Dear First Year Pathways Student,
My name is Wylene Ko, and I want to let you know how my first semester went. College might be a scary feeling for you, but under Pathways, they make it a lot easier. During the summer before you start your first classes, you’ll be taking Math Jam, which is a one week orientation where you will meet new people and learn about math. Once your semester starts, you’ll have to fulfill certain needs on a stamp card in order for you to stay in Pathways. Also, you get to have your own personal academic coach, who will help you through your semester and also help you figure out your major or what classes you’ll be taking. Even with a whole bunch of requirements, it’s worth it because of priority registration. Without this, it might take you forever to find the classes you need, meaning you might have to stay longer than two years. It was a fun experience because most of the people I hang out with were people I just met this semester. It’s incredible how easy it is to make friends with people you’ve only known for sixteen weeks.
“Why chase a bus when another one’s just around the corner?” (Skyhorse 130) Pathways opens up your mind to so many opportunities. If one major doesn’t work out, don’t force it on yourself. College is all about exploring what you like and what you don’t like. This quote also goes with people. If you meet someone, is he worth chasing down or will you find someone else just around the corner? “God is the fear that motivates you to protect yourself from evil” (Skyhorse 57). You may or may not believe in God but He’s a big part of why I’m in college. Having faith in Him made me want to have faith in me. I was never really good at school, but with Him by my side, I know I can make it to the other side of the road. Even without God, you should stay believing in yourself because in the end, it’s all up to you where you end up. Also, the author of “The Madonnas of Echo Park” talked to us, Brando Skyhorse. The way he got to the top inspired me because the key is, don’t give up. I’ve given up so many times, but when it comes to my future, giving up is not in the context.
In College One, which is mandatory to take for Pathways, I came across something I wrote in a freewrite. I said, “Instructors should care, especially in college.” I find this significant because in high school, teachers didn’t really care because if they did, they would’ve gotten us ready for college. I honestly didn’t feel prepared at all when I started my first semester. Now that I’ve gone through this semester, I noticed that my professors really do care about us succeeding, and it really felt good to finally feel the support. In College One, you do a lot of group work. I really liked it because I got to know my classmates better and I also learned a lot from my classmates. Working in groups get you to look at different perspective and you won’t believe how smart people can get at PCC. To get you through your first semester and so on, you need to take advantage of the given resources. First, there’s the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC), which is only open to first year Pathways members. You can go in there to do homework, get tutoring, and since there are computers in there, you can work on essays or type up anything you need. There are also printers in there, where you can print your first five prints for free and the rest are ten cents each. Second, there are your coaches. My coach was a great help to me when it came to figuring out what I should major in or what classes I should be taking next semester. Plus, my coach kept me updated with everything going on in Pathways, so stay contacted with you coach through email and in person! Third, Visit your professors during their office hours. It really shows them that you care about passing their class. Lastly, always check Canvas. Most professors post everything you need on Canvas and a lot of homework gets turned in through there, so check it at least once a day. One misconception I had about college was that I thought it was going to be easy, and sadly, it isn’t. But if you use your resources, it’ll make everything a lot easier. Good luck on your first semester!
Sincerely,
Wylene Ko
My name is Wylene Ko, and I want to let you know how my first semester went. College might be a scary feeling for you, but under Pathways, they make it a lot easier. During the summer before you start your first classes, you’ll be taking Math Jam, which is a one week orientation where you will meet new people and learn about math. Once your semester starts, you’ll have to fulfill certain needs on a stamp card in order for you to stay in Pathways. Also, you get to have your own personal academic coach, who will help you through your semester and also help you figure out your major or what classes you’ll be taking. Even with a whole bunch of requirements, it’s worth it because of priority registration. Without this, it might take you forever to find the classes you need, meaning you might have to stay longer than two years. It was a fun experience because most of the people I hang out with were people I just met this semester. It’s incredible how easy it is to make friends with people you’ve only known for sixteen weeks.
“Why chase a bus when another one’s just around the corner?” (Skyhorse 130) Pathways opens up your mind to so many opportunities. If one major doesn’t work out, don’t force it on yourself. College is all about exploring what you like and what you don’t like. This quote also goes with people. If you meet someone, is he worth chasing down or will you find someone else just around the corner? “God is the fear that motivates you to protect yourself from evil” (Skyhorse 57). You may or may not believe in God but He’s a big part of why I’m in college. Having faith in Him made me want to have faith in me. I was never really good at school, but with Him by my side, I know I can make it to the other side of the road. Even without God, you should stay believing in yourself because in the end, it’s all up to you where you end up. Also, the author of “The Madonnas of Echo Park” talked to us, Brando Skyhorse. The way he got to the top inspired me because the key is, don’t give up. I’ve given up so many times, but when it comes to my future, giving up is not in the context.
In College One, which is mandatory to take for Pathways, I came across something I wrote in a freewrite. I said, “Instructors should care, especially in college.” I find this significant because in high school, teachers didn’t really care because if they did, they would’ve gotten us ready for college. I honestly didn’t feel prepared at all when I started my first semester. Now that I’ve gone through this semester, I noticed that my professors really do care about us succeeding, and it really felt good to finally feel the support. In College One, you do a lot of group work. I really liked it because I got to know my classmates better and I also learned a lot from my classmates. Working in groups get you to look at different perspective and you won’t believe how smart people can get at PCC. To get you through your first semester and so on, you need to take advantage of the given resources. First, there’s the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC), which is only open to first year Pathways members. You can go in there to do homework, get tutoring, and since there are computers in there, you can work on essays or type up anything you need. There are also printers in there, where you can print your first five prints for free and the rest are ten cents each. Second, there are your coaches. My coach was a great help to me when it came to figuring out what I should major in or what classes I should be taking next semester. Plus, my coach kept me updated with everything going on in Pathways, so stay contacted with you coach through email and in person! Third, Visit your professors during their office hours. It really shows them that you care about passing their class. Lastly, always check Canvas. Most professors post everything you need on Canvas and a lot of homework gets turned in through there, so check it at least once a day. One misconception I had about college was that I thought it was going to be easy, and sadly, it isn’t. But if you use your resources, it’ll make everything a lot easier. Good luck on your first semester!
Sincerely,
Wylene Ko