My Liberal and Integrative Studies Journey: Exploring the many depths of my mind

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UIN- 999999999

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217-206-8207

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Acknowledgements

I wish to thank all of the following people, because without them graduation and a future career would not be possible.

[Name]- You are my other half. When I needed help, you were there. No matter what, you have stuck it out through the good times and the bad. I look forward to our future together and growing old with you.

[Name]- Since birth you have given me everything that I could possibly have wanted and then some. You have provided me with the strength to always do my best and never dwell on the bad things in life. Also, you have financially provided me with the monetary funds for all of my education to provide an excellent future for me and my family.

[Name]- Like Mom, you have not stepped back or looked down upon me for any decision that I have made nor will you with any others that I decide to make. You are my support system that has made my life possible and I cannot wish anything less for the both of you than my eternal love and the universe. You deserve it all!

[Name]- Thank you for making me realize how important an education really is. Without you I would probably not be getting ready to graduate. You have provided me with help, love and encouragement through all of the many steps of my life! You are the best brother and I love you.

[Name]- Thank you for always being at home to greet me when I have had a bad day! You always lift my spirit when I need it. I couldn’t have asked for a better dog!

Extended Family, Relatives and In-laws- Thank you for being there for me. You have always pushed me to do my best and even encouraging me to go beyond my best to perfection, simply because you believed in me. We have all been through a lot, but the journeys wouldn’t have been half the fun without you all along for the ride.

Section One: Introduction

My name is [Full Name Here], and I am currently enrolled at the University of Illinois in Springfield as a student of the Liberal Studies program. I live in Pawnee, Illinois which about 15 miles South of Springfield. I have a wonderful husband named [Husband’s Name] and a Cocker Spaniel dog named Spencer. We are also anxiously awaiting the arrival of our first child due in late August, early September. I am not currently employed because I wanted to devote all of my time to my education and just enjoy the time I have before entering the “real” world and plunging into the role as a mother.

I chose to pursue my degree in Liberal Studies at the University of Illinois-Springfield because I was amazed at how perfect this plan was for me. Also, I know I have a lot of interests that this degree allows me to fill. Not like any other degree program, Liberal Studies encourages you to explore the many courses offered to your specifications and liking. Over the past two years I have been working continuously for my degree, but the Liberal Studies option allows me to divide my time amongst school and family. A choice not many schools and other degrees can offer.

Section Two: Autobiography

I was a very challenging fetus in my mother’s womb. I did not want to come into this world without a reason to be here, I suppose. I was nearly a month overdue and my parents patiently waited until I was ready to grace the world with my presence. Today, my parents and I still believe this to be true. I am a very strong individual and I still consider myself to be a challenge. I can be difficult at times, but it is only because I expect the best out of people and in return I want to deliver the best of my abilities. I have always had a hard time deciding what I wanted to do with my life, so I felt that when it came to my education and devising a plan for the future, the best way for me was to explore my many interests and see what appealed to me the most. I did this by traveling, taking different courses at different schools and just experiencing life as it came.

I was always encouraged by my family to work hard. My parents agreed that working hard would pay off in the end even if I felt like I wasn’t doing enough to make a difference. My parents highly prepared me for the adventurous, educational and working world. Starting at a young age, I remember my parents reading to me and emphasizing how important education was. When I was in fifth grade, I really felt pressure not only from my parents but also from my school, teachers and peers that there would be consequences if I didn’t keep up with my studies. I knew I had to be a responsible child and make the best possible choices because that would further shape me into the person that I knew I wanted to become. I believe that this did help mold me into the person that I am today and am simply grateful for everyone pushing me the way they did. I am absolutely amazed of the person that I have become and I would not change for anything.

Transitioning into Junior high was hard, but typical. Junior High introduced me to the social world. This is when I became more interested in extracurricular activities and developing true friendships. Junior High experiences can be overwhelming and cruel, but I learned a lot of lessons that prepared me for High School. Some of the lessons that I learned were about responsibility, accomplishing my goals, exceeding expectations of myself and others when it came to my school work, and learning to have fun while accomplishing all of this.

