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Reflection #2

Read the following quote by Dr. Pamela Brown, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs:

Learning is a source of hope for a better future. It requires hard work and sacrifice which can be even more difficult in challenging times. Your time in college is also your opportunity to connect with others, lift your spirit, enrich your life, and develop the skills and knowledge to make a difference in your community.
— Dr. Pamela Brown, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Choose a question below and write a reflection in the comment box at the bottom of this page.

  • What life experiences have prepared me for college?
  • When I have been faced with a difficult situation, what strategies did I use to find a solution?
  • How will I create positive academic habits for myself?

Read and comment on another student’s post. These are your classmates, encourage them to work towards their goals.

40 Comments

  1. Asaele

    I feel like high school really prepared me for college because in my freshman and sophomore year of high school I didn’t plan on going to college but some teachers helped me realize I should go to succeed. I faced with things my sophomore year in high school and it caused me to not focus in school and to not do any work but my parents and sister helped me get back on track. I will create positive academic habits for myself by really practicing on studying and focusing in important things.

    • Henry

      I agree, highschool did play a huge part in preparing me for college.

    • Nazia Mahmud

      Hi Asaele,

      I am glad things worked out for you and you are here in City Tech. Those habits are great to work on or develop. Nice Post!

  2. Henry

    I will create positive academic habits for myself by working on my time management skills

    • Ama

      Similarly, I tend to struggle sometimes with managing my time.

    • Samaya

      I used to have major time management issues, maybe get all of the things you need to get done written on a paper or notes app so you can cross things out as you go : )

    • Asaele

      I also struggle with that but we will learn to get better at that during college.

    • gplaisance

      I feel like I should do the same. I get distracted way too easily.

    • Sindy Ariza

      Time management is definitely a struggle many college students have and even now I sometimes find myself trying to improve that habit. I would recommend planning out your days so that you can keep in mind when you have class and when you have your other things to do outside of the classroom.

  3. geraldine

    High school has definitely helped me feel prepared for college as my school offered College Now classes as a way for us to understand how classes are going to be. With these opportunities, I’m able to prepare myself with the length and work of each class. I plan to create a positive academic habits for myself by planning out when I’m going to study and for how long.

    • Kamaro

      I agree Geraldine I think planning out how you’re going to study is great because it ensures that you will be taking advantage of your time.

    • Parbatti B

      I agree, I took College Now classes as well in high school and it has helped me learn the rigor and expectation bestowed upon college students and allowed me to get a head start on my degree.

    • Nazia Mahmud

      Hi Geraldine,

      College Now is an excellent way of getting a preview of how college is. I also got the opportunity to take few classes and I definitely felt prepared in my first semester. Nice post!

  4. Kamaro

    I feel like high school has prepared me for college because my high school did a great job of ensuring we understood how different college would be. When I face a difficult challenge I like to dissect the situation and allow myself to find where I’m struggling at. I will create a positive academic habit by setting goals and allowing myself to grow through the challenges I might face throughout college.

    • Ant

      I agree with this completely, goals are definitely important, and it also important to have a plan when it comes to college.

    • Nazia Mahmud

      Hi Kamaro,

      Good idea to approach a situation one step at a time and figure out where your struggles are. Nice post!

  5. Ama

    “What life experiences have prepared me for college?”

    I’ve had many experiences that I feel have prepared me for college, but one of the main things is how I communicate with my teachers. Throughout high school, I’ve had a multitude of teachers always willing to help and provide guidance when needed, and although it took until 11th grade for me to realize, it was very beneficial to me. Building that sort of relationship where I know I can reach out if I need help made me more comfortable in expressing my struggles because I knew that I’d receive the help I needed, all I have to do is communicate.

    • Mohamed alkutaini

      thats great there are many teachers are out their looking out for us and want us to succeed and I believe you can be great too

    • Nazia Mahmud

      Hi Amarachi,

      This will definitely help you in your college career as you build relationships with your professors and peers. Excellent post!

  6. Ant

    In my senior year of high school, I was struggling with all my AP classes. I decided to take AP Calculus AB, AP Physics, and AP Computer Science Principles. I also took a participation in government class (quality of life) and economics honors (second semester). I was stressing with the amount of work and the pressure I had from the idea that college is harder, all while also balancing a new relationship. Luckily, I overcame most of the challenges at the end. I’m hoping that if I survived that nightmare, I could do well in college.

