The Fall 2010 semester is coming to a close and I believe I speak for many when I say, "It is about time." Do not misunderstand me, there have been great moments in the last three months but I am in serious need of a break. A break from the constant juggling act, from due dates, from papers, but mainly just from the constant barrage of knowledge. My "sponge" has nearly reached its saturation point. So as the semester ends and I look back what have I learned?
I have learned:
- The military is not the only organization that insists on punctuality (a certain English Professor does as well).
- It is always best to at least be thinking about writing assignments a week in advance even if you do not start writing them until 48 hours prior to the deadline. (Apparently I work best under a time crunch. My brain does at least, my nerves tell me otherwise though and wish I would not put them through the stress of nearly missing a deadline.)
- Everyone has a story including me, and the sooner we learn to tell our story in an engaging manner the more effective we will be at reaching out to others. (This ties into raising your voice in that it helps establish where you come from and makes you real.)
- Raising our voices is essential to changing our world. (We need to be actively engaged and involved, participating in society not just leeching off of it and complaining that it [society] "sucks.")
- Memphis has a lot to offer and that as dire as the statistics sound, the truth is that brave men and women have been raising their voices and turning the community around.
- Writing can be a fun process when you are passionate about your topic and it means something to you. (I have enjoyed writing this semester far more than any prior semester.)
- Its ok to disagree with other people, the key is to be open to their arguments and try to understand their point of view. (You may be surprised to find that they have some of the same end goals in mind, but their way of reaching them is just different than yours.)
- Diversity is AWESOME!!! (It is so encouraging to get a COMPLETELY different perspective on life.)
- Change, though scary, is good. (I am not a big fan, I am a traditionalist. I like consistency and rules, I like order and a certain amount of rigidity. Change sort of goes against all of that, however, I see the value in change and the important role it plays in preventing stagnation.)
It is important to note that even though there is no mention of basic English concepts and writing methods listed in my "Things I Learned This Semester", I did indeed learn and reinforce many writing skills. However, when it comes to life and school the academics while necessary to perform well, pale in comparison to the real world lessons that can be learned. When it comes right down to it you may be able to write the best report in the world or produce a well formatted document for your company but if you cannot get along with your coworkers, or function as a mature adult, you are as useless to the company as the individual who has no college level writing experience. This semester we heard over a lifetime's worth of wisdom and "real-world" knowledge passed on to us from people who have learned from life. Who better to teach about life than those who have experienced it? I learned far more this semester than I could ever put into a blog post. I learned about life.
I have learned:
- The military is not the only organization that insists on punctuality (a certain English Professor does as well).
- It is always best to at least be thinking about writing assignments a week in advance even if you do not start writing them until 48 hours prior to the deadline. (Apparently I work best under a time crunch. My brain does at least, my nerves tell me otherwise though and wish I would not put them through the stress of nearly missing a deadline.)
- Everyone has a story including me, and the sooner we learn to tell our story in an engaging manner the more effective we will be at reaching out to others. (This ties into raising your voice in that it helps establish where you come from and makes you real.)
- Raising our voices is essential to changing our world. (We need to be actively engaged and involved, participating in society not just leeching off of it and complaining that it [society] "sucks.")
- Memphis has a lot to offer and that as dire as the statistics sound, the truth is that brave men and women have been raising their voices and turning the community around.
- Writing can be a fun process when you are passionate about your topic and it means something to you. (I have enjoyed writing this semester far more than any prior semester.)
- Its ok to disagree with other people, the key is to be open to their arguments and try to understand their point of view. (You may be surprised to find that they have some of the same end goals in mind, but their way of reaching them is just different than yours.)
- Diversity is AWESOME!!! (It is so encouraging to get a COMPLETELY different perspective on life.)
- Change, though scary, is good. (I am not a big fan, I am a traditionalist. I like consistency and rules, I like order and a certain amount of rigidity. Change sort of goes against all of that, however, I see the value in change and the important role it plays in preventing stagnation.)
It is important to note that even though there is no mention of basic English concepts and writing methods listed in my "Things I Learned This Semester", I did indeed learn and reinforce many writing skills. However, when it comes to life and school the academics while necessary to perform well, pale in comparison to the real world lessons that can be learned. When it comes right down to it you may be able to write the best report in the world or produce a well formatted document for your company but if you cannot get along with your coworkers, or function as a mature adult, you are as useless to the company as the individual who has no college level writing experience. This semester we heard over a lifetime's worth of wisdom and "real-world" knowledge passed on to us from people who have learned from life. Who better to teach about life than those who have experienced it? I learned far more this semester than I could ever put into a blog post. I learned about life.
Josh,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your sincere and thoughtful post about the semester. I know that I have learned much from you this semester, and I imagine that you have taught your classmates as well.
When you asked me to articulate my story in class, my response was inadequate. This failure on my behalf has only challenged me more cohesively formulate my life story (though only beginning) in a way that displays a connecting thread. Most days, my life just appears to be a beautiful mess. Yet, as you have stated, our stories do help to communicate a genuineness.
Next semester I want to change the course in such a way that further elicits the expertise of the students. When we are more aware of and confident in our strengths, we are better able to work with others. This ability to collaborate as well as our abilities to critically think and communicate are essential to success, and I know that you and your peers will be successful, however you choose to define it.
Jessica