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Faryal Wasti Traci Cruey Honors Seminar 26 November 2013 Reflecting on a New Start As a freshman, there is a lot to learn about college and coming from high school, it is not an easy transition to make. My experience with college overall has been wonderful. The factors that have led to my successful transition include a supportive group of fellow freshmen, and kind professors to guide me through my first semester. One of the classes that have helped me grow as an individual and stand out amongst others is Honors Seminar. The assignments that were given in class really provoked intense spiritual finding and deep thought which led one to their identity. The assignments that had an effect on me included the fairy tale reflection, my belief on support leading to success, why I am here at UNCC, and my midterm reflection. Out of all of the assignments however, the literacy narrative was the one that influenced me the most from this class. For the fairy tale reflection, we were asked to pick a fairy tale from our childhood that we believe influenced us the most. I chose Cinderella. Cinderellas story is known globally in many different variations. The Disney version gave me hope as a child that happy endings do exist, and that no matter what everyone has them once they meet their Prince Charming. I feel like over time Ive held onto this thought and assumption in the back of my mind, that one day I will settle down and start a family, and that will be my happily ever after. Obviously that is not my goal, but I believe the story has had such an impact on me since childhood that I would not

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be able to change my thoughts to a greater extent no matter how hard I tried. Through this experience I also learned that others are in the same position as me when it comes to the way fairytales have affected their lives. Most of our personalities, beliefs, hopes and dreams are constructed at a young age, and although they change to some extent, there will always be a part of the originals that will continue to influence you as life goes on. Another piece that I had added to my portfolio because it allowed me to reflect on myself was my essay on support being the main factor in success. What I understood better about myself was that I have only been successful in life because my parents were able to push me to my goals with love and support. I honestly do not remember a single time when they doubted a goal of mine. There have always been words such as, you know you can do it if you try your best which have made me try my best, and in the end I have been proven to be successful. As a student, this piece has led me to the realization that I have to keep positive and supportive people around me and either ignore the negativity from some, or just remove them from my life. Thankfully no one has ever had to be removed, because I like to say that I have pretty amazing people in my life- another realization. The third piece that I chose that has affected me as a student quite a bit was my essay reflecting back on why I was here at UNCC. It was not one of the first reflections, so it allowed for me to look back once I had gotten into school, and put things into perspective. Am I doing what I came here to do? What was my original purpose of coming? I had to recall all of these things from my senior year of high school, and it was really interesting to see how my thoughts have changed, or slightly diverged from the original. As a student this showed me that you will always diverge away from the original plan. Nothing is set in stone and there are so many

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variables that end up influencing your life and decisions. This is why this was one of the pieces that had influenced me as a freshmen the most. The midterm reflection, similar to the why am I here paper, allowed for me to look back at the semester rather than my purpose of being here, and see how far I have come in just a few weeks. I was able to reflect on myself as a student, and on my transitioning into the college life. It was pretty interesting to think about as well as all of the other topics, and I realized some good and bad things about the way I took on college. Some poor decisions included waiting last minute on important assignments assigned weeks before, and then slaving over them during all-nighters. Some of the positive things included this realization, and preparing myself a lot earlier so there is less stress on me towards the due dates. This was beneficial because I was more aware of my doings as a college student. The assignment that had the most effect on me and was my special selection was the literacy narrative. I wrote about my experience with my parents teaching me how to read, and then compared it with mine as I taught my youngest brother how to. It really puts things into perspective when youre on the other side of a situation. When I was younger I wasnt appreciative about all of the hard work put into such basic teachings that ended up being the basis for my educational career. I knew I would learn to read and write eventually, but the amount of work that was put in to it being perfected- that was one of the things that I have come to appreciate. Plus, I get compliments on my handwriting now so its all good. But being the teacher once I was older, really showed me how difficult it really is to teach someone the basics of reading and writing. However, in the end its always a reward, and when the individual

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gets older, they realize how much effort was put in, and the love and care that is there for them. Overall, as a student in UHP, I believe I have gained a lot of insight on myself. I have been told to write about things that actually make you think and contemplate on yourself rather than facts that must be learned in class. This reflecting and knowledge of who I am has helped me be a better individual, and college student. Through this experience I also learned that I am not the only confused freshmen walking around campus. There are others in my place who are just as nervous about their survival, and sharing our papers in class has helped me realize that. I personally dont believe that my worldview has changed at all this semester, but my knowledge about myself definitely has increased. Hopefully over time as I continue to find myself I will be able to see the world in a different perspective, but I dont believe that this has happened substantially during these first few months. In the months and years to come, I am hoping to continue gaining insight on myself, and the environment around me. I believe this is very important because there is no ignorance. I also hope to continue surrounding myself with love and friendship so I am able to achieve great heights these next four years.