Hi everyone! My name is Jessica Fischer. I am a senior graduating in May! I can’t wait! My two areas are Behavioral and Social Sciences, and Elementary Education, my minor is Leadership. I am originally from Fort Lauderdale, and moved to Orlando for school. Once I graduate I think I’d like to move back down south. I enjoy being an IDS major because it’s made to fit who I am and who I want to be. One day I’d like to open my own gym and have a cheerleading and gymnastics team for kids with disabilities. For me it was hard to explain Interdisciplinary Studies to someone, but throughout the year I was able to fully understand more. You are able to do half of a two different majors, and combine them into one degree. This helps for students who are interested in more than one field and they can have the option of doing both. The Advantages of this degree is that you are able to explore more options than you would with a typical Education degree. The disadvantage of the major is that it’s not very well known, and no one really understands it. I’m looking forward to a great semester with you all! Good Luck J
Hello Cornerstone Students! My name is Amber and I am in Capstone this semester. I will be graduating in May with an IDS degree with specialties in Behavioral Sciences and Public Affairs and a Spanish Minor (hola). I will then be attending law school in the fall. I am from Indiana originally, but am a huge Green Bay Packers fan! I also like reading, writing, and hanging out with my dogs. When other people ask me about IDS, I tell them it is a custom design degree package made especially for me and my interests. I tell them that I have been able to combine all the fields that interest me into one degree and one final product. I think some of the advantages to IDS are just that, the ability to create your own path of coursework. The freedom allows for a little creativity in the process. Some of the disadvantages are that it is harder to get to know students with our major and the fact that no one really knows what it is. I'm looking forward to a great semester, tell us about yourselves!
Greetings Cornerstone Students! My name is Tai Chandler and I’m a Cornerstone student in my last semester at UCF. For me, Interdisciplinary Studies is the perfect fit because it has allowed me to blend Humanities and Letters and Modern Languages, with a Minor in Sociology, the perfect degree to nurture and grow in the areas that I love. I’m currently an Admissions Representative at a technical school and help students with their plans to further their education, so I can honestly tell you that I’m excited that I am blazing my own path as I prepare to graduate in May. After receiving my Bachelors degree, I will obtain a Masters degree to either continue my career in the corporate/education sector or pursue a career as a college professor. Either way, my degree in IDS is a strong foundation. I am often asked about my degree and explain that it is the perfect blend of the subjects that I love. The advantage is that my IDS is customized for me and allows me to focus on my strengths and passions. The disadvantage is that since the degree is specialized, knowledge and understanding of IDS is still growing. I’m looking forward to interacting with all of you. Cheers to a wonderful semester!
Hello everyone! My name is Danielle Brown. I am currently in my final semester here at UCF and plan to graduate with a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies in May. My areas of study are Behavioral & Social Sciences and Public Affairs, and my minor is Health Sciences. I've also completed a Substitute Teaching certificate. I lived on campus for my first two years or so, but I’m currently a distance student and finishing my degree online. Being able to still take classes at home is convenient, but not always the best for scheduling. When I have to explain my major to others, I tell them that IDS is a major that allows me to combine two areas of study and a minor to create a unique degree. Instead of fitting myself into a major, I am able to focus on my interests and design a major that fits me. I think that the ability to create a program that caters to your individual needs is the biggest advantage of the major. A disadvantage of the major is the fact that it is not yet well known. People generally know what you’re talking about if you say that your major is nursing or art, but that is not usually the case with IDS. Hopefully, that will begin to change soon. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone and having a great semester!
