I took SOCL 105 Sociology in Practice my Fall semester in 2021 to complete the Human Behavior and Social Institutions pillar degree requirement. I was never really interested in Sociology, but I am really interested in Psychology (as it is my major) so I was thinking about elective classes I could take that would branch out but also would help with Psychology. This was when I saw this sociology class offered, and looking back I am so glad I decided to register for this class. My final grade for this class was an A, but the most I got out of this class was not the grade, it was the connection with the professor, one of the best ones I still have at the school so far.
He is hands down the one (okay, one of two) professor I would go to if I ever needed anything, and that is even over my advisor. I just felt so welcome with him, and he never made me feel like he was talking down to me, and he was always open to hearing me out or discussing something with me if I ever had something to talk about. He would even ask me about things too if he had questions as a professor about students and similar questions. Every day I walk up the Rotunda stairs, I walk by his door to see if its open to say hi and ask how his day is going, and I feel like he is one of the only professors I can go to when I feel like the stress of school is really getting to me. What’s really cool is that my close friend had him as a professor first and recommended him, and we go to him together to have a chat with the three of us most of the time, so it is more fulfilling. I love that I left this class with not only knowledge about sociology but also connections with people that have lasted longer than just a semester, and are stronger than just a passing bond. This is why I chose to come to a school like Longwood, so I could find these kinds of connections, and I’m glad that his isn’t the only one I can say I’ve found.
He had some really fun activities in class to make learning interactive to help reinforce the ideas of sociology and how humans interact and are affected by society, and one I really loved and still remember is an online game he had us play called Spent, where you start off with only $1,000, and the goal is to make it to the end of the month while still living with a family that depends on you and a job you have to make it to and person health you have to see to. It was really eye-opening. I played it a couple times, because the first time I failed to make it to the end, and I even remember going back months later to play again because I couldn’t get it out of my head. I never realized before how much it really costs to live, and not only that but to live well. It really made me think about how I can better take care of myself when I become fully independent, and how I really need to think through things because it is a lot of respsonsibility, and it is not always just me I have to think of. I think this is a lesson I am going to take with me for the rest of my life.
https://playspent.org/; Screenshot of the main screen when you first enter playspent.org. By clicking on ‘Continue to Spent’ at the right, it brings you to the game where you make different choices to see if you can make it to the end of the month on only $1,000.