FYE Reflection: “What Have I Learned…”
The fall semester is WELL underway – classes have been found/dropped/added, routines have been formed, and our once fresh-faced and bright-eyed first year students have likely had a chance to explore the ins-and-outs of the UVM campus (and maybe even a smidge of the surrounding Burlington community). With a few weeks of Catamount knowledge under their belts, the office of First Year Experience asked a bunch of first years students what they’ve learned since being at UVM.
Here’s what they reported back.
“So far I’ve learned that it’s okay to embrace yourself. At my high school I needed to hide what I enjoyed doing and my true personality, but here I am free to do whatever and be whoever I want to be”
– Abigail Densmore
“I have learned that I am a stronger than I thought. I had to have an emergency dental visit today and need a root canal. People say that the pain as the nerve in the tooth dies is comparable to child birth. I had to go to the emergency room Saturday for the pain. I am proud of myself for withstanding this and am finally out of pain after today’s dental visit.”
– Alanis Papoulias
“I learned that stepping outside your comfort zone really does bring great results and everyone is also trying to make friends! (hopefully friends who hammock together stay together)”
– Alex Greer
“I have learned that I have to reach out to people and put myself in uncomfortable situations to make new friends and learn new things. Also I will find my place among people at UVM with time.”
– Amanda Kreindler
“I have learned that taking time for yourself and making sure you’re ok is key when dealing with so many new experiences”
– Amanda Turner
“I have learned that even though a lot of things scare me if I take the risk it ends up being worth it”
– Amanda Zinman
“I have learned to be more independent! College really is the place to find out a lot about yourself, who you want to be, and who you want to be around. I have also learned that I miss my dog a lot.”
– Angela Rogers
“I’ve learned that I am able to remain calm and ask for help in stressed situations.”
– Anna McPherson
“That I shouldn’t drink Yerba Mate at 11pm if I want to sleep that night”
– Anna Meli
“I learned that I need to take time for myself and that it’s ok not to go out and take time to relax and sleep.”
– Anya Klaus
“I’ve learned that I rely a lot on my family and living without them is very difficult.”
– Becca Thissell
“I have learned that it’s okay to change my expectations of myself from high school. I’ve also learned it’s okay to change and grow to be someone or something else here at uvm.”
– Caitlin Allan
“i’ve learned not to go out the night before my 8:30 chemistry class”
– Caitlin Bickert
“I learned how to go to bed and wake up early with no alarm”
– Casey Memmott
“ So far this year I have learned that being uncomfortable is OKAY and the best way to do college is to be uncomfortable and put yourself out there. I also managed to get into an all upperclassmen class because I was extremely interested in the class and wanted to be in it. And that helped me learn that I am capable of doing anything if I put my mind to it“
– Claire Dougherty
“that I have an extreme amount of free time and that I’m not nearly as bad at managing it as I thought I would”
– Elizabeth Coppes
“I’ve learned that I’m much more capable of time management than I thought. Get a planner. It will save your life”
– Ellie Scott
“I learned that having a roommate is kinda great! Also that Simpson has great fries”
– Emily Bernhardt
“I have learned i like to go to bed earlier than i thought”
– Emily Freid
“I learned how accepted and welcomed I feel at UVM and in Burlington.”
– Evan Roncace
“i learned that you can be yourself at UVM with no judgments, i also am learning how to manage my time and be self sufficient which feels great when you have people supporting you around 💛”
– Gabriella Ferreira
“I am so determined. I am trying ROTC while also taking challenging courses for Biomedical Engineering such as Calc III. There have already been a few struggles but I persevered and worked hard. I am loving life here and UVM.”
– Grace Kreuser
“I learned that time management is something I really need to work on in order to handle the things I need to do and also to be able to care for myself and enjoy my time here at UVM alongside attending classes and completing homework assignments.”
– Jacqueline Leo
“I learned that being in a hammock is the ideal state for a human being (such as myself).”
– Jake Hogan
“I’ve learned that who I used to be was a blend of everyone I used to surround myself with, and who I actually want to be is something I’m still trying to figure out.”
