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Podcast Reflection

As the deadline towards the end of the course grows closer I think reflecting back on my experience when creating the final project is a great idea. Podcasts are something I have been interested in for a very long time; getting the chance to create one of my own is an opportunity I am extremely grateful for. From my perspective, this is one of the most interesting assignments I have ever been given due to its freedom and flexibility: I was particularly excited about exploring a topic of my own interest, while having the chance gain a deeper understanding into something I love. Creating my podcast was no task for the weary, and the final product is a representation of the research done beforehand, and my ability to execute when creating the project. Moreover, the feedback I received from my peers is tremendously important to my experience with my podcast as a whole.

In my opinion, the portion of my podcast dedicated to research was the most important aspect of its creation. My research was centered around three major factors: firsthand testimony, secondary source material, and my independent idea generation. When I decided to create my podcast on jiu-jitsu I knew would have to speak to someone in my class. Initially, I thought the majority of my primary research would come from conversing with my friends who were in my class, but later I realized the most valuable information would come from a one-on-one with my instructor: a task that to me seemed like an incredibly difficult challenge. For my first couple classes, I could not seem to muster up the courage to approach him, but as the submission deadline moved closer we found time to chat after my classmates had left the gym. I only spoke to him for about five minutes but during this brief encounter, I managed to ask deep questions that allowed me to extract valuable information. My instructor was more than happy to give me thoughtful answers about his personal life and experience. While our conversation may have been short it gave me the substance I needed to make my podcasts content interesting and relatable. Additionally, the foundation of my content came from listening to the Joe Rogan Experience, particularly his interview with Guy Riche. Joe Rogans podcast can be credited with developing my interest jiu-jitsu; as an ex-MMA fighter, he speaks freely on jiu-jitsu’s impact on his own life and often expands on its connection to his general philosophy. His episode with Guy Richie grabbed my attention because I was a huge fan of his beforehand, with Snatch being one of my favorite films. Both Richie and Rogan have their black belts in jiu-jitsu and during their conversation, they articulated their thoughts on martial arts profoundly. Once I decided to explore martial arts I was tasked with finding a research question to provide my topic with more depth. This is where my own ideas came into play, as I attempted to make the connection between martial arts and academia.

As well as researching information, the actual creation of my podcast and my experience with audacity deserves to be commented on. From my experience creating the podcast was fairly straightforward because of the background info we received in class. I am generally good with technology so I had little trouble navigating the required software and exporting certain files. In general, I had little difficulty with the technical side of the podcast. With that being said I did have a hard time with my voice and reading my script. While I managed to find a quiet space to record, I had a ton of problems breathing when I was reading; due to this, I sounded fairly exasperated and short of breath towards the end of my podcast. I also had trouble with my shifting between different voice pitches and controlling the volume of my voice. Creating my podcasts actual content was not difficult as I attempted to structure it as an essay while keeping the tone of my writing less scholarly and more personal.

Finally, the feedback I gained gave me valuable insight into what I did well and what I could improve on. I was happy to find that most of my classmates were interested in my podcasts topic; many people liked my connection between school and martial arts. This was a pleasant surprise because one of my major concerns was bringing a podcast about martial arts to such a wide audience. With that being said it seems one of my major faults was my lack of emotion and range of pitch in my voice. Reading back my podcast is defiantly something I think I can improve on for next time.

In general, the task of creating my podcast proved to be an enjoyable experience. Having the freedom to develop ideas of my choice provided me with a nice departure from my usual assignments analyzing Greece and Rome. The assignment tested my ability to conduct research and subsequently integrate this research into a podcast format. Diving into something I love was a great way to end this course.

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Blog Post #9

When thinking about what items to include in a time capsule three objects come to mind. The first and perhaps most important item would be the computer: a technological article that is integral to life at university. Also, I would include the costume of the Gryphon: UofG’s mascot. This costume would provide a direct reflection regarding the identity of Guelph students. Lastly, I would attempt to incorporate something that represents our connection to agriculture, possibly a coin or a similar memento.

In my opinion, the most important modern tool for the communication throughout academia is the portable laptop. Having a laptop accessible at all times allows for easy access to the internet and consequently an entire network of resources. Typing notes during class has become a standard in most classrooms; this ability for computers to bridge the gap between teacher and student makes it an important device for the future. Moreover, in the modern world, much of the academic network has begun to thrive in an online setting. As a Classicist, your work will be published on the internet for other scholars to analyze, making the internet an important tool for scholarly conversation. 

