Natsumi Inoue-Talbert

HONORS 100A

4 Dec 2022

At the beginning, I thought that I would not be too busy in my first Autumn quarter at UW. I did
not expect to be working on assignments or studying every day. In the first few weeks of this quarter, I
somewhat developed a routine for myself to work on assignments from my classes. I was surprised that I
kept up with the deadlines for my assignments, despite the lack of using a planner and such to keep
track of my schedule. After the first few weeks, I felt like I was just living day by day, just trying to keep
up with deadlines. I did not feel like I was fully “enjoying the ride” of college like how many people
advised students to do.

On top of that, I struggled with math more than I expected to. In the beginning of the quarter, I
did not think that I would struggle in the class because the content was similar to what I learned in high
school. As the class progressed, I found it more difficult to follow the content and understand the topics
introduced. I could not get scores on my tests that I was satisfied with, so I explored different studying
methods. Although I still do not know if my current studying method is effective, I am still learning what
works for me and what does not work for me. On the other hand, I was able to figure out how to study
chemistry effectively quickly compared to math. I was not satisfied with my score on my first midterm,
and I changed how I studied for that class. I started utilizing the review sessions offered by the chemistry
department, and I used my homework as an opportunity to solidify my knowledge about the topics in
the subject.

The honors interdisciplinary department helped me learn about different resources that I can
take advantage of at school. I previously did not know that there were study abroad programs affiliated
with the honors department. I took a glance at the programs offered by the department, and I plan to
look through the study abroad website more thoroughly, for additional programs that I might be
interested to participate in. In addition, through the peer interview assignment, I learned from my
partner that students can reserve study rooms in the library. I would like to utilize this resource
throughout my time at UW, especially when I plan to study with others or just want to concentrate.

By the end of this year, I hope to meet with more peers because I have not gone much out of my
comfort zone to meet new people and build a relationship with them. I also hope to have found
scholarships that I qualify for and apply for them, as well as a study abroad program. I would like to join
an RSO that is related to medicine in some way, so that I can explore the medical field and see if it is
something that I am truly interested in and would take an occupation in the field. I am still not a
hundred percent sure if I want to pursue the pre-med track, but as of now, medicine is the most
interesting field to study in.