Reflection (Rough Draft)

I learned several things from this class this semester, but I think the most important one is

that I need to keep my expectations open. Even before the class started, I was expecting to have

fun. Yes, we did have great, interesting and engaging discussions – which was what I was

excited about - but in my excitement for those discussions I forgot that there are other

components. When I came to class and remembered that college includes research, homework,

quizzes, and talking to people, my expectations of fun were shattered. Further, I expected

interactions with people to be stressful and draining. They are, and that is something I deal with

every day, but I also forgot that people can also be relatable and even fun to talk to.

When our instructor asked us to find someone we didn’t know and talk to them I

panicked. After a few classes, though, I was able to get to know some more of the students in our

class and realized how alike I am to so many of my classmates. People in general only like to be

around people they consider to be “their people”. This class taught me that there is no such thing.

We can branch out and meet people we would never have considered meeting. I already knew

that if I tried to get to know other people, I would be able to relate to them more than I thought,

but it never occurred to me that knowledge was true. I’d never applied it to myself. My

expectations for both people and the class itself were shattered – in a good way. I adapted my

expectations for the class and realized how much I enjoy research, hunting for information, and

‘hunting the good stuff’. I realized that I need to dig a little deeper into people to really know if I

could relate to them. In the workplace and at school I can use these things that I learned to create

more connections with people and to remember to school my expectations. I can also use my

experience to adapt my expectations in those places and situations as the need arises.