A large opportunity when coming to college is the chance to study abroad. Studying abroad is a great opportunity for every college student because it is a cost effective way to experience a different culture somewhere outside their college campus, while maintaining their studies. The study abroad program allows students to continue working towards their major in the country or city of their choice. On top of the opportunity to be able to study outside the United States, students are also given the option to study nationally. The National Student Exchange (NSE) allows students to study at a different university within the United States and surrounding territories which include Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This is a great opportunity for students who may not necessarily want to study outside the counrty, but expand their horizons to a different part of the country. For me I think it would be great to study nationally or internationally. Either opportunity appeals to me because it would allow me to move away from the southeast for a little while and experience a different culture, may it be in the northwest or another country.
If I were to study nationally I would like to study in Washington or Alaska because both states are uniquely different from South Carolina. Each offers its own qualities that I cannot experience here at South Carolina and would really help me expand beyond my comfort zone and what I know.
If I were to study internationally I would choose to study in Italy or Greece. Looking pictures from both countries really makes me excited and experience a strong urge to go there and really experience the culture. My grandmother was Italian and my grandfather was Greek, so I think it would be great to get to really understand their culture and the type of environment they grew up in. Also, studying in either country would fulfill my dream of going to the Mediterranean and enjoying all its natural beauty.
On another note, I would like to give you an update on mentoring at Hand Middle School. Currently I am beginning to really start to help mentee with her schoolwork and other day-to-day tasks. We have made tremendous progress on her organizations skills which I think have really helped her improve her grades. Currently she has made all A's on her tests and quizzes which is phenomenal! The highlight of mentoring so far has got to be when I went to mentor earlier this week and she told me she made 100's on both of her tests last week, one of which being in Science which is a subject she tends to struggle in. Hopefully maintaining the organization of her notes and her hard work will continue to show great progress in the future!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Leadership
Many people define leadership in different ways. A majority of the time these definitions vary based on the type of exposure each individual person has had to leadership. For example, someone living in a Totalitarian-type government may assume leadership is full control of everyone with no room for freedom. In contrast, someone living in a Democracy may assume that leadership is based on the majority's vote and insight, and that leader is put in place to serve and command according to how the majority wants them to lead. For me, leadership is is someone who serves to please the majority, and does it willingly with an openness to criticism and change. For example, I was one of three captains of my high school cross country team. All three of us were willing to be captains and looked forward to the responsibility. We made decisions for the group after hearing everyone's insight to make sure we were pleasing the majority. We also listened to our coach and took control when she asked, as well as stepped down and supported when she asked. We never controlled without consent and never made any decisions without talking with the rest of the team first. We wanted to make sure that the group respected us and looked up to us without fear or disrespect.
I fully enjoyed my time as a captain of my cross country team. I miss that responsibility and hope to obtain a leadership role while on campus. I am currently apart of Navigators. Many of the small group student leaders are Sophomores or Juniors. I hope that next year I can become a small group student leader for one of the Freshman Bible Studies. I also hope to become more involved within the Triathlon Club. Right now as a Freshman, it is very difficult to plan my schedule around group rides or runs because of my hectic schedule. I hope that next year I can be one of the ride or run leaders and plan out times for training more fit to my schedule. This way I can stay involved in the club as well as be a leader to those who are new to the sport or to the school.