    • Sindy Ariza

      I am so happy for you and really glad everything worked out! I had the same struggles with AP classes and it was very overwhelming. You will do well in college, I personally think that AP is more of a hassle but that’s just my opinion.

  7. Parbatti B

     I will create positive academic habits for myself by using what I learned in CT101 from Professor Tarbell, the Peer Mentors, and my fellow classmates to incorporate in my daily academic routine. For instance, I will make to do lists everyday, stick to my time slots that I made prior to starting my day, find my place for both study and relaxation, and above all else prioritize self care. I know it won’t be easy at first but I will allow myself to make mistakes and learn from them to become a better student and learner.

    • Samaya

      I hope you find what works for you! once you get in a routine its life changing : )

    • Mohamed alkutaini

      I believe you can do it because anything is possible when you think hard and long for it and you want to make that into reality

    • Sindy Ariza

      Not only have you made a list of really good academic habits but you have also created a positive attitude for yourself which is already going to help you in making sure you will prioritize your self care. Taking care of yourself is so important and I can see that you have the right mindset to push yourself to be the best you can be. Great response!

  8. Samaya

    When i find myself stuck in a situation I usually try to stay neutral, unbiased, and think about everything from an outside perspective and i think about what could be done. Then I use my resources and help the issue.

    • Carl-Handy Abraham

      Great strategy

    • Sindy Ariza

      That is a smart approach especially to avoid getting caught in a moment of panic or worry. This will definitely help you in many situations both in school and in life.

  9. gplaisance

    During my last volleyball playoffs game, I couldn’t grasp how the team was playing so I wasn’t being of much use, so I subbed out the game for a bit to analyze the other team.

    • Sindy Ariza

      I don’t know much about volleyball and don’t play sports but as an interest of yours I can see what approach you took to handle the situation and why. It’s great that you took a step back to analyze, this is an approach you can use in school as well when for example a material seems hard to understand. I would say use this approach when you feel as though you need it, it could really help you!

  10. Moahmed

    High school did not prepare me for college because they were to focused solely on the better students who were already smart but I will say that few teachers saw it in me that I yearn for something great I remember one time in my senior year they were doing a tryouts for the senior speech because they didn’t do the valedictorian and so I prepared my speech for 10 whole days solely focused on the speech to make it great enough that maybe I could win and I kept this on a hush hush from my family to make it a surprise for them when I gave the speech out but unfortunately I lost and didn’t win but it did show me how when I put my all into something I did great on it even if other didn’t think so many teachers told me my speech was amazing even though I lost since it wasn’t their say on who would win but when I read my speech I feel almost shocked that I wrote this so I say this school it self didn’t prepare for highschool but the people in my life very much did.

    • Nazia Mahmud

      Hi Moahmed,

      Your experience shows great resilience and determination. It’s really inspiring how you dedicated yourself to preparing that speech and recognized your potential, even if the outcome wasn’t as expected. How do you plan to apply this dedication and the lessons you learned from supportive teachers in your college journey? Keep up the positive mindset and hard work!

  11. Carl-Handy Abraham

    • How will I create positive academic habits for myself?

    I think I will take some measure of discipline. Create time to study, plan my days positively. Explore all the resources at my disposal to succed.

    • Nazia Mahmud

      Hi Carl,

      It sounds like you’re on the right track with your academic habits!

  12. Abdou

    I believe the best way to maintain positive academic habits is creating them yourself through your own means.

    • Nazia Mahmud

      Hi Abdou,

      Could you share more about the specific methods you’ll use to develop and maintain these habits? Keep up the good work!

  13. Carl-Handy Abraham

    • How will I create positive academic habits for myself?

    I will use some of the techniques like tutoring, create time to study. Use all available tools at my disposal.

    • Nazia Mahmud

      Hi Carl,

      Tutoring was what I was looking for at your previous response and how you plan on creating these habits like following a routine, etc.. Nice post!

  14. Vondale Best

    I feel like my experiences in high school have prepared me for college. High School made sure I knew what to expect in college and how due dates are important. When I face a difficult situation I probably ask other people for help to get different perspectives on the problem. I will create a positive academic habits by keeping up with my due dates and making sure I communicate with my professors.

    • Nazia Mahmud

      Hi Vondale,

      I’m glad that your high school experiences have prepared you well for college! Its a great academic habit to keep up with due dates as it’s easy to fall behind and communicating with your professors. Keep up the great work!

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