Is it just me or do school books shrink as you progress through school?
My first class was interesting. The professor began with an explanation of the syllabus (typical). Then, we proceeded to have an hour long discussion about whether or not all people have free will. It's a topic that most have an opinion about, but there is really no perfect answer. Especially here in America, it is easy to say that yes, everyone has a choice to do whatever they want. There are influencers and consequences, but people still use free will and make choices. The conversation becomes increasingly sticky when issues such as poverty, serious mental illness, and addiction are mentioned.
After the intense discussion, our professor briefly introduced an assignment, and class was dismissed. I felt jipped. The three hour class did not even hit the one and a half hour mark.
Oh well, I've recovered and I've come to realize that simply throwing out a possibly controversial discussion question is a great way to begin a class. The professor gets a feel for how boisterous her class is, and we get to know each other a little bit.
I am also beginning to realize how graduate school may differ from my previous schooling experiences.
I was impressed that my professor provoked us to discuss the topic freely. She did not promote or even share her opinion. Also, everyone in the class was able to have a respectful and intellectual discussion. Most of us have matured a bit since undergrad and have more life experiences under our belts.
The assignment that the professor introduced was for us to attend a cultural event or participate in a cultural activity. There is no writing or reflection paper associated with the assignment. We just have to do it and come to class prepared to talk about it. Perhaps, now that we are in graduate school, we can be trusted to complete an assignment on our own. Yay for less busy work (and less reflection papers)!
There may be less busy work, but there is a lot of reading, which I need to go do!
No comments:
Post a Comment