I fully enjoyed my time as a captain of my cross country team. I miss that responsibility and hope to obtain a leadership role while on campus. I am currently apart of Navigators. Many of the small group student leaders are Sophomores or Juniors. I hope that next year I can become a small group student leader for one of the Freshman Bible Studies. I also hope to become more involved within the Triathlon Club. Right now as a Freshman, it is very difficult to plan my schedule around group rides or runs because of my hectic schedule. I hope that next year I can be one of the ride or run leaders and plan out times for training more fit to my schedule. This way I can stay involved in the club as well as be a leader to those who are new to the sport or to the school.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Diversity
One of the main things that define any university is its diversity on campus. Every person on the campus adds to this diversity. Where they come from, what they look like, what they believe, and what they do adds to this diversity. When I came to USC I thought diversity was stretched between race, gender, and looks to be honest. I never considered background and beliefs to be apart of diversity. To my surprise background and beliefs of a person truly makes them unique and diverse on campus. No one person on campus comes from the same background or has the same belief. Yes, it is possible two people have the same beliefs, but their commitment and the depth of their belief is very different. For example, two people may both be Christian, but one may have a stronger desire to grow in their faith then the other. Right there is an example of diversity in one component of any given person's life. How I went through my life believing that diversity only compromised of race, gender, and looks, I do not know. After being on campus for two months however, I clearly know more about diversity then before. Just walking on campus at any given time of the day I run into someone who clearly is different from me. They may be a different gender or race, or they may come from a different part of the country or world for that matter. Diversity is everywhere at any given time. It is truly impossible not to find someone uniquely different from myself.
Finding diversity on campus is just as easy as finding diversity at my service-learning site. As a mentor I am given a mentee who could come from any given home life or background. For example my mentee is an only child while I have a brother. Right there is diversity in itself. Also, she is from South Carolina obviously since she is in middle school here, while I am from North Carolina. She is also a different race then I am. All three of those things add up to diversity that I experience at my service-learning site. For me, diversity is everywhere. It is at school, at mentoring, in my dorm, everywhere. Diversity is so unique and so vast that everyday is a new day to experience it.
Finding diversity on campus is just as easy as finding diversity at my service-learning site. As a mentor I am given a mentee who could come from any given home life or background. For example my mentee is an only child while I have a brother. Right there is diversity in itself. Also, she is from South Carolina obviously since she is in middle school here, while I am from North Carolina. She is also a different race then I am. All three of those things add up to diversity that I experience at my service-learning site. For me, diversity is everywhere. It is at school, at mentoring, in my dorm, everywhere. Diversity is so unique and so vast that everyday is a new day to experience it.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Traditions
South Carolina is like any other university in having its own unique traditions. Many of the traditions here are similar to the traditions at other universities, just unique to USC. For example, at USC we have the Ring Ceremony held each year. Upperclassmen who have acquired 60 hours of course credit are eligible to order their class ring and participate in the Ring Ceremony. This tradition is similar to the Ring Dance at Virginia Tech. At Virginia Tech instead of having a formal ceremony for the dispensing of class rings to their owners, they have a dance. The student picks up his ring before the dance and wears it the dance. The Ring Dance is essentially a cross between a ring ceremony and a high school prom.
Another tradition we have here at South Carolina is the annual Tiger Burn before the South Carolina-Clemson football game. Many students gather on Greene street in the week before the game to get pumped up. On top of other various activites they hold a "tiger burn." The Tiger Burn is lighting a fake tiger similar to the Clemson mascot on fire in order to symbolize USC beating Clemson in the football game.
Many of the traditions held at USC do not tend to happen within the first couple months of a person's freshman year. Most of the traditions are for upperclassmen or held later in the year during certain dates. One tradition however that every freshman gets to participate in and that I was able to participate in was the First-Year Reading experience. Every freshman is given a copy of the First-Year Reading at orientation and asked to complete it before move-in day. The reading is typically used in English and University 101 classes so it is pretty much impossible to not read. A few days after move-in day all the freshman get together at the Carolina Coliseum for a brief speech by the President and a chosen student. After this gathering we are split up into our University 101 classes and moved to a different location on campus to discuss the book. This year we had to read Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. The book was about surviving in the wild and on very little and how our society has made it impossible to live off the land like our ancestors did. It was a statement to the damage we have done to ourselves as humans to not be able to live off what is around us, but rely on modern technology to survive. Overall I quite enjoyed the book and the discussion I had with my University 101 class. After enjoying this tradition I cannot wait to participate in more in the coming weeks and years!
Another tradition we have here at South Carolina is the annual Tiger Burn before the South Carolina-Clemson football game. Many students gather on Greene street in the week before the game to get pumped up. On top of other various activites they hold a "tiger burn." The Tiger Burn is lighting a fake tiger similar to the Clemson mascot on fire in order to symbolize USC beating Clemson in the football game.
