Hello, my name is Tessa Johnstone, and I am an undergraduate student at the Pennsylvania State University studying History and French. In the past year, I have grown tremendously as a student and as a person. This year was my first year away from home, and the first time I had to motivate myself to do my work. Before, I could always count on my teachers or family to remind me to finish projects and study for tests, but when I came to Penn State, the responsibility was my own. At first it was a challenge to do my work instead of watching TV or taking a nap, but as the year progresses, I knew that I would have to get my work finished, or receive poor grades in my classes. Also by being an active member of the Penn State Womens' Rugby Football Club, which took up many hours a week, I learned better time management skills. Balancing schoolwork and rugby is without a doubt a challenge, but I feel that I managed my time well enough to excel in both areas.
I have matured throughout the course of this school year, and have taken on many responsibilities I never had before coming to Penn State. Previously, if I had to miss a class or two, I knew my teacher would gladly give me the notes or have me come in for tutoring. My class in high school was very small, only around 130 students, so I never felt the pressure of being in a huge lecture hall knowing no one. I have also learned the value of a good student-teacher relationship. I took for granted in high school the fact that each teacher knew everyone and had a personal relationship with each one, but that changed when I came to Penn State. Being in a class with 200 or more others students, there is no way the professor could possibly recognize every single one. So I took it upon myself to introduce myself to my professor, and start to build a relationship with them. Penn State is a wonderful university, and I hope to only better my experience here!
