Benjamin Waldman

UWRT 1103/Brown
12/16/15
Reflection: A Humanizing Experience
My name is Benjamin Waldman, and I am a first year student at the University of North
Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte). Throughout the duration of my UWRT 1103 course, we
discussed the human experience. To me, the human experience is the tendency of people or
places to assist others to create a better world for each individual. Enrolling as a student in higher
education has always been a goal of mine, yet the task was not always easy. This semester has
taught me not only how to help others, but it has also shown me how to ask for and receive
assistance when necessary. My portfolio for UWRT 1103 shows the dedication myself,
professors, and peers put into the work involved in a first semester at college.
The tendency of a person or place to help/allow elevation of themselves/others for
mutual improvement. A holistic condition. This is how the human experience was defined for
me in class. My personal definition is based quite closely off of the in class definition due to the
degree of understanding and agreement I have with how it was first defined in front of me.
Knowing that by helping others, one can improve the lives of themselves and many others
changed the way I perceive people and places.
One of the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) listed in the syllabus is critical reading.
After having read both The Arrival and American Gods, I feel as though I have a much better
grasp on how to read a novel more closely and effectively. This SLO also relates to the human
experience in the sense that reading is related to listening. In order to help others, one must have

to ability to listen critically. Reading critically is also essential to learning, especially at a college
level.
During this semester I learned not only academics, but also learned about growing as a
person. One major thing I learned in this course was how to put more time and effort into my
writing to improve my skills. Although I wish we had included more writing workshops in this
term, my confidence in writing did improve. Creating this e-portfolio showed how much work I
did this semester in UWRT 1103 and my other courses.
I hope that the reader of this reflection sees that I am dedicated to my academics as well
as growing as a person while I help others accomplish their own goals. Once this semester is
completed I will begin taking courses relating to my Political Science major. I hope to continue
doing well grade wise while simultaneously creating lasting friendships and learning life lessons
each step of the way. After learning about the human experience, I will continue to live helping
others and myself to create a better world for every individual within my reach.