Reflection: My First Semester at FSU

I wrote this post earlier of this month. I'm just now publishing this. I hope you enjoy reading my reflection.

July 3, 2018

I'm halfway finished with my first summer at FSU. I'm currently dealing with my summer rut since summer classes have affected my mental health. I'm glad that I've been able to open up about my feelings to receive help. Now that I'm progressing, I can finally share my first-semester experience at FSU. It's been almost two months and it has been full of reflective experiences. Even though I decided to stay in my hometown for another two years, there has been growth since TCC. First, I feel the need to express about being the native at FSU. It's interesting because I have appreciated the town even more, so therefore I created a challenge to fully explore the town before I graduate. Honestly, when I'm on campus, it doesn't even feel like I'm in Tallahassee. FSU is its own little world. I love how it's filled with different types of people! It may be one of the predominately white schools, but you just have to make the first move to find your people. However, it's totally okay to be friends with people who are different from you. I mean how else are you going to grow if you are surrounded by people who think and act just like you. It's not high school anymore and cliques are annoying in college. It was dull to observe and meet people who still care about their reputation/social status so much that they don't open their eyes to things that are different to them. I can't imagine how they are going to deal with post-grad life. I don't ever want to feel stuck like them.

PeaceJam was one of the biggest things that I was so excited for because it's literally my life. It's crazy to believe that it's been six years since the beginning. This organization has helped me to grow, love, and become the woman I am today. However, I can't always rely on it for my pure happiness. I must be patient and to unconditionally love myself to obtain that emotion. I'm still working on it since it is a journey. Wow!! The idea of loving myself is another topic that I can go on and on about my ups and downs of my experiences. PeaceJam FSU may have been rocky since it's technically new to me. I've never been surrounded by so many peers who have so much love for PeaceJam. Being a mentor for the spring conference was a whole new level for me that it deserves its own reflection post. It was amazing and little anxious, but hey what's growth without feeling uncomfortable?! I'm so excited about the upcoming year because I'm going to do something bigger within this organization..taking on the role of the service chair position. It's been two months since I found out about this and it's wild to think about it. I am so proud of myself to come this far with PeaceJam. This is definitely my true passion. It has inspired me to develop the interest to apply social science theories to current public health issues. Sociomedicine is a real concept, you guys.

I made new friends!! These people are probably the coolest people in the world. I don't deserve them at all. They are the rays of sunshine that I never thought I needed to help brighten my perspective on life. Being around them contains nothing but genuine support and full of laughter. I can't wait to get to know them more. It's so hard to elaborate on this because I love them so much. I learned that you're going to be friends with the types of people that you weren't friends with in high school. Be as open as possible. The world is filled with people with endless personalities so why stick to only one certain group who is the same as you? I'm grateful to attend a university that makes an effort to promote diversity and inclusivity, even though they have a long way ahead to end the gap. I also love my current friends. Life can be hectic and busy and we have our own personal things to deal with, so that being said, I don't always see them. Thank goodness for the advancement of communication. We have each other through texts and emails. It's nice to know that when we do meet up, we're going back to where we left off. The only change there is in our friendship is our strong growth and vulnerability. Friendships have changed me for the good. It has helped me to know my worth and the value of people that I need in my life. Always --> High quality over quantity

My relationship with my parents has gotten stronger. There are my biggest supporters and they just care for me no matter what. I am grateful for them. They have taught me so much about being a good person and the appreciation of simplicity. Since I still live with them, I do admit that it can be aggravating sometimes to feel like a child. However, there's no other way I would rather spend the majority of my college experience with because why would I even want to rent an apartment in a town that I don't even like that much. It's nice to know that I am saving so much money, which will be worth it in the long run. I sometimes think that if I were to do something completely different like moving out of town, my relationship with them wouldn't be as close as it is right now. I am one of those people who believe that things happen for a reason. I think I was supposed to be with them a bit longer so I wouldn't have regretted not spending more with them during high school. I am glad everything turned out the way it was meant to be.

