Dr. Cecelia Easton, the Dean of Academic Planning and Advising, recently discussed Geneseo’s letter of academic probation with my INTD class. After examining the letter with us, she said that her goal is to change its negative tone. To involve students in the process, Cecelia asked our class to revise and rewrite a new version of the letter. Our INTD professor, Dr. McCoy, advised us that the best way to approach this task would be through group work. This opportunity was perfect for our class because we have been focusing on group work and balance since the beginning of the semester. Continue reading “The Risks of Group Work”
(Good?) Expectations
“Put it into Laura’s voice,” Dr. McCoy reminded me after I asked her to read the introduction of my “Bloodchild” essay.
My voice? The suggestion sent me waves of confusion, doubt, and to be quite honest, a slight bit of annoyance. I am not an English major, I do not enjoy writing papers, and I certainly do not believe I have a “voice.” Not one worth hearing, anyway.
My cynicism prevailed until I read Roisin’s recent blog post, “The Dreaded Essay Rewrite.” She seemed to comprise some of my own “dreadful” thoughts into a simple quote. She states, “I am intellectually curious, I want to grow and achieve as a student, I want to problem-solve, and I want to be passionate and spirited in my pursuit of education. So why is it so hard for me to revise my essay if rewriting is exactly the type of process that will help me reflect, grow, and achieve?”
It is frustrating, to say the least, that something that used to be a simple revision process is now an anxiety-causing, cumbersome one. In class, we often discuss how we as students have grown accustomed to our trusted high school essay template. There is an intro, with a thesis. Two or three body paragraphs, each beginning with an argument statement. Quote, unpack, quote, unpack. Over and over. Why, I wonder, would I need my own “voice” to make the same exact claims? After some thinkING, I found some clarity in our expectations as students. Continue reading “(Good?) Expectations”
Another Birthday
This past Saturday, SUNY Geneseo hosted its 13th annual Relay for Life in the Merritt Athletic Center. This was the first year I participated and fundraised with my sorority, Sigma Delta Tau. At first, I didn’t see what good sitting in a gym and walking around a track for 6 hours would do to help cure cancer. But sure enough, after experiencing Relay for Life at Geneseo, I now understand why this is such a helpful and uplifting event.
A couple weeks ago, our sororities Vice President of Philanthropy sent out an email and asked us to share a relay donation link on our Facebooks and ask around for donations. I was uncertain whether or not I would get any donations from any of my Facebook friends, so I also sent out a text to a couple of relatives. I was surprised when I ended up raising over two hundred dollars for Relay. Fundraising is a very important part of Relay for me because, I, like many people know a loved one that has been and/or being affected by cancer. Although two hundred dollars isn’t a ton of money, combined with the rest of Geneseo’s campus, we raised about 160,000 dollars to go towards finding a cure and having more birthdays to celebrate.
This experience has taught me that even the little things like walking around a track, buying a water bottle, or just listening to people’s stories at relay can really make a difference and have an impact. The feeling of having pretty much the entire Geneseo student body and staff at relay hits home and creates a sense of unity and leaves everyone better off in the long run. I believe relay brings the entire campus community together and that if we all work together things can become accomplished better and more efficiently.
Similarly, in our INTD class, there are a number of class periods when we work together in groups to try and accomplish a greater outcome than we would individually. Whether it’s combining multiple essays into one or just sharing our ideas with each other, I feel like I come out more knowledgeable and it makes the class seem more doable.
The Geneseo GLOBE statement recognizes that one of its learning outcomes is “Leadership and Collaboration”. Geneseo encourages its students to come together to create a more effective outcome. Supporting each other is such an important part of succeeding not only in Geneseo but after graduation.
Questions and concerns for the future
A couple of days ago I was eating lunch while sitting by the entrance of the College Bookstore and the Women’s bathroom in the Union when I saw that there was a line of seniors waiting to get their documents, their graduation ropes, or their senior picture taken. They looked like a normal crowd of people waiting in a line: loud and somewhat impatient. However, I could not stop wondering if they felt any different to other crowds. These seniors were preparing themselves to accomplish a big and important step in their lives, which is graduating from college.
I was very curious to know if they were thinking about all they have done and accomplished in the past 4 years at SUNY Geneseo or if they were thinking about their near future. Did they meet all the expectations they might have set for themselves before coming to Geneseo? Are they satisfied with all their work in this past years? Do they feel ready to face the reality of their lives after they finish college, whether they go directly to graduate school, into the workforce, to an internship, or take a gap year? Did choosing Geneseo contribute towards helping them achieve their ultimate goals in life? What would be these class of 2018’s risks and rewards?
