Katie Chase

ODea

UHON 1000

June 1 2017

End of Semester Reflection Spring 2017

This semester has been a very challenging one. I have had to struggle significantly harder this

spring than I did last fall to make sure that I am in good academic standing. However, I think that

I have been overall successful in maintaining good grades and managing my time. Though I took

nineteen hours last semester as well, this semester I found that my courses were much more

strenuous and took more effort. At times, it became difficult to balance.

I found Vector Statics to be particularly challenging. We received an assignment roughly

every week and had usually until the next one to finish it. Each assignment contained only about

ten problems. When the first assignment was given, I assumed that it would go quickly since it

contained so few questions, and I waited until a few days before it was due to start it. However,

upon discovering that each problem could take up to two hours to complete, I learned that to

truly get everything that I could from this class I needed to devote time each day to studying for

Vector. I struggled a lot in the very beginning of this class. Before the first test, I studied for a

few hours each day for about a week and a half prior until I felt like I truly knew the material. I

was appalled to see that my test grade was not up to my standards. However, I used this as an

opportunity to find new and creative ways to study. I found out that I study most effectively

when I learn the material by myself and then reaffirm what I already know by working out

problems with a group. Though this course was a challenge, it ended up being my favorite course
this semester. I began to look forward to daily study sessions with my peers and listening to our

professor in class. This was a successful course and I hope to have more like it in the future.

Another course that I found particularly influential was Introduction to Chemical

Engineering. In this class, we learned how to use a few different engineering softwares and

learned more about the field of chemical engineering itself. We spent several classes listening to

former UTC students talk about their jobs with a bachelors degree in chemical engineering. All

of them work in industry. I do not believe that at any point in my lifetime I will have any desire

to work in a factory. Therefore, I have every intention of going to graduate school. Coming into

the major, I assumed that this would be the case and now I am certain that I would like to

continue my studies after my four years are up. With this undergraduate degree, I can go on to

work in biomolecular or biomedical engineering doing research or I can go on to medical school.

However, because I am unsure of exactly what I would like to do after school, I think that this

semester I should begin to look at internship and research opportunities that I can take part of

this fall. I believe that this would really allow me to experience what each field would be like

and help me to make my decision of how to carry on after graduation. I have heard that Erlanger

Hospital has a good internships program for potential doctors. This could allow me to see if I

want to go into the medical field. I also intend to join the Chem-E Car team this year. This would

give me a small amount of research experience that would help me when I apply for internships

and graduate school and allow me to see if I enjoy research.

This year in the honors college, I have been a part of the Academics and Cultural Affairs

Committee. We have organized and drew attention to several small-scale events within the

honors college. These included hiking excursions, trips to the Hunter Museum of Art, and

lectures on Diversity. Within this committee, I enjoyed having the opportunity to serve the
Honors College and work closely with other members of the honors college. I think that we were

somewhat successful in becoming a team and were able to immerse ourselves in Chattanooga

culture. I think it also allowed us to get to know students in HAM and IIH, as well as in the

Brock program.