I'm a visual learner and mind maps truly help me brainstorm.

I've never really thought about reading in this way. I'm excited to practice this!

To me, reading means slowing down and actually letting myself connect with a story or idea, not just scanning words on a page. As a reader, I’m someone who enjoys reading when I’m interested in the topic, but struggles when it feels forced or purely academic. My reading process is usually to skim first to get the general idea, then go back and read more closely, especially if I know I’ll need to write or discuss it.

A time I found myself in a new discourse community was when I started my job at the electric cooperative. I literally knew nothing about the electric industry, so it felt super overwhelming at first and like everyone was speaking a different language. I definitely felt pressure to conform and “act like I knew what I was doing” until I learned the terminology, processes, and expectations. Things like the industry jargon, the way coworkers communicated with members, and the standards for accuracy and professionalism made it clear what was expected, and over time I started to feel more comfortable being myself in that space.

I typically like to skim texts then reread, it helps me truly process what I'm reading.

My main learning goal is to become a better, more thoughtful writer and to actually engage with what I’m reading instead of rushing through it just to get it done. Some strategies I’ll use are annotating every reading, giving myself time to think before responding, and being open to feedback so I can keep improving.

Tutoring is for everyone! Even if you think you know everything about a topic, having a tutor who can share their perspective can be so beneficial and help you learn even more.

I think individual experience is important because everyone comes into a space with different backgrounds, emotions, and ways of seeing the world, and that shapes how we understand things. In academic settings, I think we can start connecting experiences by letting people share their perspectives, asking questions, and actually listening instead of assuming there’s only one “right” way to think about something. When learning connects to real life, it feels more meaningful and easier to care about.

It truly is so important to have a flexible mindset and experiment. You won't truly grow unless you step out of your comfort zone and try something new.

I am a visual learner. My education has been a mix of all the zones. My math and science classes tend to fall in the learning zone and panic zone. English was always in the comfort zone. Arts and history were typically a mix of comfort and learning zone.

While I absolutely love learning, a lot of my classes have led to me staying in the "Comfort Zone" and I would not truly learn anything.

100% true

I completely agree with this. A test doesn't determine someone's ability to think.

This is critical, especially for college students. If I'm not genuinely interested in what I'm learning, I won't give it the time of day.

This is how you get students genuinely excited to learn.

Overall, I have had a good educational experience. I have had a handful of teachers/professors that were passionate about what they taught and were passionate about helping their students learn. However, the majority of my teachers and professors just gave lectures, assigned busy work, and did not interact with students very much.

Questioning is definitely how I learn best. The old school learning model sounds way too familiar and while I got amazing grades, I did not truly learn much.

I think this is such an interesting and helpful way to truly get students to engage in class and learn instead of students not actively paying attention to lectures and not putting effort into assignments.

Learning, to me, is when something actually sticks and changes how I think or understand something, not just memorizing it for a test. I think we learn best when we’re interested in what we’re learning and can connect it to real life. If I can talk about it, write it in my own words, or apply it to something real, it makes way more sense and I actually remember it.