Hello to everybody! My name is Kailee Smith and I am from Palm Bay, Florida. I enjoy reading, cooking, playing with my cat, and taking my dog on walks- just so you know something about me! My areas of study are Psychology and Communication, and my minor is in Education. I am a senior to be graduating in May- feels nice to say that. When I explain IDS to others I always start by saying "My major is in Interdisciplinary Studies." Now, most of the time people have no clue what you just said, so you will have to explain it. However, some people know and they go straight to "What are your areas?" I always assume someone knows what IDS is until they ask me (seems to avoid some awkwardness in the communication), then I tell them, "IDS combines classes from 3 different majors to earn a Bachelor's Degree." I have found that this is a response that is easy to understand for most people! What I do not offer most of the time is the fact that all of my classes work together to provide me with a better understanding of not only the world around me but also ways in which to solve problems and achieve goals. The great thing about our degree is that we are so well-rounded. Also, IDS really allows people to be unique- it doesn't require us to fit into a cookie cutter design of what a 4-year education should look like. I will say that the only disadvantage may come when trying to get a job. Some employers may not understand the benefit of our "outside the box" degree. I think it will probably turn some people away, but if we explain it right, more times than not our degree will be something that separates us from the crowd, in a positive way. Good luck this semester!
Hello, my name is Alyssa Sherman, and I’m in my last semester at UCF as an IDS major. I was lucky enough to discover IDS as a sophomore, after changing my major five or so times before that. I just couldn’t decide between the areas I was interested in, so I was thrilled when a friend of mine started explaining to me what the major was. I was able to choose ALL of the things I was so torn between – which turned out to be Behavioral Sciences, Humanities, and a Minor in Women’s Studies, Tailor-made. It’s taken a while to iron out how I would explain IDS to people when they ask, but I’ve found that letting people know that I’ve been able to make sure I take the classes that truly interest me throughout my college career by hand-picking the areas of study that I wanted, it tends to make a lot more sense. IDS are a tailored program that allows you to connect varying disciplines to form a cohesive degree that will best suit your future goals in both academia and career. And truly, that is one of the largest advantages to the degree. The only snag I’ve run into with this degree has been the fact that it is a relatively new concept for colleges to allow such academic freedom to their students, and not everyone understands what hasn’t been established for a while. But, I would assume that within the next five years, that won’t be an issue any longer either! Here’s to a great semester together!
Greetings! My name is Thomas Edens and I am from Titusville FL. I am married with three young children. My wife graduated last summer from this same university with a degree in IDS as well. As far as hobbies go, my school work, kids, and job preclude me from doing much else at the moment, but I would always rather be snorkeling. As I am a Capstone student, you likely gathered that I am a senior on the verge of graduation this spring. After graduation, I plan to attend law school someone, and I am enjoying the recruitment process at the moment. When I decided to go to law school, I went in search of the perfect bachelor’s degree to prepare me. What I found out is that there is no such degree. In fact, law schools don’t even list a preferred undergraduate course load. I did a fair amount of research and came to the conclusion I was better off tailoring my degree to areas of study that were similar to law school. I knew there was a significant amount of writing and research. I choose to minor in writing and rhetoric and chose areas of study in Public Affairs (legal studies), and Behavioral Science (psychology). I think you will find that whatever you want to do post-graduate, you can tailor your IDS degree to prepare you. I look forward to further discussions about this and many other subjects during the year.
Now, it is your turn to tell us about you!
Please "Post a Comment" below sharing with us 1) who you are (not just your name-but something that makes you unique), 2) your areas of study/minor, and 3) your year of study(Freshman, Sophomore, Junior).
Also, share with us how you explain Interdisciplinary Studies to others. What do you see as an advantage to being an Interdisciplinary Studies student (will it aid your success in student life, career life, family life, and beyond)? What do you see as a disadvantage? Our hope is that this is a safe place to share your honest and open opinions with us and your fellow classmates, so feel free to get the conversation going!
Hi, everyone! My name is Stacey Feldman. I am a mother of three girls; I love crafting, with my specialty being embroidery; and I recently moved from Palm Bay to Fort Lauderdale. I just began my junior year after taking a semester off for our move. It feels great to be back! My areas of study are Psychology, Criminal Justice (within Public Affairs), and a minor in Women’s Studies. When someone asks me what I declared as my major and I respond with IDS, I usually get puzzled looks. I tell them that I basically have a double major and a minor wherein the interdisciplinary studies is teaching me how to intermingle them together so that I can do what I ultimately want with my future. That seems to help them understand it better. I see IDS as an advantage because I believe it will help me with my future career plans, and my family life. I really want to work with our youth that need positive influences in their lives because they have had it hard. I thought about involvement with non-profit organizations, clubs, schools, and court programs. I love doing research and even tried to figure if I could incorporate that into my plans, maybe analyzing and then implementing programs for such organizations. As far as my home life, three girls, 14 through 21 year olds, I already see my views developing after my intro to women’s studies class. A disadvantage I see in having an IDS degree would be encountering a potential employer who might not understand what it is. Hopefully, though, this won’t be an issue.