Additionally, adding the school's Gryphon costume would serve to demonstrate the identity of the university. One of the most important things to UofG is its sense of community and connection between the student body and the university’s image as a whole. I have found that Gryphons have some of the most pride out of any other university students, and we are known for a feeling of togetherness; both of these characteristics are demonstrated through our sports teams which highlight our competitive nature. With this in mind, the Gryphon makes an adequate personification for Guelphs community and therefore is inseparable from any other object added to the vault.

Finally, the vault should include a keepsake from the agricultural college. Since I am not an agricultural student I am no expert on our agricultural history; with that being said I am sure farming played a huge role in shaping the university’s identity and therefore it should not be left out of the capsule. I do know that Guelph has the largest agricultural program in Ontario and is at the forefront of food research. I am also sure that our university began as a specialized school in agriculture and built on other programs from that starting point.

It is impossible to conjure just how far objects and ideas will develop into the future. Attempting to choose just three objects that present an idea of life at UofG is difficult and I'm sure there are many more options that could have illustrated Guelphs identity. Technology and methods of living at university will almost certainly continue to grow but hopefully, these objects will give some context to the joys of Guelph in 2018.

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Blog post #8

Due to my inability to attend today's lecture, my blog post will focus on the second question that has been raised. For me, the topic of justice in modern society is a tough cookie to crack. I tend to stay away from mainstream media and as a result, I am almost always out of the loop on issues that are prevalent in today's world. With that being said when thinking about justice the topic of animals is impossible for me to ignore: I believe animal cruelty is an issue that must be confronted.

Animal cruelty is an issue that has been relevant to my life for as long as I can remember. From a young age, I always felt a strong connection with animals (especially dogs); I surrounded myself with as many of them as I could because they brought me a tremendous amount of happiness and comfort. As a kid whenever I visited family friends I usually spent all my time with their pets. After rescuing Emmy in 2007 I felt a bond form between us where our emotions became intertwined; I found that she acted differently was accommodating towards my different moods. Based on this experience I find the harsh treatment towards animals deeply distributing. It is almost as if I saw the connection I had with Emmy in dogs all around the world. I remember visiting the Toronto Humane Society and tearing up when I saw a number of dogs being kept in cages; I saw how happy my dog became once she found a family and wished deeply that these animals could find the same experience.

When discussing the issue of animal abuse I think the easiest way to make a difference is following the rule of “adopt don’t shop.” One of the most disappointing things to me is learning that far too many people pay to breed a certain type of dog rather than rescuing a stray in need of a home. Emmy was brought to the Humane Society after living for six months on the street: her life with my family is a testament to the quality of dogs that can be found at the local pound. There is also the issue of puppy mills and mass breeding in impoverished nations, but they are issues that would be harder to tackle.

One of my favorite members of my family is my aunt (Dads sister), who is working at an animal rescue center in Thailand; her and I both have the ability to experience intense bliss from the company of animals, but we also suffer when the same animals are mistreated. Humanity’s relationships we animals are something that should be preserved and never exploited.

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Podcast Pitch, Revised

When attempting to uncover podcast ideas I decided to look towards martial arts, a subject that has recently grabbed my attention. At the beginning of my second semester I decided to join Guelph’s ju-jitsu classes, and from my brief introduction to the sport, I have already experienced a distinctive change in my psyche. I find my time on the mat a pleasant departure from my life spent in the ancient world. Additionally Practicing a martial art has also given me an outlet for competition, which is something I have been lacking since my departure from high school sports. What I think I was missing was not necessarily the competition between people but rather the utilization of a specific skill; a concept I tested in sports such as hockey and basketball, which are two activities that require a high degree of competency in one area. After my brief endeavor with ju-jitsu, I already felt more confident and content than I did beforehand. I wanted to analyze this change and dig deeper into the activity that has managed to impact my life so quickly. My next step was narrowing my approach and finding a specific aspect of ju-jitsu to focus on.

