I have just completed my first year at Marywood University and it was an interesting experience, to say the least.  As a first-year student, there are a lot of things to get used to as far as college life goes.  I threw myself into school, lived on campus, and learned what being an art student means to me.  From having room switches to making amazing friends, this year has by far been the most interesting year to boot.  However, college isn’t just about making friends and living with wacky roommates—I feel that I have learned more this year than all of my high school career combined. 

In the first semester, I took one art class, one art history class, a foundations course for art majors, and some liberal arts core classes.  As a result, I relearned many elements, principles, and proper techniques for drawing mediums. In this time of learning, all my courses melted into one another making things that had previously been confusing to me at one point, better understood. My Religious Studies course melted into my Art History course, which sparked inspiration in Basic Drawing class, which then helped me focus on how to be a better artist and student in my Art Foundations course. 

Within my first semester at Marywood, I went to the Met Museum, learned how spirituality influenced how we view art today, I learned the proper techniques for drawing mediums (like charcoal and pencil which were my least favorite mediums before learning how to use them), and how to compose a piece so that it is not only visually interesting but fitting to how it will be displayed. Outside of what my classes taught me, I learned how to manage time appropriately in order to make sure things get done, accept and tolerate behaviors that I am not used to, and step outside the box in order to create things that mean something to me.

As a whole, my first semester is what sold me on the idea of staying at Marywood and liking it.  As a result, I became a much better artist, student, and life learner.