As I sit here writing this intro to my life late at night (although it's technically very early in the morning), I find it hard to believe that I've already been in college two years...... And this year has proven to be even more insane and unpredictable than my first by a long shot!
Seems like yesterday I was moving into my freshman year dorm room, overwhelmed with the stress of having to move into a different dorm across campus, but making a new friend so soon along the way, and being introduced to her friends as well. The ripple effect happened, as well as getting some other experiences in life, and here I am. Sitting here, newly 20 years old, as of 5 days ago, simultaneously overwhelmed, and realizing yet how much I have done throughout these past 2 years. You may have already read about my first year on another part of my website, so I'll only go into the details of my second year here.
At the end of my other year in review, I was wrapping up my SOL experience, and looking forward to the year to come..... My SOL experience ended without many surprises, wrapping up rather nicely, but my other experiences were most definitely full of surprises.
First and foremost, heading back to classes. Things were a bit hectic, between 18 credit hours, including a UAV honors seminar, being a Peer Leader, working part time at my work study, being president of Astronomy Club, and trying to get a co-op, not to mention the ever-large task of keeping up with my social life and other extracurriculars (including getting involved in the St Monica St George choir, UC International as an Ipal, as well as the H2O church group).
In my classes, I was delighted to get to know a few more people as we went along, making new study buddies, and as the semester went on, I was delighted to spend more time with them. My UAV honors seminar brought the participants closer together as well, through building and flying our own UAVs (as well as figuring out our rides to the other campus!) and I was happy to make lots of new friends, as well as get offered a research position with the two professors who taught it (which even got turned into a future co-op opportunity!) I realized yet again why I had chosen engineering over all the other options available to me-- all the potential things I could build and design with it, and all the knowledge I could gain about the world!
It turned out that the Chong Qing University SOLs that I was working with the past summer had recommended me to their supervisor for a co-op in China! It was a great opportunity for me to both go abroad and learn about academia, through being a Teaching Assistant for the engineering classes over there. I pursued the job with enthusiasm. I received the job, and I was over the moon with excitement. As time got closer, I was getting more and more anxious about being separated from my loved ones (including my boyfriend in my first relationship), but I was determined to make the most of my time at home before heading overseas.
I was proud to be working as a Peer Leader in the fall semester, which was a bit nerve wracking at first. Mentoring students that were only a year younger than me was hard at first, especially with their unwillingness to be there. However, my SOL experience with small groups of students, as well as my dogged perseverance, openness towards my students in my one-on-ones with them, as well as wanting to involve them in the lesson plans I created caused them to appreciate LC more and bond even more with each other than they already had.
While I was a Peer Leader, I was also president of Astronomy Club, and that parallel experience also impacted my definition of leadership. In both situations, I had to make lesson plans of sorts, and take an active role in planning outside of the organization. As time went on, I realized that both my students in LC, and the people in Astronomy Club were happier when they got to have a say in the affairs of the organization. In LC, my students were happier when I took their needs into consideration in making lesson plans. Similarly, in Astronomy Club, when I made a Facebook group with polls for Astronomy Club members to voice their opinion, club attendance and participation improved. Realizing that active involvement in both of these arenas made me a better leader improved my facilitation skills.
As I worked more and more with Astronomy Club, I also realized that this was something that I was indeed passionate about. Making the powerpoints, taking a stargazing trip with the Cincinnati Astronomical Society, and getting lots of guest speakers, we were able to bring in lots of new members, allowing me to share my passion. Starting with Welcome Weekend, I was able to bring in lots of people with my enthusiasm, and made a community of sorts.
Speaking of communities, I had felt that becoming an Ipal, a volunteer with UC International really enriched my fall semester, from the International Fall retreat and impacting lots of international students, playing games at the Ipals desk, to just befriending the other Ipals. I look forward to future outings with them, and feel like my time working with them so far has made me a more open minded person, and more personable as well. I truly feel accepted as part of the Ipals community!
After the semester had ended, I was trying to get my fill of Cincinnati, hanging out with lots of people, and exploring the city with friends. I even went on a trip to Mammoth Cave and the tepee hotel near it with UC International. I was a bit apprehensive, but soon, the time came for me to fly out to China.
We flew out December 27th, which meant that we were spending the New Year in China. I got closer and closer to my 3 fellow UC TAs, became close friends with the 4 Chinese TAs, as well as the professors. I got to spend time getting closer and closer to them, as well as making a few other friends along the way. During the semester, I was a TA for 4 classes, Heat Transfer, Manufacturing Processes, Engineering Models 2, and Statics and Dynamics. Needless to say, things were a bit hectic, but I eventually got the hang of grading, exploring the city with the others, and even exploring different cities in China, such as Hangzhou with my friend Rebecca, who I was a SOL with, Beijing, Shanghai (and the Disney there), Chengdu (and the pandas!!!), Xi'an (with Terra Cotta warriors), Mt Huashan and Mt Emei, throughout the Chinese New Year, and the tomb-sweeping holiday with some of my friends.
