Remember how I went to the nature trails for Colloquium and said I'd probably make a trip back this year? Well, I finally made that trip back....but not willingly.
Today in Nature Writing we met at the nature trails, and all I could think was that it was going to be a repeat of Colloquium. Turns out, it wasn't so bad.
We got to explore on our own and didn't have to trek through the water and mud. Thank goodness because I wouldn't have done it even if I had to. I spent some time exploring and found the trail that we went through in Colloquim. If I didn't have places to be tonight, I probably would have walked through the water and mud (no shoes this time). It was definitely a lot of fun...until I started getting bit by bugs. They were everywhere. I'm still itchy. Wahhhh.
But seriously, it wasn't that bad. I psyched myself out for nothing. I'm secretly hoping we get to go back there again before the end of the semester :)
Showing posts with label classes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label classes. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Classes again?!
Today was the first day of spring 2011 classes. (1) I can't believe it's 2011 already, and (2) I can't believe winter break is over! I feel like it was just starting.
I've only had 3 of my 5 classes, but I'm already hopeful about this semester. The classes are definitely going to be tough, but I feel like I'm better prepared to handle them. I definitely want to keep up with all my work and not fall behind. Basically, I need to stop procrastinating. I also want to try and get ahead whenever possible. I have the unique opportunity to get some assignments out of the way ahead of time, and I want to try to take advantage of that. Things get really hectic at times between Chi Omega and Student Government, so if I can stay on top of things and possibly even get ahead, I think I'll be okay.
I'm really excited about most (if not all) of my classes this semester. I'm really excited about Intro to Nature Writing because we get to go outside!!! I used to despise nature, but since taking Colloquium, I've learned to love it. Plus, the weather will be BEAUTIFUL since it's winter (my favorite season). I absolutely love writing outside, and a lot of my best work happens outdoors.
I'm also taking a class called Issues in Culture & Society: Death & Dying. Everyone keeps saying, "death and dying? that's so morbid!" I have an odd fascination with death, so I'm excited for the class. But after hearing the professor talk today, I'm beginning to realize the class is going to be just as much about life as it is about death. Overall, I'm probably most excited about this class (but I'm not excited about all the reading we have to do).
As for Interracial/Intercultural Communication, I feel like it's going to be an insightful course. From what I heard, you learn a lot about yourself and your personal views regarding culture. You learn things that you never realized about yourself. I feel like a lot of really interesting material is going to be presented.
Now that I've just put you to sleep with my rant about classes, I should let you know that you can expect another one tomorrow!!! So get excited for that :)
p.s. I created a tumblr account and I think you should check it out and follow it if you have a tumblr! Here's the link: http://christinability.tumblr.com/
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Favorite & Least Favorite Classes at FGCU
It's hard to imagine that I'm already a junior in college!! After taking two incredible courses this summer, I decided to rank my top 10 favorite classes so far. The first five were incredible hard to rank because they were all so memorable and amazing in their own ways. But I'm satisfied with my rankings. I also decided to rank my 5 least favorite classes...just for the heck of it.
I've listed the class, professor, and the semester I took the class.
Here are my Top 10 Favorite Classes at FGCU (so far):
1. University Colloquium (Laser - Summer B 2010)
2. Foundations of Civic Engagement (DeWees - Summer B 2010)
3. Intro to Creative Writing (Cornelius - Fall 2009)
4. Fundamentals of Communication ( Mancini - Spring 2010)
5. Social Problems (DeWees - Fall 2009)
6. American National Government (H. Smith - Fall 2009)
7. Composition II (Cornelius - Spring 2009)
8. Public Speaking (S. Walch - Spring 2010)
9. American Lit II (Cornelius - Fall 2009)
10. Intro to Law (Asfour - Fall 2009)
And here are my Top 5 Least Favorite Classes at FGCU:
1. General Biology I w/ Lab (Allman & Demers - Fall 2008)
2. Calculus III (Lindsey - Spring 2009)
3. General Psychology (O'Neil - Fall 2008)
4. Composition I (K. Allen - Fall 2008)
5. Intro to Sociology (DeWelde - Spring 2010)**
**I ended up dropping Intro to Sociology halfway through because no matter what I did, I could not pass an exam. Social problems was so much better!
