I think what most surprised me about this course was how much I enjoyed reading the various texts that we covered over the course of the past two quarters. While I had enjoyed a few of the novels I read in high school, they felt rather tedious and more like a "have to" than "get to." This year, however, I often found myself really caught up in the books and often ahead of the reading schedule. Pachinko and There There were some of my personal favorites. While I was reflecting on this, I was trying to think about why I enjoyed reading so much more over these past quarters. I believe the answer lies in my approach to reading. As I read throughout high school, I was always thinking about the essay that awaited at the end of each text. This made each book feel like an assignment, taking away from the reading experience. While I still read each of the texts this year with an academic lens and jotted down a few notes, I feel like I was able to read more on my own terms. I hope that I will be able to continue this as I continue at Santa Clara, as it should make my academic life significantly easier.
Overall, I have enjoyed this course. There have undoubtedly been some late nights and stressful weekends but this class exposed me to a diverse range of texts I might not have heard about otherwise. The discussions in class were great and thoughtful and certainly some unforgettable moments (never had someone Rick Roll the class mid-presentation before). I wish we had been able to meet in person, but I hope to see some classmates next year!
I think that this class made reading a lot less stressful, so I agree that reading in this class was more enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way about the scope of this class. Without a doubt there was night were we had to stay up late and put in work, but at the end of day it was well worth it as you pointed out.
ReplyDeleteI also had a similar experience in high school where certain required reading was such a drag because of the associated academic obligations. I love your point about perspective and how that can seriously alter your experience with a book.
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoyed the texts we read these past quarters. They're unlike any of the literary works I engaged with in high school, and I agree that my perspective about reading changed because of this!
ReplyDeleteI suffered from the same feelings surrounding assigned reading before this class, but luckily these novels remedied that!
ReplyDeleteI was also pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable many of the texts we read in class were. Great point on how the mindset when reading can make a book much more enjoyable and entertaining.
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree with everything you said, especially that part about how in high school you always dreaded that essay after reading a text. Gonna miss Rickrolling y'all :((
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