In the Spring of 2014, English 1003 and 1004 students held a symposium on the role of the humanities in their university educations. The majority of the students were in STEM fields or in business, but not all of them. They exchanged information on their educational goals and objectives, and then they went out and interviewed other students, then collaborated on group presentations reporting the results of their research. All of the groups reported a broad spectrum of responses to their questions about the importance of humanities and general education requirements. Continue reading
Reflections on Learning and Writing in 1004…
I used to fear the college English writing course because I am not a native language learner. I started to learn English when I was in kindergarten, however Americans can still hear my accent when I speak and discover some of the grammar mistakes. I had already heard about English 1004 from Chinese upperclassmen last semester and they told me that English 1004 is not an easy class. Continue reading
On the importance of critical thinking
Martin Luther King once said: “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” I learned how to think intensively but not critically when I was still a student in China. After three-year study in the United States, I found out that critical thinking was extremely important for a student due to the fact that every coin has two sides. Education should not be just memorization in order to get pass the exams. On the other hand, one does need a common sense or basic knowledge to learn the new material or create something new, which means learning is actually based on one’s memory. Memorization is helpful for a person in terms of understanding or creating new things, but critical thinking is the key to really see things with an open mind and come up with an even better thought that might contribute to the whole society. Continue reading
Notes on UConn culture: The Study Lounge
McMahon, the residence hall I live in, has North Tower and South Tower. There are seven floors in each tower and each floor has one study lounge. Including the lounge which is located on the main floor, there are 15 lounges total in McMahon. Also, McMahon has a famous learning community: Global House. This learning community contributes to the diversity of the people who live here. 30 percent of students are the exchange students from all over the world like Australia, Singapore and European countries. 20 percent of students are international students who will stay here for 4 years and most of them are Chinese. There are 40~50 percent of student are local students from Connecticut and another 10 percent of students come from other parts of America. Because this diversity of people who have different study habits lives here, the study lounge becomes a small community. Continue reading
Notes on UConn culture: fashion
In my view, different attire responds to different culture. Once I asked my American friend, “Why do American students bring backpack all the time?” She said, “Why do Asian students carry handbags?” American students think wearing comfortable clothing and backpack is practical and efficient. “You don’t have to worry about what to wear! Just put on your UConn t-shirt! It’s easy!”A Korean student said, ”American students know nothing about fashion! I like to wear skirt with sneakers but they don’t. Everyone dress similar and not stylish.” I got the same opinion from other International students.They all think the clothing of UConn students is monotonous; the attire in their college is much more diverse. Continue reading
Notes on UConn culture: What happens on the weekend
For college students, schoolwork is definitely the most important part in their daily life. Obviously on school days, most students share the same behaviors like going to class, having meals and staying in library. But on weekends, things change significantly. It is a time when all students have fun as well as show their personality. As one of the UConn students, I find myself really interested in what students around me usually do at weekend. So in my fieldwork project, I decided to focus on all kinds of students’ behaviors during weekends. Continue reading
Notes on UConn Culture: In and out of the classroom
Did you know that, almost every class missed by a student is a pre-planned decision rather than an instant decision? I was a little surprised to learn this when I interviewed some of my friends who are American freshman at UConn. After I finished my research (interviews), I totally agree with Nathan “Ditching class was a minor time-saving (or week shaping) strategy” (121). Missing classes is a strategy used by almost every student in order to maintain balance between their academic life, non-academic (sports, clubs, fraternity, etc.) and their personal life.
Student Journals on Language and Adjustment
1. The First Impression of Uconn and The Voices in My Life
I still clearly remember that special moment when I first arrived at Uconn-I was roaming about the campus and looking for my dormitory, worryingly with three heavy suitcases. The sky was getting dark but I still felt lost and had no idea about where to go. Fortunately, I suddenly heard a warm voice behind me, asking softly “Hi you look like getting lost and what can I help?” Continue reading
Student Journals on Language and Listening
Language is so ubiquitous that we experience it as we make jokes with friends, understand lectures professors speeched and read original novels everyday. I wandered through Homer Babbidge Library, touching books, hoping, more than one time, that anyone watching me might think I was a native speaker. However, from the last two weeks in the US, I can tell a different language is not so quickly perfected, since there are so many differences between Mandarin, my mother language, and English.
First of all, it’s about the grammar. Continue reading
Fall 2011: International students write about their experiences at UCONN
International Student Challenges: The following are excerpted from a report compiled by the students of English 1003, Fall 2011
The biggest challenges
• Language
• Culture Shock (food!)
• Loneliness and homesickness
• Forming friendships
• Adjusting to the Classroom
Adaptation
I remember in the first day here I went to the gym to play basketball. When those guys said “Let’s shoot for team,” and stood in line waiting to make free throw, I just held the ball next to them and had no idea what they were doing. I think I was just like an idiot. Then I realized that even the basketball rule is different from my homeland, and I would have a lot to learn besides the courses. It would be a long way to go. Continue reading