A Transfer's Insight: Linda's Blog

So one more week of classes left and then finals week. That is it until Christmas break! This time is crazy busy. There are so many deadlines the last 2 weeks. I have presentations and group projects due this week and next. Also, professors are trying to squeeze in some lasts tests before the final exams.

You don't need to be scared. I'm glad to be so busy because it makes the time to break go so fast. You need to be a go-getter and stay busy with school and other activities in order for the time to fly by. To make everything go easy, it is so important to make a list of what needs to be done and check it off as you go!

I'm not typically an organized person, but once I get busy with school work and other types of tasks, I force myself to make sure everything gets done by being organized in my own way.

I'm actually looking forward to finals week because classes will be finished, and all that you need to focus on is taking exams; one at a time. Just make sure to prioritize what you need to do to prepare for finals, and things should go smoothly.

My exams are spaced out nicely, giving me the time to take it one at a time and time to relax in between. So with Christmas soon approaching, tackling the finals and deadlines make the time go faster because I have something to look forward to, a nice month-long break! Thanks USC!

*and remember to get those applications in!!!!!

Posted by Linda at 09:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have to admit that I was homesick my first year at college. Even though last year I was only an hour and a half from home, it was a new living experience for me to adjust to that I didn't feel prepared for. However, now that I'm a sophomore and have grown used to living life away from Mom and Dad, I now feel comfortable living in a dorm among friends and doing homework all night! It's kind of backward for me now because you'd think I'd be even more homesick considering I'm a 10-hour drive from home. But here at USC, I feel like I've truly found my niche and my comfort zone.

I am much happier here and am staying more involved and keeping busy with studies. I'm content with my major and look forward to my future. I thought of this homesickness stuff because when getting ready to leave home after Thanksgiving break, I could not have rushed my Mom to get in the car to take me to the airport more! I was ready to go back to my "comfort zone" and missed the college life. I feel very happy to be at this point of independence and wanting to return to my home away from home.

Breaks are definitely good to have and are definitely necessary, but after a while, you realize that your parents miss you and miss treating you like they did when you lived at home. Now that I have developed more into an independent college student, I no longer feel the need to be constantly taken care of by my parents. I enjoy finding things out on my own and taking care of the problems I created on my own.  But of course, if there is ever anything I can't handle, I know Mom and Dad will gladly be there for me! Sometimes!

Posted by Linda at 10:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So this past weekend (from 17 Nov. to 19 Nov.) I had field training at Ft. Jackson for Army ROTC. I've had this kind of training already at my previous school in Ohio, and it is both exhausting and fun. The weekend basically consists of little sleep, team work, eating MRE's (meals ready to eat), completing missions, following orders from squad leaders, and of course, learning.

The Gamecock Army ROTC Battalion is a very fun and diverse group of cadets. The experience of working with fellow cadets and students is very rewarding and improves team-working skills. Saturday began at 4:30 am, and we eventually moved out into the field and were divided into squads. The rest of the day we were given certain scenarios and the squad leaders (the 3rd year cadets) had to come up with a plan to complete the mission. They use what they learned in the classroom to organize the squad to work as a unit. They are also evaluated by the 4th year cadets who have already completed LDAC over the summer (Leadership Development and Assessment Course) at Ft. Lewis, Washington. The day ended with cleaning our M-16 Rifles, which weren't that dirty because we didn't fire them obviously. However, next semester, we will be able to use blanks for a more realistic experience.

On Sunday, we ruck-marched to the Team Building Course. This was the fun part of the weekend. There were about 6 different courses where the evaluator would give us a scenario and our squad needed to come up with a plan to get from one side to the other without touching certain parts of the contructions and following other certain rules. And we were also timed and penalized for failing to follow the rules.

This is difficult to explain because there was so much included in the weekend. You have to be there to fully understand what I am trying to say, but the experience is ideal for anyone striving to be a great leader. I encourage you to try out Army ROTC even if you do not want a career in the Army. The experience itself is amazing, and nobody will force you to stay in the program. It is open to anyone willing to experience, and if it is not for you, no problem. But it is a great way to meet new people and learn what it takes to be a leader. Just ask if you have any questions!

Posted by Linda at 02:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hey my name is Linda Lehmkuhle, and I am a sophomore transfer student from Ohio. I came from a small private Catholic university (the University of Dayton) to the wonderfully diverse and much bigger USC. My reason for transferring is mainly that UD does not have a Nursing program, and I wanted to switch to Nursing and to find a university that offered a great Nursing program. USC made my transfer process extremely easy for me, and I received excellent feedback and all my questions were answered quickly during my time of uncertainty. I am also in the Army ROTC program down here, which I was also at UD. I hope to someday soon be an Army Nurse! The ROTC program here is excellent because of such a motivating, rewarding, and optimistic atmosphere. If you seek a very self-rewarding and team-building experience during college, I highly recommend trying out Army ROTC. They also offer some great scholarships too!

I am very impressed with the USC campus. There is always somewhere to go, an activity to do, or a show to see. I never feel "stuck" in my dorm room. There is always a place to explore, whether it be a park, museum, or just getting to know this beautiful campus. It is definitely a relief for me to finally get to know myself more by being placed in this diverse setting. I was suffocating from attending a private Catholic high school and university where there was very little diversity. I'm from a very small town and have an extremely big family, which I am very proud of.

My parents, bless their hearts, have 10 children including me. The oldest is 32 and the youngest is 5. The most difficult thing for me being so far away from home is not seeing my little 5 year old sister, Gabby. She is the greatest, and I love her more than anything!

Some of my hobbies and interests include traveling, reading, spending time with family, watching movies, playing frisbee, soccer, running, learning Spanish, camping, hiking, visiting the elderly, and studying the Amish culture. Let me tell you, being a college student is an important time to take time for yourself and to nourish your true interests for your own personal fulfillment!

Posted by Linda at 07:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)