The risks in joining a college or university are not easily talked about in general because they correspond differently to a specific person or group of people. Some seniors might be risking being away from home and spending less time with their families, and as a result they become homesick more often. For others, it might be paying the college’s tuition because even if they take out loans they will have to pay them back after they graduate. Another risk could be not being able to contribute financially to their family that could be struggling because of not being capable to work full time while being at school.
However, many of the rewards of going into college like SUNY Geneseo can be found in the Geneseo Learning Outcomes for Baccalaureate Education (GLOBE). Studying a specific subject that they like and want to dedicate their lives to in the future while acquiring knowledge in other subjects at the same time are also contributing factors stated throughout this document, and especially with Geneseo being a Liberal Arts College. This point is proven when GLOBE states that: “Geneseo prepares students for twenty-first century challenges through the development of intellectual and practical skills that transcend disciplinary boundaries and are applicable throughout their lives.” Also, for most students, getting to experience a different lifestyle that might benefit them in terms of becoming a more independent person is another positive outcome. The social aspect of college could be counted as well, including making new friends and new connections that could become beneficial in their future by creating academic partnerships with them earlier on.
I was burdened by all these questions and concerns at that moment because those were the questions I believe I would be asking myself when my time to graduate from SUNY Geneseo comes. Therefore, I wonder if I would be able to turn all these questions and concerns into positive outcomes that will make me accomplish all the rewards GLOBE claims Geneseo students will leave with. Until then, I have to remember to live my present in order to dream for my future.
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.
LIFEboat
Earlier this week, my dad was texting me about a situation I have going on within my close friend group. He thinks I may be too involved in certain situations, which I cannot disclose due to confidentiality. However, he gave me an analogy that I have been thinking about a lot. He said “someone once explained it to me as fitting your friends on a lifeboat. You can fit a certain capacity. If you stay within that capacity, you can all make it to shore. That may mean you have to leave some behind. If you take on too much capacity, you all capsize, and no one makes it to shore.”
A process
Group work has never been an activity to steer me away. I became very familiar working with others in high school, as it was a common occurrence. One thing I never thought about doing as group was constructing an essay. Essays were always a task left up to the individual. Thoughts and ideas were welcome to discussion but the actual writing part was for yourself. That’s why it came to a surprise when we were given a group writing assignment. The unfamiliar territory felt unapproachable at this level of my education. As we began working with groups I quickly found how easily your voice can get lost in discussion. It was frustrating to be unable to have control over my own piece. I was accustomed to a way in which I could delete and add ideas as I pleased. However, as we continued I noticed how efficiently we began working. We assigned roles to people in order to get everyones ideas down on paper, we had come up with much better ways of thinking and processing what we were assigned. There was a clear development of skills that I noticed within my group.
It struck me when Gianna while we were working together in a group said “this is a process” referring to the struggle of combining of both groups letters into one. Though not directed in this manner, her comment can be adapted on a larger scale. Development is a process. These skills do not appear over night, they are hard earned and require a lot of work. It was very fascinating to actually witness my group get better as time went on. Working in a group may have came off as almost impossible to me, but I learned the impact that I can have on our writing style from here on out.
Not only does this apply to English but it also can be related to a bigger picture. First semester of college I felt lost, and sometimes lonely. The work level was something I wasn’t adjusted to and I struggled. This semester I have a much bigger group of friends, I learned to manage my time efficiently, I developed skills I didn’t know I was capable of and I learned so much about myself. This is a process, nothing comes easy and nothing comes fast but the end result is worth it.
The Dreaded Essay Rewrite
Trying to get myself to rewrite my “Bloodchild” Essay has been a struggle. I gave myself about two weeks where I was allowed to not think or look at the essay at all, and then I hoped to start revising it. Admittedly, I did not actually start revising my essay until a few days ago and I really did not enjoy doing it. I can’t say I was surprised at my own reluctance to look at the essay again because rewrites are just frustrating. While working on my essay, I began thinking about what the purpose of revision is, and that’s when Geneseo’s Mission Statement popped in my head. Two of the values listed as part of Geneseo’s Mission, Vision, and Values for the college and its students were learning and creativity. These two stood out to me because of their descriptions. “Learning: embracing high expectations for intellectual inquiry, scholarly achievement, and personal growth,” and “Creativity: affirming a spirit of innovation that inspires intellectual curiosity and problem-solving,” are both descriptions of what I’d like to practice and achieve as a student, so I began wondering why this process has been so difficult for me. Continue reading “The Dreaded Essay Rewrite”
Risks and Mistakes
In class, we have recently discussed Geneseo’s Learning Outcomes; “Leadership and Collaboration” specifically caught my attention. This Outcome urges student to work together and also encourages students “to experiment, take risks, and learn from mistakes.” At first glance, I didn’t see the importance of this line; in fact, I thought it was strange to include “mistakes” in a Learning Outcome. However, after thinking about it, I think this line is one of the most important parts of the GLOBE.
