What Will Stick With You From this Class?
Picture an older student, 25 years out of high school, entering in a room of fresh out of high school students. The other students chatter amongst themselves, somewhat familiar with one another. The older student sits in the front row, not being able to observe the vast amount of differences between him and the other students (and to be closer to the teacher). Now, he is becoming fully aware that this is an honors class, his very first ever. The thoughts of inadequacy set in and if he could, he would get up and leave. The only thing keeping him in his sit is his purpose for taking this class and that is to meet the entry requirements of the university he has chosen to attend after junior college. Not settling to be an average student, it was suggested by an instructor that honors classes would aid in that objective. So I sat. My name is Marc Leggett and I was that student. As I write this essay of what I will take with me from this class, I begin to feel a full range of emotions, remembering that moment 4 months ago. What will stick with me from this class is overcoming fear and embracing love.
Overcoming fear has to do with the fact that in high school I was more concerned with who I hung out with, what I could get into, and how popular I was, I was never concerned about the education I was receiving or the lack of the education. I was not a bad student, just not very focus on education. I did well in math, but I had no interest in English. So when I sighed up for Honors World Literature 1, I was feeling very certain and sure of myself, until I walked in the classroom. Although I was on the President’s list, passed chemistry 1 and 2 over the summer, and was told that I was a very good student, none of that mattered. When I received the syllabus for the class, I saw all the books we were going to read, posting of blogs (what is a blog?), and the reports that would have to be completed to pass this class, all I could think is that I am going to fail this class. But I had to give myself a chance. I had to give my instructor a chance. Most of all, I had to give my classmates a chance. Overcoming this fear was my hardest challenge. The next hardest challenge was believing in myself and then it was getting the assignments done. With the support of an awesome instructor, the driven classmates, and a lot of prayer and meditation, I was able to overcome my fear of inadequacy.
One of the most memorable moments was when my instructor came in and told the class that there was a student that has set the bar for the rest of the class for the blog posting assignment. I got my notebook out to take notes. He turned on the computer to access the internet to show the class the blog that was posted. As I waited to see this person’s blog, my instructor scrolled down the screen. I saw the picture of Oedipus, our class reading for that week, with a bleached white face, a black background, no eyes, and deep red blood running from them, the face was the full size of the screen, I realized that the blog my instructor was referring to was my blog. I was that student that was setting the bar for the rest of my Honor World Literature 1 class. Yes, it brought tears to my eyes and the fear was gone.
Another thing that will stick with me from this class is how to embrace love. One will not realize what one loves or does not love unless one experiences it. I found out how to embrace things that I had no idea that I loved. My Instructor opened up a world that I would have never embraced. It started when I read Gilgamesh, the world’s oldest written literature. I was so overwhelmed to realize what I had missed out on in high school. I fell in love with the story, the elements, and the change the characters had gone through. I was in love with literature. Then it was Oedipus and Antigone. I was learning plot, theme, historical context, related literary works, climax, setting, and genre. It was like I was becoming a whole new person. I gained passion for Medea and Salvage the Bones by Jesmin Ward. Who was this person I was starting to become? I looked forward to class discussions about what I was learning. The other students enjoyed my presence in the class. I was in love with the experience I was gaining by being in this Honors World Literature 1 class.
I don’t even have words for the love I gained for my instructor for opening me up to this new world I was in.
He gave me the experience of being in groups to learn, discuss, and share with the class our experience and knowledge gained by that week’s assignment.
I have to say that the group experience was priceless.
I only experienced working together on a job setting.
Between this class and Honor forum, I have gained a love for working together in a classroom setting.
The classroom has always been competitive and belittling.
This experience was challenging, uplifting, encouraging, and loving.
I must say I love the diversity of my classmates.
Linh has to be the most humble guy I known.
Knowing him has set the bar for myself as a person.
Between Linh and Dr. Sanderson, I have a standard to which I would like to become.
Laughing with Rachel, working with Joey, listening to Dylan and his enthusiasm, and Matt with his extra words, I will leave this class with the experience of something from each classmate that I will carry with me forever.
It is like the first love of a virgin, you never forget your first love, not
Ovid’s love.
What will stick with me from this class is that I do not have to fear knowledge, that I am capable of whatever I put my mind to, and that I love literature and the people of my Honors World Literature 1 class.
"Shine brite like a Diamond", by Rihanna
This is how i feel TODAY, Thank YOU!
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