Category: Arena

My name is Paul Fiorvante. I’m from Ronkonkoma, New York, which is located in Long Island. Some background on me is that I am an accounting major; running Track and field here at SUNY Geneseo. I was born and raised on Long Island, so coming to college at Geneseo, which is over 300 miles away from home, is a huge adjustment for me. My first week here at Geneseo was extremely fun, but I also needed to make a lot of adjustments. I have had to learn how to live on my own, learn how to make my long-distance relationship work, and overall adapt to my new living situation.

My courses here (so far) have been enjoyable. The one class I consider the most interesting has to be data analytics. The reason why is that I have to learn how to code. It’s something that is completely new to me and I like learning new things that are inherently difficult, personally enjoy the satisfaction of finally figuring it out. When you finally figure out a tough problem, (especially in this class), it is extremely fulfilling. The course im struggling with the most, (by far), has to be microeconomics. The beginning was so easy, but as everything was starting to build on top of each other, I realized that it was going to be a long semester. Thankfully, there are a bunch of resources you can go out and use to help you online. Things such as practice problems as well as tutors are provided here which will help you tremendously.

I have a few expectations for my INTD105 class. My first expectation is that I hope this class will enable me to improve my creative writing skills. I want to learn about building upon my writing and building up on my ideas, as opposed to just doing the bare minimum. I also want to learn the MLA 8 format and how to use it correctly. Reason being, is that I never learned how to use it in high school. In taking this course, it will make me a more effective writer . I want to learn how to clearly express my ideas. Pertaining to the writing, I haven’t found anything that specifically pertains to me, however, I am looking forward to seeing if any future material relates to me as we continue.

My expectations for this school year are simple. I hope to do well on track, Improve academically and be successful in all of my endeavors here. I’m hoping to at least get up to 6’5” in high jump and cut all my sprinting times down. I also hoping to improve in the courses that i’m already struggling with. I hope to have an overall positive experience here and become better at everything I do.

The hills definitely haven’t gotten any easier, but I have adapted a bit more to the campus. We are about seven weeks into the first semester and I still don’t feel like Geneseo is home, but I guess that may take time. I miss my hometown, especially the people, like family and friends. I have gone home most weekends being here, and my parents say that’s probably not the best thing for me since I should be getting used to staying over the weekend if I want to adapt to the environment. Sometimes, I can’t help it because I miss everyone so much that driving home seems like the best thing to do. Although my family is dearly missed, I do enjoy most of the activities on campus, including club lacrosse and cheer.

Cheer and lacrosse have brought amazing people to my attention and we are becoming closer every day, which is nice. I think I am starting to find “my people” because there are a few on campus I always want to spend my time with and be around. While spending time with those people, I have become comfortable with being uncomfortable. I get out of my comfort zone a lot now because new experiences and adventures come my way. I’ve learned a lot of things about being an adult, especially when I have to do things myself I have never done by myself before. The laundry, sometimes grocery shopping, and knowing when to get to bed. It’s all a lot, but I am getting better and better at those tasks each time.

My classes have definitely kicked up the workload since the first few weeks-nothing that can’t be handled, but a little bit more than I had expected. Although there is a lot of work, I am loving all my courses and my professors. The materials in my courses are making it enjoyable to learn and do some of my homework. I definitely think college work, in general, is more about effort than length because most of my assignments are short, but require very in-depth thought. In high school, I used to be able to just sit down in a noisy setting and get my work done easily with no problems, but my college coursework is a little different. I can’t really be surrounded by loud or distracting noises and sometimes I need help finishing my work. I definitely ask for help a lot more now than I did because I know if I don’t understand my material now, I will never get a hold of it. My study habits have also changed in the past few weeks as well. Knowing that most of my tests and exams in college are a huge percentage of my final grade, I know I have to prepare myself for success. I make sure to study at least a week before the test or exam, so if I have any questions, there will be time to ask my professors.

