Yasmine

December 2022

As someone who has always struggled in math, pre-calculus definitely challenged me. I did horribly on my first test and decided to go get help. I spoke to my professor and signed up for tutoring in the library.

I was spending so much time studying for my two Biology classes I wasn’t spending enough time in pre-cal. I then found out I was failing the class. I knew even if I passed the next test I wouldn’t get the grade I desired. I decided to drop the class, and I am going to retake it next year. During my Fall Semester at California Lutheran University, I came in confident and with an open mind about college. Move-in day was both a great and sad experience. It was a great experience because I got to meet my sweet new roommates, and sad because I had to say goodbye to my parents.

I started off as a Business Administration major my first day of school. I then realized that if I wanted to go to Medical School I should probably major in something science related. I then decided to switch my major the second day of school to Biology. I’m glad I switched it the second day of school because then I would not fall behind in classes.

Biology classes were definitely something I struggled with, but my biggest struggle was Pre-Calculus. As a first-generation student, it’s hard to find out exactly what to do in certain situations. I don’t have a sibling or a parent who went to college so I have to figure out things on my own. I figured out I need to find a good study method and most importantly time management. In order to balance all the classes I’m taking I need to better my time management. Which I did; I sorted out the homework I had and had a certain day I studied for each class or did homework for the class. If I had no homework for a certain class I either studied more or worked on homework for a different class. This method worked great for me because I stressed myself out less and was prepared for each class, discussion, and exams. I noticed I felt more energetic once I figured out how to manage my time correctly.

Fall Semester was definitely rough for me starting off, but it ended very well. I registered for my new classes starting Spring Semester, and I feel very confident in the new study methods I have. I will look for more resources to help me in my future classes, and be more alert of opportunities the school has to offer.

April 2022

My parents never got the chance to graduate high school or even attend high school. Seeing them wishing they could have continued their education and seeing how hard their jobs are pushed me to continue my education. I am very lucky to be able to go to college and get closer to achieving my dreams. I not only want to make myself proud but my parents too. In Junior High when we graduated on stage my parents had the biggest smile on their faces. They were very proud and I want to see their big smile at my high school graduation and again at my college graduation.