Reflection 4

Writing my last reflection of the year, I see a lot of things that I have overcome and experienced. I have been challenged this year more than I ever have in my entire life. I learned so much about myself as well academically. This class has played a huge part in this semester and how I approach my studies and confrontations with people.

I have learned such things as "the nine rule." This touches on the fact that you may have to try nine times out of ten before you tell a funny joke or make someone crack a smile. This is also very applicable in life. As a student of life, we may have to try things multiple times before we find a good idea or the right job. This has helped me greatly this semester. I have failed more times this semester than I ever believe I had, I had a hard time. School was the hardest it has ever been and this rule has always stayed in the back of my head to continue trying and to not give up.

This idea of not giving up is one that many people take too lightly. I have learned this semester that you are going to have to fight for what you want, and you will give up certain things in response to reach these goals. For me it was giving up my family to go to TCU, 1500 miles away from home. Though this has been a struggle to be afar, they are still supporting me in my fight to get a degree in a few years.  This has also been brought up in my conversations with Brandon as we both had to give up certain relationships and experiences to come here. Overall, this class has taught me many things about the society and the world that I will forever carry with me on my journey through life.

Conversation 6

A couple of days ago on Wednesday, Brandon and I met for our last official meeting for this course. I told him that this would be the last time we had to meet before the year ended but we could still meet up after summer to catch up on things. He agreed and thought it was a god idea for us to reconnect after summer concluded. 

As we were talking at chick-fil-a, both our minds seemed to be on other things. With finals and summer coming to an end we commented on how we were both burned out. We talked about the mounds of studying we needed to do before this week concluded, much of which I still haven't started... Brandon and I talked a little bit about what work we haven't started but that conversation was drowned out pretty quickly to the exhaustion experienced when thinking about class. 

Brandon's final exams seemed a lot harder than mine. He had one in all of his classes and he was going to be tested on all five days of final exam week, rough. I couldn't imagine that. He also highlighted the fact how hard he has been studying, it seems as if it has been a month in progress, preparing for these exams. This thought made me realize and reflect on my own work ethic. Have I ever prepared for a test a month in advance? No. A week? I don't even know if I can say yes to that question... This made me come to realization about myself that my own problems may be due to how I approach them originally.

Overall, this conversation with Brandon was very short the other day. We didn't feel like we had to stay long, almost like a quick coffee with a friend. Brandon has taught me a lot this year; more than he'll know. He has helped me alter my look on life, society, and myself. He made me realize certain things that I was previously blinded to. This relationship has helped me open my eyes to problems in the world as well as my life and potential solutions. This sense of mentorship is one that I cherish greatly and I believe will continue on through our careers at TCU as Brandon and I attack the business school next year together. 

Conversation 5

On Tuesday Brandon and I met for our fifth conversation. We met at the Bluu this time and just had a casual dinner during the last couple of days before classes were to come to a close. We both seemed kind of worn out and tired. With all the exams during the last week we really were tired of school and looking forward to summer. Brandon still didn’t know when he was going to return home but he anxiously looking forward to it. Once again we were talking about how we missed home and the fact that we didn’t know when we would be returning home made it all the worst. Brandon touched on the fact that him and his girlfriend were going through some troubles and his mother has been very sick recently. We talked about what she has and how tough the hospital visits have been. He described her sickness and how it has really put pressure on his family. Brandon feels bad that he can’t be there to help his mother and his family out but he realizes his responsibilities lay here at TCU. 

Even though I wanted to talk anything else but school and specially Neeley, Brandon had a lot of questions regarding the first year classes for business students. He was eagerly anticipating his chance to start these classes and really get to work on his degree. He asked a lot about the lower division courses such as foundations, BIS, business stats etc. I highlighted how these classes are very difficult and that the teachers are just picky. If you put in the time, you'll do fine was pretty much the gist of my message. Brandon wasn't fazed by the challenge, he looked excited and ready. He also asked me to be a critique of his english. This was very uncomfortable for me. In this specific situation you want to be supportive and helpful rather than critically searching for flaws. Even with these hesitations, I still stated recommendations for him to better his english. One thing I said which is the important I believe is confidence. Since I was a six year spanish student, I have been able to realize how importance personal confidence is when speaking/learning a new language. With this confidence it will move to comfort which will make you feel more complacent when failing which will encourage you to practice. From this I challenged Brandon to try and talk to his Chinese roommates as much as he could in english, and I promised he will see results. Once again he accepted the challenge happily and appreciated the suggestion.

This idea of being up for anything is something I admire in Brandon. He's a champ and really ready to attack college. I'm excited for him and I envy his drive for success. This idea helped me understand that no challenge is too big and patience is necessary to achieve your goals. These ideals are very important for me as I look futuristically towards my major and potential career goals. Overall, this was a very good conversation with Brandon and it was exactly what I needed before a tough finals week.