One of my favorite classes I am taking now is INTD 105 (a writing seminar.) Class is very interesting for me and I am never distracted or bored in the classroom. As of right now, we are reading the play American Tet as a class together. I have learned about military life already and how veterans, as well as the people close to them, deal with that sort of pain. I have started to connect with this play because one of my best friends actually just finished boot camp for the Marines. I know it may not all be the same, but it is preparing me for when he comes back home from deployment. Sometimes, the topics or discussions we have in class make me worry about him and how he will do in his deployment. He will be gone for five years when he leaves in about three weeks. He will only get to come home one month a year, which is pretty crazy, but it is better than not seeing him at all. I am becoming more and more familiar with the life of a soldier and how it can affect the people who love them the most. That is why INTD 105 is my favorite course so far because I am learning useful things for real life. I have no problem doing any of the coursework because I enjoy doing it and I am mostly never confused as well.

Now, by the end of my first semester, I hope not to have fallen on the icy hills of Geneseo, but mostly, I hope that I can call Geneseo “home.” I hope to have found “my people” and fully adapted to my new everyday routine. I hope not to miss home as much as I do now. I want to be able to look forward to going back to college when I am home on breaks. My grades should have gotten better by the end of the semester while keeping a GPA higher than 3.7. I would also like my test and exam scores to be better than before, as I will keep studying and trying new ways until I find one that works the best for me. I also hope to see myself getting more involved on campus while joining more clubs and associations.

My name is Erin McNamara, I am a Junior psychology major from Lewiston, New York. Lewiston is a small town about thirty minutes from the city of Buffalo. I live with my mom, dad and sister Emily (when she isn’t away at college in West Virginia). An interesting fact about me is I went to a small all girls school. When I tell people that I went to an all-girls school, their first question is if I hated it because of all the drama. I always tell them I loved it, there wasn’t a lot of drama and since it was such a small school, we all knew each other and felt like we were all friends. I also met my best friend there, who transferred to SUNY Geneseo with me during our second semester of freshman year.

She was attending University at Buffalo and I was at West Virginia University. We both liked our schools, but they were so big and we didn’t feel like it was the place for us. We had a few friends that attended Geneseo and came to visit them on a long weekend. We liked how small it was and is a good distance from home so whenever we felt a little homesick we could go home for a weekend. We decided to transfer and dorm together for our first two years here. We’ve always gotten along well so I knew transferring and living together would make the transition much easier. First semester, I joined a sorority and made many friends. In West Virginia, it was hard for me to meet people because I’m not an outgoing person, but here, it was different. I became close to the girls in my sorority and met so many other people making my first two years here the best yet.

Going into my Junior year is definitely different than the first. I’m living in my sorority’s house this year and I’m so excited. I worked all summer preparing everything for my room. I wanted my room to be where I returned to and relax after a tiring fifty minute class. Living with twenty-one other girls may seem like too many people under one roof but it’s so much fun. Someone is always down to hang or just do homework. The house is right next to the academic buildings making it easier to get up and go to my classes. The extra fifteen minutes I can sleep in before class makes a big difference, believe me.

The course load is obviously heavier, but I’m interested in all the classes I’m taking this semester. Almost all my classes are psychology based now so I’m interested in everything I’m learning. I struggle with science and I’m currently taking Biological Psychology so I’m already anticipating needing to get a tutor so I don’t fall behind. I’m interested in everything I’m learning. I feel motivated to do my work, go to class and study. My expectations for INTD-105 this semester are to improve my writing skills and be able to participate in class discussions while being in a group setting. In just the first three weeks we’ve had a lot of activities where we break off into small groups to discuss specific topics or share our writing. I think I’m already getting better at listening to what a group member is saying and how I can add to their point. I’ve only had to do a handful of papers in the past couple of years, so hopefully, the writing tools I’ve learned in the past will come back to me and I’m sure I’ll learn a lot throughout the semester.