I've listed the class, professor, and the semester I took the class.
Here are my Top 10 Favorite Classes at FGCU (so far):
1. University Colloquium (Laser - Summer B 2010)
2. Foundations of Civic Engagement (DeWees - Summer B 2010)
3. Intro to Creative Writing (Cornelius - Fall 2009)
4. Fundamentals of Communication ( Mancini - Spring 2010)
5. Social Problems (DeWees - Fall 2009)
6. American National Government (H. Smith - Fall 2009)
7. Composition II (Cornelius - Spring 2009)
8. Public Speaking (S. Walch - Spring 2010)
9. American Lit II (Cornelius - Fall 2009)
10. Intro to Law (Asfour - Fall 2009)
And here are my Top 5 Least Favorite Classes at FGCU:
1. General Biology I w/ Lab (Allman & Demers - Fall 2008)
2. Calculus III (Lindsey - Spring 2009)
3. General Psychology (O'Neil - Fall 2008)
4. Composition I (K. Allen - Fall 2008)
5. Intro to Sociology (DeWelde - Spring 2010)**
**I ended up dropping Intro to Sociology halfway through because no matter what I did, I could not pass an exam. Social problems was so much better!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Colloquium: How bad is it?
If you're a student at FGCU, you know that in order to graduate you have to take a class called University Colloquium. And there's a good chance you're probably dreading having to take it. You've heard the complaints, but you've rarely heard any positives about the course. If you're like me, you take it over the summer to simply get it over with. But after taking this class, and enjoying every second of it, I really don't understand why everyone is complaining. In fact, I can't imagine a student (especially a student at FGCU), not taking Colloquium.
Sure, there's a lot of work involved...especially if you take it over a six-week summer session. But the work wasn't extremely hard. And unlike many other classes, there wasn't any busy work. Everything we learned had a purpose, and every assignment reenforced something that we learned. We were taught about so many different aspects of the environment and sustainability, and I never felt like I was being forced t believe something that went against my values. Sure, the videos encouraged people to make small changes in their lifestyle that would better the environment, but I never left class thinking, "if I don't give up my car and my electronics then I'm a bad person." Each video and field trip left me wanting to know more, and they all left me thinking about how I can make more sustainable choices every day.
I would love to see Colloquium courses spread beyond FGCU because I think all students should have the opportunity to take this amazing course and learn more about the environment.
Here's my advice: If you haven't taken Colloquium yet, try not to listen to what everyone else is saying and keep an open mind. And don't go around talking about what you don't know. And if you have taken it, say what you want...but if you're going to be negative, watch how you say it and who you say it to.
Sure, there's a lot of work involved...especially if you take it over a six-week summer session. But the work wasn't extremely hard. And unlike many other classes, there wasn't any busy work. Everything we learned had a purpose, and every assignment reenforced something that we learned. We were taught about so many different aspects of the environment and sustainability, and I never felt like I was being forced t believe something that went against my values. Sure, the videos encouraged people to make small changes in their lifestyle that would better the environment, but I never left class thinking, "if I don't give up my car and my electronics then I'm a bad person." Each video and field trip left me wanting to know more, and they all left me thinking about how I can make more sustainable choices every day.
At the beginning I thought that less projects, less papers, and less journal entries would make this class better. But after taking the class, I wouldn’t change a thing. Each journal entry, project, and paper opened my eyes to a different aspect of environmental sustainability, and because of all these things I got to explore so many new ideas. I hope that future students can come into this class with an open mind because you really can get a lot out of it.
