the totem pole of class importance.

so it seems every semester i subconsciously rank my classes in order of most important and interesting to least. over the course of the semester, the rank becomes more and more apparent as time devoted to readings and assignments is alloted. and yes, this semester has definitely been no different.

i have learned a great deal from every one of my classes this semester, so let's take a quick look over at each one and what i'm taking away

so now, in no particular order...

research methods - understanding terms for measures of central tendency, learning about threats to internal validity, analyzing research methodologies... all good things. has to be taught and learned about. i am walking away with a new appreciation for 'stats canada'.

intro to soc -intro classes are always a bit on the boring side. while they're great when trying to understand the discipline as a whole, they're lame in the sense that you do not get to dive deeper into each topic, but only skim the surface. soc was good; read an interesting and thought-stimulating book, read a few good articles... would take again.

ecology, technology, and culture - now this course, i'll be honest with you, i took mainly because i needed a science credit. BUT! i also wanted to be challenged and i wanted to learn new things on a topic i knew little about. i could have taken the easy way out and registered for computer usage, but i did the hard thing and took a course i knew little on. anyway, i learned a lot about nature and humankind's relationship with it. my definition for nature had been broadened and my scope of understanding to the outside world has been widened [did you notice that i just said the same thing twice?]. hard class, lots of reading, but overall worth the time.

self and society - i am walking away with a lot from this class. i find that most of my sociology class i end up walking away feeling more aware of the world and, in this case, my self. it would be hard to for me to sum up everything i learned for this course, but i think what i am taking away is a better understanding of the formation of the self and how that impacts personal development. i'll probably be reviewing my notes for months to come.

worldview studies - i have always been fascinating with belief systems. looking to history, we can see how what a person believes to be true can cause such division among people and destruction of property. looking objectively at my own tradition has been something that i have had to do in a number of my courses now, and this one has been no different. this class has been great in helping me understand the worldviews around me and look at them with a critical eye. i definitely walk away with a great respect and understanding for other belief systems.

men, women, and society - no course has challenged me or left a lasting impression on me in my whole time at Prov than this course right here. i'll write more on it later, but this course has taught me a lot regarding the use and abuse of gender in the past, in the workplace, in advertising, and in Christianity. i have a greater understanding of sexuality, reasoning behind using gender inclusive language [take note to my use of 'humankind'?], and the radical man Jesus Christ really was. if any class has shaped my view of life, this class has definitely been the one. i have publicly recommended it on numerous occasions and will probably continue to do so.

so i said these came in no particular order. that was a lie.

i love Providence and i love learning. i'm sad this is my last year, because there are so many more classes that i want to take!

feel free to talk about this with me, i love talking about what i'm learning. haha i think my one regret is not hanging out with anyone in my major...

anyway, on that note.

K