My heart would ache when I finished a book, feeling as though I had lost permanent access to whatever location the book had taken me.
My love for reading developed for the same reason. The ability certain books have being able to transfer simple thoughts turning them into stories in great detail and more is beautiful.
Does it seem like my career is all over the place? It’s because I am a lifelong learner who has taken lessons big and small to build the career I have today.
again, one takeaway from many of these articles is that a lot of the time you are not going to be working in the field which you studied, but also you will change a lot from what you like because as you get older your thoughts shift.
My main message as I reflect on my time here at UA is that if you stay committed to learning about yourself and approach each challenge and experience with an open mind and growth mindset, you will find that college
I like how the take away messages in all these stories is to keep an open mind in your studies cause 9/10 the major you go in to college with normally isn't the degree you leave university with.
absolutely falling in love with learning for the first time in a wide variety of Gen Ed courses. Instead of being taught what is “right” and “wrong,” I was encouraged to be critical about sources of information, regardless of the course content. I learned that asking questions was just as important as seeking answers.
Similarly, I find how the general education experience as a whole really emphasizes the connection to material and how eye-opening it can be for various audiences. In addition I like how the author in a way used education as a means to escape their past, one in which they were limited by their own thoughts, which later expanded as a result of education.
My experience taught me that big questions can be answered by breaking them into smaller manageable problems, by staying focused on the writing process, and by accepting mistakes as learning opportunities
I like how they really emphasize how mistakes are okay. Failure isn't always a bad sign, and it often times does lead to success.
To this day, I can still sing “Just A Girl,” though I promise you that my singing abilities have not improved since then. However, the threshold of what I find embarrassing to do in front of other people has shifted.
I like how they associate the fear they once had to public speak with a good thought process. Speaking from personal experience the one thing I can't do in front of other people is sing, and that's because I know my singing is bad. But public speaking has always come easier, probably because it's easy to make yourself seem like a confident person over a decent singer.
As I design and teach my online course, I use the data gathered by D2L to help me navigate my students’ experiences throughout the learning process. I find that if many students are failing an assignment or quiz, then maybe there is an issue with the lesson, or if students are spending too much time on a task, then perhaps adjustments are in order. I just need to keep in mind that I am measuring what I value, which, in my case, is student learning.
This makes me so glad to see that the educator actually cares for the needs and learning of students. There's an entire subculture of teachers where the common line is "no one every gets a passing grade in my class", that said "passing grade" is just a reference to a bad teacher/educator.
Quantitative reasoning goes far beyond the simple application of math. It helps us develop a strong set of critical and creative problem-solving skills that are used in everyday life.
as someone who works in retail I agree 100% with this statement.
we are doing our students a major disservice by trying to transmit disciplinary knowledge through passive lecturing rather than through active engagement with the material.
I find that the classes in which have little to no interaction most students don't do well. People are disinterested in things they can't take a part of, and I think it's great the author has taken note of that.
Writing was not only about great books. Writing helped us do things.
writing as a whole is a secret superpower. Music becomes great when there is a good melody and good lyrics. An essay is good when the writing is concise, and a book is good when the author is able to articulate themselves well enough. Writing translates through all disciplines.
I can see how this general education class allowed me to apply such skills to personal decisions
I have taken note of this in every class, because we'll discuss historical figures and try to understand their point of view from the place and time which they exist. The act and practice of empathy can be applied to all academic circles, and if anything have been affective to me overall.
Our family stories need to belong in the fabric of education because they impact the way we learn.
This line takes me back to the "Why are you here" reading in the sense of finding purpose via the past actions of others, and taking such experiences to fulfill your own responsibilities by a means of an external motivation such as children or family in general/
But this is no “Arabian Nights” fantasy. This is a place where the negotiation of price and the quotidian search for groceries overlays a larger negotiation of space, and a search for cultural belonging and ownership
I like how the author was able to speak of issues overlaying the Israel-Palestinian conflict and instead of taking a stance they simply see it as navigating through the world of people. Regardless of what your stance is you can still be able to point out the issues which overlay such regions and instead simply see it for the way the world functions, which is a very humanist/social scientist way of seeing things.
