My First Semester in College

I don’t know what I was thinking! I have worked in accounting/banking for the past 15 years and decided I needed a career change. I applied for Medical Laboratory Assistant, and was told I needed to take CAS Transition because I had not taken Biology or Chemistry in High School. I did not just want to acquire these two courses; I wanted to receive the CAS Transition certificate at the end of the year. Because of this, I decided to also complete Math, English and Effective Learning. It has been challenging to say the least. I started off in Biology thinking I was going to do amazing!

Pre-reading my lecture notes every night before class, after class studying the notes I had taken in class that day. Reading every page forwards and backwards, I was determined to get above a 90% on my first test. After memorizing everything, I thought I was more than ready. Boy, was I in for a wake-up call. Receiving a 67% on my first test forced me to re-think how I was studying Biology. I learned that my instructor wanted to know that I understood what I was studying, not a regurgitation of what I had memorized. I have brought my mark up with every test, 67%, 79%, and 93% to an amazing 100% on my last test.

Chemistry was another challenge, one that I did not think I was ready for. It terrified me, I thought I was going to find it absolutely horrific. When we got started and I found out Chemistry was mostly math and formulas, I realized it was not going to be as bad as I previously thought. My first test was a 75%, which was great for chemistry. Even though I’m struggling with some of the more difficult formulas, my marks are staying consistent. Biology has taken the priority this semester, but I am determined to bring my mark up in Chemistry as well. The other subjects I am taking to acquire my certificate are math, English and effective learning.

These courses have been easier but have involved a lot of work. There are constantly assignments, tests, and homework. My marks are high in these courses, 80’s and 90’s, but they could be much better if I did not have such a heavy course load. I have thoroughly enjoyed my first semester in college, it has been a lot more challenging than I expected. Biology and Chemistry, I fear, will continue to present me with ongoing challenges into my next semester. Knowing this in advance, will make me more prepared and a better student for the future. Overall, my first semester in College after 15 years has been amazing and I cannot wait for next semester to start!