As a teenager at Appleton West High School, I couldn't have cared less about my grades, or really about learning in general for that matter. My friends and the promise of graduation were the only things on my mind senior year, and I honestly didn't see college in my future. Even so, the combination of gentle parental nudging and having nothing better to do with my time led to my applying to UW-Fox Valley the summer after high school. My best friend at the time would be attending school there, and since I was a follower back then I figured sure, why not?
My first semester at Fox started the fall after graduation. Because I was an undecided major with no clear direction in mind, my schedule was pretty basic, consisting of a math, science and English course. To say the least, math and science aren't my favourite subjects, and to be honest English never excited me much either. But, I tested into an upper level English class called Composition II that semester, and that’s really when my love of knowledge began.
I shortly learned that college is nothing like high school, not even in the slightest. The professors treated us with respect, and for the first time I actually felt like an adult.
I could arrive a few minutes late to class without questioning, or leave a little early without permission. This was a foreign concept to me. The instructors joked more openly, discussed mature topics, and even let the occasional curse word slip. I repeat, nothing like high school. I came to the understanding that my education was solely in my own hands, and that I would get as much out of my classes as I put in.
It was soon after my first argumentative English essay was assigned that I took a profound interest in writing. The selected topics were fresh and exciting, and the words flowed off my fingertips so effortlessly. Even though we discussed the concept of critical
thinking during high school, at the time I put little thought into it. In college on the other hand, critical thinking finally made sense, became important to me.
The following spring brought life to the most significant growth in my academic mindset. This second semester, my critical thinking skills were put to the test. I enrolled in courses like philosophy, psychology, ethics and sociology, all at the introductory level. I developed a whole new outlook on just about every aspect of my own life, as well as the world around me. As strange as it sounds, I felt so thirsty for knowledge, and in particular, the truth. I find it necessary to mention my attendance at Catholic schools from preschool through ninth grade. From my own experience, I believe that even though you aren’t aware of it while it’s happening, Catholic school dramatically structures the way you perceive the world. First and foremost, you are taught to blindly believe. Asking questions isn’t something you do.
This semester of humanities and social science courses was when I really noticed myself taking the things I learned in class and applying them to my personal life. I finally enjoyed school and all it had to offer, and found myself frequently discussing what I’d learned with friends and family. I was finally interested in ideas and events, and far less concerned with people and things. For the first time in my life, I truly questioned the information I was presented with, instead of thoughtlessly accepting the things others told me as facts. My mind was opened and changed forever.
The following year, just when I thought I had come to a plateau with internal progress, I decided to focus my passion for writing. Despite my rather introverted character, I joined the campus newspaper staff. I was assigned my first story and became an official reporter for the Fox Journal. After just a semester of newswriting, I was
heavily swaying towards pursuing a future in journalism, after years with no clear career path.
That brings me to right now, the fall semester of 2012. This semester has been yet another of exceptional growth within me. I’ve come to the realization that we are continuously learning and growing, even after college. Not only did I receive a journalism scholarship this semester, I also was offered the paid position of copy-editor of the Fox Journal. This experience has introduced me to the world of leadership, something that was once far beyond the boundaries of my comfort zone.
And so, how exactly has my liberal education helped me process, develop informed opinions, make decisions about what I see and hear, and guided my participation as a citizen? How has it helped me interact with people with whom I disagree on the events that have taken place recently in our society?
My liberal arts education is one of the few things that belongs to me, that no one else can take away. It has shaped who I am today more than any experiences thus far in my life, and has opened my mind to the realm of critical thinking. I don’t take what I learn in school or hear from people as the guaranteed truth or the precise correct answer. I have learned to do my own research, learn about both sides of an issue, and establish my own opinions. Before college, I thought that my beliefs about everything should be established and concrete, that these opinions on life, people, and controversial issues defined who I was. I now know that these opinions are challenged as new people come into our lives, grow as we grow, and change as our experiences change.
Reporting for the Fox Journal has helped me to listen with an open mind to the people I interview, even if there’s no way I will ever agree with their beliefs. I have a
newfound respect for their opinions, and don’t think them any less than my own. There was a time when I found it difficult to be challenged and nearly impossible to be wrong. I didn’t like people questioning my beliefs or thought processes when it came to the matters close to my heart. Today, I greet these challengers with open arms. Their opinions are just as valuable as mine, and there just might be something I can learn from them along the way. And, if after debating with them I realize that I still disagree, so what? It only strengthens my own arguments by learning how to counter opposing views. My education at Fox, in addition, has taught me how to make logical arguments with conclusions that follow from their premises. It has helped me realize the difference between intelligent debates and pointless fights.
When I leave UW-Fox with my Associate Degree, I will be transferring to UW-Oshkosh to continue my education and receive a Bachelor’s Degree. And who knows? Maybe I’ll even continue my education further from there. Either way, I know this is just the beginning of my intellectual journey through life.
Follow Michaela on her Blog:
http://justanotherfoolonthehill.tumblr.com/
For More Posts:
http://growlearnthink.blogspot.com
Like Our Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/Growlearnthink
No comments:
Post a Comment