Originally, I wanted to explore ju-jitsu in relation to academics. As a student, my life is partly dominated by attending classes, completing schoolwork, and thinking about school in a general sense. I believe this has a significant impact on one's mindset and I thought it would be interesting to see if martial arts somehow balanced out the stressfulness of life at school. Additionally, I find it particularly interesting to look at martial arts as metaphor; analyzing ju-jitsu’s philosophical implications is something that I would like to integrate into my research. These ideas served as a starting point but after discussing my original pitch I formed a more focused and narrow approach to my project.

While I like the idea of discovering a relationship between ju-jitsu and academic performance I think it would be more beneficial to look at the role of ju-jitsu plays in peoples lives as a whole. To me, this approach gives me more room to discuss interesting aspects of the sport and how they relate not just to school, but to all aspects of student life. Moreover, I thought that the academic approach would merit an analysis that acknowledges the medical and psychological side of the subject; based on the nature of this project I think it would be more interesting to focus on the effects of ju-jitsu in a more general sense. To conclude, my podcast will investigate the meaning of ju-jitsu and martial arts to university students, with special emphasis placed on understanding its role in their life as a broader concept. I will obtain information from firsthand conversation with people in my class at Guelph and other people who enjoy martial arts.

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Blog Post #7

This semester I belong to the exclusive few who do not have any midterms until after reading-week (a membership that my friends find particularly annoying). As a result, I have put my midterm preparation on hold. With that in mind, this blog post will outline my study process during last semesters midterms, and describe the skills I built as a result of this process.

The evaluations in my CLAS*1000 were integral in shaping my study techniques and learning processes as a whole. Last semester, my Classics term test was my first encounter with a university evaluation; I studied for about a day by going over terms, and memorizing a good portion of an essay. The result was not what I hoped for so I decided to go to my TA’s office hours and gain some insight into what I could improve on. Here I learned valuable information on how to advance my writing and overall success on evaluations. All of my tests in this course followed the same structure so going into my later midterm I had a much better idea of how to study. I ended up getting into a routine of studying specific content, such as terms and essays that I thought I would be evaluated on. As A result, I achieved a much better grade on the midterm and final; I didn’t completely change the way I was studying but instead looked over different content that I knew had a much better chance of being on the exams. Two of my three midterms this semester are written by the same prof I had in CLAS*100; based on this I think my preparation for my upcoming midterms should be fairly straightforward.

To conclude, my experience in last semesters Intro to Classics has provided me with a significant insight into the way I study: not necessarily changing how I memorize or retain information, but rather, shedding a light on information that is important. The skill of recognizing information that the professor expects you to know is an asset that I hope I can carry with me into this semesters evaluations, and hopefully, I will achieve marks that satisfy my motivations.

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Blog Post #6

A): When reading Nathan’s section on “dorm talk” I found that many of the things I talk about with my friends mirrored Nathan’s observations. Like Nathan I find that there is a distinctive divide between the formal sphere of the classroom and university’s informal lifestyle. Although I am taking classes with people I talk to everyday I find that we rarely discuss course material, and instead speak of things that demand our more immediate attention; this includes subjects like food, the weekend, or entertainment (tv shows, etc). Generally our everyday conversation is separated from the academic side of life. I feel that this separation is connected to students expectations going into university and our value system as a whole: our academic and intellectual pursuits are something that is fiercely independent. I find that my peers rarely ask about my true desires and goals in life, and I rarely ask about theirs. This could be connected to our value system which somehow places academics on a less important scale than success in the social system. This concept is complex but I think Nathan does touch on this tendency, describing the reluctance to discuss academic concepts with her classmates, and connecting it to their view of education as a whole.

 Nathan also describes the effect of this disconnection between students and their courses on the intellectual side of university. Based on my experience I have found that distance between the classroom and the social sphere has disabled intellectual discussion. While having an independent relationship with my course material may have its benefits I feel that it does take away from my ability to share my subject matter with my peers; this reluctance to share academic experience does disable the discussion of art, philosophy, and other intellectual topics. From my experience it feels like touching on subjects of the higher mind somehow feels like encountering another lecture. 

With this being said some of the best conversations I have ever had have been in my dorm listening to music with my friends. I do agree with Nathan in the sense in the general sense, but there have been many occasions where I have found exceptions to her rule. I have not got the chance to eavesdrop of my fellow students but from general conversation I have found that there is most defiantly a gap between the classroom and the dorm.