While reading They Say, I Say, I’ve caught myself comparing a lot of the stuff it discusses to my own writing and to how I engage in class. In one of the chapters, the author explains how to best respond in a class discussion. How to add on to the person before me had said, or reiterate what the person before them had said, so others in the group know what I’m referencing. In several chapters, the author also gives examples of how to summarize or refer to someone else’s work without boring the reader, basically repeating what the author said in their piece and keeping the reader engaged.

As it is only four weeks into school I don’t know how the rest of the semester will be but I expect to do well in my classes and have fun with my friends. Most of my classes being psychology classes will hopefully keep me on track and not fall behind which I tend to do easily. Being a junior I already feel like college is going by too fast and I’m scared I won’t make the most out of it. Living with 21 of my closest friends makes it easier to make memories. I can’t wait for the rest of the semester and the next 2 years.

While reading They Say, I Say, I’ve caught myself comparing a lot of the stuff it discusses to my own writing and to how I engage in class. In one of the chapters, the author explains how to best respond in a class discussion. How to add on to the person before me had said, or reiterate what the person before them had said, so others in the group know what I’m referencing. In several chapters, the author also gives examples of how to summarize or refer to someone else’s work without boring the reader, basically repeating what the author said in their piece and keeping the reader engaged.

As it is only four weeks into school I don’t know how the rest of the semester will be but I expect to do well in my classes and have fun with my friends. Most of my classes being psychology classes will hopefully keep me on track and not fall behind which I tend to do easily. Being a junior I already feel like college is going by too fast and I’m scared I won’t make the most out of it. Living with 21 of my closest friends makes it easier to make memories. I can’t wait for the rest of the semester and the next 2 years.

My name is Ania Gromul; I am from Long Island, New York. I am a first-year student at SUNY Geneseo. I like to go to the beach, spend time with nature, animals, family and friends. Looking back at my first few weeks at Geneseo, I know I made the right decision. My first week and orientation week was extremely welcoming. Students and faculty had the week planned out for new students to get to know each other and the campus. I made a good group of friends and always plan on meeting new faces and getting to know as many people as I can. I am a Biology major planning to pursue veterinary school. My courses for my first semester are challenging. I have a biology, chemistry, geography, writing seminar, and two labs. The workload is substantial but tolerable.

Up until this point, my classes are going well, however, I am having a hard time finding a good balance with my science classes. I feel as if I meet the suggested study hours but can’t seem to do as well as I want on my exams. I have tried changing my study environments and methods but that doesn’t seem to work either. I have yet to find a strategy that works for me. I will continue to find different methods to be best prepared for my exams. As for my labs, I enjoy experimenting and testing the theories our group has hypothesized. My two favorite classes by far are my writing seminar and geography class. My writing seminar opened my eyes to my classmates’ different opinions. I am eager to go to my geography class each week because of the interest I have in traveling the world. I would like to travel to Greece, the Amazon rainforest, Alaska and France. I love to research the different cultures and traditions each location has. My ultimate dream is to travel and experience the daily lives of people all over the world.

The expectations for the INDT 105 writing seminar Theatre: A Therapy for Veterans are mandatory attendance and participation. Most points come from our assignments, which are worth forty points. As long as you are present, willing to participate and put your best work forward on assignments and journals, you should have no problem passing. Reading chapters one through nine in They Say, I Say by Cathy Birkenstein and Gerald Graff, I made a connection in the way I struggle to understand and listen to other people’s thoughts and opinions. I have noticed in our class discussions I have a hard time reminding myself to restate what my classmate has said and then share my own opinion.I started to improve as we went through the multiple questions. I would restate what my group members would share, then follow it up with whether I agree or disagree and state why I feel the way I feel.

As this semester continues my expectations are to improve my writing and communication skills. Specifically, finding a flow in my writing and making clear statements that my reader can follow. As well as comprehending and acknowledging what others have to say and incorporating it into my writing.

