autumn quarter 2019
Assignment #2 in Honors 100 consisted of crafting a plan for my next four years at UW. For me, this was incredibly daunting. I had barely just begun my freshman autumn quarter and I still had no idea what I was doing. I also had so many questions about whether my plan fulfilled both General Education and Interdisciplinary Honors graduation requirements, and even some questions specific to other interests of mine. Due to my confusion, I scheduled an appointment with an Honors advisor for some help and clarification. I met with my honors advisor Claire, who not only answered all of my questions, but gave me great advice and pointed me to some resources to get further help. She also eased the stress I was feeling about having to plan out the next four years by reminding me that this plan did not have to be set in stone by any means. This was probably the most rewarding discovery from this assignment. The Honors Advising Office can help you with more than just honors-related questions! I came to Claire with questions ranging from Honors and General Education requirements, to Informatics prerequisites, to pre-law tracks and grad school, and she was able to offer valuable knowledge and advice about each one. 1 - We examined Yoko Ono's Poem NO.18 (left) and created our own versions during studio. Originally, we were asked to read the poem aloud in class. Most of us were in confusion as to what the poem was saying because a majority of the words were indecipherable. My conclusion was that this poem was created for contemplation, not performance. The words on her piece are even blurred, but so are our visions as readers. We see what we want to see, and in doing so, we see anything that will make this poem make sense to ourselves. Maybe Ono's poetry was not in the words but in silent statement of the human tendency to search for meaning in all things. 2 - We examined a collection of unique manifestos. The manifesto on the left seems like gibberish, but the adjacent letters are actually organized in alphabetical order, and the names represent delusional main characters of great novels. The piece on the right also seems nonsensical, but it is actually a mockery of Matthew 5:1-9 in the Bible. 3- We created our own accidental/chance operations. Honors 345 has been one of the most unique classes that I think I will ever take. The texts and media we examined throughout the course were all very strange and confusing in many aspects, but this provided for thought-provoking discussions about chance, accidents, practice, interpretation, deformance, performance, and the meaning of meaning itself in poetics and poetry. |
Assignment #4 in Honors 100 was the Global Challenges 2019 event. The topic was, "Technology, ethics, and social change...who cares?", which I found incredibly relevant and fascinating. On the left are my notes that I took during the event, and on the right is my reflection from the event. I found all of the speakers to be very engaging. Through their discussion, I was enlightened to new perspectives about ethics in technology. The implications of "new" technology affect every community differently. I've learned that "better" technology is not necessarily designed to be "better" for everyone, something that I never realized. Leaving Global Challenges, I felt driven to think about technology in a more people-centered way. I was inspired to contemplate and act upon the ways in which the design, production, and implementation of technology could be ethicized and uplifting towards underprivileged communities. Coming into UW, it was important to me that I find a community where I felt comfortable and where I could grow in my faith. This quarter, I joined a Christian fellowship, called Common Ground, where I've been able to get connected and grow spiritually. Through CG, I've joined a girls' accountability group, or FAT (Faithful, Available, Teachable) Club, where I've gotten to just sit down and openly share my life with an amazing group of girls in CG every week (top row). I have also been going to prayer meetings every Thursday (bottom left) where I've been able to reset, share, and reflect on my week with others. CG has also had some events this quarter like Corn Maze (bottom right), and Cook Off which have allowed me to take a step back from the stresses of school and have some fun. It has been so encouraging for me to be part of a community of people who spur each other on and challenge each other in faith. Overall, I'm just super excited for all that I'll be able to learn through the people, bible studies, and fellowship in CG this year. |
At the beginning of Autumn quarter, I hoped to learn about my passions and garner a broader perspective about the world. Now, as Autumn quarter comes to a close, I can see how some small steps I’ve taken outside of my comfort zone this quarter have actually gone towards meeting these goals partway. Although I’ve made a little bit of progress towards each one, I’ve realized that these are goals that are important to keep in my heart for the next four years. I want to constantly be developing new passions and pursuing learning. I want to be persistent in my curiosity. I also want to continually be thinking deeply about the world around me; there are issues so complex that have remained unsolved for generations. This is what I want to be lying awake thinking about; not personal stresses or academics but concerns and awareness for the world.