High School was probably the best part of my early educational years. I had a blast being involved in dance committees, Yearbook, Student Council and just the conventional high school setting; all which further molded my personality. During these exciting years, I was able to truly understand what life was all about including taking my own thoughts into consideration first, always believing in my self, never giving up, and simply enjoying life. Nearing the end of my preliminary education I really started to stress about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I loved so many different things and wanted to experience everything possible. I finally figured out that I wouldn’t be happy unless I did just that, so my eclectic curiosities lead me to my vocational and college years.

When first graduating high school, I had been with my present husband for quite a while and we knew we would get married, so we basically had to work with each other schedules and goals. My husband is older than me, so he was in college at the time. He was enrolled at Western University but was transferring to the University of Illinois in Champaign the following fall. At this point I knew I would be moving away for the first time, but wasn’t sure what I was going to do.

I was torn between going to Cosmetology school and entering college. My final decisions lead me to enrolling into the Concept School of Cosmetology in Urbana. I figured since I had a passion for the many aspects of beauty, I would discover them first since school was only about a year! I absolutely loved Cosmetology school. It was like having a “girl’s spa day” everyday. Of course you had to learn things like mixing chemicals and anatomy, but this was mainly hands on and fun. When I graduated from Cosmetology school, I thought that since I loved school so much, that it would definitely be my career choice. Boy was I wrong. I started a job at a salon and was there for about six months. I cringed at the thought of having to go to work. I ended up realizing that the beauty field was not for me and soon enrolled at Parkland College. Parkland was fun and eased me into the college setting. Since it was a junior college, the classes were smaller and it was easier to make friends. I was only there for one semester, but continued the college experience. At that point in time, I wanted to elaborate on my interest in Psychology. Continuing on to Lincoln Land, I still had a love for the study of Psychology but soon after, my husband took a job in Texas. We soon packed up and committed ourselves to a lifestyle we were both unaccustomed to. Moving to a different state and knowing that I was going to be enrolled into my third college, I knew that I was really getting the exploration and experiences that I yearned for. Texas was a different way of living, but we both enjoyed it. I loved my college and started thinking about switching my degree plan. I love Psychology, but it became very repetitive, and one of my educational goals was to explore the many degrees that each school offered. I started focusing on a couple different things including sociology and elementary education. I attended this school for two years exploring these fields of study, but realized it was time to move on.

Finally, my husband took a job back in Illinois, where he currently resides and loves it. The move back was heart-wrenching leaving our friends in Texas and other things that we had held dear to our hearts, but we were ready to be back around family and what we both grew up loving. This final move led me back to Lincoln Land and the University of Illinois at Springfield. I only had a couple classes that I wanted to take at Lincoln Land, so I was only there for a semester. I then fully devoted my time to UIS. For the past semesters I have had a brilliant time here at UIS. I knew that I would love being enrolled in the Liberal Studies program due to my many interests. I have been able to explore things that I wouldn’t get to if I was enrolled into a “regular” degree. Overall, my entire educational experiences have been everything that I had hoped for and more. I can honestly say though, that I have flourished the most from being enrolled into the Liberal Studies program here at UIS. I do look forward to graduating this May though and becoming a proud alumnus of this excellent program and school.

Section Three: Integrated Course Analysis and Themes

The theme of my degree is self-exploration through the depths of my mind, to fulfill my curiosities and experience education that appeals to my many interests. The courses that I have taken in the past and have chosen to finish up my degree at UIS can be subcategorized into three themes including self-indulging knowledge, educational interests and occupational needs.

I didn’t have too many problems with personal conflicts or course scheduling to keep my education plan on track. Although there has been the occasional rise of family problems, not receiving the grade that I hoped for in a certain class and not being able to take a class that sounded interesting has not deterred me from my ultimate educational goal to graduate.

I have established and maintained many goals since the beginning of my educational journey at the University of Illinois including short term goals such as enrolling in the Liberal Studies program and long term goals becoming more tangible as time passes such as graduating with a Bachelor’s degree. Another goal that I have consistently achieved since becoming an LIS major is exploring the Boyer categories that I am interested in and not so familiar with. A top priority during my academic endeavors was to enhance my educational strengths while improving on the skills that I lacked. Amongst these include an introduction to the ever changing technology world. With graduation approaching quickly, I feel overjoyed that all of my personal and education goals have been met or will be met within the next couple of weeks.