Not every day was full of adventure, though. Some of it was rather monotonous, with lots of grading, so I tried to occupy my time, with running Astronomy Club from overseas (easier said than done), reading lots of books (over 20 over the whole semester), and even writing a blog (which can be found at mycoopinchina.blogspot.com). The internet was often really bad, making it hard for me to just chill out at some points. I ended up getting out of the apartment to try to get over homesickness more easily, and seeing a lot more of the city because of it.
Having my friends, from my amazing roommate, Jessica, who I had long conversations about life with, Dom, who was the down to earth TA of all of us, as well as Nick, an amazing storyteller, to all the Chinese TAs, Celia, Robert and Suri (who were a couple), and Alexandra, who welcomed us into their city, along with Rebecca, Apollo, and Amanda, and a few other friends that I made along the way made my experience much greater as well. Even the professors, Will, Sean, Pablo, Wei Wei, and our supervisor, Greg, became friends with us, making our experience much greater.
To my surprise though, I applied for a leadership award (the Red Rose award for leadership), and received it when I was overseas, due to my extensive leadership on campus already. I also bit the bullet, and finally signed up for the philosophy minor that I had been thinking about for two years! I wasn't sure if it was the right decision, but at what other point in my life would I be able to pursue this interest in this way?
Towards the end, I couldn't wait to get back, and getting back to the airport, I was so excited to see an unexpected welcoming party for me! The week before classes started, I explored the city, and realizing just how much I have changed with my time abroad. Being alone with my thoughts, I had become more introspective, and also more emotional. I also realized just how much we take for granted in the US, such as clean water, toilet paper in restrooms, and a constant supply of English.
Now I'm back in classes, suffering a bit, but enjoying the course content. I'm feeling somewhat surprised to always be understood, but it is a nice change. Adapting back to the US hasn't always been easy, but opening my mind back up to life in the US has been a good experience for me. I have also started my research, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I've started going to the UC World Friends bible study group after encouragement from Jessica as well.
This year has taken me to new heights (literally), allowing me to learn more about myself, and about the world around me. This year, as I get ready for my research co-op in the fall and running Astro Club, as well as getting through this semester, I am very excited. Serendipity, which I referred to at the end of last year, has surely blessed me, and I welcome it into the rest of my life.
Seems like yesterday I was moving into my freshman year dorm room, overwhelmed with the stress of having to move into a different dorm across campus, but making a new friend so soon along the way, and being introduced to her friends as well. The ripple effect happened, as well as getting some other experiences in life, and here I am. Sitting here, newly 20 years old, as of 5 days ago, simultaneously overwhelmed, and realizing yet how much I have done throughout these past 2 years. You may have already read about my first year on another part of my website, so I'll only go into the details of my second year here.
At the end of my other year in review, I was wrapping up my SOL experience, and looking forward to the year to come..... My SOL experience ended without many surprises, wrapping up rather nicely, but my other experiences were most definitely full of surprises.
First and foremost, heading back to classes. Things were a bit hectic, between 18 credit hours, including a UAV honors seminar, being a Peer Leader, working part time at my work study, being president of Astronomy Club, and trying to get a co-op, not to mention the ever-large task of keeping up with my social life and other extracurriculars (including getting involved in the St Monica St George choir, UC International as an Ipal, as well as the H2O church group).
In my classes, I was delighted to get to know a few more people as we went along, making new study buddies, and as the semester went on, I was delighted to spend more time with them. My UAV honors seminar brought the participants closer together as well, through building and flying our own UAVs (as well as figuring out our rides to the other campus!) and I was happy to make lots of new friends, as well as get offered a research position with the two professors who taught it (which even got turned into a future co-op opportunity!) I realized yet again why I had chosen engineering over all the other options available to me-- all the potential things I could build and design with it, and all the knowledge I could gain about the world!
It turned out that the Chong Qing University SOLs that I was working with the past summer had recommended me to their supervisor for a co-op in China! It was a great opportunity for me to both go abroad and learn about academia, through being a Teaching Assistant for the engineering classes over there. I pursued the job with enthusiasm. I received the job, and I was over the moon with excitement. As time got closer, I was getting more and more anxious about being separated from my loved ones (including my boyfriend in my first relationship), but I was determined to make the most of my time at home before heading overseas.
I was proud to be working as a Peer Leader in the fall semester, which was a bit nerve wracking at first. Mentoring students that were only a year younger than me was hard at first, especially with their unwillingness to be there. However, my SOL experience with small groups of students, as well as my dogged perseverance, openness towards my students in my one-on-ones with them, as well as wanting to involve them in the lesson plans I created caused them to appreciate LC more and bond even more with each other than they already had.
