Final Reflection
For some reason, I believed that this class would make me more certain of how I know. I consider myself to have a scientific, analytical mind, and though I came into this class open to other ways of thinking and knowing, I expected to be reaffirmed that how I process information is the best method for me. Now I am not so sure. This class widened my view not just to the existence of novel ways of knowing but also to my ability to utilize other methods of thought. Even the first semi-major writing assignment in which we had to imitate Wallace Stevens’ Comedian as the Letter C made me aware of my interest in the world of poetry and allowed me to stretch a part of my brain I rarely use in my preferred STEM fields. This continued with other ways of knowing, and I found myself growing more flexible in how I approached assignments in all my classes.
Like my ways of knowing, my curiosity on September 28th was overwhelmingly confined to the sciences. I want to enter a biological field for a reason, but even though I am still very curious about the scientific understanding of life, I now want to explore other fields which may offer supplementary views to what science can offer. I was especially inspired by Michael Swaine and Professor Talbott’s visits for their insight into the artistic and philosophical ways of thinking and how those viewpoints can be used to examine the human condition. In what I have found to be a pleasant twist, these fresh perspectives are often more applicable in my daily life than those from the realm of science, and this has given me a clearer, broader view of the world around me. That is one reason this class was perfect for my first quarter at the University of Washington. I will go forward into the rest of this year and the rest of my time at college curious to explore a wider range of topics and materials.
My curiosities and ways of knowing have expanded more than I could have guessed they could since I came to the UW and started this class. I have discovered that one of the greatest things I can take from college is not just pure knowledge but also flexibility in how I use that knowledge. Because of this, the largest growth in curiosity over this last quarter has been in what the class has taught. I will continue to explore ways of knowing so that I may ensure I do not maintain the same ignorance I had on September 28th. I desire to understand what we know and how we know it more than ever, and this class has opened the door to that understanding.
For some reason, I believed that this class would make me more certain of how I know. I consider myself to have a scientific, analytical mind, and though I came into this class open to other ways of thinking and knowing, I expected to be reaffirmed that how I process information is the best method for me. Now I am not so sure. This class widened my view not just to the existence of novel ways of knowing but also to my ability to utilize other methods of thought. Even the first semi-major writing assignment in which we had to imitate Wallace Stevens’ Comedian as the Letter C made me aware of my interest in the world of poetry and allowed me to stretch a part of my brain I rarely use in my preferred STEM fields. This continued with other ways of knowing, and I found myself growing more flexible in how I approached assignments in all my classes.
Like my ways of knowing, my curiosity on September 28th was overwhelmingly confined to the sciences. I want to enter a biological field for a reason, but even though I am still very curious about the scientific understanding of life, I now want to explore other fields which may offer supplementary views to what science can offer. I was especially inspired by Michael Swaine and Professor Talbott’s visits for their insight into the artistic and philosophical ways of thinking and how those viewpoints can be used to examine the human condition. In what I have found to be a pleasant twist, these fresh perspectives are often more applicable in my daily life than those from the realm of science, and this has given me a clearer, broader view of the world around me. That is one reason this class was perfect for my first quarter at the University of Washington. I will go forward into the rest of this year and the rest of my time at college curious to explore a wider range of topics and materials.
My curiosities and ways of knowing have expanded more than I could have guessed they could since I came to the UW and started this class. I have discovered that one of the greatest things I can take from college is not just pure knowledge but also flexibility in how I use that knowledge. Because of this, the largest growth in curiosity over this last quarter has been in what the class has taught. I will continue to explore ways of knowing so that I may ensure I do not maintain the same ignorance I had on September 28th. I desire to understand what we know and how we know it more than ever, and this class has opened the door to that understanding.