I never wanted to be perceived as a diversity hire, one who was filling a quota of making the staff more diverse.
It is not the job of people of color to educate others on the cultural attitudes they simply are not aware of. While it may be nice to have diversity in the workplace, it is not the job of POC to improve workplace environments. In a world where there is more than just one ethnic group it is the job of individuals to educate themselves on the people around them, not the other way around.
UA has made important strides in formalizing a land acknowledgement[1] which recognizes that we only exist on this educational institution because of the forceable theft of Indigenous lands.
The UA land acknowledgment seems like a facade for a much bigger issue, and even though indigenous peoples are receiving the recognition they deserve, it is simply not enough, nor is it any form of reparations, it is simply putting a face on a much larger issue which needs to be changed systematically.
This approach to diversity initiatives has been frequently criticized for devolving into a “food and fiestas” or “heroes and holidays” approach to issues of race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and so on (Lee et al.). It reminded me of my old high school in McMinnville where, instead of tackling the deeply-rooted racial issues on campus, we hosted a school-wide Cinco de Mayo celebration.
This exact line made me think a lot about how the university includes a lot of policies for diversity and inclusion, and regardless of who these departments are supposed to represent, I see misrepresentation and controversial opinions on all people on campus. It is certainly not the job of people of color to educate others on their own culture, nor do I see much of a cultural interest in the white population on campus. Even though many of these things may improve relationships between peoples of all nations and all colors, I definitely don't see how the university is trying to do more for everyone.
multidisciplinarity”
Similar to how interdisciplinary looks at a single subject on a more deeper scale, multidisciplinary approaches things looking at single subjects from multiple perspectives without overlap. For example, if you take a religion course, you might be looking at a religion like Islam, but you study the religion from say a Jewish, Christian, or Sikh perspective, in each perspective there is bound to be overlap/connections between the different religions, but instead you'd be focusing on the major differences without taking into account the overlap which they all share.
“interdisciplinarity”
interdisciplinary means to approach something from multiple perspectives, or from a single lenses on a more deeper scale, but also using other perspectives without overlap. For example, you can be a chef, but just understanding food from a culinary perspective. On the other hand, you can be a scientist looking into the discipline of food from a chemistry background. You look at why food reacts to our tongue and produces a specific taste, or you look at how the chemical compounds in food produce a specific smell. Like while they be different approaches, the single theme would be food, and you'd be using both insights simultaneously.
My appreciation for historical and societal contexts deepened as I became more aware of the consequences and impacts buildings have on public space and the individuals who inhabit them
Even though she is actively speaking about her interest and the reason why she likes architecture, she even touches on how building affects people as well. I see so much overlap between humanities and other subjects such as engineering.
The church leaders consistently spoke about the work we were doing as charity — doing for those who can’t do for themselves. But that explanation clashed with the reality I heard from my new African friends. T
Coming from places of privilege and faith, it is an issue when missionaries make missions in Africa, or anywhere for that matter because missions normally take place in areas that are already impoverished. Communities shouldn't be helped out due to their willingness to become Christian, if anything the persistence of missions to expand in impoverished area just seems like modern colonization, and I'm glad the friends of the author helped him see.
For all of this work, I depend on the perspectives of natural scientists to explain details to me and point me to more research
Regardless of what scientific perspective you decide to take on, they all require input from other perspectives as well, and if anything other perspectives have great overlap with the natural scientist perspective. At the end of the day, we are all looking for results, and all perspectives give us results/point us in the right direction.
Natural scientists look at the world with wide-open eyes and critical minds. We seek to build models, make predictions, and construct explanations based on reliable data, recognizing the limits of our knowledge and the influence of our personal beliefs.
I personally love the way the author worded this because they explain how we are limited by knowledge as opposed to being people who claim to know everything. I like to see people understand that even science has its limits.
