Self-knowledge is the ability to accept by recognizing one's defects through forgiveness, allowing the ability to love oneself and others. As you gain self-knowledge, you grow dramatically on a personal level. Personal growth is a necessary element in the process of growing and becoming a wiser individual. From a personal standpoint, I have found that I have personally grown intellectually, psychologically, socially, and professionally in the last 15 weeks of the fall 2013 semester here at Marywood University. We come to college seeking to acquire a broad intellect. I didn't know how quickly I would start to acquire it. Out of all four aspects, I feel that this form of personal growth has been the most predominant for me. By focusing on knowledge, college has helped me exponentially improve my educational skills. Due to the sheer amount of reading required for the amount of courses I take, I have become a more efficient reader when it comes to speed and overall comprehension. While at the beginning of the semester it took me two hours to read and understand something, it currently takes me 45 minutes to an hour. This also applies to my typing and essay writing skills. While I have always enjoyed writing, writing has been a constant struggle for me to keep up with my fast-moving brain. Now I can write a 6 page document in a matter of hours from first inspection to printing. Since the beginning of the semester I have also acquired better study skills and habits that I have found to be helpful to me. Once I downloaded Study Blue, an app designed to help college students study more effectively, I saw a 10% increase in my test scores and was even able to physically understand the con...... half of paper.. ....well, making the first move and not being afraid to brag, is not such a bad trait to have. While it was a great realization in my eyes that not everything goes as we plan, this brought about another realization. You always need a plan B, whether it's your career, your summer job, or even what to have for lunch that day, a plan B can really save you a lot of time and stress, making you seem more professional to the public. keep an eye out, generally behaving like an experienced adult. It's hard to believe that an eighth of my degree is almost over. Luckily it can be said that the last 15 weeks have not been bad in terms of growth. In my objective opinion, I have grown intellectually, psychologically, socially, and professionally, allowing me to become an overall better individual and student here at Marywood University.