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Freshman files: Engineering state of mind

March 5th, 2019

Our second installment of freshman files for 2019 is here and it’s a great read for all students, especially those considering engineering, math and science majors.  Our blogger, Katelyn, is an engineering student at the Colorado School of Mines, a public research university that specializes in engineering and topics related to earth, energy and the environment.  

I’m grateful that Katelyn is willing to share her experience with us and I wish her the best as she finishes the year strong!   I especially appreciate Katelyn’s openness as she describes working through homesickness, developing strong connections to people and organizations on campus to overcome it.

My first semester has been really good for me! I joined Kappa Alpha Theta on campus and am also very involved with Navigators, a Christian ministry on campus. A junior who is in Navigators mentors me, and I really love getting to know her. I also sing with our worship team!

My classes are rigorous but not too overwhelming. My major is still Chemical Engineering, but I am very interested in possibly changing to Engineering Physics or Applied Math. Calculus 2 was my favorite class last semester because I loved the process of building skills and becoming good at things that I had never done before. This isn’t a surprise to me because I am finding that this rewarding way to approach math is the same way I approached singing and Latin, which I also loved. Yesterday was my first day of Calculus 3 and I was surprised at how much we have to do on computers computationally, but I have a sorority sister who is a TA for the class and she has told me that it will not be as hard as it seems right now. I am also taking Chemistry 2, Physics 2, and a class for the Honors Program called Innovation and Discovery in Engineering, Arts, and Science (IDEAS). Last semester I took Calculus 2, Chemistry 1, Physics 1, and the first half of IDEAS. The only course I would not recommend is IDEAS as it consists of many projects and assignments that do not relate to each other or to a major on campus. The class is designed to let students create art but, coming from a high school with strong liberal arts classes, I feel that I am spending a lot of time on assignments that are not making me a better person. It is quite time consuming and I personally tend to get frustrated when the projects are getting in the way of my STEM courses. That being said, there is no way for me to have foreseen not enjoying the class so I can’t say I could have done anything differently!

Moving away from home was exciting for a few weeks, but as September and October came I was missing my old life. … I missed my family and I missed being in high school. I think this was inevitable as I had met many people but had not yet had enough time to build real friendships. As I got more involved with Navigators, these issues went away and I was less homesick. I now look forward to my Bible study every Wednesday and usually have plans to go out with friends afterwards. Next year, I am going to live with three other girls who also do Navigators. I cannot express how grateful I am for Megan, the junior who has been mentoring me through Navigators. I look up to how hard she works in school and try to be like her in situations where I am not sure how to act. … She also mentors my roommate, who is also my best friend in college. I am going to try to get more involved with Theta this semester since I have spent most of my time with Navigators last semester.

I am excited for this semester, but more excited for semesters to come! I could not be more happy that I chose to attend Mines. I love my new life in Colorado but am so grateful for everyone at home who helped me get to this place today!

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Freshman files: Dartmouth impressions

January 22nd, 2019

Each year after the holidays I love to reconnect with past Shrop Ed students and check in on their first semester of college.  This provides a great opportunity to share their experiences as college freshmen, shedding light on important elements of the transition from high school to college.  Excerpts from their responses are extremely helpful to our younger students who will soon begin this journey as well, and I’m grateful to past students willing to share their thoughts publicly.  

The first freshman files excerpt of 2019 comes from Isaac, a first-year student at Dartmouth College, a small research university within the Ivy League.  Isaac’s commentary provides a deeper understanding of the many extracurricular opportunities and academic resources available outside of traditional classes, so important to making connections which can improve any college experience immensely.  

Regarding Dartmouth, I love it here! The academics are in no way easy, but I’m finding them manageable this term. I’m doing very well in all of my classes (Intro to Anthropology, Computer Science 1, and my mandatory writing class) with the exception of a bump in the writing class … That being said, I did well on the last paper, so I think I’m getting the hang of it!

 I joined Dartmouth Humanitarian Engineering and am currently working on a project to improve the design of cots at a local shelter in hopes of preventing them from breaking so often to hopefully cut down on long-term expenses. I am also in Investment Club, SIBS (Big Brother Big Sister; I get paired with my Little in about a week and will meet them once or twice before break and then kick it into full swing once I’m back for winter term), and the Dartmouth Outing Club.