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Blog Post #5

Nathan describes resident doors as form of communication belonging to “informal student culture,”and through analysis she uses these doors as a way to uncover important information about her fellow students while drawing conclusions about dorm life as a whole. Nathan discusses the images on students doors as an expression of student identity. I think one of the more interesting observations Nathan makes is the contrast between themes of family and freedom and the ability students have to send certain messages about themselves. For the most part these messages include images that attempt to reinforce the qualities of “friendly-fun”; an aspect of ones personality that students find valuable. In general terms this can be compared to the idea of appearing “cool” or desirable from someones point of view. With these things in mind I think one of the most important things Nathan brought forward is the cultural tendency to mould ones-self to a particular set of standards that the collective deems valuable. This is a concept that I will find throughout my dormitory.

Looking around Johnston Hall I found that Nathan and I��discovered many of the same decorations in our residences. At a glance I found many pictures of my fellow dorm members engaged in “friendly-fun”; this included images of students posing in large groups, smiling, and usually wearing Guelph apparel. In my opinion this sends the message of freedom, but can also be perceived as an attempt to adhere to a set of values that is considered “cool.” Walking around I found many doors that boosted the same images, thereby advertising the same set of values and sending the same message. I think this desire to be similar can somehow be connected to the social anxiety that comes with being in a completely new place. When surrounded by a bunch of new people it is common to attempt to blend in to the larger group; I found that many people placed images that did not individualize themselves but rather made them appear more like their peers. I found that in most hallways all the doors were decoration or none was decorated at all, and in the hallways that were completely decorated the doors looked interchangeable.

With this being said I think it is sometimes important not to take these things so seriously. On my short walk I found many doors that were painted with beautiful designs of nature; drawing conclusions from peoples doors can be important in some situation, but in many cases I think it is more important to enjoy them for what they are.  

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Blog Post #4

Coming to university has defiantly gave me some important insights surrounding my household. Upon leaving I have found that I approach my life at home with more tranquility and tolerance towards my family members. When I got home at the end of my first semester I felt relived that I made it through the first step of university and I felt excited to have three weeks to unwind and relax with my family. What I found was that the things that bothered me before I left didn’t annoy me as much; I felt like I was much more relaxed when it came to conversing with my family members and the chores that I hated doing before suddenly were not as bad. 

Something that stuck out to me once I returned home was the role of family in determining ones values and path in life. I discovered that during my time at university I had forgotten some of the things that were central to my success as a student and my happiness as a person. During the first couple weeks of the break my brother was at school and my parents were at work, as a result, I found I had much more time alone to relax and reflect on the things I had been learning. During this time alone I feel like I was able to think more deeply about things that had been bothering me during my time at school - I was able to get a better idea of what I did well and what I needed to improve on. This time alone at home is not always a luxury that one can afford at school. During my first semester in res I found that it is incredibly easy to to surround yourself by people; this is an aspect on university that I love but it does prove to be problematic when attempting to keep a clear head. Since I have been back at school I have been trying to find the time to integrate some time for isolated reflection into my life on campus. I think this would defiantly help me keep my focus academically and also allow myself to unwind and be alone with my thoughts. Lately I have been attempting to meditate every other morning before class, while sometimes it feels ridiculous I believe it is a great way to start off your day with a relaxing tone.  

One of the things Nathan touches on is the inability to see ones situation from a totally objective standpoint and in my situation Im sure there are many other factors contributing to my sense of comfort at home other than time spent alone. With that being said, I would be surprised if my university experience didn’t become more interesting with a bit more introspection.

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Learning Journey Assignment

Experience 1, First Year Greek (Formal Learning)

