The Truth Behind College

Most students enter college with the goal of earning a bachelor’s degree and continuing their education beyond high school. But are students actually developing and gaining any real-world skills by attending college? The content taught in college-level courses can be quite difficult to master and most students don’t retain much of the information that they learned in their college courses. That late night cram session, where you had to memorize the whole general education Biology class material taught in the semester seem as though they have no significance in your life once you have finished taking the final exam. However, the critical thinking skills and experiences gained from the class will have impacted students beyond the classroom. Developing these skills is crucial for success in the workforce. Geneseo’s GLOBE claim that “Geneseo prepares students for twenty-first century challenges through the development of intellectual and practical skills that transcend boundaries and are applicable throughout our lives.” Geneseo is a liberal arts college and students are required to take different general education course that can allow them to explore the variety of courses offered at Geneseo. I think if a student is undecided or unsure of what to major in, Geneseo allows for students to dip their toes in the water and experience different course that can assist them in choosing a major. Continue reading “The Truth Behind College”

Support

Growing up I always had a belief that my siblings and I would end up at the same college. However, all five of us chose to go to separate colleges. Although some of us are only a short drive from each other, I miss them like crazy. I always feel like I am missing out on something involving my siblings. I don’t know exactly what it is, but I assume it’s my subconscious telling me that I miss my siblings and family. It’s important to mention that I am a quadruplet (meaning I am one of four, all born at the same time) and I have an older brother as well. Splitting up with my two sisters and brother of the same age was the hardest part of going to college for me. I thought it was going to be the classes that proved to be most difficult, but splitting up with them is a constant struggle for me. My entire life changed the day we said goodbye to each other. I was no longer just an “Amico”, I somehow became an individual. I was now, “Gianna Amico”(the individual) and it is still hard to believe. 

Continue reading “Support”

The Process

Courtney recently wrote a blog post called A Process and made an attribution to something I said while we were working on the Collaborative Writing assignment in Dr. McCoy’s class. At the time I said what we were working on was a process. After saying this I have been constantly reflecting on the process in which we have progressed and have realized it can be applied to other aspects of the class. Continue reading “The Process”

Collaborative Writing

Earlier in the semester in Dr. McCoy’s class, we looked at different Geneseo documents provided to students and were going to have to work on a collaborative writing assignment eventually. I hadn’t realized how significant these documents and this assignment were until recently, as I was reflecting on the year. The collaborative writing assignment in Dr. McCoy’s class has allowed those of us in class, to learn and work together. Geneseo’s Globe (Geneseo Learning Outcomes for Baccalaureate Education) addresses leadership and collaboration. More specifically saying: “To engage others in developing collaborative solutions; to experiment, take risks and learn from mistakes; to enable, encourage, and recognize contributions to collaborative efforts by all group members; to manage and share work fairly and respectfully; to envision, promote, consider, and respond to diverse viewpoints.” The Globe statement is significant for Geneseo student because they will develop practical skills that are applicable throughout our future and promotes students to engage with one another and make mistakes and learn from them. Continue reading “Collaborative Writing”

Developing Time Management Skills in a University Setting

“The early bird catches the worm” is a common phrase I’ve heard throughout my life. The meaning of this phrase can be interpreted by many that getting an earlier start will allow one to be more successful. As the semester comes to an end, I have realized how important time is and this phrase could not be more significant. The semester went by quick and I’ve learned it is easier to say you’re going to complete a task, than actually completing a task. I have always been organized in life, but as we know life doesn’t go as planned. Continue reading “Developing Time Management Skills in a University Setting”

Through Experiences We Gain Knowledge

Being a quadruplet is both rewarding and challenging. Most people don’t have a full understanding of the connection multiples share. When one does not experience something first hand like being a parent of or being a quadruplet or sibling of a quadruplet, they have difficulty comprehending. My situation is particularly unique because not only am I a quadruplet, but an identical twin as well. Some perceptions of being a multiple is of fascination. They wonder how we relate, communicate and grow. My first year of college has been the first time in 18 years that my siblings and I have been separated; hence causing separation anxiety. I have had to learn to become more independent without the support of my siblings daily. Our relationships have since grown stronger and as I continue to mature, we now have built a closer unit. I now appreciate the time I get to spend with them during school breaks.

Continue reading “Through Experiences We Gain Knowledge”

Choices

The phenomenal reputation of SUNY Geneseo as one of the top public universities in ‌ New York is one of the reasons I choose to attend college here. Trying to decide which college I would attend was a long, exhausting, and challenging process. I knew that if I wanted to major in education and become a teacher, Geneseo would be the right fit for me both, financially and academically. Even after choosing Geneseo, I still questioned my decision. College turned out to be different and a big change for me. I thought I was prepared to handle the demands of college and being independent, but I soon found I was inadequately prepared.

This first year has been a whirlwind of events, emotions, new learning experiences. In hindsight am so grateful for the opportunities that Geneseo has presented me with. I have grown tremendously in such a short ‌ time and I continue to learn new things about the world around me and myself. The Geneseo’s Mission, Vision and Values, states “the entire College community works together to advance knowledge and inspire students to be socially responsible and globally aware citizens who are prepared for an enriched life and success in the world.” This is important to me because at Geneseo the whole campus is a community. Students are vital to the success of the college, without the students and teachers working together there would be no Geneseo. The support system developed between faculty members and students is a critical relationship for universities to foster. Geneseo has established a strong student and faculty relationships by placing emphasis on the shared collective experience of learning and educating. This is not just the students learning and working with and from professors. Professors learn and work with their students daily to help students achieve success. This type of environment fosters a unique learning experience.

