Allessandra Paglia
Professor Guarino
Inquiry
14 December 2010
Personal Inquiry Assessment
“This INQ section challenges students to immerse themselves in the college experience: juggle multiple tasks, be problem solvers, ask questions, take risks, grapple with difficulty, be creative, learn from failure, take ownership over their own learning, and apply abstract concepts to their actual everyday lives.”
When stepping into our Inquiry classroom for the first time I did not know what to expect. I did not even really know what the class was going to be about, all I knew is that it was some type of course that helped ease the transition from high school to college. After a bit of confusion, I finally figured out that it was an immersion course that forced me to step beyond the boundaries of my comfort zone and fully participate in college life. It was designed to allow each individual student to take away new skills that they have been able to learn in the class. Although it proved to be difficult, it was an overall positive experience!
During this first semester I was able to achieve some of the goals outlined in the syllabus and learn new skill sets that have helped me during this semester. In this class I was challenged in many different ways, especially the part that required me to step outside of my comfort zone. The campus safaris were one of the things that helped me the most. I was basically forced into doing things that I probably would have wanted to do, but never would have. I was able to visit Southern’s radio station, attend a football game, and even go to the health center to learn about some of the services that they provide. While I was able to step outside of my comfort zone I was also able to successfully transition from high school into college.
It was not an easy transition but it was not incredibly difficult either. Academically I felt very prepared and I was ready to take on the college work load. I also learned in this class how to begin to transform my mentality into a more analytical thought process. I began to take in information and ask questions about what I was taking in. I was motivated to do more research on an interesting topic outside of class rather than just taking in information and forgetting it after the exam. I think that this is a crucial step when determining whether you have successfully transitioned into college.
From a social perspective I have met a wide array of new people and I have made several friends along the way. This was a bit more challenging mostly because of my personality. I have slowly begun my transformation into a more social person and I would like to continue meeting new people and making new friends. I feel that another important step in college is having the ability to make friends and become a social person. In the real world it is not only about you. You have to be able to work with all different types of people and I think that Southern gives us the perfect opportunity to be with diverse groups of people.
This leads me to one of the most important things that I have learned in Inquiry and in college, and that is finding my voice. I have always had opinions but I have chosen to keep my comments during class discussion to myself. In this class and in other college courses I was required to work with groups of people that had different ideas than I did. I realized how important it is to express your own thoughts and ideas while respecting that of those around you. I can now confidently express myself without being judged.
All in all I think that this Inquiry class is necessary. I think that the assignments, especially the readings (online articles), can help students like me to adjust to college more easily. I have been able to experience both success and failure and I have learned my lessons along the way. One are for improvement is both increased class participation and better time management. I saw what the effect of pushing a paper until the very last minute can do to a person and I definitely learned never to do that again! My successes are my grades and my slowly expanding social skills. I have been able to maintain good grades this semester and I expect to continue until I graduate from this school. I have also been able to make friends and I will continue to do so.
I have been able to start to learn my place as a college student. I have taken the time to know most of my professors and I know who I can rely on if I ever have a problem. I think I have certainly become more responsible and independent as an individual. In college I have to be my own person and I have to do the things I need to do. There is no one reminding me when assignments are due or that the semester is coming to an end and that I should start studying for finals. I have to do most of this on my own.
I have also been able to find my own voice. In high school I was around people that were fairly similar to me and we shared many of the same beliefs. Here at Southern it is different because it is such a diverse environment, and that is by no means a bad thing. It simply means that I have been able to be myself around people that are not like me and we are all able to accept each other’s differences. I think that this is another crucial step in transitioning into college. You have to be able to find your voice and stand up for yourself and who you are while still respecting those around you.
This second semester will surely go much more smoothly now that I know what is expected of me. I now have all of the resources and tools available to me to continue growing as both a student and a person. I have friends and professors who I can go to for help with anything. Inquiry has certainly helped me on the path to becoming a successful college student and I hope that future students take advantage of all the benefits of this class. I wish all of my classmates and friends the best of luck this second semester; I know we will all do great!
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| On my last day of high school in my Theology class, my teacher Mrs. Mazz handed each of us an a plastic acorn and described it as our potential. We are all acorns and we all have the potential to grow into an oak tree, but it is up to us to do so. As we can see, hundreds of acorns sit in our backyards, but few of them grow into oak trees. Here in college and for the rest of our lives we must rise to the challenge and be the few acorns that grow into full oak trees! |
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