As the year wraps up, I can’t help but to think how far I have come since I moved to USC. This first year definitely had multiple ups and downs, but it is precisely these experiences that have made me improve as a person and have pushed me to become a knowledgeable and active member of society. Here are a few personal characteristics and qualities that I have grown on:
1. Time Management
With all the assignments that I had to get done in one week, I had to organize my time. I bought a very cute light pink planner at Target and everyday in class I would write down assignments and their due dates. I would also write down meeting times and miscellaneous tasks that I had to get done. Because I quickly became used to this scheduling of my time, I had time on the weekends to explore LA! I got time to go to Santa Monica Beach, Venice Beach, Griffith Observatory, and many, many more cool places in LA!
Overview of Santa Monica Pier
2. Passion
Through my different classes I was exposed to a lot of different softwares, such as Revit, AutoCAD, Matlab, and C++, that will become an integral part of my future as a civil engineer. I soon became passionate about these new technologies that I was never exposed to before and realized that I absolutely loved designing my dream home in my CE 106 class with these softwares. I know it’s only going to get better from here. Projects will get bigger and better and I will be able to expand my skill and mastery in these technologies.
3. Active
I grew into an active member of the City of Angels this year. I have done all the “tourist stuff” like hiking, museums, and beaches. LA became my home when I moved here and I wanted to make sure to become aware of my surroundings. I have visited engineering firms, so that I have an idea of where my future internships (and possibly jobs) may be. I have volunteered on campus with my residential floor.

At the end of my hike up Griffith Observatory with an amazing view of the City of Los Angeles in the background!
4. Resilience
I learned to learn. I learned from my mistakes, but most importantly, I learned how to take the right steps after a hard fall. I learned that those steps include going to tutoring, office hours, the health center, or simply, bed, going to bed, and getting some sleep so that the next day I am rejuvenated and ready to actively tackle on the issue. At the end of the day, everything turns out okay if you are willing to not give up.
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