Many of the traditions held at USC do not tend to happen within the first couple months of a person's freshman year. Most of the traditions are for upperclassmen or held later in the year during certain dates. One tradition however that every freshman gets to participate in and that I was able to participate in was the First-Year Reading experience. Every freshman is given a copy of the First-Year Reading at orientation and asked to complete it before move-in day. The reading is typically used in English and University 101 classes so it is pretty much impossible to not read. A few days after move-in day all the freshman get together at the Carolina Coliseum for a brief speech by the President and a chosen student. After this gathering we are split up into our University 101 classes and moved to a different location on campus to discuss the book. This year we had to read Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. The book was about surviving in the wild and on very little and how our society has made it impossible to live off the land like our ancestors did. It was a statement to the damage we have done to ourselves as humans to not be able to live off what is around us, but rely on modern technology to survive. Overall I quite enjoyed the book and the discussion I had with my University 101 class. After enjoying this tradition I cannot wait to participate in more in the coming weeks and years!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Fall Break!
So today marks the first day of fall break. Although I say yesterday at 6:30 marked my fall break. I have late classes on Mondays and Wednesdays so of course I could not leave until later Wednesday to get home to Raleigh. One of my late classes is ironically University 101. Thankfully the class discussion today was interesting so as to keep myself from getting anxious and fidgety. We talked about alcohol and how to be safe. For me this discussion was kind of redundant since I do not drink, but I like to listen to other classmates's views on drinking. This was the first discussion I have ever agreed with everyone else. Typically it is me versus the world. Everyone else is typically trying to justify why they like to drink and how it is not a bad thing, while I state my own views on drinking that they consider childish or something of that sort. I believe we all came to a middle ground that yes drinking can be bad, but if you do drink you need to be responsible and we all seem to know how to be responsible with alcohol. I finally felt as if the majority agreed with me instead of rejecting my views. Probably the first time I did not feel out of place with my views on drinking. Overall it was a very good day in University 101.
Since it is fall break that also means the mark of the halfway point of the semester, meaning now I have to think about registering for classes next semester. As a Pre-Pharmacy major my class schedule is pretty structured and set so I do not have to worry about making a lot of hard decisions on what to take. I also already met with my advisor and did a lot of research on the best courses to take, so I knew very well what I wanted to take. I decided on Chem 112 and lab, Bio 102 and lab, Anatomy and Physiology 1 (Bio 243), Speech 1, and Triathlon Training. My three main courses of Chemistry, Biology, and Anatomy will all be on the PCAT which I will be taking in the summer. Having these three classes completed will help me do better on the exam, rather than if I took Anatomy during my Sophomore Year like the majority of Pre-Pharmacy students do. Speech is a course that is in the Pre-Pharmacy curriculum because it helps prepare you for the interview process of applying to Pharmacy College. Triathlon Training is just a one-hour credit course that will help balance out my hard classes and keep up with my triathlon training with my busy schedule.
Now that I have discussed everything I had to do to prepare for fall break, lets get to what is most important, my plans for fall break. Today I did a lot of errands and met up with a lot of my friends who are still in high school to catch up. Overall I was busy but I was happy with what I was doing and never felt bored. Tomorrow I am going shopping with my mom for a belated birthday present and then later I am going to the fair. My mom got the family tickets to see Casting Crowns at the NC State Fair so I am happy to go see them in concert and go to the fair to have fun! Saturday will be a long day in a fun way. My mom and I are taking my dad to his triathlon in Pinehurst to cheer him on. Although I love competing in triathlons, it is always nice to go watch a triathlon every once in a while to remember why I love the sport so much. Later that night we are having my birthday dinner of my favorite foods. Sunday I will go to church then drive on back to Columbia! Overall it will be a very fun and busy break, but that just means I will never get bored!
