By Leo Crespo

As far as balancing my classes while being a peer mentor, this has got to be my toughest semester to date. Biology class takes the bulk of my free time. I have to take a lecture class that lasts for two hours and ends at 4 PM, and a lab that ends at the same time. It’s also quite frustrating to wake up four days in a row at 9 AM. The only time I have extra free time to do my homework is Tuesday and Thursday. It could be a burden at times. I’m trying to think positively so I don’t lose my sanity. Biology is my biggest challenge, but I’m trying to stay resilient. The lecture is a bit boring, but I do enjoy attending the lab portion since it’s more hands on.

I enjoy my Philosophy class. The professor is really quirky, but instantly likable. He makes us question our existence in society, which is the reason I chose this class. As for my journalism, I’m learning a lot. The professor is like a mentor of mine. We’re close in age so I could relate to him. He’s a huge gamer and wrestling fan, but is able to provide an ideal life for himself. He has a wife and a child that was just born. I look up to him because he’s responsible, but doesn’t change who he is.

The peer mentoring class is just fine. The professor really cares about her students and does her best to enforce them to learn. Some of the class is a little directionless, but a little push is all they need. The professor is very relatable, but at the same time gets her point across. I want the opportunity to connect with the students more, but I don’t want to smother them either. I help whenever I can, but I’ll never get in the way of the professor.

Midterms were a rough time for me. Not the tests themselves, but studying for them. Thank goodness, I was able to get good grades on all of them, including English 40, Biology and Philosophy. I made it my mission to study for them each when I had the free time. In order to get through the day, I just set a routine for myself every day so I could manage my time well. I keep a clear conscience so I could get through the day. Instead of overwhelming myself, I take it one day at a time. I just want to be the best person I could be and just evolve. I may be a peer mentor, but I’m still learning myself.

 

Leo Crespo is a Peer Mentor in the Opening Doors Learning Communities at Kingsborough Community College, where he is studying as a Journalism major.