Here's my advice: If you haven't taken Colloquium yet, try not to listen to what everyone else is saying and keep an open mind. And don't go around talking about what you don't know. And if you have taken it, say what you want...but if you're going to be negative, watch how you say it and who you say it to.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
What's the word count?
At FGCU, we're required to take four Gordon Rule Writing classes. Two of those classes are Comp I & Comp II, and another is Colloquium. Basically, you have to take 1 non-required Gordon Rule class. You're required to write 6,000 words in a Gordon Rule writing class, but I've noticed that many times you do more than that.
This summer I took Colloquium and Foundations of Civic Engagement. Even though Civic Engagement isn't considered a Gordon Rule class, I seemed to do more writing in that class then in Colloquium. I decided to add up the word counts from all of my papers, journals, and discussion forums from both classes. I was amazed at the results.
Colloquium: 10,113 words
Civic Engagement: 13,729 words
Yes, you read that right. I wrote nearly 24,000 words in six weeks during my two summer classes. Honestly, they might as well consider Civic Engagement a writing intensive, Gordon Rule class.
If I can handle these two classes in six weeks, I can definitely handle two Gordon Rule classes in a 16-week semester.
Let's see if any more writing classes are open for the fall.
This summer I took Colloquium and Foundations of Civic Engagement. Even though Civic Engagement isn't considered a Gordon Rule class, I seemed to do more writing in that class then in Colloquium. I decided to add up the word counts from all of my papers, journals, and discussion forums from both classes. I was amazed at the results.
Colloquium: 10,113 words
Civic Engagement: 13,729 words
Yes, you read that right. I wrote nearly 24,000 words in six weeks during my two summer classes. Honestly, they might as well consider Civic Engagement a writing intensive, Gordon Rule class.
If I can handle these two classes in six weeks, I can definitely handle two Gordon Rule classes in a 16-week semester.
Let's see if any more writing classes are open for the fall.
Monday, July 26, 2010
FGCU Campus Field Trip
Today was our last Colloquium field trip, and it was an on-campus one as well. This was the trip I was most dreading, probably because I knew I'd have to get in the water. And as we all know at FGCU: Wherever there's water, there's gators.
We started off walking on the boardwalk from Whitaker Hall to Parking Garage 2. We learned all about the air conditioning system and the wood that is used to make the boardwalk. Then we ventured over to the bridge near south Village where we started our journey through the nature trails. What I didn't know is that there's a slough on campus named after a guy that lived there many, many years ago (I forget the name)!
I was so nervous walking through the nature trails. We were advised to look up and see all of the trees and plants, but I spent most of my time looking down making sure I didn't step on any snakes or trip over any tree roots. After a long stretch of dry land, I noticed a few puddles. I walked through them thinking that this must be the wet part of the tour. I was so wrong!!
After the little puddle we began the wet part of our tour. The water was as high as my ankles, and my feet kept getting stuck in the mud. Our tour guide, Erica, told us how even though it looks dirty, the water is actually really clean (cleaner than most of our drinking water). And before we all trudged through it, the water was pretty clear. The water trail went on for another 1/2 a mile to a mile, and the water got deeper and deeper. For a good portion of the wet trail the water went up to my knees. It was during that time that the rubber bottoms to my shoes fell off. I wore old shoes so I could throw them out incase they got muddy. But I never thought they'd fall apart!!
There were roots and broken branches in the water, and with the mud all turned up, it was hard to see them. There were so many times where I nearly fell because I tripped over a tree root or branch. I wouldn't care so much, but stupid me left my cell phone in my pocket. Luckily I never actually fell...just a few stumbles here and there. Towards the end we were walking through knee deep water and there were plants towering above me. It was kind of cool, but I was still so scared that I just wanted to get out of there.