But I am very grateful that I have developed an inner Kirk, too — albeit quieter than my inner Spock — who reminds me that the needs of the few, or even the one, can be just as important.
Success isn't defined by a single definition, but it is nice to see the way in which Thomas defines success simply because the simple success of a majority of students makes them feel successful, but also when students don't understand 100% they seem to also feel successful but simply because it allows them room to improve.
Whether that means continually selecting teaching methods that resonate with “most” of the class or always relying on a popular vote to drive student programming, it would be easy for my analytical brain to justify such actions.
When it comes to education, there genuinely isn't one single correct way to teach people. If anything encouragement and voiced opinions from students is important, and it makes people feel like they have a say in education. Education for so long has been dominated by just one single voice, but I am glad to see how far it has come.
Enjoy diving into these humanities-specific classes, always remembering that any course you take at the University will, at its foundation, be based on humanistic perspectives designed to help you see the world from multiple angles, equipping you to address the world’s — and your community’s — challenges in new and unexpected ways.
I feel prior to coming to the UA, I already have learned a lot, and a lot of what I have learned is covered in the humanities courses I have taken thus far. Being someone from a culture that is not white-American culture, has helped me see the world from a different lenses. But being exposed to high diversity on campus, i'm happy I get to really understand the history and perspectives of others.
Humanities-oriented engineers build bridges, highways, and urban infrastructure by considering from the outset how people, communities, and the planet will be impacted by their projects, rather than asking such questions only after problems have arisen.[2]
Genuinely as a whole, the consideration of other people should not be something taught to others via humanities. It should be something already enforced in everyone, it shouldn't be something that people start learning in college. While humanities does allow people opportunities to see the world with new eyes, such education must start earlier in life to avoid issues long-term.
The artist’s perspective can shape how we think and act on our legal rights.
Connecting this perspective to the general inspiration of art, I do see how this perspective opens up opportunity to protest and really explore ones own will to exercise their rights.
Art activates all the senses. From poetry and literature to music and theatre, art can move people on both an intellectual and emotional level.
Even though nowadays there is still an appreciation for the arts, many people neglect how creativity, especially in the form of art does not make anyone less intelligent. When it comes to the arts, not only are techniques from other subjects such as science incorporated, art can also move others. Art can help us express words (literature), and art can help us emotionally. (psychology)
My use of data visualization to learn math in addition to continued drawing practice have led me to realize the importance of visual communication in how I navigate the world.
I like how their version of learning plays into the learning theory of psychology. One of the learning practices is visual learning, and I genuinely believe visual communication is important because people learn through demonstrations. Even in class when talking about language and signing, before people could communicate verbally small forms of sign language also formed. We learn with our senses, but for everyone who can see, visual learning is important.
Such metacognition — thinking about one’s own thinking — is a key learning outcome of the University’s Gen Ed curriculum, and will empower you to explore your own thought processes and gain access to completely new ones, no matter your major, career path, or life journey.
Metacognition is a term I have heard a plentiful of times, but I like how it has translated through so many of the courses I have taken, and I think it is because I like how to university really wants to cement the idea of thinking of why we think what we think and how we can change that/move on from an old mindset. This general education experience is helping people get over certain biases and allows for people to really listen and to really understand others.
if we work hard at being aware of our own perspectives and the perspectives of others and if we try to account for how our own angle on things affects how we perceive the world, we can get a lot closer to objectivity.
I like how this specific sentence shoots at how humans tend to look at life through just a small scope. What it really calls for is to see, hear, and feel the perspectives of others because not only are they important, but sometimes our own perspectives don't allow us to see the others' view. We become blinded by our own emotions and categorize the world.
I learned that computer programming languages have a vocabulary, syntax, grammar, and punctuation like any other language.
These forming connections between different subjects is the essence which general education is here for. I personally see how throughout all these readings there is the common theme of making sure to understand the similarity between one subject and another. By forming these connections you are opened up to newer ways of thinking, which is also the overarching theme of a grown mindset.
