Before taking off for La Sierra University last September, I wondered if I would have a seamless transition from my home routine to living on my own for the very first time. Obviously, I was not ready to leave my bittersweet high school memories behind nor my parents, dogs, and friends. Often, I asked myself: “What is the point of going to school for 12 years with the same kids that I have known for most of my life if we all end up going our separate ways?” However, as soon as my dad drove me past the La Sierra gates on the official move-in day and I stepped foot into Angwin Hall as an official college freshman, all of my doubts vanished quickly with the hearty welcomes, colorful entrance banners, waves, hugs, embraces, and helping hands of the spirited upperclassmen pumped up for the new school year and the nurturing La Sierra University family. The glory days of high school quickly dissipated into the atmosphere of the triple-digit summer heatwave to usher in . . . an exhilarating new beginning!
College is much different from high school. At Redlands High School, each semester I stacked my schedule with challenging AP courses, whose paces were usually set at a chapter or two in roughly three weeks to a month. In contrast, classes at La Sierra tend to cover five to seven chapters within a three-week period before midterms. The amount of information I had to absorb in such a short period of time came as a shock. Consequently, I learned to manage my time more effectively so that I had time to do homework, digest the material, study for exams, volunteer, participate in extracurricular activities, group hunt for Pokémons on our beautiful campus at night, FaceTime friends, visit high school teachers, do power walks with my parents, play with my beloved pets, and sleep.
During my carefree high school days, I had enjoyed intermittent periods of fleeting procrastination with classmates and studied on the weekends for tests. In college, I soon realized that this routine would not be successful and immediately broke that poor habit. While preparing for labs, write-ups, and quizzes, I learned that it is crucial to take the time to understand the dense material daily rather than going through the motions and skimming over the topics mindlessly. In addition, I had always been accustomed to writing lecture notes by hand. Recently, I made the change to become paperless and thus environmentally friendly. I invested in an iPad! Utilizing this modern technology is much more convenient for note-taking and reviewing for midterms without having to lug around the heavy textbooks. Apps such as GoodNotes allow me to organize and find specific words or phrases within my handwritten notes.
In the five short months that I have been at La Sierra, I have made many friends through my classes and the Honors Program. I hang out with my posse by going to worship, exercising at the gym to avoid the Freshman 15, eating at Phở Hà, Lee’s Sandwiches, Tea Time Express, or P.F. Chang’s, shopping at the Tyler Mall, singing karaoke to Disney songs, and watching movies on Disney+. I cherish every unforgettable, riveting second with my friends. I never know what to expect when we are all together since there is always food, infectious laughs, and memories to last a lifetime.
College is the ivory tower set in the promised land providing unlimited chances for self-discovery, personal growth, and academic advancement. Fortunately, in the past few months, I have been able to explore the amazing world of science through the Scientific Process class and lab (UHNR 114 + 114L) taught by Dr. Motschiedler and Dr. Trueblood. Scientific Process encourages Honors students to conduct scholarly research, think critically like scientists, and be familiar with the steps of the scientific methods. My research group is studying bacterial retention in various reusable straws (bamboo, glass, hard plastic, stainless steel, and silicone). Thanks to Dr. Dean, who kindly provided us with supplies and lab space, we were able to carry out our experiment. Additionally, I have had the wonderful opportunity to shadow students in Dr. Joseph’s research lab, which focuses on osteosarcoma cancer cells in rats. I observed the intricate passaging process–a meticulous procedure that gives cells nutrients after a confluent culture–and successfully passaged cells independently. Forever grateful not only for this great experience but for the invaluable mentorship, I look forward to experimenting with my own research on bone cancer cells in the upcoming months.
Although college life is daunting and overwhelming from a glance, over time, each day becomes more exciting than the last, and I can hardly wait to see what the next three years have in store. At the beginning of my Golden Eagle adventure, the days were long. However, now halfway through my freshman year, everything is zooming so quickly. This quarter, the classes, midterms, and social functions have flown by at sonic speed. With freshman year drawing to a close, I have learned to live the ultimate college life experience and appreciate every waking moment because the timeless, precious La Sierra University memories collected in the age of youthful innocence will only last so long and, once seared in my mind with each passing minute, they will only be available in memory tomorrow.
–– Ailinh Nguyen (Class of 2023, Biomedical Science major)