Reflection on my second year first semester

Currently I am at home, relaxing after finishing four final exams in Charlottesville. I took an Amtrak for 7 hours and ended up at home, here in New York. While there are some downsides to being home (I seriously miss my mattress topper), it’s great to be back in the Big Apple, rejuvenating and recovering from the past semester. I decided it would be pretty cool to do another reflection on my college experience as I am going to be able to look back at these posts and determine how I felt and more accurately describe my college experience. So, here goes: my second year first semester.

Overall, it was a pretty decent time. Classes were hard – I was taking Statistics and Computer Science AT THE SAME TIME and there was a lot of extra work involved. However, I still went to fun events and tried to meet new people.

Here are some of my takeaways:

Loneliness still comes

I can’t tell if it’s just my college experience, the fact that I’m far from home, or that my friends live a pretty good distance away, but I still get lonely. It’s just that I don’t have a set group of people to call if something’s going good or if something’s wrong. I have pretty decent friendships at school, but they’re not as deep as I’d like them to be, and living so far away means I see less of such awesome people. I don’t feel lonely all the time, though and I am grateful to have time to myself.

Be available to the adventures that come your way

This semester I went to North Carolina (again!), Williamsburg (the colonial kind), Richmond, and D.C. Did I know that I was going to be traveling so often? Nope, but I’m so glad I said yes to it. I am honestly so grateful to have gotten to take weekend trips. I know that’s not everyone but it’s added a sense of exploration and opened my eyes to different cultures and parts of the U.S. I’d never have thought to wander to.

Some things aren’t things you enjoy – that’s okay

While my first semester of computer science was decent, this semester wasn’t. I experienced so much anxiety and sleep loss from working on coding assignments and studying for exams. Not having an experience in Java made it hard, but not understanding the language the professor was using, as it was geared towards those with experience, made it harder. 

I don’t think I could have stayed on the path to continue as a CS minor, without dreading it every semester and causing my general disposition to plummet. I feel free from it and if it’s something that someone else gets actual joy from, I think that’s wonderful. 

I think it’s safe to say that writing, graphic design, and any form of digital art and media is where my heart is. I love being creative with this blog in my graphics and communicating my thoughts to amazing people who care about what I have to say. That said, I would have loved the opportunity to learn more about web design. 

Hereford became a new community for me

While I couldn’t always reach my friends due to distance, it was cool to dive deeper into my dorm community. I had fun at many a game night. We’ve watched movies and ate lots of dumplings. I even have a picture of some good cuisine. All in all, we’ve shared in struggles about school, learned from one another about politics, and enjoyed each other’s company. Hereford brought some awesome people my way this semester.

Sleep is way more important than you think

Besides the nights I was up until 3 or 4 in the morning due to CS, I really enjoyed going to bed this semester. My bed has been lofted, so it’s on top of desk but I never had a problem with its height except for the fact that I broke my glasses. Otherwise, I’ve been sleeping well, and I haven’t spent a lot of this semester sleep deprived. I think that’s definitely helped me feel better when it comes to paying attention in class or doing well on exams. 

Here are some photographic highlights!

Thanks for reading, friends!

Signing off, 

Gigi

P.S. MERRY CHRISTMAS!