           My name is Nadia and I’m trying to get through the first semester. I’m trying to make schedules so that I can keep myself organized; without them, my day turns into a complete mess. If I organize my time wisely, I will do well in my classes, but if I don’t, I will fall behind. I also joined a few clubs on campus to make friends. However, it will take time for me to make friends with the people I meet. One of the clubs I joined is the Music Society. We talk about how the Geneseo Music and Musical Theater Department can be promoted on campus. Another club I’m involved in is the Korean American Student Association. I joined it because I’m curious to learn more about Korean culture. I also wanted to do Exit 8, which is an acapella group on campus, but unfortunately, I didn’t make it when I was trying to audition for it, and it made me upset. I was also pressured to do Pep Band since a few students in my major encouraged me to join. I also wanted to do Pride Alliance to learn more about the LGBTQIA+ community and to learn more about my sexuality, but I didn’t have time since I was busy with homework. I wanted to do the Japanese Culture Club, but again, the time conflicted with the SI Session that I needed to go for Geology so that I could pass that class.

         I’m doing okay in my courses, but I just need to be consistent on what I have to do for homework when I’m not in class and will need a planner to stay on track of what I need to do for homework so I won’t fall behind. Sometimes, I go overboard with doing homework, don’t manage time between sleep, and go to bed at two or three a.m. Besides homework, I will also need to set time to study for quizzes in Geology since we have them every Friday and also need some time to practice piano. I’m a French Horn student, but I must take Piano since I’m a Performance Major. In Geology, I do struggle with understanding the coursework, I go to Supplement Instruction sessions that are essential, so I don’t fail Geology. If I fail the course, I definitely will have to take it in the spring. 

        I don’t expect to get a perfect grade, but I expect to pass Theater Therapy by the end of the semester. I don’t expect this class to be hard, although there are assignments that involve reading and writing, including journals, blogs, reading, and taking notes. I sometimes fall behind in this class because I focus on the work and studying that I need to do for other classes and forget what I need to do for this course. Regardless, I try to hand in the assignments so that I can pass because I don’t want to fail this class since I’m already struggling in Geology.

  In the future, I’m hopeful that I can successfully pass the fall semester of 2023 at Geneseo and that I can form my first real authentic friendship compared to the other friendships I had in high school. On the bright side, I haven’t encountered any mean girls yet, but I hope I don’t since my experience with them back in high school ended up being upset and also hating them. College is different from high school and I’m trying my best to adjust at Geneseo since the campus itself is big and the environment is a bit culture-shocking. What I like about college is you don’t have to waste six hours a day being stuck in nine-period classes, so that you don’t necessarily get bored in them. However, what I need to improve on is managing time between classes, homework, clubs, and sleep so that I can stay happy and healthy.

My name is Anna P. Conrad. I am 19 and a sophomore at Suny Geneseo. I was born and raised in Lewiston, NY. It is a small, peaceful town, which Geneseo reminded me of when I first toured. Often, when people ask where I am from, I just tell them Buffalo because most people do not know where Lewiston is. I am the oldest of three children. I have a sister who is a senior in high school this year and a brother who is in 7th grade. My parents are divorced, and I live with my mom, but my dad is still my ride-or-die. Last year, I decided to try out for the Geneseo dance team called Knightline. It was one of the best decisions I have made here. I have made many new friends and memories while doing what I love. Compared to living in Suffolk last year, Ontario is way better and feels closer to classes. Things I love to do are dancing, gardening, painting, and Volleyball. I have learned to keep the mind, brain, and soul active for my good. Keeping the mind, brain, and soul active can help to improve concentration, creativity, and memory. It can reduce stress, improve mental health, and increase well-being. I am sure Geneseo will give me a journey full of unique opportunities.