As a tally native student, I didn't think that I would have grown this much. I will always grow where ever I am. It's about how you create your experience and learn from it. Your attitude is going to play a huge part in your experience and growth. Always aim high and be yourself. I developed self-growth because I stepped out of my comfort zone. Get comfortable with the uncomfortable. I tried new things and met people who are different from me. Yet, I still have so much to learn. I want to continue to live a life where I am always learning, growing, and helping. That is truly the life worth living for.

My First Two Weeks at FSU

Hello all!! I hope everyone has been adjusting well to the spring semester! As you can tell by the title, I'm now a student at FSU!! I can't believe it's been two weeks since classes started. Let me tell you, it's been surreal. I know it hasn't been that long, but I feel kind of different in a good way, like there has been so much growth since then. I feel happier. Now of course there have been some downs.. Classes are harder and adjusting to the change can be difficult. However, with the help of classmates and putting in a lot more effort than ever before, I should be fine. One of those efforts consist of constantly going to tutoring. It's not as bad as it seems because it can motivating and oh so worth it in the long. The classes I am taking right now are, the second part of Biology and Physics, Clinical Psychology, and Introduction to Medical Sciences (seminar class). It's a good load to start with for this first semester.

I'm becoming more open to saying hi and starting a conversation with people. Yes, you all have read that right!! A point goes to me for stepping out of my comfort zone. As always I love how the campus is diverse and open to helping random people with directions. Seriously, if you need help, just ask. Besides classes, I'm still involved with PeaceJam! Today was the coaching retreat for spring. It was fun, informative, and good tiring. I met some really cool inspiring people. To end on that note, I'm looking forward to the rest of my time at FSU!! Staying stoked!!

"Look for something positive in each day, even if some days you have to look a little harder."

2017 REFLECTION

Hiya! As you all know by now that I love reflecting upon my life. It's another way to getting to know myself. Instead of my writing three separate reflections (sophomore year, last semester at community college, and this year), I'm just going to share an overall 2017 reflection.

 This year was the year that I live with purpose. This has been the best year yet. I'm going to miss it. 

Education

I love learning more than ever. Our world is filled with interesting ideas. Studying isn't that bad. It has helped me grow into a smart young hardworking lady that I have dreamed of becoming. It was hard. There were tears, breakdowns, and self doubts, but hey I'm still alive. I feel strong. I learned a lot from this and it's going to help me for my next challenge. I got this. Here are some exciting news, I finished community college with 3.82 GPA, got accepted to Florida State University, received a 2 year transfer student scholarship, and I'll be majoring in something that I am interested (health, community service, reflection) and will help me reach my dream healthcare profession, whatever that is! I am blessed and so far my hard work has paid off.

Classes I took:

SPRING 2017: Precalc Algebra, Intro to Humanities, Student Leadership Development, and Intro to Political Science

SUMMER 2017: Precalc Trig (my last math class ever), Human Development, and Intro to Statistics

FALL 2017: Biology 1 + Lab, Physics 1 + Lab, and Nutrition

I loved my professors! Let me share what some of them have taught and inspired me to do.

My math professor: Think positive, be zen, you are capable to do anything, and always ask questions.

My leadership professor: She was pretty much my mentor, always supporting me, guiding me to become a true leader and learning from my struggles and mistakes. She is the reason why I would want to be professor.

My political science professor: I didn't think I would have a connection with him mostly because his field is in social science. But oh my, he has opened my eyes to the world politics. Political science is everywhere. He has inspired me to express an interest in health policy and advocacy. It was cool to write about Planned Parenthood for his class. A piece of advice that he told me, Be bold and apply for jobs in health field. To elaborate on that, he said that I should just ask people if they would like to meet up with me to have a conversation about their career journey. Bribe them with coffee. It never hurt to ask because I would have nothing lose. Don't give up if I receive a decline four times in a row. The fifth time could be a delightful yes. So couple of months later (November), I had a conversation with a Physical Therapist. It was a time well spent. He has definitely helped me step out of my comfort zone and with his enthusiasm, I enjoyed taking his class. I am so pumped for the 2018 Midterm Election.

