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Reflection Assessment #17

Date: ​1/23/20

Subject: ​Reflection on the first semester

Source: ​N/A

Assessment:

This first semester has been a whirlwind of emotions, assignments, social events, and so

much more. It is crazy to think that I only have one semester of high school left; my first

semester of my last year of high school has flown by in a blink of an eye. I have been able to

learn so much and grow as a person in the Independent and Study Mentorship program. I have

gained confidence, communication skills, professionalism, perseverance, and time management

skills. All of these skills will benefit me throughout college and well into starting my

professional career.

In the beginning of the semester, I am not going to lie, I was very overwhelmed and

stressed. I had gone into senior year thinking it would be the easiest year of school for me

because that is what everyone had previously told me. However, this was not the case for me at

all. Senior year has been my most challenging year of school to date. This is not because of the

classes I am taking but because of balancing school work, college applications, standardized test

prep, and all the fun socially that comes with senior year. Independent and Study Mentorship

quickly taught me time management skills and the skill of prioritizing which was a saving grace

for me in my senior year.

Finding a topic to study in ISM was something that was always super easy for me

because I have wanted to pursue becoming a physician assistant since my freshman year of high
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school. Finding a mentor was always fairly easy for me because I had connections due to my

parents both being involved in the medical field. Going on interviews was something I found

myself enjoying much more than I had expected. Being able to connect and learn from people in

my desired field of study was something so fascinating and beneficial. From this class, I was able

to learn proper interview skills, techniques, and manners. This will be a great skill to have and

carry with me all throughout my future.

Something that has proven to be challenging for me in the ISM class is managing all the

due dates. However, this is how I learned how to balance and prioritize different assignments.

Additionally, something else I struggled with the first semester of ISM was all the various

assessments and hitting the word count. I would always get writer's block and not know what

else to reflect upon or analyze. However, this just taught me how to persevere and keep going.

One of the most surprising parts of ISM that I have learned that I love is the creative side. I loved

being able to design my research board, create cover pages, make a resume, and plan an original

work.

In conclusion, my first semester of the Independent and Study Mentorship class has been

such a learning experience. I have gained so much knowledge about my field of study, the

professional world, my work ethic, and how I want to present myself. I can not wait for the

second semester of the class and to begin working alongside my mentor.