Since it is fall break that also means the mark of the halfway point of the semester, meaning now I have to think about registering for classes next semester. As a Pre-Pharmacy major my class schedule is pretty structured and set so I do not have to worry about making a lot of hard decisions on what to take. I also already met with my advisor and did a lot of research on the best courses to take, so I knew very well what I wanted to take. I decided on Chem 112 and lab, Bio 102 and lab, Anatomy and Physiology 1 (Bio 243), Speech 1, and Triathlon Training. My three main courses of Chemistry, Biology, and Anatomy will all be on the PCAT which I will be taking in the summer. Having these three classes completed will help me do better on the exam, rather than if I took Anatomy during my Sophomore Year like the majority of Pre-Pharmacy students do. Speech is a course that is in the Pre-Pharmacy curriculum because it helps prepare you for the interview process of applying to Pharmacy College. Triathlon Training is just a one-hour credit course that will help balance out my hard classes and keep up with my triathlon training with my busy schedule.
Now that I have discussed everything I had to do to prepare for fall break, lets get to what is most important, my plans for fall break. Today I did a lot of errands and met up with a lot of my friends who are still in high school to catch up. Overall I was busy but I was happy with what I was doing and never felt bored. Tomorrow I am going shopping with my mom for a belated birthday present and then later I am going to the fair. My mom got the family tickets to see Casting Crowns at the NC State Fair so I am happy to go see them in concert and go to the fair to have fun! Saturday will be a long day in a fun way. My mom and I are taking my dad to his triathlon in Pinehurst to cheer him on. Although I love competing in triathlons, it is always nice to go watch a triathlon every once in a while to remember why I love the sport so much. Later that night we are having my birthday dinner of my favorite foods. Sunday I will go to church then drive on back to Columbia! Overall it will be a very fun and busy break, but that just means I will never get bored!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Mentoring
I am currently three weeks into the mentoring program I signed up for at Hand Middle School. So far the program has been great. The mentor leaders do an excellent job of preparing me on what I need to accomplish before I go to each mentoring session. I do not feel too overwhelmed or confused at the tasks at hand during my time at the service site. Although I cannot disclose anything about my mentee, just know that she is great.
This week marks the third session of mentoring, however I have not made my third visit yet. The past two visits have gone by very smoothly. The first visit consisted of me meeting my mentee and getting a tour of Hand Middle School. We talked about what we have in common and she told me a little bit about herself to help me better understand who she is as a person. I also gave her background information on me and what I hope we can gain from the experience together. This past session we actually started digging into what mentoring really is. I did a homework check and discussed the importance of doing every assignment for class regardless of how pointless it seems. We also dived into an organization "party" to help my mentee get organized to better keep up with her work and get good grades. We did not finish all the organization so hopefully this next time she will have completed what we left off at so we can begin mentoring.
Ironically, one of my biggest strengths is being very organized. This is quite handy for my mentee who is not as organized. I am able to help her get organized and better prepared for her classes. I also have experience working with children because I used to be a day camp counselor with the YMCA. My experience of working with children helps me relate to how they can act, and how I should act towards them in order for them to appreciate where I am coming from and listen. Having this experience really gives me a step ahead knowing the possibilities of what can occur each day and how I can counteract these possibilities.
The mentoring program as I am sure you can figure out is very time consuming. On top of classes and volunteering for this I have yet to volunteer anywhere else this semester. I am a part of Habitat for Humanity so I will hopefully be helping with a build sometime this year. I am also a part of two different Christian organizations that will most likely volunteer in some way to do mission work around Columbia. Between all the organizations I am involved in I will not be surprised to find myself helping the homeless or cleaning up part of campus sometime in my near future.
This week marks the third session of mentoring, however I have not made my third visit yet. The past two visits have gone by very smoothly. The first visit consisted of me meeting my mentee and getting a tour of Hand Middle School. We talked about what we have in common and she told me a little bit about herself to help me better understand who she is as a person. I also gave her background information on me and what I hope we can gain from the experience together. This past session we actually started digging into what mentoring really is. I did a homework check and discussed the importance of doing every assignment for class regardless of how pointless it seems. We also dived into an organization "party" to help my mentee get organized to better keep up with her work and get good grades. We did not finish all the organization so hopefully this next time she will have completed what we left off at so we can begin mentoring.