Sub Theme:

Self-indulging Knowledge- Each course listed under this theme has fulfilled my personal curiosities.

PAC 408: Addiction

This course was basically to introduce me to the many proclaimed addictions that have slowly began to encompass the earth. This class helped me to further understand the true meaning of addiction, learn the continual steps of addiction and what I can do to help with the overall progress of diminishing addictions. I was highly interested in this course because I have an uncle who has an alcohol addiction and I wanted to understand him and try to help him. Helping him means a lot to me and my family because in the past we haven’t been able to cater to his needs or understand why he would put himself through the things he goes through. In this course, I learned that most addictions are medically considered a disease, much like cancer. I always believed that people chose their poison and they had to live with the decisions they made, until realizing that some people just can’t help becoming addicted to something. Addictions can arise from maternal and paternal genes as well as an imbalance in their body that thrives on different addictions. Every week we would learn about a different addiction, which was great because I never really thought about any other addictions besides drugs and alcohol. Amongst these addictions, a few included were gambling, shopping and food. Much to my surprise though, I have discovered through this class that everyone has a bit of an addiction problem. Of course some are more severe than others, but people usually don’t even realize that they have an addiction. All in all, this class has acquainted me with knowledge that I hold near to my heart and can refer upon on a weekly basis.

Boyer Category: Institutions

This class falls into the Boyer category of Institutions. Addiction was an elective that I decided to take to fulfill a personal educational need. This course was self-indulging and examined the relationship between addictions and rationality. This course presented an interdisciplinary approach, explored the many treatments and regulatory policies to prevent and treat addictions in the U.S.

LSC 408: Words

This course was very important to me to further develop my vocabulary and better prepare me for business terms, language and conversations. Also, I was curious about this class when I saw it in the catalogue. It sounded very interesting and something that I would enjoy. I love to do crossword puzzles and learn phrases in different languages, so this course offered me a porthole into a “wordy” world that satisfied my peculiar mind. Every week we would have to come in with five words that we were unfamiliar with and share them with the class. We had to give the definition of the word and why chose the words. This definitely introduced me to a variety of words that I had never heard of. Also, it was interesting how once I heard the definition to a word, along with the rest of the class, would immediately link it to a word that we were familiar with. It is amazing how there are so many words that mean the same thing, but we are usually only familiar with one or two of those words. We also had to give a speech in this course related to “words,” but it could be any topic of our choice. As interested as I am about motherhood and children, I decided to do my speech on fetuses in the womb and whether or not they communicate with the mother. A lot of people disagreed with the research I found on communication in the womb, but I believe that it is possible for mother and child to communicate. It was interesting though for those who did not agree to hear their point of view. I also absolutely adored the professor. He was very kind, fun and always had something interesting to say. He kept us all entertained and today, I still believe that my vocabulary has expanded drastically due to this class.

Boyer category: Language

This class obviously fit into the language category. We were introduced to the study of words and what humans do with them. By allowing me to enhance my vocabulary through this course, it fulfilled a desire of mine to contribute to my personal future goals. Words are simultaneously concepts, meaning carriers and pieces of culture used in accomplishing nearly every human journey regardless of scope or value.

ART 372: Basic Video Production

This course helped me to better understand the basic principles of video productions. I have always had a love for movies and have often wondered what goes on behind the “BIG” picture. This class has allowed me to explore what really goes on during a production, camera operation, techniques used and basic concepts of the video production world. What I like mostly about this class was that it was eighty percent hands on. The teacher would lecture a little at the beginning of the class and then he would introduce us to a concept such as camera operation and would let us try it out for our selves. This class was absolutely self-indulging. My overall experience in this course was like no other that I have ever encountered. We had two major assignments in this class including producing our own commercial and a final project of our choice. We had to learn the many different roles such as producer, director, audio, lighting, floor managing, acting and many other jobs pertaining to this industry needed to complete a final production. For my commercial I chose to do the Festival of Trees that takes place in Springfield during the holiday season. It turned out fabulous and I received an awesome grade. And for my final project I did a cooking show starring my mother. This class exceeded my expectations and I would take this class over in a heartbeat.