Tracy 1 Samantha Tracy Ms.

Traci Cruey Honors 1110 26 November 2013 Freshman Seminar Final Reflection Honors Freshman Seminar has provided me the opportunity to become in tune with both college life and myself. Ive learned about all what UNCC has to offer me as a student. Through this seminar Ive also had the opportunity to gain knowledge about the University Honors Program and some of the students involved in it. For my final portfolio I chose four articles that best represent my experience in freshman seminar. I chose to include pages from my altered book, information from the Office of Education Abroad, my This I Believe essay and brochures I received during the presentation by Recreational Services. The altered book was my favorite project during Freshman Seminar. While it was time consuming and required a lot of focus and creativity, it gave me the opportunity to learn more about myself. The book was a representation of me as a person. It displayed my values, religion, fears and future plans, allowing me to explore all aspects of my personal life. By creating the altered book I was able to create a metaphorical me; I was able to show the class who I was as a person simply by putting my creativity into a project. I also thought this activity was a great way to learn about the other individuals in my class. By presenting the altered books we were able to see others goals and ambitions, likes and dislikes, along with religious and family values. Taking this assignment as a whole I was able to learn about all the wonderful, intelligent people who make up the University Honors Program. Through this particular assignment I was equally able to explore my values and learn about the values of my classmates. The presentation by the Office of Education Abroad was a good introduction for freshman learning about the study abroad experience. The presenters encouraged us to take our college opportunity to make use of UNCCs education abroad experience. They showed us the

Tracy 2 benefits of spending a summer, semester or year in a foreign country. Living in a global world, where we compete for jobs against students in a variety of countries, the study abroad experience is vital to expanding our worldly knowledge. When we immerse ourselves into a different culture we have the opportunity to learn about the customs of another culture, while simultaneously discovering our abilities to operate in an unfamiliar situation. Taking our college years to study and live outside of America allows us to increase our appreciation for countries across the globe. Through the study abroad presentation, I learned how to take the first steps in preparing for study abroad. Ive decided I would like to spend a semester in either Iceland or the Czech Republic. Both of these countries provide the opportunity to live in a new place with contrasting social norms and cultural expectation than those experienced in America. Their presentation showed me how tuned out I am to events occurring outside of America and made me want to pursue a more internationally based education. This presentation showed me how to get involved in study abroad and work to make myself a better student with international knowledge. Another activity I enjoyed was writing and sharing my This I Believe essay. When writing this essay each student had to choose one belief that they valued above others. Throughout my writing process I had to narrow my ideas and focus on one belief that I felt strongly about. I learned about myself in writing the essay; I was able to pinpoint a specific belief and explain where that belief had originated. I came to understand that I value positive thinking; I appreciate the optimism in the world and believe in the power of hope. As a class we all presented our beliefs and voiced our values in front of the entire class. While I normally do not enjoy public speaking, I liked being given the opportunity to voice my opinions and listen to the beliefs of my classmates. Each member of the class shared a personal story to accompany their belief, giving an element of personality to each value. The beliefs combined with the

Tracy 3 personal stories allowed me to learn more about my classmates and their way of viewing the world. The This I Believe assignment gave me the opportunity to explore my beliefs and learn about the beliefs of my classmates. My favorite presentation of the semester was by the Recreational Services Department. The two presenters taught us about the fitness facilities on campus and all the ways we could get involved in athletics. Using their humor and engaging us with games and prizes created an environment of fun and competition in the classroom. The entire class seemed to be enjoying themselves throughout the class period. I learned about all the different recreational services offered on campus. From scuba diving to club laser tag, UNCC has the ability to provide every student with a chance to pursue fitness. The two presenters created excitement for fitness activities and gave information so everybody could become part of UNCC Recs Services. During this presentation I also saw how competitive I am. Playing Pictionary I was really motivated to help my team win and come out ahead of the other half of the class. This presentation also taught me about the other members of my class and how they liked to spend their free time on campus. The presentation by Rec Services made me more motivated to spend more time doing recreational activities and participating in rec events on campus. As a student in UHP, I feel liked Ive gained knowledge about the workings of campus life during Honors Freshman Seminar. I learned a lot about the activities and services offered on campus while also being able to explore my personal beliefs and inner values. Through freshman seminar Ive gained new friends and knowledge about all the UNCC has to offer. I think my worldview has changed during the semester. Ive become more open minded to the ideas of others and more accepting of those around me. This experience has showed me how to accept different perspectives and taught me that everyone has a right to their own opinion. My transition

Tracy 4 to college was actually easier than I expected. I feel right at home on UNCCs campus and have enjoyed all the opportunities Ive been presented on campus and through the honors program. I feel totally prepared to continue my educational years. My strong transition during this semester has given me vital knowledge and provided me with experiences that will strengthen my college career. Im really looking forward to continuing my education at UNCC. Im excited for my classes next semester and cant wait to see what I will be able to learn and explore in my future years at UNCC.