Personally, I am a big believer in destiny, and as someone who has multiple interests, it is very hard for me to ultimately choose what i want for myself, even though I already have an idea of what I want to do. I am aware that eventually I may have a change of heart with my studies, and I may have a change of heart on what I want to do, but that's completely okay. Sometimes the wrong path is the right one, and no matter how long it takes it doesn't matter.
Without fail, the most interesting people, the most compelling research, and the deepest relationships — with people, ideas, and organizations — emerge through the exercise of tenacious curiosity.
In my relationship, romantic relationship that is, eem though my partner and I are of different ethnicities I find that keeping an open mind makes it much easier for us to form connections. Even though we may be different culturally, we are also very similar, we just need to form the connections.
But there’s an even better reason to express wonder when you’re not really feeling curious. It turns out that, while quite different, wonder and curiosity often intertwine and animate each other.
I noticed this as I was writing my wonder journal and my intention reflection. I noticed how my ideas would intertwine and no matter what my ideas and writing influence one another.
It was not to work as a trainer or a running coach, mind you; rather, it was to continue the learning that would support my interests.
I really resonate with what he is saying specifically because I love investing in my interests and hobbies even more just because I like to really understand everything I do.
we need to remember that understanding what others are going through does not take away from our own needs and concerns.
It is very apparent that people, especially people in my family don't understand a slight concept of what it means to be an ally. When George Floyd was brutally murdered right in front of our eyes by law enforcement, seeing the reactions of my community infuriated me. Everyone had begun to talk about issues involving the Latine community, and even though we are still affected by many issues, people of my community neglect that we can still be allies towards other communities. Even though we may be of a different color, different cultural background, or even a different religion, it has never dawned onto people like my dad that other communities require our support, and even though we have our issues, I see the support people have given my community, especially during the 2016 presidential election year where all that was being said in the news was "Go Back to Mexico". Other communities supported us, and other communities should have the same support in return.
we now live in an era of “outrage culture” where emotions and fear run high and where individuals are personally attacked for their views rather than being able to debate their ideas.
Unfortunately, right now we are in an era of civil discourse given police brutality especially concerning Black Americans, and another would be with the start of the pandemic, and even to now, there has been rising cases of hate crimes especially regarding the Asian community, and it is happening right in front of our eyes. Regardless of our political views, you see where these crimes are coming from, and it is not surprising as to who is committing such crimes, question is, how could we systematically change this cycle of oppression?
Cheating was just not worth it because the consequences for violating the Academic Integrity policy can range from loss of credit for the work involved to more severe sanctions like expulsion.
I would like to emphasize this particular sentence stated by the author, simply because people don't realize, or at least don't care enough to realize that their actions at the collegiate level still have consequences. This year, there has been way too many instances where people admit way too much to violating academic integrity on campus and expect there not to be any consequences to follow, especially in instances where it is BIPOC being academically dishonest, there's just more at stake.
It’s up to you to name your academic and professional interests, and pick courses that will provide you with the necessary knowledge, skills, and insights to drive your future learning endeavors.
Part of the reason why I decided to take HIS 160A1 is partly because I wanted to know more about the overall general history of Latin America. I learned just a tad bit of my own culture growing up in Tucson and from my family, but our history has always been something most people will only a-credit the Spanish for, and never indigenous people, or even Africans who were forcibly brought over to the Americas. It has a value in which is incomparable to that which was fed to me.
Even though most agree that Gen Ed's are at times, a waste or time and money, in certain situations I have seen how they are very relevant. While I am taking courses such as Religion of Islam or MENA 160A1, I see how learning about religion can really be applied for how people interact with their environment and how they make connections between their religion and their homeland. Gen Ed's can be applied to any real world situations whether that be science, math, or even in literature. They're there to prepare you for the future. Although, I do agree certain Gen Ed's are pointless, others reveal their importance.
Their presence on campus is the very embodiment of the land-grant mission as they bridge local and regional communities, cultures, and values with what the university is meant to be: not a displacement machine nor a guarded tower of upward mobility, but a generator of knowledge and a place that lifts up diverse ways of knowing.
