This class was definitely a challenge for me and was not at all what I was expecting. It definitely was filled with some great times and fun memories but did have its fair share of unpleasant times. Personally, I think this class taught me more outside of it than it did through the course material.
I learned so much about myself through this class and by getting to meet each professor who taught it. At first, I was really struggling with the idea of leaving the campus for two weekends to go to different places along the Chesapeake Bay as well as not being able to go home for fall break. It truly tested me as a person who likes to stay at home. I remember on the first trip being absolutely miserable during the first night because of how much I missed my familiar surroundings, but once the next day came and I got to start exploring, I was hooked. Getting to interview people and actually leaving my comfort zone provided me with so much personal growth that I cannot even begin to explain. I became closer with the individuals in the class who ended up becoming some of my really good friends.
One of the most challenging aspects of the class was the artistic side of things. I am not a very artistic person at all. I am completely a math and science person, so having to do different art tasks and assignments really pushed me to do different things. I can remember thinking how much effort and thought it took to take a photo when before the class I would just snap a picture of whatever seemed cool. I had to start thinking about the colors in the picture and what each picture represented. I was challenged to tell stories through my pictures which, while not enjoyable at the time, ended up teaching me so much about pictures and what they represent.
I was challenged with learning how to adapt to multiple professors. Each assignment that was for a specific subject would be graded by the specified professor, so I really had to figure out what each professor liked and disliked which felt like an assignment on its own.
This class was enjoyable but probably was the most challenging of all my classes this semester mentally. I was dreading leaving campus, dreading doing the work, and even dreading the Friday classes that ended at 4:30. Although at the time I was not appreciative of the class, I am very glad that I had to chance to take it and grow from the experience.
I chose to include my research paper because I worked very hard on it and it took me a long time to write and edit. It was so interesting to learn about Aquaculture and its different views.
Click here to view my research paper. (“The Positive and Negative Views of Aquaculture” – Jeri Tyler; Written November 1, 2019)