While I was a Peer Leader, I was also president of Astronomy Club, and that parallel experience also impacted my definition of leadership. In both situations, I had to make lesson plans of sorts, and take an active role in planning outside of the organization. As time went on, I realized that both my students in LC, and the people in Astronomy Club were happier when they got to have a say in the affairs of the organization. In LC, my students were happier when I took their needs into consideration in making lesson plans. Similarly, in Astronomy Club, when I made a Facebook group with polls for Astronomy Club members to voice their opinion, club attendance and participation improved. Realizing that active involvement in both of these arenas made me a better leader improved my facilitation skills.
As I worked more and more with Astronomy Club, I also realized that this was something that I was indeed passionate about. Making the powerpoints, taking a stargazing trip with the Cincinnati Astronomical Society, and getting lots of guest speakers, we were able to bring in lots of new members, allowing me to share my passion. Starting with Welcome Weekend, I was able to bring in lots of people with my enthusiasm, and made a community of sorts.
Speaking of communities, I had felt that becoming an Ipal, a volunteer with UC International really enriched my fall semester, from the International Fall retreat and impacting lots of international students, playing games at the Ipals desk, to just befriending the other Ipals. I look forward to future outings with them, and feel like my time working with them so far has made me a more open minded person, and more personable as well. I truly feel accepted as part of the Ipals community!
After the semester had ended, I was trying to get my fill of Cincinnati, hanging out with lots of people, and exploring the city with friends. I even went on a trip to Mammoth Cave and the tepee hotel near it with UC International. I was a bit apprehensive, but soon, the time came for me to fly out to China.
We flew out December 27th, which meant that we were spending the New Year in China. I got closer and closer to my 3 fellow UC TAs, became close friends with the 4 Chinese TAs, as well as the professors. I got to spend time getting closer and closer to them, as well as making a few other friends along the way. During the semester, I was a TA for 4 classes, Heat Transfer, Manufacturing Processes, Engineering Models 2, and Statics and Dynamics. Needless to say, things were a bit hectic, but I eventually got the hang of grading, exploring the city with the others, and even exploring different cities in China, such as Hangzhou with my friend Rebecca, who I was a SOL with, Beijing, Shanghai (and the Disney there), Chengdu (and the pandas!!!), Xi'an (with Terra Cotta warriors), Mt Huashan and Mt Emei, throughout the Chinese New Year, and the tomb-sweeping holiday with some of my friends.
Not every day was full of adventure, though. Some of it was rather monotonous, with lots of grading, so I tried to occupy my time, with running Astronomy Club from overseas (easier said than done), reading lots of books (over 20 over the whole semester), and even writing a blog (which can be found at mycoopinchina.blogspot.com). The internet was often really bad, making it hard for me to just chill out at some points. I ended up getting out of the apartment to try to get over homesickness more easily, and seeing a lot more of the city because of it.
Having my friends, from my amazing roommate, Jessica, who I had long conversations about life with, Dom, who was the down to earth TA of all of us, as well as Nick, an amazing storyteller, to all the Chinese TAs, Celia, Robert and Suri (who were a couple), and Alexandra, who welcomed us into their city, along with Rebecca, Apollo, and Amanda, and a few other friends that I made along the way made my experience much greater as well. Even the professors, Will, Sean, Pablo, Wei Wei, and our supervisor, Greg, became friends with us, making our experience much greater.
To my surprise though, I applied for a leadership award (the Red Rose award for leadership), and received it when I was overseas, due to my extensive leadership on campus already. I also bit the bullet, and finally signed up for the philosophy minor that I had been thinking about for two years! I wasn't sure if it was the right decision, but at what other point in my life would I be able to pursue this interest in this way?
Towards the end, I couldn't wait to get back, and getting back to the airport, I was so excited to see an unexpected welcoming party for me! The week before classes started, I explored the city, and realizing just how much I have changed with my time abroad. Being alone with my thoughts, I had become more introspective, and also more emotional. I also realized just how much we take for granted in the US, such as clean water, toilet paper in restrooms, and a constant supply of English.
Now I'm back in classes, suffering a bit, but enjoying the course content. I'm feeling somewhat surprised to always be understood, but it is a nice change. Adapting back to the US hasn't always been easy, but opening my mind back up to life in the US has been a good experience for me. I have also started my research, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I've started going to the UC World Friends bible study group after encouragement from Jessica as well.
This year has taken me to new heights (literally), allowing me to learn more about myself, and about the world around me. This year, as I get ready for my research co-op in the fall and running Astro Club, as well as getting through this semester, I am very excited. Serendipity, which I referred to at the end of last year, has surely blessed me, and I welcome it into the rest of my life.