It's hard to put into words how excited and nervous I've been for this semester. After 2 long years of mandatory online courses due to the COVID19 pandemic, "elated" is probably the best descriptor I could give you to illustrate how happy I am to be back on ODU campus. While I am still cautious about keeping myself and others healthy and safe, I really don't think I could have survived another semester cooped up in my room trying to make my place of rest a place for work.
Returning to Campus
I've already completed my first week and it's reminded me how much fun it is to meet my teachers, engage in class discussion, bond with my classmates, and create a cozy workspace for myself in the library. While learning from home has a few benefits, I honestly wouldn't trade experiencing college in person for anything else. I am able to immerse myself in the learning environment so much better when I'm physically at ODU, so I'm more than grateful for the chance to have in person classes again because my studies are so important to me.
Updating My ePortfolio
With a new semester comes new opportunities to update my portfolio. My classes this semester are more focused on my English major / Communications minor requirements rather than general education, so the papers and projects I'll be completing should be able to better represent my career field goals after graduation. (This can be found in my portfolio's "About Me" section.) Some notable courses I'm taking are Public Relations, Nonverbal Communication, Introduction to New Media & Technologies, and Writing for the Government. Hopefully, I'll have at least 5-8 new works to incorporate into my portfolio by the end of the semester.
New Opportunities Ahead
I also plan to start an on-campus student editor job with ODU's Center for Learning and Teaching this February and hope to take up an assistant editorial position in ODU's student organization "Mace and Crown" at some point in the future. With permission from my supervisor at CLT and the other students at "Mace and Crown," I'd like to expand my portfolio within the next year to include work that I have personally overseen and edited.
"Being able to prove that my editorial skills are polished enough for publication is a valuable asset to have since the editorial field can be very difficult to enter without extensive experience."
Even if they are just links to the CLT website or the "Mace and Crown's" online newspaper along with a description of the work I completed on each, I would love to have a resource for future employers to look at my editorial work. Being able to prove that my editorial skills are polished enough for publication is a valuable asset to have since the editorial field can be very difficult to enter without extensive experience.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I have very high hopes for this semester. I know that I am a hard worker and always accomplish the goals I really put my mind to. I feel this semester will be a successful one and I'll experience a lot of growth as a student, writer, and editor.
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