I can honestly say Freshmen Seminar has been a new experience for. Coming into the class I thought it would relate more to helping me assimilate to the level of work that I would be doing. The class has taught me how to research properly and allowed me to meet many of my classmates. One thing I am confused about though is how the new system relates to us as new freshmen that need to know more about the history of Howard University. I will admit that sitting in the lectures was difficult. To listen to a straight forty-five minutes of talking and being able to take in the information and effectively take notes is a skill that I am not ashamed to say I have not fully mastered. This course however has set me on the road in order to obtain that skill. I have learned valuable lessons such as time management and the importance of teamwork while working on group projects. I especially enjoyed working with Dr. Williams. Some of the things she covered in her lesson I have applied in my other classes and it has proved to help immensely. Our very first lecture from Dr. Carr opened my eyes to just how blessed we truly are at this university. We are surrounded by some of the greatest minds in the nation as our teachers. There is no doubt in my mind that by being taught by some of the best, we will in turn achieve greatness. One thing I wish would be changed about the class however is that it would be more relevant to what we need as freshmen, not just a fascinating class where we learn pockets of information.
Coming into freshman seminar as a junior was extremely frustrating and daunting in the beginning. All the talk about the class of 2014 being the best and brightest is not the way one wants to spend a class period. But the experience wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I tried to embrace coming into freshman seminar later than usual without embarrassment, and attempted to take in as much information as I could. Most of the information presented on Howard, the African world, and research was already known from having friends who had previously taken the course and from 2 ½ years of campus experience. But what made my freshman experience bearable were my group members. At first I was skeptical about being in a group of first years, but they proved themselves to be an intelligent, creative, and orderly bunch. We worked extremely well together and they all participated in giving adequate feedback on the project. When it was announced that any upper classman in a group was automatically the group leader I was annoyed. I believed that the upper classmen should have been advisory voices in the group and not the main man calling all the shots. This would allow the freshman to gain their own experience by themselves. But my group was phenomenal. I didn’t feel like an overbearing parent trying the get the kids to work or constantly hand feeding them. Everyone came together with ideas and was able to work as equals. ECLECTIC was my BEST experience! Everything else I honestly could have cared less about. Would I say that I have grown from my experience in freshman seminar? Not likely. The goals and skills that the seminar set out to teach have already been instilled. And would I say that freshman seminar is crucial to a person’s success at Howard? Absolutely not. Those who do not take the course as a freshman are just as prepared for the future as those who do. All in all, my time spent in this class wasn’t the best or the worst. It can be classified as a small, time consuming snag that is highly overrated.
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ReplyDeleteFreshman Seminar was most certainly a positive experience. Despite all of the confusion, disconcert, and ambiguity that at times took away from the experience, I enjoyed the class. I have heard from a number of sources that this fall 2010 semester is the first time freshman seminar has been formatted in the way it was, and for that, credit is deserved. I hope the team continues to work the kinks out of this style, because it has potential to be one of the most informative and fulfilling classes on campus. Some of the lectures we received were very enlightening, and at times, even inspiring. Those that were concise and clear, really drove their point home, while other presentations simply did not hold my attention. Some of my favorite lectures were Dr. Carr’s, Dr. Williams’, and Dr. Dunston’s.
ReplyDeleteAs for my personal reflection, I feel as though I put forth good effort (although I’m writing this an hour and a half before deadline). I attended the New York trip to the African Burial Ground which I thoroughly enjoyed myself on, and made new friends. I completed my group project, which went very well because of the fantastic members of my group. And I didn’t miss a class period, including the “mandatory” closing ceremony. I admit the peer presentations were hard to get enough information from in order to blog about, however I’m pretty sure I can sum them up before 12:00 today right? All in all, I enjoyed this class, and wish the freshman seminar team the best. Eclectic for life!!!