Today@Sam Article
Law Student Reflects On Benefits Of College Organizations
June 15, 2017
SHSU Media Contact: Lane Fortenberry
Editor's note: Every summer, sophomores share some of their experiences and offer advice to SHSU's newest cohort of freshmen. In her "First-Year Series" discussion, Elizabeth Mintah shares how finding an organization and people that are interested in you can help make college life easier and how she overcomes procrastination.
Dear Future Bearkats,
The Pre-Law Learning Community was something I didn’t know anything about and didn't know I wanted, but when I was accepted, it was one of the best things that has ever happened to me.
Being in the cohort opened many doors for me and it helped me understand what it really took to get to my ultimate goal of being a lawyer. I made new friends that were interested in law, which I had never had before, and we collaborated and worked well with one another.
A program that I was introduced to through the cohort was the LEAP (Leadership, Engagement, and Politics) Center. LEAP has helped me see all the sides of law and where I can go after I graduate from undergrad and from law school. They host events where government officials and people in different areas of law speak and give insight on certain topics. Joining this program was a real eye-opener for me because I got to see all the programs that are connected to LEAP and how each of them would benefit me in some way.
My professor really enlightened me through advisement and the UNIV 1301 Pre-Law section because I got to learn about my degree plan and all the different options I had to complete it. That honestly made me so excited to go through with school.
Beginning college, I was so scared that I wouldn't be cut out for it, but I’m happy to say that my biggest achievement has been to make the Dean's List my first semester and I thank God for that.
A challenge for me has been note taking. I would hand write my notes and my handwriting is really bad, which I didn't notice at first. This would lead to procrastination, because studying for big exams became difficult since my notes were a mess.
So, one day I transferred to electronic notes using my laptop, which has made everything so much easier. I could actually see my notes I was working so hard to take and, therefore, study more efficiently.
Procrastination is the enemy of success. That has been my motto and something that has always come naturally to me because I hate the stress and pressure that comes with being a college student. What I do to overcome procrastination is take a mental note of the things I need to do for the next day and I write them down on a sticky note and put it on my desk. So, every day I have my mini list of things to do
Sometimes it leads up to an exam or just to weekly assignments. I organize them by importance then cross out as I go. Also, finding a place on campus where I can sit down, think, organize and get work done is really important in being successful.
For me, I use the library because of how quiet the upper floors are and how easy it is for me to stop by after my classes and complete assignments. When it comes to staying on top of your schoolwork, find the methods that work best for you and stick to it!
When you find an organization and people that are interested in what you want to do, things become easier and that’s not hard to find here at Sam Houston State University!
I hope your first year at SHSU is splendid and more than you expected!
God Bless!
Elizabeth Mintah
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