Self Assessment

            Coming into my first semester at Southern Connecticut State University, I was entirely unprepared for what was awaiting me on campus.  I was expecting it to be what we see in the movies: students magically acing there tests as it cuts to a scene of students parting in their dorms followed by friends meeting up to get food.  I imagined everyday would be a breeze.  Although, with all this in mind, I was aware that school would be challenging.  I knew there would be work involved but I just simply wasn’t prepared to meet the demands of the college education experience.  Graduating from a technical school was a big disadvantage for me while trying to adjust to college requirements.  My high school education consisted of a concentration in the trade selection.  The academic aspect of my high school career was essentially a joke.  The academic program in technical schools, although no one would truly admit this, is designed to escort students to graduation in order to allow them to enter the work force as soon as possible.  This does not assist students in preparing for college.  SAT prep course are not offered and the guidance department encouraged students to attend a community college.  In summation, the only drive that technical students have for furthering their education must come from within.

            Coming to college with this academic background and while writing this self-assessment, I have realized again that I must use this drive to push myself to meet the demands of college.  Simply put, if I can’t get myself moving, I will be left behind and will not succeed in college.  With these disadvantages, I found it easy to make an excuse as to why something couldn’t be done or why I didn’t have to do it at that certain point in time.  If I haven’t learned anything from any of my professors all semester, I have learned that time management is the most important factor in succeed in college.  Procrastination has landed me in some very bad spots this semester: struggling last minute to finish papers, searching for notes right before quizzes to review last minute, etc.  Next semester, after failing in the ways I have this semester, I will be hitting classes with a different type of intensity.  I am making a promise to myself that I will not pass off school as I did myself.  The sad truth is that if I don’t step up my “school game,” I will most likely not make it to graduation or move on to have the career of my dreams. In order to progress in school next semester, I’m going to balance my time out better. The way I’m going to balance my time out better is by devoting more time to schoolwork and studying. In addition to this, I’m also going to try and develop better sleeping habits so that instead of waking up in the morning feeling groggy and tired, I will feel awake, refreshed, and ready to start my school day.