One significant object I’ve collected in my college journey so far, as a second semester sophomore, is a blue book from a 200 level history class that centered on Ancient Greek history. The blue book holds my tests for the semester and the grades I received on the tests. It is a significant book to me because it is symbolic of my experiences in the course that altered the trajectory of my college career. My trajectory was altered in a few ways; first I came to realize that I am not the best test taker. In total there were three exams for the class; I ended up only taking two because I withdrew before I could take the third. The first test I wasn’t prepared for because I didn’t study an adequate amount and was overconfident. Even though I studied much harder for the second test, I ended up with a D. My test taking experience also highlighted that lecture based classes were not the best for my learning style.
I was fairly discouraged by this because it meant that I was put on academic probation and basically failed the class. However, after I withdrew I received help from my class dean as well as other resources which allowed me to get back on track with classes and improve my mindset. Along with that, I developed strategies to maximize my college experience. For example I try not to pick any classes with exams, which takes the form of me exploring wesmaps to find courses that fit this criteria. Another skill I learned from this was how to study and use my time better. This involved planning out and managing my time so that I had enough time to do my work to the best of my ability, while also having time to relax.
