Reflection: Honors for the win
Honestly, one of my favorite parts of taking Honor courses is the experiences I gain. Each class is so interesting and helps you understand the world in a new, unique way. As I mentioned in my very first post, I actually accidentally signed up for this class. What I mean is, I thought that we were going to be studying something completely different; imagine my surprise when I found out we were going to focus on dogs! Even so, I have already gained so much from this course and I'm glad that I decided to stay in it.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
I've always loved dogs. There's just something special about them that always catches my attention. And I think this class has helped me to find some reasons as to why that might be. Looking at all our different readings, it's clear to see that there are as many perspectives- if not, more- about dogs as there are breeds of canines. I've loved learning about how different cultures, time periods, and experiences change the way people see these animals. Dogs themselves are so fascinating, but then you add in the human element. The concepts of how people interact with dogs and how dogs represent humans provide endless possibilities for research. I don't think we can ever truly know everything about these topics, but there's also so much we do know that we can look further into. Really, I think this class has opened my mind to a new branch of discovery, one that I gladly look forward to exploring.
Perhaps the most interesting part of this course is how oddly specific, yet broad it is. "I took a Honors college course about dogs" isn't something you hear everyday. It's such a unique branch of research, one that has endless possibilities focused around our 'closest friends.' At the same time, however, there's so much more to this course than the study of canines. For one, there's psychology: how did the living situation of authors affect the way the portrayed dogs? There's also human/animal development : how did dogs change over time and how does that relate to/represent the ways humans have changed? There's language: how is language used to represent and command dogs? There's science: how do scientific theories play a part in the development of dogs? And most of all, there's humanities: what relationships exist between humans, dogs, and their interactions?
Source Image: James Carlson from flickr
The point is, there's a lot of different study areas this course can relate to. And that's just with the general topic of dogs! In this course, we're also actively gaining and using skills that can apply to other courses and every day life. For example, writing and debating. We're constantly taking in other people's perspectives and writing about our own thoughts in relation to that. We're practicing observing the world and gaining a better understanding of it through others. We're also learning about research. Whether it's helping your children with a science fair project, trying to decide who you want to vote for, or even just looking up a random question, engaging in research early on helps us develop skills to accomplish these tasks successfully.
Source Image: Alpha Stock Images
And really, I think that's what this is all about. As members of this class, the Honors program, Utah State, and as Citizen Scholars it's important for us to understand the importance of this class. It's not just about earning credit or getting a good grade. It's about truly learning and gaining an understanding for what's important. Maybe the things I learn about dogs will impact me for the rest of my life. Maybe the research experience will or interacting with all of my fellow classmates. When I'm able to take a step back and say that I have gained something through me efforts, something that will help not only me but the world, then I can say that I have been a successful participant.
Comments
Post a Comment