class schedule for one of my classes.  On Mondays usually at three o'clock I would have to be starting my calculus two laboratory but now I'm going on Wednesday at three o'clock to five o'clock.  However, I also have church as well on Mondays. On Tuesday, I have two classes but I use that day to do most of the chores at home.  If I have extra time, I also work on as much homework as I can.  Then Wednesdays are my longest day at school.  I'm there from eight am till six pm.  I have three or four hours of a break throughout that time.  However, I use most of that time just to eat breakfast and lunch.  I also use another hour just to work on the calculus two laboratory earlier so that I can finish it all in one day instead of working on it another day at school.  However, one thing I'm really happy about from planning out eight am classes from Monday through Friday is that I get Thursday's pretty much off except for my eight am class.  That is where I do all of my calculus two homework because that is the only day I have time to work on it.  With my calculus two exam coming up, I hope to make some time throughout this week by finishing some of my homework from other classes earlier.

Second semester

2/11/2018

                     It is crazy how long it has been since I have written a blog. I had a great winter break, but it is now spring and it's time to start working again. This is the third week and I already feel like there is a lot more homework compared to last semester. In my English class, we have to read usually. thirty pages for each day of class. Last semester, we would be reading maybe ten pages or less. In my calculus lab two, we have to complete eleven labs instead of ten labs. I don't know why college seems to be a lot harder but I have been doing a decent job of staying ahead of things.  For my history class, we have to read this very long chapter each week and take a test on it every Thursday. I read each chapter on the weekend because I'm usually busy throughout the week with homework from other classes. After the first semester, I have learned that I shouldn't procrastinate as much as I should have last semester. I remember staying up super late till one am to finish my calculus homework. After I passed calculus with a B-, my goal for this year is to get a job at the university as a math tutor. This year, I'm trying to be more responsible with the way I use my time and how to use it wisely so that it can benefit me. My other goal for this semester is to get an A in my calculus and I hope to achieve this goal by working harder but also smarter.

The ending of the first semester

11/20/2017

This is the last blog of the first semester, I will miss writing my two hundred and fifty words each week.  Most of my blogs might have not been as funny compared to some of my classmates, but I hope that they provided some good advice and information to those who read my blogs.  The time is coming to end for the first semester and I recently finished all exams.  Now all I have to worry about is all my finals.  I feel like I'm back in high school panicking about finals but now it feels like it's ten times worse now since I'm in college.  I've been doing pretty well in all my classes except for calculus.  I probably have a C or if I'm lucky and did well on my last week exam, then maybe I might have a B-.  In my English class, I have an A and our final is a timed write essay.  Hopefully he will give us a hint a few days before the final of the topic we would be writing about. For my Group Communication class, our final is a presentation about the effects of alcohol on college students and to write how our group worked together.  Lastly, I have my calculus lab which is a pass or fail class.  I'm almost done with that class, I just have one more lab to complete and I am done with the class. School is like a race.  In the beginning, you feel a rush of adrenaline and excitement.  During the middle of the race, you're starting to feel exhausted but you keep on running.  At the end of the race, you're exhausted and feel like you have no energy left but when you see the finish line, you stride as fast as you can to the very end of the finish line.

 

Time Flies

11/13/2017

It is crazy how fast my first semester of freshman year is almost coming to an end.  It's not like high school where you have two semesters for one class and now in college it is only one semester for that one class.  Just in a few more days, I will be able to pick my classes.  I already went to my adviser to talk about what classes I need to take for my major during spring, but we didn't really go over what general ed. classes I should be taking.  So far the classes I do know I'm taking is Computer Programming One, Calculus Two, Calculus Two Lab, and English 1007. Which is a total of twelve units.  I just need to find one or two general ed classes this weekend.  I'm almost finished with every exam. I just have one more exam in Calculus this Friday and then it is only finals for all my classes.  That's because in my English class we don't have any exams but one more essay. For my Group Communication class, I just took my last exam a week ago and I have a group presentation in December.  Lastly, my Calculus lab is credit or no credit, so it is not like we have a final but that we have to complete ten labs.  I'm almost done with the lab, I just have two more labs to complete.  So whoever reads this blog, please comment below of what easy general ed. classes I should take and the name of the teacher you took the class with and thank you. 

The little things that bring me peace

11/06/2017

College can become very frustrating at any moment.  I sometimes find myself worried if I will qualify for the teacher grant due to my g.p.a or how I will do on my next exam.  There seems to be stressful situations always popping out of nowhere.  Sometimes, it's the little things that bring me peace and joy.  For instance, last Friday I had a dentist appointment and I was dreading the day and hoping that Friday wouldn't come. However, after I got out of my English class, it started to rain.  Just seeing the rain coming down brought me a sense of peace which  made me feel relax about my day and my appointment.  Another thing that relaxes me is just hanging out with some of my friends in the game room to play rocket league on our laptops.  I will admit that I'm a person who stresses about a lot of things and that it leads to me panic.  I used to be worse when I was younger but I have gotten better about stressing out and that it took some time for me to realize enjoying the little things in life can lead me to a less stressful life and a peace of mind.  Even taking a walk around the campus and looking at the little waterfall and hearing the waterfall coming down is amazing.  It's so soothing to hear the flow of the water.  It is about finding the positive things in my life are the things that can change my type of day.

Difference of high school and college

8/30/2017

High school seemed like it was just yesterday, and now I'm starting a new a life at the university.  One thing I don't miss about high school is the drama.  There was just so much of it, even when you were just trying to get away from it.  That was one of the main difference, no more drama in college.  It could just because everyone doesn't really know each other or that we act more like adults.  Another thing I like about college is that most of my professor's actually care about helping their students and make sure they learn about the subject. I remember in high school one of my teachers would be late multiple times to class and we would be waiting outside the door for ten minutes.  Another high school teacher of mine would sometimes be on the phone for almost the whole class period, while everyone would just talk to each other and hang out.  And that class was an A.P. class, which I find it really sad how the regular history class learned more than us.  I don't know how to quiet phrase this but I felt like there was more of an personal relationship with the teacher in high school, of getting to know who they are and that they were a friend.  It is not the same in college.  I think it's because we only have a professor for one semester instead of having them for a whole year. The best part of college is that I don't feel like anyone is judging you on how you look or pretty much anything. Either way, I love being in college. It's a thousand times better than high school.