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My Liberal and Integrative Studies Paper:
A Journey of Self Discovery
A student in 2011
UIN 662XXXXXX
XXX W.Washington, #2704,Chicago, Il, 60606
847-XXX-XXXX
LIS 451 / Senior Seminar
Professor Eric Hadley-Ives
July 2011
31
Table of Contents
Section I: Introduction 3
Section II: Autobiography 4
Section III: Integrated Course Analysis and Themes 6
Sub Theme, Self-Indulging Knowledge: 7
Sub Theme, Diversity: 15
Sub Theme, Educational Necessities: 17
Section IV: Outcomes 25
Section V: Future 28
Section Six: Conclusion 28
Appendix 29
Bibliography 31
Section I: Introduction
It’s hard to believe it has been only one year and a half since I have started my degree here at the University of Illinois. Where did the time go? To think I will finally graduate in less than two months—it’s extremely satisfying and something to look forward to. My ultimate goal is to be happy and learn as much as I can and that’s the main reason I am pursuing this degree. While I was attending community college three years ago, one of the academic advisors asked me what I ultimately want to do. The question really took me by surprise; did he mean now, this year, in 10 years? I had a decent job but did I want to do that for the rest of my life? Probably not. I am a firm believer I can do whatever I want to, as long as I have a head on my shoulders. Some people, as I see, are pursuing this degree or a college degree, period. They’re hoping to get a better job or make more money to provide for their families. I will have to say I have made more money when I was self-employed and had no college education. So I clearly am not expecting a huge monetary gain by pursuing a Liberal Arts Degree. After our advising meeting, the counselor suggested I look into this degree; he thought, based on our conversation that it would be a good fit for me. I am glad I did, because here I am now, ready to graduate.
What made this degree appealing was its versatility; I was really intrigued by Ernest Boyer’s Models of Study. The LIS program, by having me follow the Boyer Model,--not only allowed me to actually take classes I have an interest and passion for, but also allowed me to take courses I lacked knowledge in, courses I always wanted to explore more. I truly believe this degree gave me an opportunity to become a well-rounded individual, and it also improved my communications skills as well. Yet, I actually have had a great time while learning! Education is not preparation for life; it is life itself (Dewey)- I had the preparation for life so to speak but was I really living before starting college? Not to the extent I would have wanted.
I am not pursuing a degree because I want more money, as money is no longer relevant to me; yes, we have to be able take care of ourselves financially but I feel there is more in life than trying to achieve material things. I am grateful I was able to do this for my own benefit, without being pressured by family, society, peers or employers. As Dewey said, I simply want to live my life.
Section II: Autobiography
I grew up in a small industrial town somewhere in Eastern Europe, in a former Communist country and to be quite honest, there is really nothing amazing about me. I was born in a blue-collar family and I only have one younger sibling, my brother Ionut. I never thought I would one day end up living in downtown Chicago, but here I am now. My parents were relatively young when I was born, my mother was 20 years old and my father was 24. I rarely saw my parents together as they worked different shifts. I believe my parents loved my brother and me very much and tried to provide for us financially, but unfortunately I truly do not believe they loved one another. I remember finding their marriage certificate and realizing they became man and wife just a few months before I was born.
It was a big disappointment for me; it made me feel very guilty, and that’s a feeling I had for a long time. I realized my parents married simply because my mother was pregnant, and at that particular time, in that particular country, abortion was not an option, and one could go to jail for even mentioning such thing. When I found this out, I was around 14 years old and until I was older and wiser, I blamed myself for their misery. I don’t think I was close to my family, especially my father. He was a very stern traditional man and he didn’t express himself too much; there was only black and white in his world, no gray. He never punished us, but he never played or did anything with us either. He was just there, working and providing for us, carrying his cross. I was surprised to find out he was the one against the abortion (because of course that came up too when my mother realized she was pregnant), I would have thought it would be the other way around. My parents are no longer together, they divorced when I turned 17 and they are both happier now. It is very important for me to understand that the way I was raised-the environment in my family-influenced my decisions later on in life.
The educational system back home is very different than what I have experienced here. Now that I look back, what I really disliked about my early years of schooling was the lack of creativity, the rigidity of the curriculum, the fact that we were mostly graded based on our memory. An education at that time was measured based on how much you were able to memorize and not how much you know or even more important, how much you still do not know. The teacher had absolute power in the classroom; he or she was the expert and you were to obey the rules. Physical punishment was the norm as well. The only classes I truly enjoyed and excelled at were foreign languages, Literature, Geography, History, Psychology, Sociology, Music and Drama. Teaching the three big R’s (Reading, Writing, Arithmetic) was mandatory; there were absolutely no elective classes. We all had to take the same ones. I remember I went to a high school that specialized in teaching foreign languages/literature, and I thought I would finally not have to take Math, Chemistry, Biology and Physics. I was wrong, of course, but now when I look back I realize those classes had their purpose as well. Those General Education classes made me develop specific intellectual abilities, made me think effectively; I am now able to make relevant judgments and also communicate well.
