FOSSI: Could you share a few highlights about your first few semesters at Alabama A&M University?
In my first few semesters at North Carolina Central University, I didn't really have too many highlights, to be frank. I’m not really much of a party person or someone that’s very social, so I stayed in my dorm room most of the time. I will mention that I attended a lot more on campus events than my freshman year. Celebrities came to the school to speak to us, and I went to homecoming events that took place on campus.
FOSSI: Has anything surprised you about college life so far?
Coming to college was most definitely a surprise to me especially as time progressed. My parents, grandparents, family, and friends have all told me that college is extremely fun and will be the “best
four years of your life”. Personally, that never sat right with me. Not only because I wasn’t having much fun in college, but also because I didn’t want the peak or best years of my life to be now, when I haven't yet achieved my highest potential. That was the biggest surprise for me thus far.
FOSSI: How has the FOSSI Scholarship impacted your experience at Alabama A&M University?
FOSSI has impacted my experience at North Carolina, not only by alleviating stress from my parents when it comes to paying off my tuition each year, but also by providing a lot of useful information from the webinars and workshops. The information I've been receiving through the FOSSI program is essential for a college student. Time management and personal finance were topics that were the most helpful to me, as these are huge factors in my life now and will continue to be in my future.
FOSSI: How are your studies going – what are the biggest challenges and what do you like most?
In terms of my studies, I’ve seen huge improvements from my first year to my second year in terms of study habits. I’m starting to really understand the importance of good study habits and figuring out which study method works best for myself, because everyone is different. My freshman year was more about figuring out how to study, what I needed to do in order to get ahead, and just doing the best I could with what I knew.
My grades weren’t terrible by any means, but there was surely room for improvement. I knew I couldn’t settle for what I had. In my sophomore year, I valued time management significantly more, and made sure to maximize my time because time literally flies in college. I started waking up at 6 a.m. to get a good start to my day. I took more time out of my weekend to study and get ahead as well. These study habits played a huge part in my improvement, and my grades reflected that.
FOSSI: What extra-curricular activities are you enjoying on campus?
Personally, I haven’t been too involved in extracurricular activities on campus, but I have contributed to two community service opportunities and I took the initiative to join the Men’s Achievement Center on my campus to seek new opportunities. Lastly, I’ve been talking to my guidance counselor more often, specifically regarding laboratory opportunities on campus. I should be getting started very soon.
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