This also tis into the idea of the UA being an isolate from the city, like even though it was meant for the local community to educate itself, it seems the University remains an isolate from the rest of Tucson, but at the end of the day, I'm making my own mark by completing what my ancestors/family failed to complete, and that's an education.
I didn’t feel comfortable on that border, that shift from the familiar way my family spoke, learned, and worked into a university-version of my hometown lined with palm trees, red brick buildings, and textbooks written in a form of English I had never spoken
Even though, I am a Tucson native, and also come from a Mexican family, campus seems like a foreign entity and an isolate from the rest of the Tucson community. Growing up, I had never visited campus, nor did I really know what was beyond South Tucson. Occasionally, my family would travel far, and sometimes abroad, but really, no one really experiences the University of Arizona until it is time to register. It is somewhat foreign to most Tucson residents.
While I loved learning (I still do) and took my coursework seriously, I didn’t see the connections between what I was learning and what I wanted to do for a career,
I feel this is a common experience, especially in high school. I could recall so many times when students said "why are we learning about the mayflower? how is this contributing to my future?', and I can recall how the teacher said "Maybe this doesn't apply to you, but I am teaching you to know what has been taught to other students, and while the subject may not contribute to your future studies, it should at least give you enough of an idea of how the world works, you just have to think deeper about it". Regardless of the subject, you'll find little connections everywhere.
I don’t remember all the courses’ content, but I remember how they made me feel confident in my own writing style and that my creative interpretations of assignments were not only valued, but encouraged
Regardless of the courses I have taken in the past, I at least resonate with Devon, when they say how they have gained confidence in themself through just having experiences as a whole. Experiences are special when it comes to academia, and just overall, real-world situations as a whole. It is important to make connections between material you learn, and material you know from just navigating the world as a human. Concepts translate across the board, and by developing the necessary skills for whatever subject, they will eventually contribute to future skills. Not to mention, when it comes to educators, educators who encourage you are there to alleviate you, and when you have a supportive system, it eventually instils confidence within you.
finishing my PhD was not for me; it was for my daughter’s sake. It made me realize that the purpose of my life was being played out for her.
Even though the author hasn't made the sacrifices her grandpa has has to make, i like how she understands how she finally sees a purpose for why she does what she does, and for who she does it. Our parents make sacrifices for us, and we have no right to not do the same for the next generation, we are in college for opportunities to move up in income brackets, to move up in education, and to influence the next generation to do better.
why waste life being mediocre?
I like how the author takes the messages their grandpa gave them, and held onto those messages very dearly. I like how they question the audience with "why waste life being mediocre", because really it is understanding your own self-worth, and by aspiring to shoot for something greater, it can lead to an even better outcome.
To him, being the best meant that you worked hard, even harder than he did.
From my dad, I have also heard similar statements. When I was little, it always seemed so ambiguous, and if anything always put me under the impression that there was something my father wasn't telling me, when in reality he's just really bad at communication, but regardless, he has always wanted the best for me. Now that I am in university, I finally understand what he has meant by saying "You have to do better than me, don't be me". I completely understand my dad in the sense of why he doesn't want me to be like him, he doesn't want me to live a sad reality the way he does, and while it may sound like I am taking pity on him, I am not. I just understand he has a lot of reasons as to why he can't be successful the way he wants me to, but if anything it has always encouraged me to do better for my family as a whole.
I went a whole year feeling like I didn’t belong and that I couldn’t be stellar
I definitely felt very lost first semester, part of it was having little to no preparation for anything. For example, when registering for classes or even my UA orientation, I did everything last minute, and because of how I started the semester, the way I ended it was definitely indifferent. This semester, I have set out priorities and even now I see how I am benefitting from doing as much as I can in attempt to prepare for the future, whether it is in class, or even outside of class. I also didn't put out the effort to really make friends last semester, part of it was because relationships seemed very superficial, but if anything I came to the realization, if people are meant to be in your life they will stick with you.