It is my third week into my sophomore year, and already love it more than last year. The heat sucks at first, but as long as you always have fans on you, it is manageable…., kind of. I’m still trying to organize my room and prepare for classes the first week of school. There are new people in my suite this year, but there are still four of us. We get along very well and have fun together. Since I live so close to home, I’m able to go home and help out at my family’s restaurant. Dance started the third week of school, which I was so excited for. We practice on Sundays and Tuesday evenings. My roommate is one of the coaches on the team, which is fantastic. I have also become more organized with my classes and homework. I am enjoying the new challenges and experiences that come with college life and learning new skills. A big part of what I love about this year is the people surrounded by me. Everyone is supportive and encouraging, making it easy to take risks and try new things.

My major is Psychology, and I love it. I am taking four classes this semester, all of which I love. It plays a significant role in the success of writing. There will be classes and professors you will not like, but it is how you take that experience and learn from it. I understand my academic goals better and am more motivated to reach them, making my classes more enjoyable. I have class every day of the week, but it is an excellent schedule for me.

The expectations for INDT 105 are apparent. It is a safe zone to express your thoughts and opinions respectfully. Participation plays a considerable role. Everyone is expected to contribute to the discussion, even if your opinion may differ from the majority. Everyone should feel comfortable to express their ideas and opinions. Respect for others’ views is vital to having a productive discussion. Attendance and Participation are each fifteen percent of my grade. We need to have three Writing Learning Centers (W.L.C). appointments and complete the plagiarism online workshop by the end of the semester. Lastly, we have our final presentation. We do journals, which help collect information about what we do in and out of class. We will be writing three blogs this year: the first for the beginning of the semester, the second for the middle, and the third for the end. I am enjoying this class. Since my major is psychology, I already know about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and mental health.

I have learned many different things and made connections throughout reading the book They Say, I Say. Making mental notes comparing the author’s statements to my writings as I read has helped me improve2 my writing. For example, the significance of saying “ they say” before “ I say” stresses the importance of listening to what other people say. It is essential to provide all the information the reader needs since the writer cannot assume the reader is familiar with the subject matter. I learned how important it is to analyze a text to understand the writer’s POV. This book offers helpful insights into what motivates a writer’s arguments. I learned different word skills that will help with my writing strategies and learned about the social sciences. I can link an argument to something more significant that readers already regard as essential and identify some readers interested in your claims. As a writer, I will eventually be able to write precisely and well-organized. So far, this book has taught me a lot about my writing skills, and I have pointed out what I need to improve.

My hopes and expectations are very high for the rest of this semester. A good routine is in place for me. This includes even the simple things like getting in three full nutritious meals a day, getting up early, and drinking lots of water. In only four weeks, I have noticed incredible improvements in my grades and effort. Procrastinating is being worked on and used to hold me back. There are high hopes for all my classes, and I am excited to see my personal growth during the rest of this semester.

My name is Mack O’Brien. I am from Northport, Long Island. I came to Geneseo on August 22, almost 5 weeks ago. Honestly, I can’t tell if time is going faster or slower than usual, but it definitely feels different. In terms of classes, I have felt refreshed and it’s easier to focus than in my fourth year of sitting at Northport High School. My mind and body have picked up on the challenge of starting college in an unfamiliar environment, and it has motivated me and allowed me to think more clearly. In my senior year of high school, Idid not have a good mindset for learning. I was just ready to get out of the High School and was doing the bare minimum. High School helped me realize when I get a job after college; I can’t be sitting in the same place for my whole life. I have to work in new environments every so often to keep myself from getting complacent.

I expect to enjoy this class because it’s very different from the rest of my classes. Learning about vets, and the military is also a great interest of mine. I have trouble writing and reading when I’m not engaged in the topic. In this class, I don’t foresee having that problem because I have always been interested in learning about veterans. Some of my favorite movies are war-related which I find engaging and entertaining. When I am given a topic I am eager to learn about, I am more confident with my word choice and everything goes from pen to paper with ease.

