One Thing I Wish I’d Done Every Semester
What if you wrote a short paragraph summarizing what you have learned in each class? In today's post, we discuss the importance of reflection in the academic experience.
“I’ve thought to myself, several times over the years: How great would it have been if I’d written a short paragraph to summarize my learning in every class I took in college?”
When I was in college I was busy with many priorities, much like many King’s students. I was involved in organizations I cared about and and worked part-time alongside classes. Coursework generally became more intense toward the end of the semester, and by the end of finals I was relieved to be able to rest. It was good to rest and to enjoy time with family and friends over the breaks, and it was a necessary part of the ebb and flow of the academic calendar. It’s good to work hard for a time and then to rest for a time too. But now, more than a decade later, there is one thing I wish I’d done differently.
I’ve thought to myself, several times over the years: How great would it have been if I’d written a short paragraph to summarize my learning in every class I took in college? Did I change my mind about something? Did my thinking about a topic become more complex? What skills did I practice in the course?
If I had written even just a short summary of my learning in each class, I would’ve compiled a nice summary of my unique learning process in college, and now many years later, I would be able to remember with more clarity the details of my learning experience in college.
So to help you get started–if you feel so inspired–I’ve included a few questions for reflection. Think through these questions for each of your classes, and then consider your semester as a whole.
- What is one thing you learned in this class?
- In what ways did your perspective change about a topic/idea in this class?
- How might you summarize this class in 3-5 sentences?
- What are you curious about related to this class moving forward?
- How did ideas in this class intersect with, or differ from, other courses?
Save these questions for your flight home or for a quiet day over the break. Tell your parents or friends some of your reflections when they ask about your fall semester. Keep your responses or save them for reference. You never know, maybe you’ll wish you’d written a summary of your learning at King’s in a decade, or maybe you’ll remember the details better because you did.