Being accountable for yourself is difficult if you’ve never done it before. I had to ask for help and it made me feel as if I couldn’t achieve the success I was so desperate for
Being able to take accountability as I grew up proved itself to be a challenge, especially in high school. Moving to a virtual platform, initially, I thought was going to be a piece of cake, and for a while it was. It wasn't til I started feeling super depressed from the lack of human interaction, and once my grades started declining due to me not doing it, I eventually had no excuses to not do it. Whole yes I was feeling very sad and unproductive, I failed to persevere during a time where I would have been able to succeed more. Now that I have already gone through one semester of college, I have made it my priority to get things done ahead of time, because really I don't want to keep turning things in when they're due, otherwise it makes me look bad as a student.
much of my shop class group also studied physics and chemistry. Mr. G used the concepts we learned about everyday life
Like Mr. G, I also love making real-world/academic connections. I in general have great memory, and so I remember a lot of what I had learned in high school, and now that I am in college, I see how what I had learned in the past makes sense with my courses now. In addition, you can also build cultural connections by surrounding yourself with people of various ethnicities/nationalities. While cultural connections may seem irrelevant, when you compare yourself to someone from a whole other side of the world, it is nice when you see how you use the same ingredients to prepare food, or even seeing how your mythologies compare. Connections are everywhere, whether it is in an academic or cultural circle, by making and forming connections life makes more sense.
Reflecting with purpose gives me agency: it transforms me into an active analyzer rather than a mere passive agonizer.
Recently, I made it a goal for myself to journal for the new year, part of it is because I like to write, but another reason is because I want to know more about myself as an individual, and sometimes going back and rereading journal entries gives me that same clarity. I started journaling to monitor my own personal growth, and if anything I think it is a great stress/anxiety reliever, especially from all the hardships university will provide us.
On the surface, none of these jobs I have had are “relevant work experience” in relation to my current career as an educator.
I really resonate with the author in this sense. One reason, is because I have worked hospitality, retail, and I have even taken on various internships, and within these different roles I have had, they all have contributed to who I am as a person. Through working multiple jobs, I have become a better and more productive worker/student. Working retail makes it easier to do mental calculations , and working hospitality made me realize bad habits I have when talking to random strangers. People will interpret things differently, and we can't expect them to all act or behave similarly, so it's best to be aware of any and all facial movements/expressions.
What have been some of your most important learning moments, either academic learning or learning that occurred outside the classroom?
Although, not relevant to the text, I had to pick this question in particular to answer, because I do think it is important to highlight a specific lesson in my life that has helped me. You have to be able to accept your losses, in high school I would cry at the thought of getting less than an 80% on anything and everything. Even if you do get less than what you want, it helps to accept your losses, especially because it makes future failures seem like minor issues. Failure is okay, and it shouldn't be viewed negatively, there's always tomorrow.
What value does it bring to my education?
Personally, so far from what I learned from Gen Ed's is that they're really only there to give you a small taste of everything before you decide what's right for you. For example, right now I am taking a colonial Latin American history course, and I decided to take it, because: One, I love history, and Two, I would like to know more about my own personal history. Even though, I am a neuroscience major, I am glad I am taking Gen Ed's instead of just taking all STEM classes, sometimes you need more incentive.
your first year is filled with growth, new connections, laughter
Thus far, I have grown a lot since last semester. I feel less anxious when meeting new people, and I feel better accustomed to the university now, than I did last semester. It feels strange, because I was somewhat different last semester than what I am this semester, part of it may be because I have decided to be more organized this year, and another may be because I have found a great support system for me.
I encourage you to share your campus experience and academic growth with your family and supporters
This specific caption really captured my attention, because normally I never share my academics with my parents. Part of it may be because I don't like to share my progress with other people, but another may be because I haven't had that reassurance coming from my own family. While my family is proud of me for what i am doing at the moment, I do feel it is necessary to share the information they avoid asking me.