With the two quarters that I have taken so far at La Sierra, the adjustment period was as expected going from high school to university in an online environment. Transitioning from high school to college in the first quarter, I definitely had some struggles knowing that I would not really know anyone in any of my classes as a result of being in a completely new school. However, with the Honors Program, I was able to meet people who quickly became my first friends at La Sierra. They were willing to put in the same effort to do well in school and were extremely empathetic as well as inspirational in helping me to improve my own personal character. Meeting the Honors students online made me realize how much I want to see them in person and how ready I am to create memories with the new friends I made these past two quarters. Being in the Honors community, I am able to experience and learn more information about the world. The Honors class this spring quarter–The Arts–has been particularly interesting. Being a music major, this class has given me insight as to how the music I learn and perform resulted from peoples’ own interest in developing different ways to express themselves. I enjoy understanding how certain things came to be and the backstory for the music and art we have today.
I definitely did miss out on a lot of experiences that I would have had in person, but in return, I was able to figure out more information about myself and use other ways to communicate with the friends I made online using platforms like Zoom. Through two online quarters, I was able to improve myself academically and figure out more information about myself and my calling. During the first quarter, I realized my capabilities. Before I became friends with the other Honors students, I was working alone 24/7 which made me question my own personal actions, influencing the self-doubt I had about myself. My whole life, I generally had problems with being confident in my own actions, but the first quarter of college definitely made me confront that problem in a more significant manner. I experienced a lot of stress from self-doubt and anxiety which influenced my personal wellbeing in a state that was not ideal at all for my own health. I had to deal with that problem face-on in order to feel happy with myself again and it required me to put in the effort to visibly see my own personal capabilities as a student as well as the changes I needed to see in myself. Through the constant effort I put into changing myself, I finally was able to overcome that obstacle and that would have not been possible if I was not determined to persevere. I would say that I am in a much better position with myself than I was previously and I hope to continue to see positive changes in my life in my future years as a La Sierra student.
I wish I had known that questioning oneself is a huge part of the freshman year and that developing who you are as a person is influenced not only by yourself but also by the people you meet during that time of transition. If I had not found the reason to change the bad habits in my life during my first quarter at La Sierra, I would be in a much different place. These last two quarters have forced me to grow as a person. I am extremely grateful I was able to experience the obstacles which, once overcome, have brought me the benefits that I am experiencing today. At the end of my fourth year, I hope that I am content with myself and my achievements at La Sierra. By that time, I want to be proud of the things that I had done in my time being a student and in pursuing all the opportunities that were given to me to continue to find my identity. To me, college is full of experience to learn new information about the world and yourself, which is why I intend to leave college knowing much more information than I had started with and continue to be successful in my journey as a student. I am extremely excited to continue that growth with the friends I have made in the Honors community and witness the same growth within my friends during these next three years.
— Bridget Lee (Class of 2024, Music/Pre-Medicine)