To be honest, I don’t know the last time I read a book assigned to me. I enjoy reading and I fully plan to read the books assigned in this class because I am interested. I have seen most of the great movies about war, The Things They Carried is probably my favorite book. I see myself enjoying the readings in this class. Reading is great because you feel smarter after reading. Feeling smarter is being smarter because of how much I have realized confidence affects your performance.

My other classes have been going well so far. One thing I realized I have to be better at is remembering when I have work due. In High School, teachers would make sure you know what work is due and they would let you know if anything was missing. In college, you have to be more responsible and you have to keep everything organized to stay up to date. Navigating my work will come easier,(I’m sure), once I am 100% confident on brightspace.

I am very fortunate to be on the lacrosse team here at Geneseo. I immediately was introduced to tons of kids who share similar interests. Being on a team is such a beneficial asset regardless of the activity at hand. I have always been on sports teams since I can remember, and it really teaches you so many skills that you don’t even realize. I believe no matter what sport it is if you’re on a team and you get along you’re going to have fun.

When reading, I have not necessarily made any personal connections, but I am picking up on a new style of writing. It happens to me all the time where I go blank and am struggling to put words on the paper. Obviously, I won’t be writing out all my thoughts like Birkenstien and Graff do, but asking myself some of the questions that the book covers can be a useful tool in my writing. Using what I have learned reading They Say, I Say, I now have another backup plan to try and get my thoughts rolling again.

The only negative I have realized about being on the lacrosse team is the lack of a need to meet other students. I have always been very social and easy to like. Being on a team gives me fifty friends. This is wonderful but it’s also important to meet kids who aren’t on the team. By the end of this semester, one of my goals is to make more friends who don’t play lacrosse. In this class the group work has pushed me to make a few more friends which I am thankful for.

My name is Bella Goodyear, I am eighteen years old and I am a freshman at SUNY Geneseo. My major is Early Childhood Education with a concentration in music. In this blog, I intend to dive into some thoughts and experiences I’ve had while attending my first few weeks of college. First, though, I feel it is important to introduce myself a bit. I grew up in a family of five with my mom, dad, and two sisters (a family of seven actually, if you count my cat and dog). I love music, nature walks, skiing, spending time with friends, and stickers. My home is Rochester, New York, only a thirty-five-minute drive from Geneseo. Most of my life has been spent in Rochester, but for a few of my childhood years, my family lived in Dallas, Texas. Rochester is very much still my true home, but Geneseo is already starting to feel like my home away from home. 

Throughout the summer, I experienced many conflicting feelings about going to college. Every day, I would go back and forth between feeling ecstatic and ready to move on from high school to experiencing absolute despair over moving to a new environment and being away from my family and friends. Luckily, though, I came into Geneseo with one of my very best friends by my side, and knowing her, along with a few others from my high school, has made my first-year experience significantly more comfortable. The first week was orientation, which was a generally beneficial experience. I made many new friends, grew close with my suitemates, and began to learn my way around campus. By the end of orientation week, though, I found myself sick of ice-breakers and waking up early for info meetings; I felt ready to move on. Next came classes; I found it nearly impossible to wake up for my 9:30 class even though you would assume my body would be prepared after years of starting school at 7:45 a.m., five days a week. I’ve been getting more used to it, though, and I haven’t been late to any classes (yet). I have study buddies in many classes, which I’m sure will come in handy, especially during exam season. So far, I don’t particularly enjoy one class, but I also do not particularly dislike any of my courses.

I predict that this class, Writing Seminar INTD 105: Theatre: Therapy for Veterans, will become one of my favorites because it is writing-based. I’ve always preferred English over math, foreign language, history and just about any other class. Some of my favorite classes in high school were AP Language and AP Literature. Through watching my writing improve over time in Lang, and analyzing incredible pieces of literature such as Frankenstein and Hamlet in Lit, I learned lifelong skills and strategies. I am excited to learn even more writing skills through this course while learning about theatre therapy, a topic I know little to nothing about.

