Personal Narrative: What I Learned Before Attending College

Before entering college, I was terrified. I often thought that what I learned in high school was not enough for me to succeed at a university. I viewed my writing skills and just my general course knowledge, as inadequate. While this hindered me at first, after experiencing my first semester in college, I believe that I have grown tremendously, not just academically, but socially as well. Being at such a diverse school has made me a lot more comfortable and openminded about conversing or even befriending those with different beliefs than mine. Though I have made growth over this semester, there are still areas that I need to improve on. Throughout the first semester, I noticed that I still am not confident in my work and that I tend to float by, settling for mediocre grades. While my grades have made a great improvement from high school, I know that I can do a lot better and that I should be putting in more effort in my school work. After my first semester at UNCG, I have improved in a lot of areas, and in the ones, that I still struggle in, I am in the process of growing and improving in those areas, but overall, my first semester has allowed me to learn a lot, not just about myself, but about the community that I am living in as well. When thinking of the areas that I have grown in, I believe
that my ability to be openminded is my area of most significant growth. Before coming to UNCG, I was generally exposed to the same type of people all my life, and I was content with that. Not long after I arrived at UNCG, I began to notice and interact with people who were very different from what I was used to. People from different places of the world, with different political views, religious views, and different values. At first, being around so many different people make me uncomfortable and I actively sought out likeminded individuals who were similar to the background that I came from. I soon realized that what I was doing was not right, as I was not giving people a chance because I was being closeminded. After this, when I had conversations with someone with different views than mine, I decided to not judge them and to be openminded about their views, and because of this, I learned a lot. I learned a lot about their ideals, customs and why they value the things that they do. Learning to be openminded was one of the most essential things that I have learned this semester because it allowed me to have unbiased, honest conversations with people, many who I have formed a genuine relationship with. While I have certainly made growth, there are still areas that I am still growing in, mainly putting greater effort into my work. During my first semester, while I put effort into my work, I know that I could have done better. A lot of the essays that I submitted were first drafts, I did not always read the assigned reading and I did not spend as much time studying as I should. By submitting mediocre work, I was not only hurting myself and my GPA, but I was hindering the class as well, as I was not able to contribute anything meaningful to class discussions. Though a lot of time I try to place the blame on me having a job, I know that the problem is more than me working, and it speaks to my lack of confidence and responsibility. While I went from an average D student in high school, to a B student in college, I know that I can do better, and that I should be striving for an A. Overall, my first semester experience has been an eye-opening experience.
Being on my own for the first time in my life has really allowed me learn things about myself and see things from a different perspective. Experiencing my first semester, I have grown, like developing a sense of responsibility. I know that I still am not responsible as I should or could be, I am still proud of the growth that I have made and striving to grow in the areas that I am currently lacking. As a freshman, with only one semester under my belt, I know that I have plenty of time to grow and develop character, therefore, I am excited to see my growth after I have finished my undergraduate
career.