As the syllabus describes:“This INQ section challenges students to immerse themselves in the college experience: juggle multiple tasks, be problem solvers, ask questions, take risks, grapple with difficulty, be creative, learn from failure, take ownership over their own learning, and apply abstract concepts to their actual everyday lives.”
Coming into Southern Connecticut State University I had no idea what an Inquiry Class consisted of. As describes at orientation INQ is a class that is supposed to help you become familiar with the college experience: a transition course from high school to college life. I thought, “This class is going to be a breeze”. Little did I know that INQ would my heaviest workload class. Many would say Inquiry is a pointless class, but I don’t feel that way. I personally feel as if I found my college-level persona throughout this course and that INQ truly benefited me as a student.
Throughout the course, students of INQ 101 Section 32N definitely needed to juggle multiple tasks! Most weeks consisted of a campus safari, two blog posts, online-readings and in-class writing assignments, and working on one of the three projects assigned throughout the course of the semester. The first couple weeks at school I was beyond stressed out with the amount of work all five of my courses has assigned. Time management was defiantly essential and what helped me to meet all of the requirements of this course. I personally, am a very organized structured person, but I had never experienced such a heavy workload all at once. Within the course we talked a lot about time management, study habits and organization which I feel truly benefited me as a student.
Individually I feel as if I have met all of the required course goals and achieved a specific set of college-level skills during the course of the semester, but it wasn’t easy! I honestly dedicated a lot of time and hard work into each and every one of the assignments assigned. One semester-long assignment I feel as if I truly benefited from was blogging. Finding my blogging voice really encouraged me to improve my writing skills. The first couple weeks into the semester I would stress out a lot about blogs. I did not fully understand what a blogging voice consisted of. I would spend sometimes more than an hour on just one blog (250+ words) and I knew I had to do something to improve my writing skills. Over the course of the semester I feel as if I really found my own personal voice within my writing. Now, for me writing a blog is a piece of cake and something I enjoy. I just needed to relax and understand that no blog could be considered “wrong” because it was my personal voice and personal opinion. Blogging is a place that I can just express my feeling about the assigned topic and share my writing voice with others. Looking back at the first couple blog posts and comparing them to the final blogs I have posted just this week, you can see a huge improvement in my writing and I am extremely proud of it. Blogging defiantly benefited and improved my writing skills as a college student.
Personally, I feel as if I have grown tremendously since the beginning on the semester. I have adjusted very well to living on campus and have made some pretty terrific friends. The beginning of the semester was a huge mental struggle for me. Moving on campus and leaving home was extremely difficult. I missed my old life at home, but I knew it was time for me to grow up and stay positive while adjusting to my new life as an on-campus college student. And that’s exactly what I did! I needed to stay academically motivated and focused to keep my grades up. I want to have earned at least a 3.5 accumulative GPA by the end of the fall semester. That is the biggest academic goal I have set for myself and will strive to achieve along with completing all my assignments and doing well on test, quizzes, and exams. I feel very accomplished at the completion of my first semester here at Southern and am very proud of how much I have grown.
There are specific assignments assigned throughout the course of this semester I feel as if I really benefited from. I have already elaborated on how I feel blogging, two times a week, throughout the semester exceptionally improved my writing skills. I have learned not to think so much about what I’m going write about and just, write it! Also, campus safari taught me a lot about what SCSU has to offer for their students. Many of the places I was sent out to find, such as the multicultural center, office of study skill enrichment, and the campus radio station, I would have not know were on-campus if I wasn’t introduced to them through campus safari. This assignment really helped me learn a lot about my campus and all the great and useful resources it has to offer for students.
Also, the three projects assigned throughout the semester, I feel made me break out of my comfort zone but in a good way. In the first project “Group Think” we were assigned to a group that consisted of 3-5 people in class and had to complete an on-campus group project. This project included aspects of creativity and time management/organization. Working with a group of people I barely knew and completing a project with them frightened me (breaking out of my comfort zone) as first because I am more of an independent worker, but it actually wasn’t that bad. It was really great getting to know new people and working together with them. For the second project assigned “Interviewing Around Campus” we had come up with INQ question and go around campus interviewing both underclassmen and upperclassmen and professors. My question was, “What motivates you to reach you academic goals?” I was very satisfied with my project and feel as if I completed the full assignment to the best of my ability. BUT…making a movie with PowerPoint didn’t flow as smoothly as I wanted it to, so in the third and final project assigned I learned how to use Windows Movie Maker. I am still in the process of making my final video project based on my major, nursing and feel as if it is coming along really well.
My overall performance in this class really taught me that hard-work, motivation, dedication, time management/organization, and creativity are very crucial aspects college students must possess to be a successful individual. There is no such thing as the “perfect college student”, but if you work to the best of your ability and stay focused and positive you should have nothing to be worried about. I feel as if I have grown a lot since the beginning of the semester and I am very proud to see how far I have come. I have not changed at all as an overall person, just as a student. I try to stay positive and focused at all times and try not stress myself out as much. A stress free environment is a happy environment, I always say. I will continue to stay focused and motivated and work just as hard, if not harder in all my classes for next semester as well.
To end on a positive note, I am a very determined college student that strives to reach her goals; short term and long. I have no regrets, only mistakes that I have learned from. INQ has taught me a lot about becoming successful in my future and I am thankful Southern Connecticut State University made this course a freshman requirement. I learned a lot about both myself and the college I am attending and am very happy to see how far I have grown as a college student.
Thank you Mrs. Guarino for a great semester and for teaching such an informative course!
Me & My Group!
Stay Positive !
Stay Positive !
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