Conversations about Life (Honors Experience #1)
When I signed up for Conversations about Life, I thought the class was going to be about people sharing their feelings and talking about very personal issues. The class seemed a little strange to be considered an honors experience, but since it was the only one that fit into my schedule, I took a spot in the class. A few of my friends signed up for the class too and that calmed my discomfort at possibly having to talk about very personal topics with strangers. The first day of class completely changed my thoughts about how the class was going to happen. We would not be discussing personal topics, necessarily, but instead would write a page on a topic we found interesting and have some research information on that topic. This system led to some surprising and informative discussions.
The first topic we discussed was raising children with religion or allowing children to decided what religion that wanted to be a part of when they were old enough to make that decision. The topic could easily have become an argument over which religions were better, how religion could breed intolerance, or why children should not be forced into a religion. Instead, the discussion that followed was polite, respectful, and thoughtful. Some people stated their opinion on the topic, while others asked questions to expand the conversation. No one was offended by differing opinions nor did anyone attempt to state that his or her opinion was definitive.
Every class was like this. We wore nametags so that people could call on us by name, which gave the class an even more personal feeling. Even the atmosphere felt appropriate as we sat in a big circle on couches and chairs in a Stratford Heights dorm common room. Some friendships were formed; we learned who know most about certain parts of topic. For instance, I was often looked to for the opinion of someone who is going to teach children, so when topics about children and school came up, people looked to me for my point-of-view on the topic. By the last few weeks of school, many of us wished the class did not have to end because meeting once a week to talk about so many different topics was exciting.
For our final assignment, we had to write an eight to ten page paper about one specific topic, while discussing the different opinions on the topic. I chose the topic of when Americans are truly adults because the topic was something I was curious about and I knew there would be many diverse thoughts on the topic. By the end of writing my paper, I had gathered and read more information than I initially planned and almost could not decide on my own opinion on the topic. This paper is available below this entire reflection section of this page.
I learned so many things from this class and would highly recommend it. This class helped to me to expand my view on topics and to see each issue from a vast number of perspectives. I met may people with different religions, morals, thoughts, and opinions. I would gladly retake this class, if only to interact with even more new people and discuss more topics. The class showed me that an honors class does not have to be all about facts and papers, but, instead, can be about learning new things about people and forming a better world-view. I will miss this class and all the people in it.
The first topic we discussed was raising children with religion or allowing children to decided what religion that wanted to be a part of when they were old enough to make that decision. The topic could easily have become an argument over which religions were better, how religion could breed intolerance, or why children should not be forced into a religion. Instead, the discussion that followed was polite, respectful, and thoughtful. Some people stated their opinion on the topic, while others asked questions to expand the conversation. No one was offended by differing opinions nor did anyone attempt to state that his or her opinion was definitive.
Every class was like this. We wore nametags so that people could call on us by name, which gave the class an even more personal feeling. Even the atmosphere felt appropriate as we sat in a big circle on couches and chairs in a Stratford Heights dorm common room. Some friendships were formed; we learned who know most about certain parts of topic. For instance, I was often looked to for the opinion of someone who is going to teach children, so when topics about children and school came up, people looked to me for my point-of-view on the topic. By the last few weeks of school, many of us wished the class did not have to end because meeting once a week to talk about so many different topics was exciting.
For our final assignment, we had to write an eight to ten page paper about one specific topic, while discussing the different opinions on the topic. I chose the topic of when Americans are truly adults because the topic was something I was curious about and I knew there would be many diverse thoughts on the topic. By the end of writing my paper, I had gathered and read more information than I initially planned and almost could not decide on my own opinion on the topic. This paper is available below this entire reflection section of this page.
I learned so many things from this class and would highly recommend it. This class helped to me to expand my view on topics and to see each issue from a vast number of perspectives. I met may people with different religions, morals, thoughts, and opinions. I would gladly retake this class, if only to interact with even more new people and discuss more topics. The class showed me that an honors class does not have to be all about facts and papers, but, instead, can be about learning new things about people and forming a better world-view. I will miss this class and all the people in it.
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