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Our First Semester
For seven years, we taught, encouraged, and motivated our class of 2011. But last fall we sent them off to eight colleges and universities across the country.
We all know that as much as going to college can be exciting and fun, it can also be challenging and overwhelming. When our students came back home to Dallas for winter break, we asked them how they felt about their college experience.
Here is what The Turner 12 Class of 2011 had to say about their first semester on campus.
"I learned that prioritizing is one of the most important qualities for success as a college student. The work has not been the most difficult part about my first semester. The most difficult part has been the discipline to maintain my focus. This is the first time in my life that I have had so much freedom and I am learning that it does come with a world of responsibilities that I have to continue to adjust to."
"My first semester of college was very complicated. One skill I took from The Turner 12 is to be flexible and do what is important. I gave this semester my all by going to tutoring and studying. I now feel that I have got the hang of college. Next semester, I will be even more on top of my business."
"My first semester was a little rough because I did not do a good job of prioritizing which was totally opposite of what I have been taught. Next semester, I will not allow distractions to keep me from achieving my goals. I will certainly get back to what is expected of me because failure is not an option."
"I can honestly say that my first semester was difficult for me. Even though I understood the challenges I would face at UT, I underestimated the adjustment and didn’t apply myself fully. Going into the second semester, I have decided that in order for me to make it, I must take what I have learned in the past and the skills that I learned while in The Turner 12 - such as holding my professors accountable and utilizing all of my resources - and put them to work. My goal is to give my all so that everyone who has played a role in my life will know that they did not fail in producing a successful young adult."
“I believe my first semester was a turning point for me because it felt like "man meets world." I know my success now depends fully on me. I also realize how determined I am to have a successful future. My first semester as a whole was a challenge, but the most difficult parts were staying focused and not getting too caught up in the college experience. I will go into next semester remembering a lot of the things I learned while in The Turner 12 and will overcome and conquer my challenges. Now is the time for greater things to happen and I will be a success!”
"Hook ‘em Horns! My first semester at UT was challenging but enjoyable as well. I experienced bumpy roads at the beginning due to the complex transition from high school, but the road became smoother once I began to adjust to the college environment. One of The Turner 12 lessons that helped me adjust was to always sit in the front or middle section of the classroom. Taking this action helped me focus and made it much harder for me to get distracted. I did well my first semester, but I will finish my first year even better by making sure I use all the principles that The Turner 12 instilled in me. My goal for next semester is to manage my time more wisely, be a little more organized and stick to a schedule everyday."
"My first semester was most interesting because I was able to take part in a lot of fun activities while accomplishing the academic goals that I set for myself. Serving as Freshmen Class President was fun as was being a radio personality on Grambling's campus radio station. Next semester can only get better now that I have some college experience and know what I need to do in order to stay focused and achieve the goals that I have in mind."
"My first semester was an incredible experience. I built awesome relationships, grew personally and became a more determined student. Organizations that I became involved with, including Young Life and Baptist Student Ministry, allowed me to open up socially and be open-minded to the diversity of the campus. I really appreciated the teachings of The Turner 12 because unlike many of my classmates who were afraid to ask/answer questions, I spoke up and got all the help I needed from professors. I cannot wait to start the second semester with better approaches learned from my first semester experiences."
"My first semester was like nothing I have ever experienced. There were so many differences from high school and I found myself having to study more than just the night before and actually spend more time reading. One lesson that The Turner 12 taught me was not to procrastinate. I did that a little in the beginning, but later in the semester I buckled down and made sure I got work completed on time. My goal going into next semester is to keep myself organized and remain responsible in every endeavor that I take on. Hook ‘em!"
"My first semester as a collegiate student-athlete has been a great experience. It has been a huge adjustment to juggle the expectations of my coaches, parents, myself and everyone who believes in me. I still don’t have the full grasp of college life yet but one of the things I learned through The Turner 12 that has helped me the most is focusing on what is important and managing my time."
"My first semester was rough and I know that I contributed to that. I will say that it was definitely an adjustment period but I look forward to next semester. I will join more study groups and take advantage of many more of the resources that are available to me. I will take what I learned while in The Turner 12 and talk more with my professors and teacher's assistants. I will reward myself for completing work on time and achieving other goals that I will set for myself. I know that I will have a better second semester."
"My first semester was fairly easy because I started off strong, but I fell a little short in the end. My class schedule kept me really busy but I found time to balance both my academics and social life to keep serenity within myself. I also made friends but not too many friends because too many can become a huge distraction. For the next semester I plan to write my daily schedule down so that I do not forget the things I have to do or the things I want to do. And I will remain focused the entire semester."
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I am so proud of all of you. You tackled a new experience and came out smiling. Keep the faith!