First Experiences/Thoughts at the Mecca

I am Khalil Boggs, from Madison Wisconsin. I am a biology major (undecided minor) on the pre-med track. This first week has been very interesting. It has given me a good taste as to what college will be like for the rest of the semester and the upcoming years. Hopefully there will be less earthquakes and hurricanes in the upcoming years. Howard has been everything I expected and more. Well-educated African Americans all committed to extending their knowledge in certain fields. Although I noticed college is very different that high school. In my classes I noticed how unlike high school, during lectures and classes, information is not repeated as often or at all for that matter. The professor keeps going with the lecture unless it’s a key statement he/she feels you should know. However, my note taking skills are perfect for this because I only right down key statements and memorize the minor things to copy down later. Another difference I noticed is college really expands upon the concept of “you’re an adult now”. It is up to us whether we show up to class or do well in a class. It is up to us how we use those 1-4 hours before our next class.

Although we are adults now, and everything we do from here on out is on us, I have also noticed that people’s families still call and talk to them. It is good to know that even though we are away that we still have that support system back home that we can call when we need them. That support will help me get through these next four years, and help keep me focused on my goals and aspirations in life. I feel that freshman seminar will help me develop my leadership skills and sense of service. I have always been a leader and not a follower but I have not always been the kind of person to jump at service opportunities. Freshman Seminar could possibly help me with this. To be 100% honest, at first glance and during the first lecture I felt that Freshman Seminar would be a useless class that just fills another slot in my schedule. However, after deeper analysis and rereading the syllabus I see that freshman Seminar tries to help develop certain skills and qualities with in us so that we will be better equipped to stay on track and get through these next 4 years and possibly more. I realize that if I do not keep an open mind about the class I will not take much from it. However, it does not hurt that I continue to hear bad reviews from people who have taken it in past years, but I will try almost anything once.

I am looking forward to the African Burial ground trip in October. I feel like it would be an amazing sight to see and a great experience for me to have. As for the lectures, I think that I will take the most from is the Research and Methodology lecture. You can never have to much knowledge about research. I also am looking forward to the Abandonment and Dismemberment lecture. I am interested in knowing what people went through when torn from their homelands and beliefs. This should be a good semester and I am looking forward to freshman seminar.