Something that surprised me about myself in my first quarter in Honors was the improvement of my time management, and my capacity to think in various different lenses. Especially towards the end of high school, I had gotten very unmotivated with my learning, in a sense that I would put off assignments for days before doing them, and I felt very drained each day. Going into UW, I found myself eager to sit down and work on my assignments. I felt more driven and fascinated with the courses I was taking, which ended up being a crucial factor in the improvement of my time management. Getting to choose my classes in college and getting to learn about things that I found engaging made assignments feel so much more relevant. I oftentimes even found myself excited to tackle concepts that confused me. I also began planning my time better based on the activities I wanted to do outside of class for relaxation and enjoyment. Through the interesting combination of classes this quarter, I was also able to think about the world through various lenses. Computer science logic, the perspectives of Americans during the Holocaust, and writing with chance. Honors 345 really helped me exercise my creativity in this aspect as well; I came out of each class more contemplative about the various ways that chance and accident are manifested into writing, interactions, and experiences.
In the beginning of my time at UW, it felt daunting that I would be in lectures with six hundred students compared to the twenty that I was used to. I was worried about how resources would be allocated if I needed more individual help, and if I’d even be brave enough to seek them out. But this quarter, I can think of many times where I’ve gone to office hours, visited the IPL, and even approached my professors with questions. The campus really doesn’t feel so huge either. I see familiar faces every day, and the diversity in the student body at UW has allowed me to meet so many new people from various walks of life.
This quarter, I’ve been able to find meaningful community. I’ve found an amazing church fellowship. Through the relationships I have been building, I can see how much spiritual growth will persist within me as I go through this year. I’ve also been able to explore possible career paths through Dub Techs workshops. Each session I’ve gone to has been lead by someone very knowledgeable and experienced in their subject. It has been incredibly inspiring to simply learn from people similar to my age who are passionate about what they do in a way that I’ve never seen before.
Ultimately, this first quarter at UW has been so amazing; I have learned so much, and I am looking forward to the person I will grow into at the end of this year. Trying to predict who I will be at the end of these four years is impossible, but I hope that I will continue to seek out my passions and maintain a pressing empathy for the world. Above all, I hope that I will be true to myself, my morals, and my values. At the end of the day, the time I have on this earth is so short. I want to live each day concerning myself with things that truly matter, and I want to live faithfully by what I believe in.
Something that surprised me about myself in my first quarter in Honors was the improvement of my time management, and my capacity to think in various different lenses. Especially towards the end of high school, I had gotten very unmotivated with my learning, in a sense that I would put off assignments for days before doing them, and I felt very drained each day. Going into UW, I found myself eager to sit down and work on my assignments. I felt more driven and fascinated with the courses I was taking, which ended up being a crucial factor in the improvement of my time management. Getting to choose my classes in college and getting to learn about things that I found engaging made assignments feel so much more relevant. I oftentimes even found myself excited to tackle concepts that confused me. I also began planning my time better based on the activities I wanted to do outside of class for relaxation and enjoyment. Through the interesting combination of classes this quarter, I was also able to think about the world through various lenses. Computer science logic, the perspectives of Americans during the Holocaust, and writing with chance. Honors 345 really helped me exercise my creativity in this aspect as well; I came out of each class more contemplative about the various ways that chance and accident are manifested into writing, interactions, and experiences.
In the beginning of my time at UW, it felt daunting that I would be in lectures with six hundred students compared to the twenty that I was used to. I was worried about how resources would be allocated if I needed more individual help, and if I’d even be brave enough to seek them out. But this quarter, I can think of many times where I’ve gone to office hours, visited the IPL, and even approached my professors with questions. The campus really doesn’t feel so huge either. I see familiar faces every day, and the diversity in the student body at UW has allowed me to meet so many new people from various walks of life.
This quarter, I’ve been able to find meaningful community. I’ve found an amazing church fellowship. Through the relationships I have been building, I can see how much spiritual growth will persist within me as I go through this year. I’ve also been able to explore possible career paths through Dub Techs workshops. Each session I’ve gone to has been lead by someone very knowledgeable and experienced in their subject. It has been incredibly inspiring to simply learn from people similar to my age who are passionate about what they do in a way that I’ve never seen before.
Ultimately, this first quarter at UW has been so amazing; I have learned so much, and I am looking forward to the person I will grow into at the end of this year. Trying to predict who I will be at the end of these four years is impossible, but I hope that I will continue to seek out my passions and maintain a pressing empathy for the world. Above all, I hope that I will be true to myself, my morals, and my values. At the end of the day, the time I have on this earth is so short. I want to live each day concerning myself with things that truly matter, and I want to live faithfully by what I believe in.