Reflection I

kenyaInterdisciplinary Studies is gaining the complete understanding of a topic by researching it through several academic perspectives. Prior to taking the Liberal studies course I had never been exposed to the idea of interdisciplinary studies. When choosing my faculty I had no idea what liberal studies entailed. The first time I actually realized what Liberal Studies was all about was on orientation day. After orientation, I knew that I had made the right choice. Liberal Studies is by far my favorite class this semester. The idea of interdisciplinary thinking is a concept I have yet to be exposed to, and is something I find extremely interesting. I genuinely enjoy reading the Intro to Interdisciplinary Studies textbook. I feel as though I understand the concepts, and I notice myself learning and growing from these new ideas. Actively applying key concepts from my liberal studies course within my life allows me to better improve my thought processes and look at things from a more intellectual perspective.
From taking the liberal studies course I have begun to understand the need for two main types of thinking: systems and contextual. Systems thinking is the ability to break a problem down into smaller parts to reveal internal and external factors, and understand how each of these parts relate to each other and the system as a whole. I have begun using systems thinking within my own life as I often find myself extremely stressed out and overwhelmed. By putting systems thinking to use, I am able to analyze my problem and understand the several factors that contribute to my stress (homework, work, family life). By revealing the smaller factors that contribute to my stress, I am able to overcome my problem as a whole by effectively fixing the smaller components of the issue. Contextual thinking is being able to view something from a broadened perspective. I often apply contextual thinking to my school work by considering my course material from a broader perspective by applying aspects such as time and culture to each topic I learn about. Applying contextual thinking has taught me to avoid a silo perspective and has shown me how to view the world through a larger lens encompassing various academic areas. Avoiding a silo perspective has allowed me to think outside of the box and apply all aspects of my education to various situations within my life
A large part of the liberal studies course includes class discussion and in class speakers which allow me to further connect key course ideas to my own life. One of my favorite classes was when Rita Wong led a discussion on the topic of water sustainability. This made me think about my own water consumption, and how much water I waste daily. Since Rita’s presentation I have been monitoring my water usage and I have stopped using water in frivolous ways. I have begun timing my showers and I have discontinued leaving the water running unnecessarily while doing the dishes and brushing my teeth. I am very excited to begin working on my watermark project as it will allow me to understand the full impact my water usage has on society.
My learning experience within this class has been further enriched as I have been consistently attending the chat live sessions. At the chat live meetings I put various concepts of interdisciplinary studies into action as I think about each discussion topic by using a multidisciplinary approach. Attending these meetings allow me to practice interdisciplinarity in a pressure free environment.
I find myself thinking about interdisciplinary knowledge quite different than I did before taking the Liberal studies course. I continue to experience interdisciplinary concepts both in class and throughout my daily life. Even now as I write this autobiography, I am continuing to learn by developing my “strong sense” of critical thinking, as my attention is directed inward, and I am allowing myself to self-reflect. I am as well using metacognition and furthering my base of knowledge! I plan on further developing these interdisciplinary skills throughout not only the next four years, but my entire life. An important concept I have learned from interdisciplinary studies is that disciplines are constantly evolving. That being said, I am proud to pronounce that I am fully prepared to embark on the ever changing path of life from which I will always be a lifelong learner!

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