I have found that the best opportunities and achievements often require one to step outside of their comfort zone. I recently started to tutor for an elementary school class. When I first signed up for the program I signed up to tutor reading; however, when I got my teacher placement the program had signed me up for 6th grade math. At first, I was worried; I am terrible at math and have never learned the common core that elementary students are currently learning. I know that it is just 6th grade, but I really doubted my ability teach math to someone else. I almost told the program I couldn’t participate, but I told myself to give it a try, and I’m glad I did. I was honest with the teacher in the beginning and told her that I was nervous to tutor math. What she told me changed my thinking; she told me that most of the time the kids just need help staying on task and being encouraged to keep going with they get a question wrong or are confused. I was surprised to find that this was true; often the kids just needed someone to tell them that they are smart and capable and give them a little nudge when they are frustrated. They need this even more than they need help with actual math problems. On the first day when the teacher introduced me to the class she said something like, “remember the last half of the year when we asked for a tutor but couldn’t get one? Now we have one!” I realized that she was grateful to have me; whatever level my math tutoring ability was at it was better than no tutor at all. It’s crazy to me that I almost didn’t try tutoring because I was afraid of my own abilities, but I took a “risk” and it wound up for the better. After reflecting on other instance in my life where I took a risk, I have found that taking a risk and trying something new or facing on a challenge often provides more benefits than downfalls.
The second point of the line I provided from the “Leadership and Collaboration” Outcome is to “learn from mistakes.” As I said earlier, I was surprised at first that this line was included in a Learning Outcome because mistakes usually have a negative connotation; I thought they wouldn’t want us to make mistakes in the first place. However, after class discussions and thinking about it more, I have come to understand the importance of mistakes; we learn from the mistakes we make and find better alternatives as a result. I connected this to our rewrites of our essays. In most of my classes, I learn the material, study it, take the test and then forget the material. While I would like to take the time to look over my tests and understand every question that I got wrong, I need to devote that time to work that will help me for other tests/essays. However, in our class we currently have the opportunity to rewrite an essay. This gives us the opportunity to “learn from mistakes” in the old essay; we can see Dr. McCoy’s critiques and work with her and others to improve our own writing. I see this as the best way to grow and learn; if we didn’t have to do a rewrite we would probably not learn from Dr. McCoy’s critiques, and therefore not improve as writers. Learning from what we did wrong and what we can do differently improves our writing, not just for this one essay, but our writing abilities in general. Furthermore, the Learning Outcome shares that mistakes are actually encouraged because they allow us to learn and create new paths that work better. This encourages students to take on new opportunities and challenges, something that is necessary to prosper, not only as a student, but in all aspects of life.
Collaboration and Communication
A large part of Geneseo’s curriculum is based of the Geneseo Globe (Geneseo Learning Outcomes for Baccalaureate Education). This is a list of what Geneseo hopes their students get out of their classes. A few weeks ago, in Dr. McCoy’s class, she gave us an activity that was closely related to the GLOBE.
After being separated into groups, she asked us to write a paragraph together, explaining the problems and solutions in Ian Chipman’s article, The Power of Realistic Expectations. Out of all the group projects I have done, none have been similar to this activity. Usually, in group projects, the work can be divided and each person is typically working on their own part, but it is essentially impossible to divide work up when you are working on a single paragraph.
This activity related directly to points two and four on the Geneseo GLOBE- Communication, and Leadership and Collaboration. Both of these deal with group work, being able to communicate ideas effectively and engage in conversation with others. But six people working on one short paragraph can be a challenge since everyone has their own opinions. When Dr. McCoy asked us what writing in a group felt like my classmate Anderson portrayed it very well by stating, “there were too many cooks in the kitchen.”
While a group project like this can be challenging, I can easily say that it is very rewarding. This first project was an initiation for the group work we would be doing for the following weeks, a much more detailed project. Without this first project, I feel as our groups would still be lost, with less of an idea of how to collaborate effectively and communicate.
So while, “too many cooks in the kitchen,” is an accurate description of the initial struggle groups had, without this we would not have had the ability to step up and overcome the problem. And I personally feel like this is what the Geneseo GLOBE is hoping for- a little bit of struggle to encourage us to push through toward our success as Geneseo students.