Week 1 Reflection
Living away from home for the first time completely on my own is a huge adjustment by itself. A brand-new environment with hundreds of unfamiliar faces and voices. Although the first few days seemed a little lonely and very overwhelming, the people on my floor (Padua first) were nothing but kind and inviting. Now Padua itself is good, it is odd living with guys and girls and having to leave my room to use the bathroom that only has one stall for 20 girls. Classes are overwhelming but not at the same time, I appreciate the professors having open arms and I can already tell they want to help us succeed. UNE was the correct choice for me academically and location wise. I love Freddy beach and the scenery here has been beautiful. I am looking forward to settling in this term and getting used to independence and completely changing my daily routine around. One of my concerns is starting my work study job and having to balance work and schoolwork again. I was a huge procrastinator in high school, and I plan on completely changing that to make the next four years and hundreds of assignments a lot easier by not having to stress over late work and close due dates.
Week 2 Reflection
My second week of college was good, but a little stressful. Classes are getting more serious, and making a permanent routine is hard with every day being different. Although it is early in the year, getting up for a 9:30am class is already getting difficult. Classes are good, I enjoy the times and subjects for the most part. There is one class that seems questionable, and I do not really understand the point of it, but I just need the credit. For the residential halls, I happen to live on the first floor of Padua. Now, I absolutely love everyone on my floor, we are all friends and get along great, but we have nicknamed our hall “The Dirty Pad.” Although it is a joke, the trashcan in the girl’s bathroom was stolen, one out of two washers leaks and currently does not work, and we only have one toilet for about 20 girls. With all that said, I am very grateful for our hall and especially the free laundry, those are just some things we have experienced in the past week. Honestly, I am looking forward to celebrating Halloween and getting closer with my friends and hopefully making new ones also. I am a bit concerned about the future for homework load and the extreme stress during exam weeks, and being able to handle school, classes, work, homework, the gym, alone time, sleep, eating, and a social life. But I will figure it out!
Week 3 Reflection
My third week as a college student was quieter than the last two for sure. My bio lectures were both cancelled this week, making the first full week of classes seem a bit easier and faster. Everyone seems much more settled in and comfortable with this unfamiliar environment and the people around us. Maybe not everyone, but I know I am starting to fit in just fine. As far as my social life, certain friends of mine are already starting to be a lot and annoy me a tiny bit. I am not too concerned about this because I know it is just because I am constantly around them. I have started to settle into a routine which is extremely helpful, and I finished my first week of work. I worked about 10 hours total this week and it was great! The job is not hard at all and if it is quiet in the gym late at night, I can even manage to get some homework done too. In Padua it is not too bad, some people on my floor do not always respect quiet hours so it can be hard to go to sleep sometimes but overall, it is great. I love everyone on our floor, we all get along very well and as time goes on, I meet more people from the second and third floor as well. For this term I am looking forward to the fall and all the seasonal activities that come along with it, Halloween on campus, cold nights, etc.
Week 4 Reflection
Week 4 as a college student was easier in some ways, but harder in others. By that I mean the workload for my classes is picking up, but I am settling in more than I was last week. But at the same time, I am also more homesick than I was, fighting the urge to go home to my dogs for the weekend. Classes seem manageable if I can figure out how to manage time correctly. My biology class is the only one that seems alarming, suddenly, we are moving through the topics quickly and I am understanding less and less. In Padua, it is always loud at night, regardless of if it is quiet hours. I love everyone on my floor though, we all get along very well. I would like to know what it is like living in a different dorm, specifically Featherman because of the few advantages (bigger bathrooms, laundry rooms, dorms, etc.). I am looking forward to hopefully making more friends in my classes and passing all my classes this term. I am honestly skeptical about if this Is the school for me, I know everyone is still adjusting but I am just not feeling like I am fitting in here fully. I feel like the location of UNE is a big advantage and living on a beach is amazing, but what about when the temperature drops below 0 degrees for most of the winter? I am not sure if I am going to love spending the winter here, I know how cold it gets. I do hope things get better for me and I do end up settling in perfectly fine.
