Time for celebration! (Actually, we can celebrate after Friday…). Wow, it’s finally the end of this semester and the end of this specific journey. First, I want to congratulate all my fellow students who have stuck with this class to the end! It has been hard and time consuming work, but our dedication will pay off hopefully with the grade we want but also with the skills we have learned along the way. This class has had the largest homework load so far, I only took three classes total this semester and feel like it was one of my busiest. If this wasn’t my last semester at AVC I would have been tempted to drop this class, but I stuck with it, gave it my best shot, and now the work is almost completed (I just have one more page to write for the research paper). Diligence is one of the skills that have improved the most for me. I am already an organized person and usually diligent, but this class has challenged me more than I have ever been with diligence. Even now I am tempted to just watch a movie and then take night quill (for my cold) and get a good night’s sleep, but this is the last blog and I have made the decision to push through and finish well!
The part of this class that I have enjoyed the most is our readings and your blog posts. The reading in our Exploring Language textbook introduced me to topics that I was not too familiar with, such as propaganda. The thinking critically questions forced me to digest and think deeper on subjects that I would have been to lazy to think about on my own. The reading I enjoyed most and learned the most about was “Reading Lolita in Tehran.” So much is going on in the Middle East but I did not know much about the culture and way of life over there. “Reading Lolita in Tehran” has given me a glimpse of what life in the Middle East is like for women. It showed me that there are unique individuals in Iran who do not conform to the social norm, it helped me understand some of the struggles women have over there.
I have also really enjoyed reading all your blog posts. It was good to read my fellow classmate’s thoughts on topics that I thought about that week, it gave me new perspectives to read your blog posts. This class has taught me that I do not despise all forms of writing. I still do not like or enjoy formal papers and essays but I almost enjoy blogging! This is huge for me, to almost like any sort of writing! Although this is my last blog post for this class, it will not be my last blog. I have decided to keep a blog during my stay in Thailand this summer. So I’ll be staying in the Blogging community! Alright, I guess this is goodbye. So have a wonderful Summer and enjoy your break!
-E
I agree with you about this class being a heavy load, but it was not my heaviest. I really enjoyed all the exercises this semester. Just like you I feel like my ability to be diligent has greatly improved. I am one of the worlds largest procrastinators. This class has just about cured me of that. It would be impossible to get through this class if you procrastinate.(Unless you are one of those brilliant writing types of people) I used to think that I could fake a good writing prompt until I took this class. I quickly figured out there is no faking it here.
ReplyDeleteAgain I feel the same about the Exploring Language textbook. It really opened my eyes to so many things that just get swept under the rug. I feel like I am actually a better citizen, parent and student because I am thinking critically now. I will no longer take information at face value. One very important concept I learned from Jennifer was to ask the question of the author, who is this person? Why should I believe them?
The depth of analysis that is required is exhausting. I get tired of thinking about it. It always seems just as I get finished with a paper I realize that I could think deeper.