Takeaways

Key takeaways from this semester:

Classes should have more field trips - even though I got two parking tickets.
Canoeing is awesome.
Grades are overrated.

This is a lighthearted list of things I enjoyed over the semester. Each one has affected my learning experience in this course. Class excursions have the capacity to foster learning in an alternative way than the traditional classroom setting.

The canoeing trip was the first class excursion. This field trip reminded me to appreciate simple things - like clean water, electricity, easy access to food - that millions of people unfortunately do not have. I did not anticipate how far we would canoe down the Trinity River. For the first hour, I casually paddled and talked with my canoe partner. As time passed, I wondered how much farther we would go. I was ready for the trip be over because I had an exam the following morning. I needed to study. At that moment, I realized I had a similar mindset to the people who toss trash in the river. People may feel "too busy" to find a trash can, so they simply toss garbage on the ground - eventually making its way to the water. After I realized this, I became relaxed. I began to reflect as my canoe partner and I floated along the surface. Bottles filled the surface of the water.

Why do people not take enough time to enjoy nature?
Is it really that hard to find a trash can?
Was that a couch?

This field trip reminded me to appreciate simple things - like clean water, electricity, easy access to food - that millions of people unfortunately do not have. Class excursions have the capacity to foster learning in an alternative way than the traditional classroom setting. They also stress the importance of development and growth rather than focusing on grades, which students, professors, and universities get caught up in. For this reason, I think more classes should incorporate field trips.