– Jamie Cole
“ i have learned that putting yourself out there isn’t as scary in a community as accepting as uvm”
– Jaycee Martin
“I’ve learned that I’m more responsible and capable of taking care of myself than I thought I was… though that might change in the next few weeks lol”
– Jenni Hill
“I learned that I actually pay attention more in class and do better when I am interested in the material and enjoy the class”
– Justin Sac Sherlock
“I learned that I have a lot of free time, and I’ve been taking care of myself better than I thought but I still have a long way to go”
– Kaisy Wheeler
“that my immune system isn’t as good as I thought it was”
– Kaitlin Stupinski
“I learned that Vermont in the fall is beautiful & people at uvm are so cool !”
– Kayla Rosen
“I’ve learned that i have to stop overthinking things and instead just go for it; just go over and talk to someone or just go to an event even if I don’t know anyone!!”
– Kerry Ring
“I’ve learned self control when I’m around brownies/ice cream”
– Kian Murray
“So far I’ve learned that if I need help with somethingall I have to do is ask and I’ll get it (and that the waffles in the dining hall are the best)!”
– Kristen Mangiapanello
“I’ve learned to manage me time better so I could be more productive.”
– Kristýna Pátková
“I have learned that I can be accountable for myself and actually keep my room clean and organized without needing my mom to tell me to clean it”
– Laurel Houle
“I have learned that I am so much stronger than I thought I was and that I value independence a lot more than I thought I do. I learned that taking care of yourself has to come first.”
– Lauren Leroux
“I have learned that it is okay to be uncomfortable!! It makes me stronger! I have learned that I can live on my own in a new state with amazing people!”
– Leah Israel
“I have learned that sometimes it’s ok to be uncomfortable in situations here. It’s ok to feel scared or nervous. Because here, everyone is going through similar things, and at this point, every new experience is a learning experience for us!”
– Lilly Page
“So far this year I have learned that I need to be more organized in order to get everything done. Also, it is okay to be uncomfortable because that is part of growing up and that is how you learn to be independent.”
– Lily Bulger
“I’ve learned that I can make it to the summit of camel’s hump and that I should stop and enjoy the beautiful sunsets and that I need to invest in a hammock (or win one!!😊)”
– Lizzy Elsner
“being overwhelmed and stressed is okay as long as you learn how to manage it and cope!! and make sure to find friends who will support you”
– Mj Chouinard
“I have learned to not put homework off, and I study best outside!”
– Molly Feeney
“I’ve learned that I’m not as good at time management as I thought.”
– Molly Hoppa
“I’ve learned how to create my own happiness. I’ve learned that I control how I feel and I’ve figured out ways to emanate that whether it be by sitting outside, going on walks, or trying new foods downtown. I’ve learned to be independent and powerful.”
– Olivia Tibbatts
“Ive learned that you can’t become too attached to things in your life, because when theyre gone, it’s difficult to know how to continue and move on. Simpson dining pleeeease bring back waffles.”
– Paul Yarin
“So far this semester I’ve learned that I can stay up until 2 am and still wake up at 8 am the next morning…haha but I’ve also learned that I’m skilled at pulling info from my different subjects together to create connections in and out of the classroom!”
– Sam Lacey
“I’ve learned that it’s so easy to do school work when you’re genuinely interested in the subject”
– Sam Underhill
“ I learned that I need to make better use of my free time and know how to prioritize school more!!”
– Sarah Wasson
“I’ve learned that I need to make work more fun; math is much more tolerable if you do it on a whiteboard with music playing”
– Sean Magnifico
“I have learned that being an undeclared major is completely okay! Just exploring interests and joining clubs to help me figure out what I want from this experience has really been great!”
– Shaana Staab
“I have learned that I want to try new things, and that perfection doesn’t always get you places but hard work does.”
– Sky Grimes
“I’ve learned how to better balance my time and stay organized with color coded calendars”
– Sofia Brinkerhoff
“I’ve learned to use office hours whenever I have free time to get a better grip on subjects”
– Will Marcotte