I was scared about the snakes the most, but we learned that there wouldn't be any snakes in the water we were in. I forget the exact reason, but it was reassuring...and made me slightly less nervous. After what seemed like an eternity, the water began to get lower and lower, and we finally walked out onto dry land. My heart was racing and I was still breathing pretty heavy. It was a huge adrenaline rush, and I've never had that kind of feeling before. The student naturalists (who served as our tour guides) told us how relaxing a deep-water nature trail walk can be and that we should do it often. At first I laughed, but now I kind of like the idea.
This was the second most traumatizing experience in my entire life (the first being snorkeling in Labadee). But in retrospect, I'd do it all again. In fact, if anyone wants to go through the trail that has water that is waist-high, let me know. I'd love to do it, but I won't go alone.
We started off walking on the boardwalk from Whitaker Hall to Parking Garage 2. We learned all about the air conditioning system and the wood that is used to make the boardwalk. Then we ventured over to the bridge near south Village where we started our journey through the nature trails. What I didn't know is that there's a slough on campus named after a guy that lived there many, many years ago (I forget the name)!
I was so nervous walking through the nature trails. We were advised to look up and see all of the trees and plants, but I spent most of my time looking down making sure I didn't step on any snakes or trip over any tree roots. After a long stretch of dry land, I noticed a few puddles. I walked through them thinking that this must be the wet part of the tour. I was so wrong!!
After the little puddle we began the wet part of our tour. The water was as high as my ankles, and my feet kept getting stuck in the mud. Our tour guide, Erica, told us how even though it looks dirty, the water is actually really clean (cleaner than most of our drinking water). And before we all trudged through it, the water was pretty clear. The water trail went on for another 1/2 a mile to a mile, and the water got deeper and deeper. For a good portion of the wet trail the water went up to my knees. It was during that time that the rubber bottoms to my shoes fell off. I wore old shoes so I could throw them out incase they got muddy. But I never thought they'd fall apart!!
There were roots and broken branches in the water, and with the mud all turned up, it was hard to see them. There were so many times where I nearly fell because I tripped over a tree root or branch. I wouldn't care so much, but stupid me left my cell phone in my pocket. Luckily I never actually fell...just a few stumbles here and there. Towards the end we were walking through knee deep water and there were plants towering above me. It was kind of cool, but I was still so scared that I just wanted to get out of there.
I was scared about the snakes the most, but we learned that there wouldn't be any snakes in the water we were in. I forget the exact reason, but it was reassuring...and made me slightly less nervous. After what seemed like an eternity, the water began to get lower and lower, and we finally walked out onto dry land. My heart was racing and I was still breathing pretty heavy. It was a huge adrenaline rush, and I've never had that kind of feeling before. The student naturalists (who served as our tour guides) told us how relaxing a deep-water nature trail walk can be and that we should do it often. At first I laughed, but now I kind of like the idea.
This was the second most traumatizing experience in my entire life (the first being snorkeling in Labadee). But in retrospect, I'd do it all again. In fact, if anyone wants to go through the trail that has water that is waist-high, let me know. I'd love to do it, but I won't go alone.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Downtown Fort Myers!
Our second Colloquium field trip was to Downtown Fort Myers. We were originally supposed to go to Fort Myers Waste Management, but they cancelled on us last minute. I was really happy because I was so disappointed when I found out we wouldn't be going to Downtown Fort Myers on one of our field trips.
To be completely honest, this was one of the BEST experiences I've ever had in a class at FGCU. The field trip was so much fun, and while it wasn't directly related to the environment, it was very educational.
We split into groups of three and we each had a different task to complete. Ours was to learn about the businesses in the area. Other topics were to learn about the nature/wildlife, to learn about the economy and it's effect on the area, to learn how the businesses use media to advertise, and one group even learned about architecture. Our group walked around and talked to businesses about how the construction in the area has effected business. Needless to say, it was eye opening, and I learned a lot about Downtown that I never knew.
Now that the construction is pretty much done, the area looks absolutely beautiful! It's really sad that the area is so empty because it's such a great area!
Caloosahatchee Bridge:
Downtown Fort Myers:
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