College And Life Skills Course
by Indresh Srivastava
1. Introduction To Capstone Project
1.1. Rose Hulman Institute of Technology is the number one undergraduate engineering institute in the United States. When I decide to come to Rose I knew the amount of effort I would have to put in. I thought coming from such a rigorous and difficult education system in India the transition education wise would not be difficult. It was only until I got to Rose that I realized how difficult it's going to be. CLSK helped me ease this transition and made my life here at Rose a lot easier. This is my CapStone Project where I will be talking about what I learnt every single class throughout the quarter.
2. Class 1
3. Class 2
4. Class 3
5. Class 4
6. Class 5
7. What was done in class?
7.1. Our first CLSK Class was an introductory session where we were familiarized ourselves with the topics that will be covered in this class during the quarter. We introduced ourselves in class, acquaint ourselves with each other gaining knowledge on everyone’s individual goals and majors.
7.2. We also had an activity where we were given a piece of paper with two columns, namely: High School and College. We were asked to list down the differences between the life at school and life at college.
8. What I took from the class?
8.1. Because of this session I understood some of the challenges students generally face transitioning from school to college and absorbed techniques which I can use to handle such problems.
9. What was done in class?
9.1. The second CLSK class was a discussion on time management, its importance and methods to utilize it.
9.2. During class we discussed our routine at Rose and made a general student routine for Rose. We went over this routine analyzing the amount of time spent on individual activities such as homework, study, sleep, social activities, relaxing etc. Then we made an effective schedule giving each activity a time period during the day.
9.3. We also discussed the importance extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities are generally left out from schedules because non athletic students see them as a waste of their free time. But these activities help release a lot of stress and help keep the student healthy.
10. What was done in class?
10.1. During class 4 we filled out an online library with on campus resources available to students. By doing this we learnt more about what each resource has to offer and how we can utilize them to the fullest. We were each assigned a particular on campus facility and asked to give a brief summary to what it has to offer, what times is it open through, where is it located, etc.
10.2. We also discussed the benefits of working in a group.
11. What was done in class?
11.1. Some of the advices given to us during class on effective use of time in class and while studying follow. Before class we should go over the topics and have a fair idea of what the topic is about so that in class you are synced rather than disturbed and confused. Go over topics covered in class after the class and try finishing homework related to that subject first. In class pay attention to the professors and take notes which you can go through before tests and while revising material. Take practice tests that are provided in the Learning center and make use of all the resources on campus.
12. What was done in class?
12.1. During class five we went over the mindsets of students. How some students give up and don’t want to put in more effort after falling to succeed in their first attempt. Whereas others take up their failure as a challenge and work towards the next attempt. Failure demotivates some students and motivates the others. The second kind of mindset is what every student should have, they should take failure as a challenge and work to do better the next time.
12.2. Responsibility of learning was another discussion topic that day. We discussed how learning was completely in our hands. Going to class, paying attention in class, doing homework, studying for tests, utilizing resources provided to us, etc. all of these are our responsibilities. We are the captain of our own ship and it is in our hands where we want to take it, bottom of the ocean or to the treasure.
12.3. During class we also went over ethical and unethical behaviors. Unethical behavior was described by examples such as not paying attention in class, plagiarism, disturbing the professor during class, etc. Strict action may be taken against students who do not ethically behave.
13. What I took from the class?
13.1. This session helped me plan out an optimum weekly schedule that I have been following since then, and also encouraged me to join the intramural soccer team which has in turn helped me to release stress.
14. What I took from the class?
14.1. This class helped me gain information on every resource on camps and effective utilization of each one of them. I also learnt the importance of studying in groups and habits I should implement for effective learning.
15. What I took from the class?
15.1. I do follow each an every advice Dr. Pethes gave us every single day and I have been doing so since high school. The content covered in class was not new to me but helped reinforce it.
16. Class 7
17. Class 8
18. What was done in class?
18.1. The topic for discussion during week 7 was stress. How can we manage stress? And what can we do relieve stress? During class we discussed the above two stated questions. Each student was asked to speak on what stressed him and what he could do to relieve it.
19. What I took from the class?
19.1. Having done the course “Haven” online I found it repetitive but still an effective way of showing how important the university feels against discrimination and abuse.
20. What I took from the class?
20.1. I find myself having the second kind of mindset. I tend to take failure as a challenge and learning for my next try. Just like in a video game, here at rose we have unlimited number of tries and opportunities. Failing once does not mean it is the end.
20.2. I come from another country where if we do not take responsibility for our actions, it does not end well for us. Respecting our teachers is one of the most strictly followed principle in India. Thus, for me the last two discussion topics were not very informative.
21. What I took from the class?
21.1. This class aided me by informing me of the different kinds of stress students face during their life at Rose, and how I could relive myself of them if I were ever stressed. First quarter is supposed to be the easiest quarter. I felt terrible hearing that because by tenth week I was all drained out and so worried about my finals. Stress eventually gets to all of us and that’s the time we have to choose to standup and fight it out, or give into it. Tenth week for me was really stressful and I am glad I could utilize the stress management and relief methods that were taught to us in class.
22. What was done in class?
22.1. Class 8 was more of a presentation than a class. Students from all clsk sections were asked to meet in a common room and were presented with title 9. Title IX is a comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity. During the presentation students were provided with information on sexual consent, facts about abuse of women, statistics on gender discrimination and options students can take if they knew someone who was abused or they themselves were abused.
22.2. [No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.] (WIKIPEDIA)
23. Class 6
24. What was done in class?
24.1. Class 6 was an individual counselling session with our professor. I worked on my resume with my teacher Dr..Pethes.
25. What i took from the class?
25.1. I did not have a resume prepared before that class and thus it helped me a lot as now I have a well drafted and edited resume.
26. Class 9
27. What was done in class?
27.1. During the second last CLSK class we discussed the anchors and engine to our education here at rose. We listed down our individual anchors and engines in groups of three and then analyzed each one. We also worked on converting the anchors into engines or just making them neutral so that they don’t affect us anymore.
28. What i took fom the class?
28.1. This class helped me get rid of my anchors and helped me realize what my engines were and how I can keep them running.
29. CONCLUSION:
29.1. Overall from the nine CLSK sessions I have learned a lot. Being an international student the transition for me from high school in a country more than half way across the world, to rose was difficult. This class helped ease the transition and helped me get acquainted with what this university has to offer me in terms of resources and guidance. I enjoyed each and every session with Dr. Pethes and will definitely utilize whatever I have learned in class to my coming years at Rose.
30. CITATION:
31. Wikipedia
32. The New Science Of Learning By Terry Doyle and Todd Zakrajsek