Ironically, one of my biggest strengths is being very organized. This is quite handy for my mentee who is not as organized. I am able to help her get organized and better prepared for her classes. I also have experience working with children because I used to be a day camp counselor with the YMCA. My experience of working with children helps me relate to how they can act, and how I should act towards them in order for them to appreciate where I am coming from and listen. Having this experience really gives me a step ahead knowing the possibilities of what can occur each day and how I can counteract these possibilities.
The mentoring program as I am sure you can figure out is very time consuming. On top of classes and volunteering for this I have yet to volunteer anywhere else this semester. I am a part of Habitat for Humanity so I will hopefully be helping with a build sometime this year. I am also a part of two different Christian organizations that will most likely volunteer in some way to do mission work around Columbia. Between all the organizations I am involved in I will not be surprised to find myself helping the homeless or cleaning up part of campus sometime in my near future.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Halfway There!
Next week will mark the official halfway point of the semester. I cannot even believe that it has already been half a semester. Seems like yesterday I was just starting my classes, now I am taking midterms. Looking back on the past weeks I have to say every minute of college life has been amazing. From late night walks with friends to football games no moment has gone by uninteresting. Out of all of these moments I would say my favorite memory of college would have to be going on a fall conference trip with The Navigators. This trip actually took place last weekend in Black Mountain, NC. Incredible does not nearly describe how amazing and intense this trip was. Not only did I grow in my faith and become closer to God, I made so many friends within the university and met so many people from other universities. The trip made me feel so connected with people here at the university through my bible study, and meet other cool people who are just as interested in growing in their walk with God. I am so happy I went on this trip I could not imagine having missed it.
Out of all my memories a few of them stand as being amazing, while others are a little less exciting and I wish I could change them. One memory in particular is not going with friends to a campus wide event and missing out on an awesome time. I decided to pass going to a big party because I thought it would be a party put on by fraternities and there would be lots of drinking and dangerous situations. Come to find out the event was actually put on by the university and was a safe alternative to partying at five points or somewhere else. I wish looking back that I made the decision to go but it is too late now.
Now that I am halfway through the semester I am also looking at my goals and reevaluating them. My personal challenge of taking the stairs everyday except once is holding up very nicely. I have yet to find a time when I did not take the stairs apart from when I was sick one day and too nauseous to walk up them. Also my goal of making all A's is currently moving in the right direction. I have received an A so far on all my tests and homework assignmetns in each of my classes. I have found a great Christian organization to become involved in as well as an organization for Pre-Pharmacy and triathlons. My main goals were to find clubs for these three areas of my life that I was very devoted in. If I can just stay committed to my work and prioritizing my time I should have no problem staying on top of my goals. As long as I continue to put work first and everything else after I should get all A's like I want and stay involved with my activities. Hopefully it all works out for the best!
Out of all my memories a few of them stand as being amazing, while others are a little less exciting and I wish I could change them. One memory in particular is not going with friends to a campus wide event and missing out on an awesome time. I decided to pass going to a big party because I thought it would be a party put on by fraternities and there would be lots of drinking and dangerous situations. Come to find out the event was actually put on by the university and was a safe alternative to partying at five points or somewhere else. I wish looking back that I made the decision to go but it is too late now.
Now that I am halfway through the semester I am also looking at my goals and reevaluating them. My personal challenge of taking the stairs everyday except once is holding up very nicely. I have yet to find a time when I did not take the stairs apart from when I was sick one day and too nauseous to walk up them. Also my goal of making all A's is currently moving in the right direction. I have received an A so far on all my tests and homework assignmetns in each of my classes. I have found a great Christian organization to become involved in as well as an organization for Pre-Pharmacy and triathlons. My main goals were to find clubs for these three areas of my life that I was very devoted in. If I can just stay committed to my work and prioritizing my time I should have no problem staying on top of my goals. As long as I continue to put work first and everything else after I should get all A's like I want and stay involved with my activities. Hopefully it all works out for the best!
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