One of my more recent formal learning experiences occurred at the start of my second semester. Being a student in Guelph’s Classics program it is mandatory to take either Greek or Latin at an introductory level; this requirement is unique compared to other Canadian universities which separate majors in Classical culture and Classical language. This Greek course has proved its importance by forcing me to acknowledge the strength it will take to progress through my program of study. Attending my first couple classes in ancient Greek was an interesting experience because it exposed me to a totally different style of studying ancient culture. I dropped out of French at a young age so I did not have the scaffolding that contributes to learning a second language. This made my first couple classes fairly intimidating. Due to the 9:30am start time and the difficulty of learning a second language I was considering dropping the course. It was my professor that changed my mind; he basically explained that if I wanted to be successful in my program I needed to obtain a deeper understanding of Classical language. As a Classical scholar your ability to discover and interrupt Greek and Latin language is what individualizes you from the standard Historian. My Greek professor stressed the importance of combining your knowledge of the classical world with your competencies in Greek language to succeed as a Classicist. This learning experience resided predominantly inside the classroom, but there was a element of discovery that I found by doing a bit of independent research. Generally speaking, my introduction to Greek language has served as the starting point to learning about the ancient world from a higher standard, and looking back, this may become the pivotal point in my academic journey.

Experience 2, Begining my Career in the Workforce (Informal Learning)

As well as my experience in Greek, my experience starting my first job can be considered a major informal learning experience. Working at Fat Bastard Burritos in Toronto taught me many different things, but as a good job should, it also taught me the value of money and hard work. For a 2-3 month period during my last year of high school I was working full time, which proved problematic due to the location of my school in relation to the burrito shop. I had to take the subway/bus at the end of the school day to work until 10pm. I felt overwhelmed and tired but I knew I had to keep working and make it through the last couple months until the summer. Juggling work and school was hard but I learned not to half-ass my studies or slack off at work because I knew putting in less effort at work/school would be a waste of my time. Working hard also taught me the value of the work I was putting into my job, and the money I was receiving. No longer did I have the time or the motivation to be frivolous. Im hoping in the future I can translate the effort I put in during those couple months to my studies at school; if I can find that same mindset of discipline and routine I know I will bring my grades up significantly.

Experience 3, Meeting my Manager and Friend (Personal Learning)

 Another important personal learning experience occurred through my relationship with one of my bosses at Fat Bastard Burritos. After a couple months of working without a primary manager the owner of the store brought his good friend in to help increase profits. This was when I met Rob, my new manager and friend. What Rob taught me was two of the most important aspects for a great life: confidence and laughter. He carried himself in a manner that demanded your attention; if he was in the room you would know. Additionally he never failed to crack a joke  about customers or his employees. He always told me to keep my back straight at the cash register and crack a smile to our customers. He liked me because we had the same sense of humour and we both had long hair. Rob never went to college or university but working with him for a summer felt like the best education I have ever had. In the future I would love to try and integrate some of his confidence into my studies. Im having a hard time with Greek but I know Rob would tell me to relax and approach the language with a charming smile.

Experience 4, My Relationship with my Aunt (Personal Learning)

Moreover, one of my more personal learning experiences deals with my family’s relationship with my aunt. Throughout my life my aunt has always been a symbol of what to not be, or what I would end up like if I made bad decisions. She has been mentally ill for as long as I can remember and over the course of my life I have experienced many of her psychotic episodes firsthand. I can’t really remember the way these episodes made me feel because they occurred at such a young age but I have some memories of her relapsing at Christmas/Thanksgiving dinners. She was never violent but these episodes usually ended in her yelling at my mom. Although my aunt has her many faults my mother and grandparents still care for her deeply; we have something in common being the older siblings and as a result I have always had a close relationship with her. Some of my fondest memories are sitting on the back porch with her while she smoked cigarettes; I always remember asking her questions about things I could never talk about with my parents. My mother always takes the time to stress the importance of staying away from drugs, as my aunt has battled with addiction since she was a teenager. Looking towards the future I think it would be beneficial to attempt to try and cut down on my alcohol intake, seeing as my aunt suffered from substance abuse in her early twenties. My dad was adopted so my brother and I never had the chance to develop relationships with his side of the family, as a result my moms side of the family is extremely valuable to us, and while I will always love my aunt deeply I saw how hard her illness was on the people around her, and I never want to have that effect on my family.

Experience 5, Meeting Music (Personal Learning)

Additionally, one of my fondest personal memories was my family’s trip to New Orleans: the Jazz Capital of the United States. My learning experience occurred through our trip to Preservation Hall a musical venue in the heart of the French Quarter. I went on this trip just after my 14th birthday and listening to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band had a massive effect on my impressionable young ears. My dad used to take me to concerts when I was younger but this was my first time experiencing traditional jazz played by passionate musicians. This experience served as the gateway into my love of jazz music; I will always have the vinyl copy of their first album and the awe I experienced watching people perpetuate some of the oldest music alive will stick with me forever. I think one of the most important things Jazz music has taught me is the method of relaxation. There is nothing more tranquil than lying in bed listening to A Kind of Blue, and I use these moments to unloaded stress and relax. My plan for the future is to continue to listen and learn about the genre and enjoy the music that have loved from such a young age.

