What I Have Learned and How I Have Grown

As my first semester of college draws to an end, I can certainly say that I have learned several important life skills and have grown immensely over the course of a semester. Not only have I learned copious skills academically that will assist me in obtaining a college degree and employment, but wisdom that will even more so assist me in living a successful career. For instance, I will never forget when my music theory professor told us that as we hold any job our employers are just going to fire us if we don't meet deadlines. She continued to say that when we are music educators down the road, and we don't turn in registration for honor bands, contests, and other music events in on time, we aren't just hurting ourselves, but we are hurting our students and our school's reputation. She also told us that when we are selecting music for our ensembles to play or sing, it is our job to pick something that showcases their abilities and challenges them, but not to the extent that they play the literature poorly. In addition, another music professor told us that we as music majors need sleep more than anything. He said that if we do not get an adequate amount of sleep, then we get sick and can't attend lessons or practice, which sets us behind. He stated that other majors can stay up all hours of the night and just go to class, but not music majors; they have more expected of them. He continued saying that other majors believe that music is just a candy course, but he wants to see them try it for a week. Furthermore, my flute professor told me that most students are like flowers. As a seed, you give flowers a little "encouragement" by watering them and providing them with sunlight, and they eventually grow into a beautiful flower. It is the same with students. You give them a little praise and encouragement and they blossom into great musicians. Not only have I gained wisdom from my music professors, but I have also learned skills to help me obtain a successful career by taking UST 101A. For instance, I have learned how important social media is to not only the whole world, but the professional world as well. In addition, after taking the MBTI, I learned that I shared copious characteristics with the ESTP type, which stimulated me to use these findings to my advantage in completing several of my career and life goals. In conclusion, I have learned numerous essential life and career skills and have grown immensely during my first semester of college.