The summer is coming to an end and so is my first experience in the business world. With a bachelors degree in communications, I have limited experience with business. My first semester at Chapman, I enrolled in accounting and economics, both being firsts for me. I was nervous on my first day in each of those classes. I thought to myself, how will I do? Will these classes be hard? Can I pass while working full time? How am I going to stay in the Navy with this work load?

These were just some of the million questions going through my head. Like many people who work full-time during the week, every waking moment of my time off was spent studying to pass the class. While I succeeded, I made a lot of mistakes that I have learned from after completing my first semester.

I would of done the following different:

  1. Get more involved with your classmates. You are not the only one who is struggling with content and even those who are not struggling, will be more than happy to help you.
  2. Accounting is a fickle beast and there is a lot of vocabulary you should try to familiarize yourself with before the class. This will make things a lot easier for yourself.
  3. Make sure you have time for yourself. This is very important because the brain can only work so hard. It needs time to process information.
  4. Communicate with your teacher from the start. Introduce yourself and ask questions when needed.
  5. Have a balance of work and school. If you are overwhelmed with the amount of classes, then take less.
  6. Find a tutor to help with subjects that are new to you, or with concepts you are having a difficult time grasping. Chapman has tutors available at the learning center.

Overall, it was a hard first semester for myself, but I was able to learn important tools for my future success. If you do not have a background in business, it will be tough, but it is more than manageable with all the help that is provided to you. I welcomed the challenge and look forward to continuing to be taken out of my comfort zone to learn new things.

Here are a few of my photos from my first semester at Chapman