Today@Sam Article

Pre-Nursing Major Shares His First-Year Experience

May 27, 2015
SHSU Media Contact: Jennifer Gauntt

Editor's note: Every summer, sophomores share some of their experiences and offer advice to SHSU's newest cohort of freshmen. This summer, pre-nursing major Emmanuel Adebogun, from Missouri City, kicks off the "First-Year Series" with a discussion of his pursuit of academic excellence and how he achieved a perfect GPA.


Dear Newest Bearkats,

Emmanuel Adebogun
Because he was dedicated to obtaining a perfect GPA, Emmanuel Adebogun spent a lot of time during his freshman year at the SHSU Writing Center, located in Farrington Building Room 111. —Photo by Brian Blalock

In my first year here at SHSU, I learned that college is what you make of it; your actions in college could affect parts of your life for years to come. That is why it is important to have a purpose in college: to get the results you desire. I'm not saying you have to know your major or exactly what you want to be; you just need to know what you want at the end of your four-year plan, and then make sure every action you take helps you get closer to that goal.

Whether your goal is to get a degree or to expand your social network, your actions should follow. The only difference is the amount of conviction you put in to each act. A person who wants a degree has different priorities than someone who is trying to expand their social network. It’s easy to get sidetracked by the social aspects of college, but knowing what I wanted—to not let getting my degree take any longer than expected—has contributed to my academic success.

Because my goal was to do everything within my power not only to pass, but to make an “A” in my classes, I realized that there is only so much you can do before you hand off the assignment to the teacher. So if you haven’t put as much effort into an assignment as possible then it is a waste. Because of this, I decided to take advantage of some of SHSU’s many resources to help me succeed, which ultimately paid off.

Among those resources here at Sam Houston is the Writing Center, which employs English experts who are more than willing to help you on every paper. You can call to set an appointment for any day and time. They will brainstorm with you, help you check for grammar mistakes in your papers, and also help organize your paper. If you do not go to the Writing Center for every writing assignment that is to be graded, then you are only hurting yourself, especially since the Writing Center is free. I go there as much as possible before I need to turn in my essays.

In once case, the day before Spring Break started, I had an essay due. Since it was almost Spring Break, some people went home early and there were fewer people on campus and also fewer people in the Writing Center. I was able to go to the Writing Center four times in one day. I set my appointment in the morning and walked in. Then they helped me on my paper. As I was walking out, I made another appointment. After I left, I headed to the library to make their recommended edits to my paper and then printed it out before walking right back into the Writing Center. With the Writing Center’s help, my essay was so perfectly crafted we could not find any more errors. I have never been so confident about an essay. That is what the Writing Center does. It builds your confidence as well as your essays. Thanks to the Writing Center, I received a good grade on my essay.

The amount of conviction you put into your work determines your results. Some people come to college and say “I cannot be a straight-‘A’ student. I am not smart enough or I am too lazy to study that hard;” they demoralize themselves. Those that say that to themselves are right. Likewise, the person who says “I can” is also usually right because a person who tells themselves “I am smart enough to be a straight-‘A’ student” can become one. The straight-“A” student will take advantage of everything they can and will never turn in an assignment that they did not work hard on. The straight-“A” student will go to the Writing Center for every essay, if he or she needs help, and do their math homework in the Math Center, a place where all the math tutors are. A straight-“A” student will also take advantage of the numerous tutors available for all subjects. So start your freshman year with the right conviction by finding and using resources that will help you reach your goal.

Good luck!

Your fellow Bearkat,  

Emmanuel Adebogun

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