Experience 6, Thinking about Studying (Informal Learning)

 Another informal learning experience occurred when I was studying for my exams last semester. Gearing up for four major exams demanded a different method of studying than high school tests. I After a couple term tests I got into a kind of routine where I prepared for multiple choice questions by creating a study sheet from lecture notes and slides, and for essay questions by writing out my essay beforehand and memorizing it before the exam. No one really taught me this method but rather I encountered it by myself. These methods of studying were completely different from anything I experienced before and seeing as most of my exams follow the same format I will be able to utilize this technique in the future.

Experience 7, Personal Relationship (Personal Learning)

 Also, since I arrived at university I have met a ton of people that I admire and I would consider my friends, but one relationship in particular has helped me reflect on some of my abilities and personality traits. I met one of my best friends on the first day of university and since then we have spent a considerable amount of time together. One of the traits I admire most about him is his ability to stand up for himself and his friends. He has many “alpha-male” characteristics that sometimes make him seem overly aggressive, but allow him to exert an aura of confidence. He is extremely loyal and dependable; one of things that I respect about him is his commitment to his own mortals and the goodness of others. He stature commands respect for himself and the people around him; I have never been in a situation with him where I felt like somebody was being treated unfairly. In comparison, I have personality traits that are hyper-agreeable. This can be useful but one of the things that makes our relationship work so well is that we both respect our personalities which sometimes fall on opposite ends of the spectrum. I think moving forward I can integrate some of his characteristics into my personality. Over the past couple months he has taught me about how to carry yourself with a bit more confidence and if I can teach him anything if may be some advise about keeping a level head. Sometimes we may clash but I have come to the conclusion that there is no amount of temporary anger that will split us apart. 

Experience 8, Relationship with my Dog (Personal Learning)

 I think one of my most important learning experiences occurred through my relationship with my dog Emmy, who unfortunately passed away when I arrived at university. My family, after constant nagging on my part ended up rescuing her when I was seven and from that point on I was given the responsibilities for taking care of her. I fed and walked her every day and once and a while I would cut her nails or give her a bath. I loved every second I spent with her and through our relationship I learned the value one gets out of sacrificing your immediate well being  for the good of someone else. Sometimes I didn’t want to take her out to use the washroom but I knew it was my job, and I learned that meeting the responsibilities you set for yourself is a great feeling. I have found, personally, that I get a similar feeling of fulfilment when I meet the academic goals I set for myself; sometimes just saying your going to do something and doing it is enough to be happy.

Experience 9, Introduction to Classical Studies (Personal Learning)

  Additionally, one of my more interesting personal learning experiences occurred through my introduction to Classical antiquity in my first semester of university. Going into university as an English major I thought I wanted to become a writer or work in a publishing house. I assumed because I loved reading and discussing literature that my path somehow involved obtaining my undergraduate degree in English. My path changed when I took an introductory English course and realized that the content and method of studying literature did not appeal to me as much as I thought; I came to the conclusion that I much preferred reading for pleasure opposed to a more academic relationship with literature. When I was introduced to studying Classical culture I found that by studying history I could combine my love of literature and writing and impose them on a subject that was much more interesting to me. More importantly I was not picking apart poems and prose but rather studying a culture that had appealed to me from a young age. I feel like I want to run with this realization and do the best I can in my program.

Experience 10, Working in Vancouver (Informal Learning)

 Additionally, a significant informal learning experience was working for three weeks at a printing shop in Vancouver. Due to my jobs location I had to wake up early (6am) and take multiple buses into work everyday; I worked from eight to four and at the end of the day I was exhausted. By working everyday for three months I was exposed to the prospect of having a “real job”, which taught me the importance of finding something that you actually like to do. Although I loved the people I worked with I felt like they didn’t really like their job; I got the sense that they might have steered away from their passion and stetted for something that could provide immediate financial support. I am very lucky to have the opportunity to gain an education and I believe it is important for me to use this to pursue something I love out of respect for the people who can’t.

