Journal Entry 12

Surprisingly enough I actually enjoyed colloquium a lot more than I thought I would. I am kind of glad it was required. When you first hear of a required class like this you automatically associate it with negative thoughts, or at least I did. However, I tried to go into it with an open mind. When looking back at my first journal the thing I wanted to get most out of this class was getting out of my comfort zone and I think I accomplished that. I knew coming in this class wasn't going to transform me into a huge environmentalist so I tried to set my goals to something more realistic. Which was becoming more aware and looking at things from a different perspective and trying new things. At first I wasn't to excited about doing this blog or these journal entries but now that the class is over and I get to go back and reflect, these are a great reminder of my thoughts and feelings during a specific time throughout this semester. I was one of the few who actually read, A Land Remembered and I did enjoy it but I wasn't exactly to found of the big essay around it. I think the part I found the most difficult was writing about a prompt I wasn't that interested in. I also wasn't too excited about the presentations because I hate being in front of the class and I get nervous and not being able to read off a power point or flash cards made that very difficult. However, that is something that got me out of my comfort zone and will most likely be beneficial to me in the future. I really enjoyed the field trips. At first I thought 4 hours was a big chunk of time to dedicate to a class but there were only 5 field trips and they were for the most part enjoyable. I got to go places I probably never would go and got to actually learn about them. My favorite field trip by far was downtown, I just thought it was so beautiful. My next favorite was Koreshan, not really the tour part but the canoeing because that was something I have never done before and I was glad I was able to try it. My least favorite field trip was ECHO, mainly because I'm still not clear on what they do there A major take away from this class is in what ways I can contribute to helping make this planet a better place to live. I am more knowledgeable of different issues we are facing and I am now able to form an opinion and have an educated talk about it with someone. My service learning hours were done in the Food Forest and that truly got me out of my comfort zone. I did a lot of manual labor and learned a lot about permaculture and about how things grow, especially down in Florida. This class also was very interactive which I enjoyed. I got to meet people from different majors that I probably wouldn't have met otherwise. It was great to have a class that you actually interacted with people and knew their names. Most classes I am you sit there, listen to lecture, don't talk to anyone, and leave. So this was a nice change. This class is also important to my future. I hope it helps mold and shapes the choices I make as I start getting my own car, place, ect and how I choose to live my own life outside of what my parents have taught me.