Final Term Reflection...

College seemed like a very intimidating place for me. My high school teachers told me hat it would be ten times harder than what I am accustomed to. College turned out to be exactly what I expected. I soon realized that the skills I developed in high school would not suffice. My transition into PSU was easier because I took the University Studies course but my decision to take Constructed Self with Dr. Ameri and Dune Zhu proved to be a valuable experience. Though this course, I learned so much about my strengths, my weaknesses, and my abilities to persevere through demanding times. I also gained a well-rounded education through the four main goals of University Studies, which included the following: communication, critical thinking, ethics & social responsibility, and human experience.

I know many people would agree with me when I say that this specific section of the University Studies freshman inquiry program was one of the most challenging classes. Dr. Ameri had very high expectations of us but I was determined to work my hardest to reach that level. Many people dropped out of the class because they could not keep up with the readings and/or workload. I was no exception. Fall term was exhausting and I felt very intimidated for my future courses.

I had to face my weaknesses and poor study skills head on if I wanted to succeed. Thanks to Dr. Ameri’s critiques, I was able to target specific weaknesses and work on improving them for future assignments. I was a procrastinator. In high school, I would wait until the last minute to complete an assignment. I usually pulled off an ‘A’. I performed the same procedure on my first college essay and received a low ‘C’. I was shocked. Dr. Ameri was able to see right through my lack of effort. At that point, I worked to improve the quality of my writing. Now, at the end of spring term, I feel so much more confident in my writing abilities. My peers would turn to me to help them edit their papers. I don’t think I could have improved so much had Dr. Ameri not pushed us so hard. She took us out of our comfort zones and helped us realize our potential in college.

Although many of my weaknesses surfaced within the course, I felt that many of my strengths were shown as well. I know now that I am very motivated to succeed. I take on difficult tasks as a challenge. Completing the course has been such an accomplishment for me because I never let myself give up. I persevered through and feel that I am ready to take on anything that PSU throws at me. 

PSU did have much to offer me this year in terms of the education I received. Through the University Studies goals, I’ve developed a much better rounded education than I would have initially received had I decided not to partake in the program. Each goal was reached through different projects and/or assignments completed. Since the Constructed Self theme centered on the me/us/them dynamic, our tasks concentrated on the relationship between my society and myself. Through this theme, I felt that I have broadened my understanding of society and have focused my perspective on identity.

From the Communication goal, my skills in communicating have dramatically improved with the knowledge I’ve gained in Power Point, Excel, and Front Page. I also felt that my oral capabilities were enhanced because of the debates and presentations we had to impart on. They helped me to be consciously aware of the visual impact of a presentation. There is no point to a fully detailed presentation if no one pays any attention because they are bored.

From the Diversity of Human Experience goal, I gained a more keen awareness of racial, social, and personal issues that each individual undertakes. In fall term, we focused on the ‘I’ by looking at how our unique experiences have shaped the person we’ve become. Then, in winter term, we broadened our focus on groups. We categorized certain people based on stereotypes and commonality. In spring term, we broadened our focus even more by examining groups of people in which we have little interaction with (i.e.: people in other countries). Through the different focuses, I know that each person’s perspective on life is different because of the environment in which we were raised, even if we tend to group people together based on a common culture.

From the Critical Thinking goal, I’ve found myself analyzing concepts automatically. I pick at a subject to find the core, and then used that foundation to formulate the big picture. Through assignments such as the Film Analysis paper, I’ve learned to observe the details of a movie. The casual viewer watches for entertainment by an analytical viewer pays attention to the placement of certain objects, to the intensity of lighting, to the movement of the cameras. I appreciate the brilliance of directors so much more now that I am aware of all the work that goes into making a great film.

From the Ethics and Social Responsibility goal, I’ve become so much more aware of the impact I have on my peers/community based on my moral/ethical decisions. In the Youth Mentoring project and Civic Engagement project, I’ve had the opportunity to reach out to my community and observe/interact with its members. Both instances have facilitated my understanding of the ‘web’ we create in society. Each member has the potential to make or break this web.

The Constructed Self course was a very worthwhile experience. I will definitely take what I’ve learned in this course and apply it to my future. Learning about our interactions and the perspectives we acquire while growing up was very inspiring for me. I never realized how complex our identity, let alone our society, really was until this course. I came into this class hesitant about its intentions but now I leave with insight, achievement, and empowerment.