Mid-year Adjustments and Plans
Mid-year is a good time to review your plans and goals in light of your first semester experiences and to prepare for officially declaring your college (and possibly your major). Use the Edit tab above and answer the questions in the spaces below, then click on "save" and "publish." (You will need to click on “Publish This Page” and “Publish All Changes” when it appears.)
These questions should take 15 to 20 minutes to answer. When you have finished the prompts, saved and published them, then submit the assignment to your advisor (directions for submitting are below).
1. List the top 3 things that have most helped you find your place and become more comfortable at Notre Dame. Be specific.
- Lewis Hall, my dorm, has been a huge part of helping me to find my place here at Notre Dame. Not only is Lewis my dorm, but it is my home. It is full of amazing girls with kind hearts who have welcomed me with open arms. my neighbors have given me advice and helped with homework, and my roommate has helped me me make our small room a cozy home.
- Navy ROTC has been key to making Notre Dame my home. Within the ROTC program I have found friends to last a lifetime, and have been welcomed into a wonderful community of hardworking young people to encourage me. With this community around me, Notre Dame is more my home every day.
- My rector and RA have also been a very important part of my transition to make Notre Dame my home. Through all of my struggles and problems, they have been there for me to guide my and talk to me whenever I need them. It has been so important to welcoming me and helping me to turn Notre Dame into my home and a place I can be comfortable.
2. In your summer Initial Thoughts ePortfolio prompt you listed your expectations about our advising sessions. In what way have your expectations been met or not met?
It has definitely been a very different experience as far as advising in college versus the advising I had in high school. In college, it is much more about what you want out of your schedule, but it also means that much of the responsibility falls on you. As I outlined in my Initial Thoughts prompt, my advisor has been there to guide me in picking the schedule that is right for my needs. It was quite frustrating adjsting to the difference in college advising, but I learned quickly that by being forward and assertive, I could get to the advice and the classes I need. It has not been easy, nor has it fit my expectations, but I have learned the system of First Year Advising and found what works for me, making appointments, sending countless emails, and many spreadsheet schedules.
3. Also in your summer Initial Thoughts ePortfolio prompt you listed your expectations for your college courses. In what way have your expectations been met or not met?
The one expectation that has been met for sure is that I was definitely challenged this last semester. Each of my classes pushed me to my limits, and testing me intellectually. I found college to be a tough challenge, as my expectations for office hours and student-professor interaction were not met as I had imagined. College puts you on your own, and you have to work very hard to figure it all out on your own. Office hours are not the deep revealing times I had hoped for, and with such large lectures, you rarely interact with your professors. But, besides my expectations not being fulfilled, my courses have been very interesting and worth the hard work.
4. Which classes have you found most interesting or rewarding and why?
In my first semester, I enjoyed my Medieval Philosophy University Seminar on St. Augustine most, and found General Chemistry to be the most rewarding course. My University Seminar was so wonderful because I have never had a teacher with such an amazing and expansive knowledge on topic. My professor was so knowledgeable, and was willing to answer any questions with thorough explanations. I feel so well-informed after this class, and I greatly enjpyed attending lectures/discussions. As for General Chemistry, I believe it may be the toughest course I have ever taken. I have also never had to work so hard to succeed in a course, as I constantly studied with my roommate and we toiled together, and attended weekly tutoring sessions with extra sessions near exam times. But in the end, I came out of the class successfully, making the while experience so incredibly worth it. every struggle and hour studying had a purpose.
5. What have proven to be your greatest academic strengths and/or how have you grown intellectually over the last four months?
The semester was not easy by any means, but it certainly helped me to see some of my strengths. I have found that I have effective time management skills, which are endlessly helpful because of my busy schedule and extracurricular commitments. I am also able to work well under pressure, as well as work ahead, which has benefitted me greatly on exams and during times where the work load is heavy adn there is more work than time to do it. Over the last semester, I learned to stretch my mind intellectually as many of my tough STEM courses have required my ability to dig deep into a topic on my own, without guidance. It had really strengthened my mind, my understanding, and my confidence.
6. List your top 3 academically related struggles (e.g. "keeping up with my Writing and Rhetoric assignments"/ "finding a place I can sit and think") you had during your first semester. Be specific.
- Making the most of the time I have between classes
- Staying engaged in large lectures
- Taking better notes in math class
7. Every student feels like they have failed at something - a paper, an exam, an audition, or a try out. Which classes were the most challenging for you, and how did you handle these challenges? What are some of the ways that you have managed to rebound from setbacks?
General Chemistry was, by far, my most challenging course, pushing me to understand to a crazy level, topics I had never seen before. I was often stressed out by this class, but I learned to not overthink the course, and to accept help. The homework was definitely a setback each week, but I attended tutoring, worked with friends, and studied on my own to make sure that I understood the concepts. I also struggled in my calculus class, finding the teaching style very different from my past calculus class, as well as much more difficult to understand and follow. So, this class required a lot of group studying and hours of extra work to fully understand the material. I had a setbacl on the third exam, but I used the disappointing score to encourage myself to work even harder for the final.
8. In addition to information, what skills (written and oral communication skills, analytical skills, mathematical skills, cultural competence, etc.) will you develop in your courses this semester? How do your spring courses support your progress toward your likely major and/or other areas of interest?
This semester, I forsee that my theology and literature courses will really help my written and oral communication skills. I also believe that my calculus B course will be of great help in improving my mathematical skills, and my biology and chemistry classes will continue the development of my scientific understanding. As a studernt who is interested in pursuing a biology major, all of these skills are incredibly important and helpful, as communication is key to project proposals and symposiums, math will assist in my calculations in laboratory, and scientific understanding is key to my success in my major.
9. Which of your study strategies are working well for you and which are not? What adjustments in how you study do you hope to make this semester?
For the most part, my study strategies were very effective. I do best by reading over my notes in combination with taking full advantage of the practice tests provided. The one issue that I hope to fix for the coming semester is improving my timing by trying to start atudying earlier. This will allow me to take my time with the material and ensure I have the time I need to reach full understadning before the exams.
10. What major are you considering studying? What attracts you this major and how has your interest in it developed over the first semester at Notre Dame?
I am considering studying for a biology major. I am in the biology majors' courses this year, and have found the material to be fascinating and challenging, I have also really enjoyed the opportunities afforded to biology students, such as research options and the ability to use my knowledge to help people around the world. It is an incredibly dedicated program and one that is full of wonderful students working hard to be the best they can be. The professors are wonderful, and labs are very challenging, but intriguing, which draws me to this course of study.
After you have completed your mid-year adjustments and plans page, you will need to submit this assignment to your advisor’s “class” so he or she can review it. Follow the directions below:
- Click on the Save button above (or below)
- Then click on the Publish tab above
- Click on the Publish Changes button (Sometimes it looks like nothing has happened when you do this, but click on the View Text tab and you will see that it did save the changes)
- And then, to submit this assignment, go to your Portfolio Tools tab at the top right hand side of this page, and click on Submit. Follow the directions. (It's a lot easier than it sounds.)
For details, see the FAQ: How do I submit my ePortfolio for an assignment?
Do you have immediate questions for your advisor? Email him or her if you'd rather not wait until your first meeting to discuss them.