Personal Narrative: My Fall Semester

Since the start of the semster I have learned many different things about myself and how I can become a better student all around. Summer classes can fly by fast and doesn’t feel like a real semester. That it is just to get credit and move on to the next semester. That was not the case for me this summer semester because I needed to think about the rest of my college career. This summer semester is my first one coming back from academic suspension and I took last semester at South Plains College and Tarrant County College. I did really well making a 3.00 GPA overall and am most likely going to make a 3.5 this semester. This will be a huge boost to my overall GPA. The point is am at the point where I am ready to graduate and will try my hardest to get the best grades I can. I really just changed my mindset towards college and the way I prepare for tests and studying.

After reviewing my personal history narrative from the beginning of the semester, I now see that there are some of my perspectives have been altered. For anyone, it is very easy to stay in their “bubble” (their safe zone or routine) and only focus on what matters to them without taking into account outside perspectives. People do this, myself included, because it is easy to ignore the realities of others around you and only focus on yourself. Everything from race to religion is very salient every day, but it is rare that they are spoken of on a daily basis. How often can you recall talking to someone at work or school about their religious beliefs or how it feels to be of a certain race?

I remember being a little girl and hiding behind my mom when someone came up to me to say hello; I used to be so nervous to even meet their eyes. At our family get-togethers, for Christmas and New Years Day, my family attempted to start conversations I would politely smile and hide behind my closest parent. I remember her telling me “It’s okay to say Hi to the people I talk to, just do not talk to strangers.” I tried to listen to her and follow her instructions but every time I would try chickened out.

It was the second semester in middle school when I met my now best friend Jennifer. We were both in the seventh grade attending Smitha Middle School. I remember it was around the time we had all just come back from the winter break. This is a story about a beginning of a new friendship.

Being a freshman is the hardest of your four years in high school. Have you ever been pressured to be the best person you can be? This is how my year was as a freshman. Freshman year was the most different I never thought I would of found my way around the school when I first started to go there. Freshman year was the best year throughout my years of high school and it was the only year I had friends. During this year I had a lot of anxieties which dealt with me thinking I’m gonna be alone and not have any friends throughout the year to support me through the whole thing. Also, I would think of the pressure of not doing good in any of my classes so I would think it would affect my GPA in the future. The transition from middle school to high school was a different type of thing to do.

My sophomore summer was ok I really didn’t do many things besides play baseball and mow hay. To begin with I was really excited for baseball to start because it’s my favorite sport, but by the end of summer I was ready for it to be over. Mostly because I started playing baseball in the middle of March and didn’t get over until the end of July.

Senior year is finally over. Everyone keeps asking what I am going to do with my life now. I just shrug my shoulders.

I didn’t really get into writing until my senior year. I had always been in Honors English (you know, the class for all the smart kids who were at a high school reading level in second grade). I had this teach for Honors 11, Ms. Mason, the coolest woman I’ve ever met in my life. My junior year wasn’t super good for me, but she encouraged me to keep trying and take her AP Lang class next year. We focused a lot on non-fiction research writing and I loved it. My senior year I also took creative writing with Mr. Day. Worst decision ever. Not only was the class chock full of freshman and seniors who don’t care, but Mr. Day was the type of person who graded you on how much you wrote like him. If he didn’t like your writing style (and he hated mine)

Imagine: a 99 lbs, 5’4, skinny, shy, ginger kid. Doesn’t seem like the athletic kind does it? This was me as a freshman, and I was really self conscious about myself, granted I was taller than the shortest people who were once taller than me about 2 years ago, I was still skinny and light. I was a good runner, placing 1st in my very first track race, but I hurt my hip during practice and didn’t say anything to the coaches because I was scared they’d say, “Wow, I knew this kid wouldn’t be able to do it, he’s so weak! Just look at him!” so I continued and placed last every race, but I still tried right?

Freshman year I took a chance outside of my comfort zone, and that risk gave me a future in a career I am extremely passionate about. Since freshman year I have been shadowing my high school athletic trainer. I have learned how to; prevent, asses, treat, tape, and rehab a variety of injuries. However, what has fostered my interest in my major is being able to see an athlete through the entirety of an injury. During my sophomore year I was responsible for treating and rehabbing a key player on the lacrosse team. The bond I built with him was something I could've never imagined possible. I had the responsibility of preparing him physically and mentally to return to play. This meant I had to support him when he felt like he would never play as

In all my years of school, I never really enjoyed reading or writing. In elementary and middle school, I didn't hate it but I didn't look forward to it. Although, the books we had to read were not bad and I did enjoy some of them. Once high school came along, all the assignments got harder and my dislike for reading and writing grew stronger. Overall, I would say my Sophomore year was the worst but not because of the assignments but something else bigger than that.

One early, April morning, people came for me in the dead of night to take me to school. The tinkling sounds of their key inside the lock to the door of my bedroom woke me from a sound sleep. They fumbled with it, betraying their unfamiliarity with the lock, while I rolled over in my bed and half dreamt of reminding my mom that the handle had to be held slightly upwards. When the door opened full there was a pause as light and cool air entered my room, and I propped myself up on my elbows to see why I was hearing such heavy breathing. A tall, middle-aged man approached the foot of my bed, while a short and unfamiliar woman lingered below the doorframe.

For the first two and a half years of my college career I attended Sterling College. Sterling was a small, private, four year Christian college, where I had the opportunity to run track and cross country. I loved the Ed department there, however, transferring to K-State was the best decision for my family. I got married the week after my freshman year had come to an end, and my new husband got deployed to Kuwait shortly after, and then Iraq. While he was gone I decided to return to SC, and not let my track scholarship go to waste. When he returned last March we made it work with him living in our home here, and my living two hours away. It was very difficult, we had weekend visits, and then I came home. Well, we tried it again this fall and

Coming into this course I did not know what to expect. I have token English before but never within this amount of time. I feel the pressure to do my best during these next few weeks. I believe this will be a great learning experience. I hope to become a better writer as well as manage my time a bit wiser.

An animal that represents my 2016 spring break would be a leopard. My reasons for this include that leopards are independent animals, they seek attention, and they also have a dark side.