Personal Narrative: My Experience As A Captain On The Soccer Team

Throughout my undergraduate career, I have had success with my classwork in a variety of different settings. In my Freshman and Sophomore year at Northwestern College, I found myself thriving in the group setting. Much of this was due to the fact that I was extremely busy with my commitment to the college’s soccer team. As classes began I found myself seeking out teammates that shared the same major as myself, Biology Health. We quickly became lab partners in our general biology and chemistry course. It was in this group setting where I also found out that I am a visual learner. Through interacting together with in-text figures in our physiology course, I was able to make sense of the material better. My experience as a captain on the soccer

team, and through forming study groups with some of my teammates, led me to see the value and importance of successful teamwork. It was in these types of settings where I was able to develop communication skills that will not only help me in the classroom, but also hopefully as an osteopathic physician.
After my Sophomore year I made the tough decision to forgo my last two years of eligibility on the college’s soccer team in order to take up a position in a psychology research group. This decision would affect the way I approached school immensely. With my new schedule, I was now provided more freedom to study when I wanted to. However, this also meant that the bulk of my learning would have to take place individually. Overtime, this adjustment would eventually be no issue at all. I found that through independent work I was able to work very efficiently. This also helped provide me the courage to ask professors for one on one help whenever I had questions over the material we covered. The professor-student relationships I was able to developed challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and work harder in all of my courses. Through individual learning I was able to take more control of my education.
Throughout both learning environments I experienced I was able to find success. One thing that remained constant throughout the years was faculty members and professors that were approachable and who genuinely cared about my education. This helped foster an open and accepting environment that I was able to thrive in. As a person who is relatively social, I respond best to faculty and professors who are willing to communicate and interact with me. It is in these sorts of environment where I foresee myself succeeding most as an osteopathic medical student.