Online Quarter #1 

I returned to High School this quarter. Well, not really. But in many ways it was the same: returning to my unchanged room in Olympia, WA, sleeping on my twin bed, competing for bandwidth with my sister (who is a Freshman at UW), and going downstairs for family dinners at 6:30 PM. Ofcourse, the differences were stark: everyone stayed at home, Zoom-ing to my university level classes and generally wondered about the state of the country/world. I am fortunate to have an amazing family who I spend a lot of time with regardless and who I really appreciate getting to see pretty much 24/7. This quarter turned into one of reflection. I finally started to "upgrade" my room by taking down old pictures, posters and "art." I got to return to high school and all of the struggles that I faced there. I didn't get to see my friends or go to 5 Mariners games like I had planned. I didn't get to spend nights exploring Seattle to find the "Best Milkshake" (this restaurant claims it, https://lunaparkcafe.com/, and they have a really good milkshake, but I don't think they are necessarily the "Best").

Despite all the shortcomings, I loved being with my family. We are a very tight knit family and really enjoyed getting to tackle our COVID-19 fix-up projects and cleanups. We all binged watched Schitt's Creek together (the BEST TV show out there). We all started biking regularly and I *finally* accomplished getting in shape -- wanting to exercise more is a common thread in my reflections. I got to spend time with my adorable dog, bearded dragon and bunny. This quarter reduced my stress considerably and while I enjoy the stresses of college and getting to meet new people, I am enjoying the break. I look forward to getting back to classes soon, but for now I will also be enjoying Fall Quarter from home.

Academically speaking, this was my highest GPA quarter to date. This is because I had a lot of extra time this quarter to devote to studying and writing the best possible papers. I was also able to attend office hours and come more prepared to quiz sections. Additionally, I felt more comfortable asking questions during class when I didn't have to raise my hand. I was also able to use notes and not rely on memory during exam, so I could spend more time practicing material, reviewing notes and studying with my group virtually. I also was generally more relaxed because I never once got up before 9 AM all quarter or put on a pair of Jeans. These all contributed to me doing much better academically with the first online quarter.