While my first semester at college has taught me a lot about living independently, using the bus system, and always being prepared for rain; as a student, I believe that I have mostly learned about how to ask for help. During high school, I almost never needed extra guidance about a paper or a topic on a test. I mostly studied my own way and worked on papers a couple nights before they were due. This semester, however, I have been to almost all of my Chemistry Lab TA’s office hours and have frequently visited the MSLC. In college I started to realize that I might not always know what the teacher expects, so I’ve been using office hours to ask all my questions as I work on my assignments throughout the week.
With my chemistry labs, I found myself completing the experiment on Wednesday and then spending Wednesday and Thursday night on my report. Friday morning I would go into office hours with my first set of questions, and then continue to work on my report throughout the weekend. Then, on Tuesday, the day before it was due, I would go back in to office hours with any last minute questions or explanations before submitting it and starting the process all over. Although the constant use of resources was new to me, I was glad that I always had a place to go to ask for help when it was needed.
I have grown from someone who never asked for help and preferred figuring out problems on their own, to talking to professors and TAs each week. At the beginning of the semester, I was shy about attending office hours but I have watched myself grow a bit more now as we approach the end of the first semester. I hope to continue to use my resources in the future, especially to meet with professors to ask for recommendations and possible opportunities to benefit my future career. It’s important for me to continue to put myself out there and experience different situations that push me out of my comfort zone in order to benefit my future.