Mira Naidoo Honors 100 AJ November 23, 2013 Assignment 5 Assignment 5: Autumn Quarter Refle tion

!oo"ing ba " at essentiall# m# $lans and dreams for t%e &uarter detailed in our first assignment, ' am no( om$letel# onfident t%at ' do not $ossess $s# %i abilities) M# mont%s* ago as$irations amounted to man# so ial and $ersonal goals: from t%ings li"e involvement in multi$le R+,s, to a tuall# ta"ing t%e time to visit t%e 'MA on e in a (%ile, t%e autumn e-$erien e ' %ad $lanned for m#self %as differed &uite substantiall# from t%e one t%at is $resentl# dra(ing to a lose) .irst off, a onfession) /id ' go to t%e 'MA at all0 1es) ,n e) Not e-a tl# a (in, but ' (on2t ount it as a loss eit%er) +imilarl#, ' made it onto man# mailing lists, but m# attendan e (as s$ott# at best at t%e lubs ' (anted to be going to) 'nstead of (or"ing on t%ese $ersonal goals, ' often found m#self out of time and out of $atien e, (or"ing t%roug% a seemingl# endless amount of assignments, orres$onden e, and stud#ing) ' %ave no illusions t%at t%is $attern is uni&ue to m# ollege e-$erien e at all3 ' understand t%is is t%e rude a(a"ening of fres%men ever#(%ere) Ho(ever, ' an2t %el$ but noti e t%at as t%e &uarter (inds do(n t%e ma4orit# of t%e goals ' set for m#self %ave gone unmet) 5$on refle tion, ' reali6e t%at t%is dis onne t isn2t a result of e-$e ting more from m# e-$erien e during m# first &uarter, but rat%er e-$e ting more from m#self) '2ll be t%e first one to sa# t%at m# stud# %abits aren2t t%e greatest) Nonet%eless, in t%e $ast t%e# (ere good enoug% to get me t%roug% s %ool (it% good grades, a %ealt%# so ial life, and mostl# enoug% slee$) 't (as not so t%is autumn &uarter) 7ro rastination*driven ram sessions led into affeine*fueled late nig%ts, ulminating most s$e ta ularl# in t%e 8reat Midterm 9omb of 2013) 9an"ing on m# relative su ess (it% m# first midterms, ' left m# stud#ing :li"e ' %ad (it% t%e $revious e-ams; for t%e (ee"end before m# t%ree midterms, (%i %, b# some osmi 4o"e, ended u$ on t%e same da# for bot% rounds of testing) After eig%teen %ours of slee$ distributed over four da#s, ' (as running on offee and nerves and, sur$rising no one but m#self, om$letel# tan"ed bot% m# mat% and %emistr# midterms) 't (as a "i " in t%e $ants to sa# t%e least) 'n some :infinitesimall#; small (a#, '2m glad t%at ' %ad a (a"e u$ all li"e t%is so earl# on in m# ollege areer) 't2s a sign t%at t%ings need to %ange, and loo"ing a%ead to ne-t &uarter, ' t%in" t%e# (ill) M# earl# refle tion for assignment one %eld little to no mention of an# a ademi goals) At t%e ris" of sounding arrogant, it (as be ause ' (as used to ma"ing it to t%e to$ (it% ver# little effort) ' (as told time and time again t%at <universit# is not %ig% s %ool,= but until somet%ing li"e t%is %a$$ened, ' %ad trouble believing it) No( ' see t%at ' %ave to be t%e %ange ' (ant to see in m# grades b# be oming a more effi ient, and dedi ated (or"er) ' %ave to start loo"ing a%ead (it% bot% intention and determination to get (%ere ' (ant to go and be (%o ' (ant to be) >%is ne( redo (ill not onl# guide m# a ademi as$irations, but (ill motivate m# $ersonal goals as (ell) >%us, in a broad sense, b# t%e end of m# first #ear, ' (ant to %ave %anged for t%e better and be ome a more organi6ed $erson) 9# t%e time ' graduate, ' (ant to %ave %anneled t%is energ# and effi ien # into t%e stud# of somet%ing '2m $assionate about, t%e dis over# of (%i % is still #et to ome) >%ere2s time enoug% for t%at de ision t%oug%, and for no(, '2d li"e to fo us on $ulling u$ t%ose slum$ing grades)

' reali6e t%at '2ve made it seem li"e t%is &uarter (as an endless $arade of sadness and frustration, (%en in fa t it (as onl# li"e t%at some of t%e time) >%e brig%t s$ots in m# da#s (ere definitel# all t%e $eo$le '2ve met and t%e friends%i$s '2ve formed t%is fall) >%e $eo$le in m# dorm, m# %onors ommunit#, and m# friends are &ui "l# be oming a onstant in m# life t%at ' an ount on to be t%ere as ' tr# to %ange m#self and m# 5? e-$erien e for t%e better)