 I also opted to do a couple of supplementary classes. I did Learning at Dartmouth which is a 14 session long informal course to help improve study skills and help first years learn about all of the resources they have available to them. I also participated in a 4 session long Koru Mindfulness class in hopes that it would help with stress management. It went pretty well and I think helped some but wasn’t a cure-all solution for me.

 First Year Trips was an absolute blast! I loved all of my trippees and my trip leaders were great. I still often hang out with my trippees and keep in contact with my trip leaders. It was an amazing experience. Social life has been good too. I’ve made a lot of good friends who are really accepting of everyone. My roommate is one of my best friends. I really like him and we’ve both made friends through each other. 

We’re grateful that Isaac agreed to share his experiences and wish him continued success as he finishes his first year!

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Be organized. Try new things. Get involved. Rise to the challenge. Experience diversity.

March 26th, 2018

Last year’s Shrop Ed seniors continue to send feedback about their first year at college, and today we share excerpts from three students who report both happiness and success.  You’ll note some boldfaced text – these are points that we feel are crucial for younger students to zero in on, to understand what it takes to transition successfully to college.

What themes do you note?

First year at U. of Kentucky

My first few months at the University of Kentucky have been pretty good!  I am currently involved in a variety of activities here, including the International Student Council, the University of Kentucky Leadership Exchange, the Chinese Culture Club, and the Korean Language and Culture Club.  Overall, transitioning to life in campus was not very difficult for me, surprisingly.  My classes have gone quite well so far, and while I am still trying to find my perfect niche here I have met a variety of people I have become close friends with.  Interesting, adjusting to my new homework load wasn’t very difficult, and I finished the semester with straight A’s.  The hardest thing I’ve had to grow used to is managing when I will do all of my homework, but it did not take long for me to get used to this.  I have been working with the Modern and Classical Languages Department to start a new Korean language program due both to strong student interest and my own time spent in South Korea on a scholarship last summer, and I have recently been accepted for a summer internship overseas!  While at times I do wish I had been able to attend one of the other wonderful schools I was accepted to, I do think I have done well at UK so far and I have high hopes for the upcoming semester.

First year at Northeastern U. in Boston

My first semester is going absolutely amazing.  Northeastern was definitely a perfect fit for me and I am so glad I chose it.  The courses I’m taking are really challenging, not sure if I will end up sticking with Math as a major, I may be switching to a minor.  However, I am really enjoying the courses I’m taking and I’m glad Northeastern has given me room in my schedule to explore other areas, such as Communications, Linguistics, and Psychology.  Through the academic part is definitely at challenge, I’ve gained some really great study skills and I’ve become more organized.  My work ethic has increased as well, due to the fact that what I am learning is really interesting and exciting for me!  I think the transition to college went really smoothly and I made friends quickly without any difficulty.  Additionally, I am getting involved on and off campus with different clubs and activities.  I am doing lots of community service for different organizations around Boston and joined a recreational soccer team as well as other activities.  It seems as though I have unlimited opportunities to get involved in clubs/extracurriculars as well as research and internships.  I’m so excited for what is to come in my college career and I can’t thank you enough for all the help in my college process!

First year at Southern Methodist U. Honors Program 

SMU…is academically challenging, especially for me who is in the Honors Program and seeking a triple major (thanks to the AP classes I have taken and my interests in humanities and STEM).  One of the things that has definitely helped me to get through is motivation because I am the kind of person who does not like to do assignments, especially papers for English major classes, the day before it’s due….I would rather work hard on Friday and Saturday so that I can have Sunday free.  What I actually do, providing that there is a long-term assignment, is to put it in my planner twice or even more times and aim for the first date to compete it…

…I have made much effort and found great venues to get involved.  One of the great things I am involved in is Yearbook as a staff writer, which allows and motivates me to go to different events and write about them.  I feel that it is important to do what I actually like while it is also worthwhile to consider the potential benefits.  I am also working for the library, and that’s why I stayed on campus through this winter break.  At the same time, I am applying to become an RA, a position that can potentially bring me more into the community of my Residential Commons.  What has gone smoothly for me is to adapt to the college campus and be independent responsibly because I came to the States when I was 15, and I feel like moving into college is not like leaving my family for the first time.  Therefore, the transition is smooth, and most importantly, since such independence is not something new to me, I treat it with responsibility which is important, in my opinion, for a college freshman.  And what’s surprising is how busy college life can be even if it may sound plausible that I come back to dorm and take a nap after classes.  Classes, homework, jobs/activities, and all other things that will come up take up much of the time, and in order to stick to my routines, I have to pace myself well.

