First Year
by Lindsey Robinson

When I started at Kettering College of Medical Arts in August 2006, I was frightened and unsure. I wasn’t sure where I was going or whom I would sit next to. I didn’t even know anyone. This ballgame was totally different from high school. After meeting people and getting in the “groove,” I started to realize that Kettering College was my new home. My goal was to maintain an A average in order to get accepted into the difficult medical sonography program.

After my first semester, I could not believe all that I had learned and how challenging college was. I was looking forward to my next semester — except for my physics class. I knew I would have to take it, but it also concerned me, as it’s not my strong suit. I had never taken any physics, and I was in for a treat!

After working hard and studying throughout all the weeks, the winter semester was done. I couldn’t believe I had achieved my goal and attained all As. I was ecstatic, especially about my A in physics. I can honestly say that I worked extremely hard. Also, my anatomy and physiology class was difficult. I would begin to study three or four days before a test. I knew what I had to do in order to achieve my goal. Even though those two classes were like a thorn in my side at times, I really enjoyed them and learned so much.

My experience socially at Kettering was quite the same. During my fall semester, I pretty much kept to myself. This college was definitely not for fooling around, and I just did my best and worked hard. Toward the end of the fall semester, I had met some girls who were going to be applying for the same program. I became more social, and new friendships developed. It was very encouraging to meet other people who had the same interests. We enjoyed each other’s company.

The best part of school didn’t happen until my winter semester. Although this was the hardest semester yet, I had grown to be close friends with so many people. I started to feel like this was where I really belonged, and I had fun. We would laugh, joke, and just make class more interesting. Having friendships with people going into the same field really helped me get through the semester. I was able to talk with them about school, and we worked together on homework. For me, this past year has been a learning experience as well as a confidence booster. After taking all of these classes and working tirelessly to get a GPA of 3.8, I feel like I could do anything. My first year at college has begun to shape me into the person I will become. It is an amazing feeling to know that I am doing God’s will for my life. I know these next three years are going to be even harder than this last one, but I can’t wait! I was so excited to start the program in the fall and look forward to one day being able to make a difference in the world. I couldn’t imagine a better first year of college than the one I experienced at Kettering College of Medical Arts.

LINDSEY ROBINSON is a second-year medical sonography student at Kettering College.