Week 5
Week 5 as a college student was surprisingly good. Towards the end of the week there was lots of studying for my exams and catching up on homework. Everyone was so excited for homecoming weekend and was a little more excited because my best friend from home came to visit! It was awesome, she absolutely loved it here and wished she had chosen this school and she loved everyone she met. The homecoming football game was incredibly fun (we won against Curry) and seeing everyone there with their families was awesome. The classes are definitely harder than they have been, major projects and papers, and exams all coming in at once. I am trying my hardest to prioritize and have good time management. The dirty Pad just keeps getting dirtier on the weekends, clothes everywhere in the laundry room, on Saturday night we had people ambushing the halls, trashing it completely. I am looking forward to picking my classes for next term, see if I can get any that resonate more with my major interest. I do have concerns for midterms and seeing how well I can manage multiple papers and exams at once from all classes. Other than that, I am happy to be here. I also feel incredibly lucky because a few of my friends are having roommate troubles, and I absolutely love my living situation. I got lucky enough to be in a double and her and I live very comfortably together!
Week 6
The week started out stressfully for me because I had my first exam on Tuesday morning, then another in the afternoon, but after I finished those a ton of stress was off my shoulders which was relieving. A positive thing about week 6 is that labs were cancelled, and we had Friday off which meant I had a laid back 3-day week. On top of that, I got to go home Thursday night and surprise my parents and see my lovely dogs. Home was great, a nice break from academics and reconnecting with my friends and parents. My favorite part was taking a shower in my bathroom and going to my hometown gym. It was great to see old coworkers and friends there. It seems a little cleaner in Padua recently which I am very much enjoying, not anything to complain about. I love the people and the environment, everyone is great. I am looking forward to hopefully maintaining good grades in my classes and hitting the halfway point. With that being said, I also am concerned about midterms, papers, and exams all coming up, but I know I will get through it.
Week 7
Week 7 was overall pretty good, it was a very slow week though because I was waiting for the weekend to come home and see my long-distance boyfriend, family, and my sister for her 22nd birthday! The classes got super overwhelming very quickly with papers and midterms from all classes, it has made the past couple weeks extra hard. In Padua, it has gotten better. Everyone is really settling in and getting to know each other, no one is trashing the halls or bathrooms (for now) and everything seems like it is falling into place with living situations. Also there was orange chicken in the dining hall which was so good and absolutely made my day! I’m looking forward to the rush of midterms and papers to cool down and be over, the moment where I can close all my tabs on my computer and be stress free for at least a weekend. I don’t have many concerns, but I do feel like I could be pushing myself harder because for most of my exams and papers I’ve gotten back I’ve gotten C’s. Which I am totally okay with, I just know I could strive for a B instead. I am a little homesick but not as bad as I was, I’ve gone home for 3 weekends so far (including this coming weekend) that I’m extra excited for!
Week 8
Week 8 as a college student was pretty good. I was super overwhelmed with homework and being academically behind. But this past weekend I did get to go home and see my family, friends, and spend lots of time with my boyfriend which was great. Then, on Wednesday, we got to go to McDougal’s Orchard as a class and pick raspberries! I loved getting to know some of the girls in the class, and spending time with my peers outside of class. Other than that, I spent most of this week studying and progressing on papers due for my classes. It’s been extremely stressful lately, but I’m hoping it will calm down soon. Padua hasn’t changed much; it’s got the same people doing the same stuff every day. Getting a washer and dryer is extremely hard, the only time I’m able to do it with no problem is Friday and Saturday nights when everyone is out. I’m looking forward to the stress of midterms to hopefully end soon, or at least get an academic break. My concern is that I will keep getting assignments from my classes, and I won’t have a minute to breathe anytime soon but I know I’ll push through, we all do. I’m also looking forward to Halloween and seeing my best friends for a weekend!
