During my Markets and Morals class, I learned a lot about myself and how challenging some college courses would be. Throughout the first few weeks of my freshmen year, I was faced with multiple challenges in this course which consisted of loads of reading as well as adapting to a new professor. It was my first lecture-based class where there were no PowerPoints to guide lectures or to make sure I was on track. I was very discouraged at the beginning of the course, but I eventually found my way and learned new tools which would help me succeed.
At the beginning of the class, I remember sitting there and listening to Dr. Blincoe say, “My name is Dr. Blincoe. First name Dr., last name Blincoe,” and I honestly thought that I would struggle so much in his class. I had heard stories of his class being tough and how much work it took to succeed, so I was definitely discouraged. Once I started to settle down with the idea that I was in college and in a junior-level class due to my Associate’s Degree, I started to soar in his class not only with school work but also with my personal growth. His class taught me great time management skills and how to hold myself accountable. His daily quizzes really challenged me to do all of the reading and to make sure I understood it all.
I found it very challenging having to read philosophical work. I was never exposed to that type of literature prior to the class, so I was very confused the first couple of days. I remember having to read each section of work at least twice to fully understand what was going on. I did find it quite easy, though, to argue with him. His class had arguments rather than tests to see what we knew about each topic. We would have to pick a side and have enough knowledge to carry on a civil disagreement with him one-on-one. I was so nervous for the first argument, but I was confident that I knew my material.
I also was shocked at how understanding he was as a professor. Before attending college, I had been told that college professors didn’t care about their students because they already had the money, but he was the exact opposite. He allowed me to ask questions when needed and genuinely tried to make sure I understood all of the material. He was very flexible with office hours and was actually very excited whenever students showed up.
Overall, the class was definitely challenging but rewarding in so many aspects. I truly think that the class helped prepare me for the rest of my years at Longwood.
I chose this reflection because it was my first ever paper in his class. I was very intrigued in the topic and found it very interesting.
Click here to view my first reflection from his class. (“Reflection 1” – Jeri Tyler; Written October 17, 2019)