Throughout these months, I have come to understand how the sense of responsibility can play a key role in almost everything, and I have seen how different everyone is.  I went to a very small high school, and college is giving me a better idea of diversity by which I mean how everyone is pursuing different things and how drastically different ideas, personalities, and values can come together….

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We’re grateful to these students for allowing us to share their thoughts with you on our blog, and wish them continued success and new adventures!  We hope they’ll stay in touch with us for a long time to come, just as we hope you will do when you’re at the school of your choice.
 

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Freshman Files: Liberal arts on a block plan

March 5th, 2018

Today Amy J. shares her unique experience as a first-year student at Colorado College.  CC is one of only a handful of schools that operate on a block plan:  full immersion into a single course, devoting all energies to completing a semester’s work in 3 ½ weeks.  Over the course of the academic year, students complete just as many courses as they would in a traditional semester schedule.  The students and professor become a team, in a way, and as classes at Colorado College are small it’s quite a remarkable environment.

We’re grateful that Amy is willing to share her experience as a new student at Colorado College and wish her continued success and happiness ahead!

Academics: Block plan makes the academics at CC pretty intense. All freshmen start … with the First Year Experience (FYE), a two-block class of their choice … and the professors teaching FYE usually offer more help to these freshmen for their transition to college. My FYE was introduction to comparative literature, and it was especially challenging for me due to the fast pace of a “block” – we finished our discussion of a book in two to three days on average, and sometimes it was just one day for one book. The first week was probably the hardest: we finished Homer’s Iliad in five days! … But luckily, … I found our professor’s lecture so fascinating. … She also invited us to her house for the first Sunday’s brunch, and it was a great experience!

We had another professor teaching us for the second block of FYE …The reading load each day was still a challenge to me, but … I gained confidence in my writing through the paper grades and my two professors’ encouraging comments. …

The third block I took elementary French I, and … learning a language in a block was intense in that we had 3 hours of online practice as homework every day…

Activities: … My Priddy trip (a five-day outdoor and service trip mandatory for every new student to participate before school starts) to Santa Fe was actually my first time going overnight camping and seeing the starry, starry night. … The last night in Santa Fe national forest was my favorite – our group merged with another group that camped nearby, and sitting around a bonfire, we got to know each other, chatted, and asked our leaders questions about CC life. The ambience was fantastic. …

My next outdoor experience at CC was rock climbing on the first Saturday after school started. Again it was my first rock climbing experience – although it was scary at times when I couldn’t find a spot to place my feet, it was a lot of fun! From then on, I began to love this sport.

The third one was my FOOT trip, a 5-day backpacking trip during the first block break specially organized for freshmen to further experience the outdoors in Colorado. We went to a place called “Lost Creek Wilderness” and I was really impressed by the beautiful aspens whose leaves turned yellow in late September. The views were fantastic, as if in a dream. …

The fourth one was another rock-climbing in a nearby mountain. It was a trip included in the “rock school” – a class teaching rock climbing skills that I signed up for …

My fifth outdoor experience was phenomenal: I went on a 10-day road trip to several national parks with some other international students and some Americans who did not go back home during the Thanksgiving break. We went to Canyonlands National Park in Utah, Monument Valley and Grand Canyon in Arizona, and Zion and Bryce national parks in Utah. I witnessed, for so many times, the magic of mother Nature in this trip… Amazing. I was so so lucky. CC is definitely my place.

Something about CC’s outdoor culture:  The Outdoor Education Center is a big part at CC. Students can take trainings to become a backcountry level 1, 2 or even level 3 leader, or a leader in other tracks such as rock climbing and skiing. Then these student leaders can plan and lead their trips.  Students can simply sign up for a trip on “Summit” (a website) and most trips do not cost much. Therefore, people who love outdoor sports will definitely love CC!

Overall, my first semester at CC was wonderful and full of new and exciting experiences. I think that block breaks really give students a lot of opportunities to travel and to have fun. …

Though blocks are hard, my first semester’s experience clearly proved what I had said in my application essay: CC is my best fit.

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