I followed into my mother’ steps and married quite young, when I turned 21 years old. The same year we decided to immigrate to the United States, and we have been living in Chicago for the past 13 years. I really cannot say life has been easy for me. Imagine coming to a new country, with a very different culture, alien customs, and no family here either, aside from one’s husband. I am amazed I made it so far, but then again, from a very young age I was taught to rely on myself only and do whatever it takes to survive; I still remember my mother’s final words when I left home: “there will be a time when you won’t be able count on me, your father or your brother but yourself only.” I think she might have been right to some extent; resilience is something I am familiar with, however not discussing feelings, issues and problems made it difficult and this is something I am still struggling with as an adult.
After a 10-year marriage I decided to divorce. This shocked and surprised many people, including my then husband. How dare I walk away from this lavish life he was providing me with? It sounded like I was financially supported, when in fact I had worked ever since we moved here. I am extremely independent, and I only have good things to say about my ex-husband, but does that mean that I, the self-sustaining individual, is to slowly die to simply conform to society’s norms and make others happy? I have tried; I really did. I gave it 10 years, but was I really prepared for marriage when I said, “I do?” I do not think I was, and I did not want to end up having children and raising them the way my parents did. I do not think it would have been fair for either of us. My parents provided for both my brother and me, but it was obvious they did not love one other. That was not the environment I wanted to bring a child into, so I walked out and have not looked back ever since.
To get through what I was experiencing, feeling guilty for causing my ex so much pain, I’ve started taking some psychology courses. I really enjoyed those, and then started taking more and more until I realized I might as well get a degree. As I am writing this paper, I realize I have not stopped taking classes ever since I started three years ago. I managed to attend school and work full time as well, at the same time maintaining a good GPA. The college experience has been great for me and I only wish I started this earlier. Unfortunately no one told me I could go to college, work, and be a wife at the same time. I had to figure that out on my own. I did, and I can certainly say I will probably take courses in some form or shape for the rest of my life. What the future will bring, I am not quite sure but I do know that I will be prepared.
Section III: Integrated Course Analysis and Themes
Coming up with a theme and a few sub-themes has not been an easy task, but what I believe the emphasis of my undergraduate study has included personal growth through searching for the meaning of life, finding out what is really important for me and exploring and building on what I already have. So, self-actualization might be the term to describe the overall theme of my degree. I had the foundation, so to speak, before joining the LIS program; now the house I have been building is almost ready. The courses I have pursued here at UIS are divided into three sub themes, satisfying my curiosity, diversity, and educational necessities, or simply, my wants, my needs and my musts.
The Liberals Studies degree was extremely appealing to me because it really allowed me to choose classes in areas I had an interest in, at the same time giving me an opportunity to take classes that would make me a well-rounded individual. Once I decided on the degree and the school I was going to attend, I had a plan. I mapped out my degree and decided to finish by the end of summer 2011.I have managed to stay on the right track and I am extremely close to graduation. I did not have any issues scheduling my courses-when I mapped out my plan, I did have some back-up options so if a few classes that I originally planned on taking were no longer available, I used some other courses that still seemed appealing to me. I had a lot of courses to choose from and I was not going to let a scheduling issue stop me from finishing on time.
Overall I can say I am satisfied with my performance and seem to achieve what I had decided when I first deciding on this degree. This degree means a lot to me as it’s something I did on my own, for my personal satisfaction and as I said, although I doubt it will bring me major or any monetary gain, what I have gained by getting this is something no one will ever be able to take away from me. I am indeed a different person. All my life I learned as I went from those around me I’ve always tried surround myself with individuals I can learn from, I’ve always read a lot. Attending college gave me structure and a more formal approach to education. I believe I will get everything that I wanted to get out of this experience and then some and I will definitely recommend the program to others.
Sub Theme, Self-Indulging Knowledge:
Self-indulging Knowledge- Each course listed under this theme has fulfilled my personal curiosities; these courses are my pleasure courses so to speak
PSY 314: Sensation and Perception
This was an amazing course and it studied how the brain makes sense of sensory inputs. In this course we learned how the anatomy and physiology of the eye, ear, and related parts of the brain allow and help people to understand speech, perceive color, see motion and depth and recognize faces. I’ve learned a lot about neurology and the incapacities of neurological functions, loss of speech, loss of vision, loss of identity, loss of dexterity.
Boyer Category: Identity/Nature
I have taken many Psychology courses and this is an area I have had an interest for as long as I can remember. We have read about many case studies in this class and one of the highlights of this course was discovering Oliver Sacks and three of his amazing books, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Awakenings and A Leg To Stand On. I have always wanted to explore the relationship between the brain and the mind from a pure scientific point of view. It was a lot of information to digest, especially as it was a short semester, it was quite intense but it was all worth it.
PSY 326:Family Psychology
This course covered the five primary aspects of family psychology: family as a system; developmental family behavior; family of origin concepts and how they affect the family; relationships, dating, courtships, and marriage; and family dysfunctions. I will have to say this was one of my favorite courses and I absolutely loved the instructor, she was great. Extremely helpful, made us really think and explore who we are. It almost felt like she knew we all have some unresolved issues-I remember I had to write a few papers in this class and I was shocked I was able to actually write about my family and myself in a brutal, honest way. I have not, until taking this course, really allow myself to disclose personal issues.
Boyer Category: Identity/Nature