01 December 2022

Autumn Quarter Reflection

This year I have learned the importance of self reflection—of examining myself,
my experiences, my passions, my goals, my successes, and my failures. This past summer I
began journaling. It was a simple form of reflection that I have grown to love. My autumn
quarter was full of reflection assignments in my first honors prefix course and Honors 100, as
well as continuing to journal.
In all of its triumph and failure, autumn quarter was an adventure. As someone who plans
out every hour of every day at the beginning of each week, not knowing what I wanted to study
in university sent me into a nervous breakdown. As I researched majors and jobs, I decided that I
might like to venture into the world of technology. This was a good start. I was already taking an
introductory computer science class and enjoying it, but I knew that majoring in computer
science was not the right path for me. On my first day of CSE 121, I met my first class friend,
Jorey, and he introduced me to informatics. After researching more about the major, I decided
that this could be something that captivates my interest and utilizes some of my strengths.
Informatics is currently the direction I am going, but I have no certainty that it will be my final
destination. Not knowing my final destination—this terrifies me. In high school, my end goal
was a competitive university. Everything I did was to get me there. But now that I’m here, I have
no idea where I’m going. I have felt like I’m wandering aimlessly with countless paths to follow
and no idea which one is the right choice. In my last two lectures of Honors 100 (an introductory
course to the honors program), we have had guest speakers tell their academic and career stories.
Every single one of them was lost just as I am, and yet every single one of them ended up where
they were meant to be. This has brought me comfort as I battle my anxiety of feeling lost and
confused.
Despite my confusion, I thoroughly enjoyed my classes this quarter. In my computer
science class, I learned that I am capable of more than I give myself credit for. Quizzes and
programming assignments in this class were challenging, but I was able to complete them. Even
when I failed, I was given the opportunity to learn from my mistakes and try again. I was
surprised that I found what I was learning interesting, and even fun. Because of my positive
experience in this class, I plan on continuing to take computer science classes in the future. My
first honors course, called The Art of Understanding the Cosmos, was an excellent taste of the
beauty of interdisciplinary learning. I read literature and poetry, watched films and videos, and
studied visual art that all demonstrate the relationship between art and science. I have always
believed that the humanities and STEM are equally important to study, but I had not realized
how connected they are before this class.
This autumn I learned something about myself, which is how deeply I love and
appreciate art and humanity. In both The Art of Understanding the Cosmos and my early fall
start class, called Meanings of Life: Literature, Cinema, & Philosophy, I was often moved and
amazed by whatever I was reading or watching. On September 14, 2022, I wrote in my journal:
“It’s amazing to me how music, film, literature, and any form of art can cause so much human
emotion… they can make us cry even if they’re entirely fiction. I believe that art—something
created by humans—is beautiful and vital to humanity, and I hope it is never lost.”
I am not sure whether this discovery will become a part of my academic journey, or just become
a bigger part of my everyday life, but I am glad to realize this part of my identity.
I hope to look back on everything I’ve learned in my classes and about myself during this
first quarter adventure, and be able to reflect again on how I will have changed from now.

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