Week 9
Week 9 as a college student was okay overall. I was very stressed out to get all my papers finished, studying for exams, and midterms. The biggest thing for week 9 was halloweekend. People started going out on Thursday, all the way till Monday night. In Padua, on Saturday night, got absolutely trashed. I mean people punched holes in ceiling tiles, they smashed the pumpkins we made in class (Lily’s and I’s), and everything was a complete mess. But I didn’t see any of it until I got back Sunday because I went to Worcester State to visit my friend for the night which was very fun. Getting through the school week with all my assignments due was super stressful, also seemed extra slow because I knew the weekend would be fun. My concerns are now finals which are still far, but everything gets super stressful again very fast. I’m hoping these next few weeks are calmer so I can catch up on some overall work so I’m not cramming everything at the last minute when the semester ends.
Week 10
Week 10 as a college student was so much better. After dealing with exams, papers, midterms, and many other assignments I finally felt as if my plate was cleared. I did have to get up early almost every day for work though, which sucked because I couldn’t sleep in much but that’s what the weekend is always for. This past week was much more relaxing for me, it gave me a break after a long stressful month, but I did still have two exams. Padua returned to its normal self after lots of cleaning and replacing ceiling tiles, which is always good. I’m getting a lot more used to living with someone else and still managing a daily schedule even though I am also very excited to go home soon. I am very much looking forward to thanksgiving break, I’m in a desperate need to see my dogs, family, and hometown friends. Once again, I just have concerns for how the rest of the semester will go, and how much work I will be assigned and how I will manage it all.
Week 11
Week 11 as a college student seemed a lot less stressful than the past few weeks. I took time for myself on the weekend and on the last beautiful warm day of the year I went down to the beach by myself. I sat, walked, listened to music, all by myself and enjoyed listening to the sound of the waves and feeling the last warmth of Biddeford Maine on my body for a while. Having that experience was so comforting after a month of being stressed, annoyed, overwhelmed, and exhausted. I got to sit in peace, in warmth, with my thoughts and music. I see such an importance in doing those things for yourself often, it helps you relax and helps your mind reset. I also found out that my plant was rotting in my dorm room and causing this terrible smell, but I didn’t know it was my plant until this week. I also went to chilis with my friend on Saturday night which the food was just so good. Classes were easier this week, dorm life has been somewhat the same, and my worries for classes in the future are the workloads for finals week.
Week 12
Week 12 also ended in a very good way, on Friday it was also beautiful and warm one more time, so I went down to the beach in between my classes and lay on a blanket enjoying the alone time, peacefulness, and calm energy for a while. Then after classes I went to the hockey game like I have every weekend and spent a lot of time working and in the gym. This was a good week, the week right before thanksgiving break where I started to get really burnt out. But Thursday night my boyfriend came to visit me at UNE and met all my friends and it was so good seeing him. I was getting worried because I did not go to class last Friday, Monday, or Tuesday because I went home super early for break but honestly, I do not think I will regret this because I need the break. I know I have some catching up to do but hopefully this break is relaxing with my family and hometown friends, and I come out of this rebooted and ready to take on the last couple weeks of school. I am excited for the break, but I am so nervous for the work that will come afterwards.
Week 13
Week 13 as a college student was Thanksgiving break! It was so nice being home for an extended period and hanging out with family and friends from high school, eating my mom’s meals, hanging out with my dogs, laying in my own bed by myself. A good state of relaxation where I didn’t have any responsibilities which was so nice, but I’m afraid that now that I haven’t done much for a week, I am very behind on schoolwork. Since I wasn’t in the dorms, I walked into a clean house, a clean bedroom with clean sheets, a clean bathroom, I got my personal space back for a bit and it felt amazing. The water in my shower at home was so much better, it’s cleaner and I didn’t have to wear shower shoes. I am not excited for these last couple weeks where I will be so overwhelmed and stressed with schoolwork, but I will make it through to the end and I know the time will fly by. I’m excited to go back to school just to see my friends again though, so at least there’s one positive thing. Hopefully I can work on time management so I can get all my projects and studying for exams in on time.
