A Semester of Stress and Achievement

Fall of 2018 has been the most memorable yet stressful semester that I have experienced throughout my academic career. The semester has flown by, and to me it feels a lot shorter than it really is.

Things I Have Learned...

During the semester, I have developed several skills as a student, accomplished several personal milestones, and developed my understanding of American history and culture. As a student, I have developed skills in engaging with global conversation, while as an American I have broadened my perspective on the struggles that various minority groups have faced.

My Growth this Semester

At the beginning of the year, I struggled to engage in global conversation about complex issues in societies. Initially, when we began to have discussions about central themes in Slavery By Another Name, I did not feel as comfortable in expressing my opinions about controversial issues. However, as I continued to engage throughout the semester, I began to gain comfort among my peers in sharing my opinions in addressing societal problems, and I was able to further my ability to think critically in such discussions. In addition to improvements of skills as a global thinker, reading Slavery By Another Name has allowed me to develop a greater understanding of what minorities have faced in America. It was a shock to read about the continued mistreatment towards blacks after the Civil War and the lack of efforts made to prevent injustices against them. Before reading Slavery By Another Name, I was aware of racism against blacks, but I had no idea that injustices towards blacks were as extensive as described in the book. Overall, there is a lot to take from this semester, whether it be the skills that I have developed as a result of my participation in our discussion groups or my broadened perspective of the injustices that African Americans have faced.