This year, I took a heavy course-load for both semesters. In the fall, I took Mechanical Engineering, Material Science Engineering, Intro to Biomedical Engineering, Biology, and my final math class that involved Calc 3, linear algebra, and partial differential equations. Same to say, this was a pretty stressful semester, but made it through very successfully. I really enjoyed the classes I took and I feel like I got a lot out of them. Looking at even this fall semester versus the first year, I could see myself growing as a student: the way I studied had improved, my note taking became more efficient, and I worked on communication with peers and professors as well.
In the spring semester, another stressful work-load of Organic Chemistry, Physics E&M, Anatomy, and a numerical simulation class for BME. This semester, I feel like I perfected my study method. I would go to the library Sunday-Thursday for at least 4-5 hours and study. This allowed me to break studying for exams up more and made me a lot less stressed before exams. Rather than cramming 10 hours the night before, I would only have to study a few hours the day before and I felt very confident going into these tests. Anatomy may have been my favorite class yet: the professors were engaging and I believe the way the human body works is fascinating. I was so intrigued by this, that I have arranged to do research in my professor’s research lab next fall.
Both of these semesters have continued to help me grown as a student: better studying, better communication, and better learning overall. I will use what I have learned as my base for next year and hopefully I can continue to keep improving.