Hello Everyone,
Excuses my late response to all the emails. For the past two weeks I was in Mexico and had no access to any technology other than a tv. I hope you all find of great help the feedback I'll provide.
I can summarize my first four quarters of college as great, amazing, stressful, tiring, and fun! For the first week of my freshman year in 2009-2010 I felt very good, although for my parents it was still a bit hard to let go. I had to come back home that first weekend! The Fall 09 quarter was the best. I managed my time very well and had all my work done on time. Writing papers was probably the easiest thing for me, and was actually considering minoring in Creative Writing after my English professor adviced me to consider the possibility. Although I didn't actually pursue that path, it's still in the back of my head. I also had it easy transitioning into living with someone else whom I didn't know at all. My first roommate got moved to another room before we even moved in and I was stuck with a stranger, I think. I accepted it and met her for the first time on the first day. My roommate was not the most neat person in the world, but she was very calm and focused on her own things. I liked my floor mates, but most of the time I didn't spend time in my building Swig. I liked walking around campus, getting to know it better. As the quarter progressed I got involved in Hermanas Unidas. HaU is a latina-based club to empower women to continue getting higher education. We focus on academics, community service and networking. We have all sorts of events in which we also include other on- and off-campus organizations.
By the end of the quarter, I decided to involve myself a little bit more. On campus I applied to go on an Immersion Trip to Puebla, Mexico through an organization called CommunityLinks in Mexico. We basically worked with the community and helped out the children through an after school program called Calpulli de los Niños. I want to go back and work with this community again. During that time we were asked to detach ourselves from all technology possible to really get immersed in the trip. We also kept daily journals of what we had done each day and our reflections on them. It was an amazing trip.
The Winter '10 quarter I think was the worse quarter for me. I took my first hard class in which the work load was triple of that we get in a regular high school. This is when i began to question my major. Even though I was undeclared, I was in the Leavey School of Business and I was thiking of majoring in Management. My Econ 1 class was making me doubt that. I got through with it and signed up to take Econ 2. I was going to attempt to continue with my goal to stay in the business school. Winter quarter I had so many personal problems as well that caused me to not focus as much in school and stress me a lot more than the usual. It was such a tough quarter that near week 8 I was considering dropping out, but I stuck to the mentality of "I am not going to let all those years of education go to waste!"
In the final quarter of my first year I signed up for four classes, but ended up taking three. My Econ 2 class was the hardest again. I struggled a lot and because I got really sick that I missed some classes it was even tougher to catch up with all the information I had missed. I tried as hard as I could, but I failed the class. I felt really bad. This time I really doubted staying in the business school. These were pre-reqs for any major in the business school and I was doing really bad in them. I was not enjoying taking those classes. So Spring '10 quarter ended and I was about done thinking about school when Week 10 was over. So I headed to Mexico for the summer and forgot about SCU for a brief month. Although the year was a tough ride, I really enjoyed being a Bronco.
Aside from all the academics, the clubs on-campus made it fun throughout the whole year. From dances like Spicy Bronco where there's a variety of Latin music, to the midnight breakfasts we have during dead week(the week before Finals), and all the sporting games that were kept alive by the Ruff Riders org. on campus, the year was fun. Life on campus was far better than being a commuter because so many things happen on campus or near it that you cannot experience if you're a commuter. For instance, watching drunk college students trying to make it back to their rooms without getting caught by their CFs (Community Facilitators) and getting fined. There are also times when you get stuck in an elevator with these people and they don't make sense when they're speaking to you. Fun times. So many strange things will happen and you won't regret being part of them at all, not at Santa Clara University.
I hope that this was good feedback on my first year. One thing I can say is: Learn to manage your time sooner than later. And only take classes that interest you and that you will enjoy. As soon as you're in a class, try to find a study group! It will be of great help. Also, get involved!!! Lastly, try to have fun, but only after you have finished all your academic work.
Thanks for all your patience. Again, my apologies for the late response.
Ana Garibo
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