David Chavez

Ms. Gonzales
College 1
3 November 2015
Mid Term Reflection
The beginning of my semester it was very tuff for me to adjust to college. I expected
college to be like high school where all you had to do was just get the assignments done and you
would pass. I have come to learn that the majority of my class grades are based on how well I
preform on the tests. This was very different for me and I now felt the stress of having to study
really hard to pass an exam. This mentality ultimately led me to fail my first math test which was
extremely disappointing to me.
This test that I had failed made me feel discouraged that I would do well in my classes.
This feeling of not being prepared worried me and made me think that I would not be a good
scholar for my first semester. Luckily my Algebra professor always lets people drop their worst
grade throughout the first semester if they are active in the class. This gave me some release but
it did not last long. The next test was coming up and I studied for hours on end to ensure a good
grade in the class.
I viewed my score the next day and it turned out I got a C on the exam. This grade was
not at all what I was expecting. I had thought that I would get an A or at least a B so you can
imagine how disappointed I was. The only thing that wasnt disappointing was the fact that my
grade was at a C instead of an F. I knew I had to get tutoring somehow so I started to go to my

professors office hours. I have been studying hard for this next one because I know if I dont do
well on this one there is no chance of me passing his class.
I am having studying sessions with one of my classmates and we help each other
understand the content more. I am hoping this extra time will help me get a good grade as well as
retain the information for later. I never struggled with math in high school so I really had to think
to myself what I wanted to happen in this class. I did not want to go to tutoring at first because I
assumed I was already good at math. I realized how ignorant I was being and decided it was time
to seek help in math. I have never done tutoring in my life so this was extremely hard for me to
do. I felt like I was weak but the thing I realized is I do not have to be if I go to get help.
I think in college the only way to succeed is to learn and this is different than going to
school. To me in order learn I had to admit I did not know what to do. I had to admit to myself
that I do not know everything there is to math and I never will. I realized that admitting to not
knowing is the best way to learn because it leaves my mind open to advice. I have learned that it
is good to seek advice from others than dwell in my defeat, in this case failing my math test, so I
can gain knowledge.