Along with INTD 105, I believe I will soon start to love my Elements of Music Theory Class (MUSC 189). As of right now, the course is moving at a comfortable pace for me, and I already know a lot that we read and reviewed in the textbook from years of playing the trumpet. I’m excited to take on the class. Still, know that soon it will become much more complex and fast-paced, so I’ve decided that if I walk out of the class feeling like I never want to take another music class ever again, I will consider switching my concentration. 

In terms of friendships, I have developed a group that I feel content and comfortable with. I am grateful to be in a suite because it’s like having a built-in friend group. I know some girls in the suite better than others, but from those friendships, even more friendships have blossomed with mutual people. However, I hope to continue meeting people and making friends, hopefully through participating in clubs and activities. I hope to continue to make connections with people alike and different from me, and I am excited for the many experiences to come the rest of this semester and beyond. 

Although I have many worries, especially about upcoming tests and exams, I am excited for the rest of this semester. I have high expectations that in the coming weeks, I will be productive in my classes, expand my friendships, develop important connections with classmates and professors, and have a fun first-semester college experience!

                       

My name is Julia Weber. I am nineteen years old from Fairport, NY. I have wanted to go to SUNY Geneseo since I was about ten years old when I first came here to watch my older cousin play lacrosse. I had somehow convinced myself that I would not be able to get into Geneseo, so the moment I received my acceptance letter in the middle of January, I celebrated with my family. Since I was a young girl, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher because a good amount of my teachers are Geneseo alumni and they have all raved about the education program here. 

When I first moved into my dorm, I was excited but also a little bit nervous. I was excited to begin this new chapter in my life and to make new friends, but I was also nervous because after orientation week ended, my classes would begin. I was nervous about how much work I would have for all my classes. I feared that my workload would be so unbearable that it would be difficult to find time to socialize with my new friends. During syllabus week, the workload was not terrible and it was a great way to ease into this new chapter of my life. Still, over the past few weeks, I have noticed an increase in the work and I am getting pretty good with my time management when it comes to balancing schoolwork and my social life. Some ways that I’ve been able to make friends is by joining the running club because I ran cross country and track in high school. I did not want to run competitively anymore, but I wanted to continue to stick with it. 

After my classes are done for the day, I like to go to the library and get my homework done and get myself organized when it comes to what I need to study for and when I should study the material. From that point, I typically return to my dorm and spend time with my friends. In the hallway on my floor, there is a table that we all sit at every night and we talk about our recent experiences with our new classes and tell stories about high school. Sometimes, my friends and I will walk down to Red Jacket at about 9:00 at night and we will get ice cream and french fries. On the weekends, my friends and I like to walk around the town of Geneseo, have movie nights, and sometimes hang out in our dorm rooms.

So far, my courses have been pretty good. Monday is my favorite day of the week this semester because I only have psychology in the middle of the day. Since I have one class on Monday, I like to use Monday to catch up on my schoolwork for my other classes later in the week. Tuesdays and Thursdays are my busiest days of the week because I have three classes on those days at 9:30 a.m. I have my dance class, which is a great start to my day because it gets me energized for the day. I also like that I have dance because it is an easier class for me and I need an art credit to graduate. Luckily, my dance class counts towards that credit. 

After dance, I have to rush to the other side of campus to get to my Theater: Therapy For Veterans class because there is only a fifteen-minute time gap between the two classes. I have been enjoying the class and I can’t wait until we have more writing assignments for that class because I have always enjoyed writing. I am interested to see what the writing assignments for this class will contain as we get further into the semester. I enjoy writing and I never really considered how veterans use theater as a source of therapy, so I am excited to do more research on that. After doing some of the required reading for this class, nothing in particular stands out to me that I could make a good connection with yet. Still, I felt like I gained some good tips for having a successful group discussion when it comes to adding to a discussion or changing the topic.

