Posts tagged college

Thursday and Friday marked the first two days of my last semester as an undergrad before student teaching. There were lots of ups and downs (Thursday was my birthday, and Friday I found out that being number 1 on a wait list doesn’t mean much), but overall, it was a good couple of days.

I went to my methods class on Friday morning at 8 am thinking about how much I hated being up that early and how boring the first days of classes usually are. It wasn’t long before other students walked in. These students were juniors taking the methods classes out of sequence, and, as such, I had never come in contact with them before. It didn’t take long for all of us to strike up a conversation, though.

Then, the people I actually know showed up. The professor came in and began class with a little “get to know you” game played in groups of four. My group consisted of me, my friend Sarah, and two other people whom I’ve had classes with and talked to before but don’t know very well. We had a really good time answering questions about the last books we read and the classes we are most looking forward to this semester.

As we went over the syllabus for the course, Dr. S brought up the fact that there would be a couple of presentations made by pairs of people as the semester goes on. Sarah and I just looked at each other, and it was understood that we would be working together on these presentations.

I was really overwhelmed in that methods class (and at my birthday dinner on Thursday night) by the sense of comradery that I feel with my roommates and friends and the others in my major. I have never in my life felt so accepted by a group of people as I have with the friends I’ve made in this English Ed. program. I’ve never had more than 2 people whom I could call when times get tough; now I know I have at least 6 who would immediately drop everything to help me out and who know that I would do the same for them. It’s a really wonderful feeling, and even though I didn’t get into all the classes I wanted to for my final semester, I’m thankful for the friends I’ve made and the fact that despite the imperfect way in which I found this place, I am where I belong.

seekelslearn:

I thrive with structure.

You cannot give me a semester’s worth of lectures and assignments online and tell me to watch them and do them before this date.

I need a lecture where I sit in front of a professor, he says words, and I write them down. I need due dates and sample assignments to help me see what the professor is looking for.

How does that happen? Has my hand been held throughout my career as a student? Probably.

Is it a good thing that I prefer the traditional route? I’m not sure.

Should I be able to motivate myself to watch these lectures and do these assignments just because I love to learn? Yes.

But, it is hard. I have always been told what to learn and when to learn it, and now this tiny bit of freedom is making me go crazy.