My biology professor: He gave me a speech about how failure is a good thing because you learn from it and it helps you become better than you were before. Always stay curious. He showed me a cool science related news website, Science Daily He may have been a hard lab report grader, but I learned a lot from him by asking him for help every week. Most importantly, if you keep on working hard, you will get to the place where you want to be.

My Nutrition professor: She has changed my life for the better. I am putting in more effort into taking care of myself. I loved how passionate and personal she was at teaching. She really cared about wanting us to pursue a healthier lifestyle. Eating healthier is a lot cheaper than medical bills. If I ever decide to teach, then it would be nutrition. I love classes that I can take with me for a lifetime.

Family

I love them so effing much. Living with them after high school has been a one true unforgettable experience. I have gotten closer to them more than ever before. They have provided me valuable life lessons, supported me so much, and always been there for me, such proud parents. Of course there have been some downs, but only because they care about me so much. It's what makes our relationship titanium. My family is straight up real. I'm going to miss them when I move out some day. I don't know how I can ever give back to them. I am forever and forever grateful for them.

Friends

Good people have come into my life. This is what happens when you focus on yourself. They have helped me with studying, personal statement essays, connections with health professionals, my self doubts/breakdowns, and so much more. It's crazy how close I've gotten with them. I am so grateful that I have these people in my life. The best part was that they came out of nowhere. Expect the unexpected. I am going to miss them while I'm at FSU, but I am going to make an effort to hangout them. Much love to them. Having a support system is a must and you will find yours someday. The best people in life are free.

On the other hand, somethings are still same, like fake people still exist and friends come and go. That's okay. They have made me stronger. 

Learning about myself

Besides living with purpose, this year was also the year of growth. I feel like Taylor. I can build a castle out of all the bricks they threw at me. Anything can come at me and I will figure out a way to fix it while staying true to myself. I will continue to focus on myself with some improvement and surround myself with my type of people. I am so excited to share my vision for 2018 with you all.

I am so darn proud of myself. 

The Good Stuff in 2017

Hiya! This is the second part of my 2017 Reflection Series. Almost 3 years ago, I shared my best moments of 2015. I would like to do that again for 2017. This has been my best year yet.

Seventeen great things

1. Reputation album 

2. Volunteered with North Florida Planned Parenthood's Leadership Action Team for my service project

3. Attended the Women's March in my hometown.

4. Celebrated my 21st birthday with my family

5. Got accepted to Florida State University

6. Spent my last semester at community college with some good people

7. My biology study group

8. Received my CPR certification

9. Re-established PeaceJam, a student organization, on campus

10. Went bowling for the first time after 6 years

11. Took a nutrition course

12. Happy cried after listening to Taylor's Look What You Made Me Do

13. Bought a waffle-maker 

14. Celebrated Solar Eclipse Day on the first day of classes

15. Met Shirin Ebadi at the PeaceJam Conference. She took a picture with my group while holding my sign!!

16. Gave a Linked-in Presentation at the STEM's Career Development Series workshop

17. Took a student leadership development course in spring semester

I have realized that I have so much to learn and to look forward in 2018. Isn't crazy that it gets better than?!

So here is to 2018, where..

What were your 17 greatest moments?

Quote of the day: 
"I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're doing something." - Neil Giaman

GOOD MUSIC 2017

Hello everyone! I must admit that I miss posting my monthly favorite music posts. No worries, I still enjoy listening to music. Our friend Spotify did a really cool that thing where they collected all of the music that we listened to this year. I want to share that and my favorite songs of this year with you all. This will be my first part of my 2017 Reflection Series.

                                                        

                                                          Give it a listen! 2017 favorites

The songs that I supposedly LOVED the most this year:

 Spotify: Your Top Songs 2017

What were your favorite or top songs of this year?

                              Google Images

2017 was a good year for music.