Personal:

One personal goal I hope to achieve this year is to reach out to a broader group of people than just my classmates and dorm. It feels straightforward to stick to a routine of people and ideas that coordinate with what I’m learning in class or shared experiences like in the dorm. However, one of the best parts of college is that there are countless opportunities to meet new people and share perspectives and ideas. I just have to take the time to go out and do it. As stated in Jeffery Scheuer’s article “Critical Thinking and the Liberal Arts”, education can be a “wellspring of ideas and questions, and a way of promoting flexibility and openness to diverse perspectives”. It was very easy to pursue these kinds of activities in high school for me as I had a very close group of friends and a school environment that actively encouraged involvement and discussions about important and somewhat controversial topics. I know that UNE has that same kind of dedication, as mentioned abundantly in the Core Handbook, that being exposed to a wide variety of perspectives and people is a crucial element to a well-rounded education. I want to pursue this by joining the Women and Gender Studies Club, which I did. This group will provide plenty of opportunities to get involved on campus and hear new voices and opinions on topics that I am incredibly passionate about. Scheuer expresses at the end of his article that having “active, thoughtful, humane, and productive citizens is what society needs”. Setting this goal for myself will not only help me and enrich my time at UNE, but it could also add to the number of perspectives and unique individuals on campus who take the time to be active participants in advancing the diversity of thought on campus.

Academic:

An academic goal that I feel will help me a lot with my transition to college academic life is having a mindset that allows me to be okay with different grades than I received in high school. My first instinct is to dwell on transcripts and think way ahead to the future, even as far as what law schools will see as I’m applying. When this class first introduced me to Carol Dweck’s TED Talk on growth mindset I realized that I was going to have to really take a step back and examine what I hoped to get out of my time here. To understand that there are goals towards grades, yes, but what is behind those grades is what matters. Meaningful learning. The grade is nothing if I cannot utilize the skills or knowledge I was supposed to obtain in my future life. When Dweck says “not yet,” I realized that having a growth mindset and understanding that it takes time, effort, and even failures to achieve an end goal. A great success will be where I can feel proud of myself even when I fall short or take longer to understand a concept. It means I am working hard and advancing my comprehension and abilities.