Amanda Holmes
LSEM 51 Bingo Reflection
My transition from home to Longwood was a difficult one. I have such a strong bond with my family and community that being away from them forged a sting of loneliness to lodge its way in my heart. At the time, I was also having a tough time making new friends due to the fact that I am more of an introvert. After a few weeks, I told Olivia about my troubles and she immediately set aside a time for her and I to meet to talk about things. A few days later, we met at the STU for dinner. Even though the original purpose of the meeting was to talk about how I was feeling, we spent the majority of the time getting to know each other! We soon discovered that we had many things in common and we could relate to each other in certain aspects.
Spending time with Olivia brightened my experience at Longwood; she was able to give me a new outlook on my situation while also offering words of encouragement. Since then, we have continued to meet time and time again. They always say that things happen for a reason and I believe that Olivia was my peer mentor for a reason. Whether she realizes it or not, she has been both a mentor and true friend to me. I know that I can always go to her for anything and everything. This is going to be the beginning of a long friendship!
Amanda Holmes
LSEM 51 Bingo Reflection
One thing that you always hear before entering college is that the professors are going to be unpleasant and that they could care less if you pass or fail because you’re just another number. However, once entering Longwood, I soon discovered that those past statements could not have been more wrong. The professors truly care about your education and they will do whatever it takes to see you succeed in all that you do. I experienced this first hand when I went to see my English professor during his office hours. He had assigned an eight page paper and I wanted him to look over my paper to ensure that I was writing it correctly. In all honesty, I was extremely nervous to go to him for help due to the fact that I wasn’t used to going to instructors for help; in high school, the material came easy to me so I never needed much assistance completing my assignments. On top of the foreign concept of going to a teacher for help, I was also nervous because I did not know how he would perceive my writing. It sounds silly to me now but at the time it wasn’t!
The meeting was a pleasant experience. The professor read my paper and offered honest feedback. It surprised me that he offered as much advice as he did; he pointed out both pros and cons of my paper and showed me how I could fix the errors. After this experience, I will without a doubt contact my professors if I need assistance on an assignment. The myth of the “scary, mean, and intimidating professor” was squashed in my mind after that day.