However, choosing a college and then arriving there in late summer for the first time is a lot easier said than done. Going off to college was risky for me, because I didn’t know if I was making the right decision at the time. I was reluctant to leave my life at home to go and pursue a new endeavor. In high school, my friends and family were with me every day. I didn’t have to worry about making friends because I already had them. I was afraid to go to college because I don’t have my siblings to lean on. I felt lonely, but, I hoped with time I would find new experiences. However, I realized I wasn’t entirely alone because the hard experience of leaving home for the first time is something that many incoming freshman were also experiencing. I made the most of out of the situation and tried adjusted to my new life.

Geneseo has numerous different clubs and activities that allow students to get involved and find their passion. Although, I openly admit that nothing can compare to being at home with my family, the home cook meal and our family pizzeria. The point is that despite my initial negative thoughts on college, Geneseo proved to be different and has given me so many new opportunities and has allowed for both personal and academic growth that I couldn’t of experienced without coming to College here.

One of the best choices I made this year was joining the Geneseo’s Colleges Against Cancer club. Over the last two semester my friends and I worked together in this club to organize and plan the Relay for Life event. I, not only have contributed to the greater good by actively involving myself in service and charity work, and build relationships with others This club has allowed me to gain a sense of community at school. CAC works to raise cancer awareness throughout campus and in the local community. Helping to fund and provide resources for services for those currently facing cancer and survivors is important to me because of my personal connection to the illness. This was my first Relay for Life event and participating in it was incredible and very rewarding. The campus came together to help celebrate, remember and fight for those affected by cancer. The small community at Geneseo was able to raise over $162,000 for the American Cancer Society.

The support Geneseo gives its student has help me to commend the school as not only the right school for me but one of my best life decisions. At first, I, was unsure of all the choices I had made as I was starting college, but with time it became such a rewarding experience in which I can say I am proud to be a Geneseo Knight.

Our Dependence on Technology!

As I walk across the SUNY Geneseo campus daily, I notice many students focused on their phones. Many students walk across campus with headphones in, or their attention focused on their phones. I so am also guilty of being consumed in my phone while walking across campus and not paying attention to what is right in front of me. With the advanced technologies of computers and phones today are limiting our interaction with the ‌world. People are choosing to live through  their phones rather than in the moment. Google being an important part of a day to day live having access to information at the click of a button. Ellen DeGeneres describes our access to technology in the video “Google it.”

Growing up my father has always had a flip phone. My siblings and I make fun of him for not texting and wanting an iPhone. He prefers to be simple and says “I rather talk on the phone, or face to face.” He believes communication is important and you miss out; not having a face to face or verbal conversation over the phone.

Our generation is constantly on their phones. Checking Instagram, Twitter, and any other social media accounts they have. You hear a buzz, or ding from a phone in a class and look around and everyone checks their phones to see if it is them. This reaction to our phones is becoming second nature; due to our dependence on technology. We lose out on social interaction because our attention is focused on our phones and electronic devices. Instead of having a conversation with others, we have grown accustomed to spending the majority of our time on our phones and other electronic devices.

Cell phones are the most vital form of technology consuming college students life. Generations before could not look up a word instantly on a phone or computer. Today’s society has unlimited access to information at their fingertips. Before the internet age, people would have to open a dictionary and flip through the pages to find a definition and read books to find information. Although, the speed at which we can find information is advancing, we lack appreciation for the technology that allows us to find info relatively quick. Also, we have no understanding of the value of the information we have access to. Today, we “Google it”. We can search our professors, fellow classmate, and even ourselves. Who knows what you might find by “googling it”?

We need to be conscious of how we want to spend our time. Students lose the critical social interaction due to their extenuating use of technology. As conscious students we need to  adapt a balance between face to face social interaction and our use of technology.

Why Blog?

After reading the syllabus for INTD 105 Risks and Rewards of an Academic Partnership and finding out there was 10 blog posts required, I was anxious. Writing blogs is completely new to many of us in the class, especially me.  There are many different types of blogs such as fashion blogs, food blogs… I have never been very interested in blogs or blogging, but I am very excited to learn as I go.  I have been putting off writing my first post for the exact reason that I mentioned above. I’ve never done it, but here I go! Who knows? Maybe I will want to start my own blog after.

As I’ve read some of my classmate’s blogs and other blogs, I believe a blog can be used as a form of expression.  As a blogger, one can write whatever, keeping a specific audience in mind before. In the class Syllabus, Dr. McCoy didn’t assign a length of how long a post should be. The only requirement was that we completed 10 blog post by the end of the semester. This allows us to write freely  and not worry about a set number of pages or words, but the quality of our work.

Connecting to the class title, a blog post has its own risk and rewards. A blog, being a very public form of media can be seen, as expressed by Dr. McCoy, by many people. Knowing our blogs can be seen by anyone and everyone is alarming for the future. Our future employers, colleagues, and anyone browsing the internet can view our blogs.  A risk of blogging would be exposing ourselves to criticism by outsiders.  But this risk can also be considered a reward because it allows us to learn from our writing and improve our blog posts.

This is the first step of my blogging journey throughout INTD 105 as I continue to grow as a beginning blogger.