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Metacognition and Learning

Unfortunately due to illness I missed Thursday’s seminar and as a result I guess Im out of the loop on all things metacognition. Keeping that I mind I will try to answer some of todays blog questions without the info from class (like a Spartan without a spear). By doing a quick google search on metacognition I found that it can be defined as a kind of “higher-level” cognition; it is the knowledge about cognition and the way you learn. Since metacognition has been labeled as literally “thinking about thinking” I think its effect on learning is pretty straightforward. Thinking about, and focusing on metacognition can provide an awareness of ones strengths and weakness surrounding intelligence. Thinking about ones thinking processes can also allow you to actually learn how you learn, which at university is an invaluable realization.  

Based on my personal experience my best reflection  occurs when I attempt to explain detailed information to people who have no prior knowledge on the subject. This would usually involve creating a study sheet and giving it to one of my friends while I narrate a certain topic. Usually my friends would use the study sheet to keep me on track and make sure I hit all my major points. For example before one of my exams last semester one of my hall-mates suffered the burden of listening to me attempt to explain the fall of the Roman Empire. 

From my experience my studying has been most efficient when I think aloud about the stuff Im trying to learn. This means being vocal about the stuff Im reading but also testing myself by explaining things to others. I guess when Im studying for exams I really attempt to learn my subject first, but also test myself on it after to make sure I really hammer home the information. For instance when I have to write an essay on a test, I will usually attempt to prepare for a few topics and remember the essay beforehand. That way I can bang out the hardest question first when I write my exams.

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Blog Post #2

Listening to Kim, Daniel and Jodie in todays class was a relaxing break from the classic lecture. I thought they provided great advice and brought up valuable points to consider for first year students. I think what stuck out to me most of all was their elaboration on the journey and destination of ones career path, and I couldn’t help but connect our conversation to some of the more abstract ideas around career satisfaction.  In some sense, I believe it is common to think of ones journey in life as governable and autonomous. The belief that ones success in based on merit and personal identity is deeply imbedded in society, resulting in a culture that believes their social status and career fulfilment is a product of their characteristics (work ethic, dedication, etc). More importantly, these people judge their failure with the same criteria, labeling poor financial standing and career dissatisfaction as a result of their personal inabilities.  

What I found in todays discussion was an argument against this meritocratic idea. Kim, Daniel and Jodie all failed at one point in their careers but when reflecting back on their shortcomings they did not seem bitter or wistful, rather, they approached the past with an eye for analysis and asked why they did not initially succeed. Maybe they were not ready to jump into university or they found they were studying the wrong subject, what’s important is that they used this failure as a chance to build upon other skills and facilitate greater experience. They did not recognize this failure as a result of a lack of virtue or good character; looking back on their experience they may have realized that these experiences were milestones on their journey to the present. 

I think this ideas are important because it offer two different perspectives on career journeys: one, a more self-righteous point of view, sees achievements (and failures) as something that can be harnessed, and the second is a more accommodating perspective, which recognizes the magnitude and randomness of success and failure. The belief that ones destiny is in the hands of the observer has many implications, and is an idea that can only be analyzed in retrospect. In todays discussion Kim, Daniel and Jodie provided their own journey on life with truth and vigour, it is important to learn from their experiences and perhaps gain a touch more wisdom in relation to our own paths.

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First Day of Class

In contrast to my first day of classes last semester, this time around I thought I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting myself into. For the most part my assumptions were correct; its my second time taking Classical Studies with John Walsh so the first day of his classes was similar to preparing for the Second Punic war, rather than the First.

With that being said this seminar and my course in preliminary Greek offered a few pleasant surprises. Both courses are substantially smaller than my other classes so the initial feeling and tone was much more intimate and mellow. In my opinion this intimacy can be a double edged sword; while it gives students the chance to individualize themselves through discussion, it takes away the ability to blend in and observe the classroom from afar. This is apparent in my Greek course which rewards students who pronounce and translate Greek words in class.  

Generally my first experience with my classes has been great. I feel like I have a good mix of courses that require in-class participation and others that have a offer a more independent evaluation. The 8:30 starts might be rough but I’m defiantly looking forward to the rest of the semester.