Maximize Your Moments

Throughout my first semester, I have learned to value my time to relieve some of the tension going into college. I cannot stress this enough but even when life gets busy with school, work, family, and so on, make time for yourself. Whether it is a walk in the park, a good nap, or my favorite window shopping, making time for yourself will help relieve any stress and is a huge reminder to slow down. Even treating yourself with a nice sweet drink or a new pair of sneakers is a reward for your hard work. While it is easy to cast ourselves aside to prioritize other things in our lives, it’s important to remember that we need to protect the person we are becoming so we can do amazing things in life. 

Source: Picture I took at Bonafide Juicery-Green Bay

Instead of juggling everything at once, we can also simply ask for help. I found talking with my professors as a helpful way of navigating my success. If you are wondering what is required of yourself throughout your courses or need clarification on assignments, your professors are a primary source of all that information. All the professors here at UWGB are supportive and encourage their students to not be afraid to talk to them. Most importantly, all college campuses provide many resources for all sorts of help. Whether it’s research, writing, or even when you’re hungry, each campus has places to get the help you need. In my first weeks of college, I was embarrassed to go to the financial aid office for help with my student account and payments. However, when I got the help I needed, I was able to resolve any issues regarding my student account. I left the office feeling relieved and the stress was gone. At the end of the day, recognizing the need for help and acknowledging your needs are great ways to stay successful through college. It’s not easy and can be embarrassing, but these moments during college are meant to maximize the person we will become.

Are You In or Out?

One of the most life-changing things to do in college is joining a student organization or an org. For one, you get to meet new people and build new relationships. Being a commuter, I pushed myself to join a student org here on campus since I did not feel connected with my school. As a result, I have made new friends and good relationships with the people around me. In addition, you get to immerse yourself in your community. Within each org, they plan different student engagement activities and community events for anyone to attend. Overall, it is a great opportunity for growth. In the past weeks, I never knew how capable I was of getting out of my comfort zone, speaking in class, talking with classmates, and connecting with my professors. It has given me the power to take control over who I am.

Being in a student org comes with great experiences but also a great responsibility. Throughout my first weeks, I pushed the time I used for org activities in place of my study time. As a result, I became inconsistent with keeping a good schedule. In addition, I had a hard time focusing on school work since I was thinking about what events were happening next in our org and what I could contribute. Along with difficulty focusing, there are also expenses. As a commuter, the expenses of gas, food, and fees for attending certain events added up quickly. Although it will test your time management and balance, you will learn to manage your life in an efficient and comfortable way. Altogether, getting involved in a club, student org, or any activity is a great benefit to the college experience as you will find newfound engagement and excitement with peers and others in the community. 

The Beginning of Success

From August to the beginning of October, I have learned to value the responsibility of time management. Moving from home to living in an apartment in Green Bay was overwhelming for eighteen-year-old me. In the following weeks of the move, I began college. Class after class, week after week, I regularly had assignments to complete and lectures to remember. The more hours I worked, the harder it was to make time for homework, studying, and hanging out with new friends.

   

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Although managing my time has been a challenge, it has made me realize the control I have over my life. From a clueless naive high school student who was only responsible for showing up to pass school, to being a college student, apartment owner, and co-worker, I’ve become more aware of my time to balance my needs to succeed in college and overall life. For one, I changed my work hours. Since then, it has allowed me more time to study and finish homework after school. In addition, I have also decided to join a student organization on campus called SASU (Southeast Asian Student Union), which has allowed me to hang out with new friends and educate myself on the different cultures in my community. Overall, this is only just the beginning of the life I’m going to live.