A personal reflection essay sample

– Introduction & Thesis Statement
My college at Fontbonne University in the United States has been characterized by challenges and successes. Being an international student from Saudi Arabia I have had to adjust to a different lifestyle in order to effectively adjust into an American college education. In this essay, intend to explain some of the challenges that I have experienced during my first semester at Fontbonne and how that has contributed to some shortcoming in terms of my set objectives. In addition, I will talk about the strategies and resources that I have to put in use so as to achieve my goal of obtaining a business degree and continuing with the field of study to become a prominent businessman just like my father. Therefore this essay focuses on my shortcomings during my first semester at Fontbonne and the mechanisms that I need to put in place to succeed in my academic career.
– Body of Essay
First of all, I will talk about the challenges that I have faced at the university. As an international student, culture shock was one of the greatest challenges that I have had to deal with. I have had to meet new friends and use a foreign language to make conversations at all time. Taking time to adjust to the new environment and getting to understand what is expected of me took some time. This to some extent affected some of the goals that I had set initially. I have had to first familiarize myself with the teaching methodology and the understanding what is required of me as a student. However, having gone through the first semester I feel more prepared because I have had a better understanding of the school environment. More familiarity with the institution has allowed me to access different education resources that are important in realizing education success. This includes institutions such as libraries and other research and study tools.
The issue of familiarity with the institution dough tails into my second point about some of the strategies and resources that I need to use in order to realize economic success. Among the key resources that I need to use more in order to avoid the challenges, which I faced last semester includes using the school library to access reference material (Feldman, 2000, p. 20). I also intend to make better use of my instructors in case I do not understand a given concept in the classroom. In addition, I intend to attend tutorials offered within the college campus about some of the areas within different topics that prove difficult to many students. In order to better my English proficiency I intend to have more practice in the language and ask for assistance in the areas that I feel weak regarding the language.
– Conclusion
In conclusion, my first semester at Fontbonne University has been characterized by both challenges and successes. Some of the challenges, which I faced during the first semester, included; culture shock, and unfamiliarity with the American college education. In order to better myself, I intend to make better use of resources offered by Fontbonne University which include resources such as the library and other education tools. I also intend to improve my proficiency in the English language so as to have better my communication skills.

References

Feldman, R. S. (2000). P. O. W. E. R. learning: strategies for success in college and life. Boston: McGraw-Hill.