After my writing class, I have a two-hour break until my next class, so I typically use that time to unwind and eat lunch. Once the two hours are up, I go to my math class. My math class is pretty simple, but I know that it will be more difficult as the semester goes on because even though it is technically elementary-level math, the purpose of the class is to teach you how to teach math. On Wednesdays, I have a class called Introduction to The Education Major. I’ve only been to that class a few times since it is only once a week, but I can’t wait to get further into it and get an idea of what the next four years will be like for my major. On Friday, I have a class for my LLC that has to do with volunteering. LLC stands for Living Learning Communities. This means that you live in the same building and have similar interests to you. Several people live in my building who also take this class. This class is also once a week, so I still don’t know what exactly to expect from the class. What I do know is that I will have to have an important service project for the end of the semester.

So far, I have been enjoying my classes and the friendships that I have made this semester. I hope that I can continue to keep up with the friends that I have already made and I hope to continue to make even more friends. As for my classes, I feel a little overwhelmed when it comes to keeping track of what assignments are due, but my goal for the end of the semester is to have a good system down for managing my time and my studying habits to get a good GPA.

As a freshman, I am excited to share my first year at Geneseo! To start, my name is Hailey Wilkins. Fun fact: I have a late birthday, which is October twenty-seventh, 2005. Because of this, I am still only seventeen years old; all my friends like to jokingly make fun of me because of it. Being from Medina, New York, about an hour away from campus, allows me to enjoy the independence that comes with the distance while also being able to go home as needed. At home, I live with my mom, her boyfriend, my sister, and our dog. Our dog is a golden retriever, two years old, named Charlie. If I could’ve taken her with me to college, I would have in a heartbeat. Aside from my home life, my hobbies include playing volleyball, piano, and reading. I plan on joining the club volleyball team here at Geneseo. In high school, I played volleyball for five years. In my final two years on varsity, I was team captain (alongside my friend Elizabeth).

Additionally, in high school, I enjoyed most of the classes I took. My favorite class has always been English, especially my last two years of taking it. I enjoyed the content I learned and my teacher was super nice and supportive of all of our growing work. We used the MLA formatting throughout all of my school assignments; therefore, I am the most comfortable with this style of writing. Additionally, in my English class, we had many assignments where we’d be required to read a certain section of a book to be able to actively participate in the class discussion that followed the next day. I believe that I partook in the discussions often and was confident in what I shared each time. I also believe that I do my best to focus on what others are saying while still being able to tie my thoughts into it as well.

After talking about myself, I’d also like to share how my time here at Geneseo has gone so far. My first week here went well overall and I’m so happy to have met so many new people during it. I have a suite filled with five girls: Emma, Ava, Alyssa, Mandy, and myself. I share my room with Emma, Ava and Alyssa share the second room, and Mandy is an RA, so she gets her room to herself. I get along with the three girls super well and we’ve all already become so close. Mandy, on the other hand, isn’t in the room as often since she’s usually occupied doing what RAs do. Moving in and decorating my room was stressful, but I’m happy I was able to make the space my own. The decorations and pictures allow my room to make me feel more at home and comfortable, which is a plus.

Aside from moving in, I feel like my classes have all been going well so far. I enjoy all of them and feel confident that I will be able to do well in them. I have two classes a day, except on Thursdays when I have three. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I have a math class and a psychology class. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have my INTD 105 class followed by an anthropology class. Additionally, on Thursdays, I have a biology class later on in the day. I expect nothing but the best from all of my classes and I know that the information I’m learning is all preparing me for a successful future.

In this course Theatre: A Therapy for Veterans, specifically, I expect to be able to learn to use stronger diction in my writing to have a more sophisticated tone overall, while also learning about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD for short, in veterans and the long-term effects that has on them. I would like to share that, in high school, I read The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien. I felt that it had a very big impact on our class as a whole and truly allowed everyone to realize how serious the war can affect the mental state of a veteran. In conclusion, I am very happy that I was able to share a little bit about myself, my first week here, and some of my expectations from the class as a whole. I am looking forward to being able to share an updated version later on in the semester about how everything has been going overall.