9B

Work Hard To be an Owl!

This past week marks the midterm point of the semester.  All the courses I am taking have posted midterm grades, which include exam grades and also the grade for the course.  The grades are listed on Banner Web, a website designed for Southern students to access their registered classes.  After I looked up my midterm grades, my grades do reflect on how I am doing well.  I am receiving high B’s in every class but still need to strive harder for an A. 

Setting some concrete goals to try and meet in the second half of the semester such as studying more hours in the week and taking more detailed notes in class are good ways to help improve my grades. Also, it is important for me to continue working hard on my writing skills so that I achieve better grades.  I have been very successful this semester and am very proud of myself for being a diligent college student.

Midterm grades do not count towards the GPA, but are only to show what your grades are halfway into this semester.  It is similar to a progress report in high school.

A course called, “Inquiry” at Southern is designed to help freshman students develop the intellectual and creative inquiry skills that will be essential to successful college study. The course focuses on basics such as reading, writing, thinking, research and inquiry skills, and helps to “think like a college student.”  Taking this course my freshman year definitely helped me grow as a college student because it has helped me make the transition into college, connect with my classmates as well as professors and academic advisers.  This course has done everything in order to help students succeed with everything from study skills to workshops.

The Peer Mentor Program is a program in which an upperclassman comes into the INQ class and works closely with students as well as the professor to help adjust to college life for new students and have knowledge of campus resources.  In my Inquiry class, our Peer Mentor’s name is Ashley and she is a sophomore here at Southern.  She has a willingness to assist new students and models great leadership.  Ashley gives our class great advice on how to get involved on campus by passing out flyers to every student and demonstrates how it can benefit you and your time at Southern. 

She also talks about majors, and how there is a “Major’s Expo” which is an event held in the Adanti Student Center Ballroom that helps students decide on which major or what looks interesting and appealing to them.

What makes Southern different from the rest of the schools in Connecticut is that Inquiry is a required course for freshman students and I think it is a very informative and beneficial class to have.