ReplyDeleteI am a little confused after reading in your introductions about which cornerstone/capstone classes everybody is in. I see you are all graduating this semester (congrats on that, it’s exciting). I thought the capstone course marked the beginning of interdisciplinary studies and the cornerstone marked the final semester? Did I misunderstand what my advisor shared? Thanks. I look forward to reading everybody’s posts and for a great semester.
Hi, Stacey!
DeleteThose of us in our graduating semester are all from Dr. Yee's Capstone course. The Capstone course is usually taken during your final semester as an IDS student, while the Cornerstone course is taken towards the beginning of the major. I hope that helps to clear things up a bit.
Hi Stacy,
DeleteI just wanted to chime in on what the others are explaining about the differences between Cornerstone and Capstone. Cornerstone was definitely more of an introduction and understanding of the degree, while Capstone reinforces it and gets us ready to enter the employment sector with confidence in being a well-rounded professional.
I understand your fear of employers not understanding your degree, but I love your explanation of it and believe it's a perfect way to let everyone know that you have a degree that emphasizes your strengths.
Thanks, Danielle. I didn't realize that I was in cornerstone; I thought I was in capstone. Now it all makes sense. I pulled out my papers from my meeting with my advisor and she just wrote a class number for me. I guess that's why I was confused. Thanks for clarifying. How different is capstone compared to cornerstone?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Capstone is pretty similar to Cornerstone. I think that the biggest difference between the courses is that they are designed for different points in your academic career. Cornerstone is aimed more at preparing your for your time as an IDS major, while Capstone focuses on what comes after your time here. As a result, some themes or assignments are common to both. For example, the e-portfolio is an assignment that I have worked on in both courses. In Cornerstone, there was emphasis on including things such as an academic plan and informational interviews for potential careers. Now that I am in Capstone, I will be able to reflect on and revise my e-portfolio. At the end of the term, I hope to have a finished project that I can use to help present myself to an employer or graduate school.
DeleteHi Stacey! I am from Palm Bay, too :) I wanted to share something with you that helped me understand the "cornerstone/capstone" thing, it is this: when someone is first building a building, the first stone they put down is the cornerstone. This is the foundation for the structure, the introduction to the building, and it has to be strong. The final stone that completes the building is the capstone-this one ties everything together and prepares the building for use! So, you could say that you are laying the strong foundation for your IDS degree, while we are putting the "finishing touches" on ours!
ReplyDeleteHi, Kailee. I think that is a great comparison. I honestly just made a mistake, especially is says on top of all our assignments "Cornerstone Experience." I guess it's like proofreading. It is easier to proofread someone else's assignment because when reviewing my own (at least for me), knowing what I want to say, it is easy to read words that might be missed and not notice simple typos.
ReplyDeleteI see you love reading, as I do too. I love reading non-fiction. Psychology is one of my concentrations as well. Have you found any non-fiction books that you really enjoyed within this area?
Yes- I do the same thing with proofreading! My favorite books are fiction courtroom dramas (or legal thrillers), some of my favorite authors are John Grisham and Michael Connelly. It is fun to make connections to psychology while reading, that is the great thing about this field, so many things can relate!
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ReplyDeleteThanks. I think I have read all of John Grisham, but none by Michael Connelly. Courtroom dramas or legal thrillers are a favorite of mine, too. I like reading true stories, too, because it gives me motivation to help others. I actually was a court reporter for many years and loved working in court, hated depositions. I had to hear both sides of an argument, as well as the jury's verdict. This is one of many factors that impacted my areas of study.
DeleteI have looked ahead at the courses available from the psychology discipline and so many sound enticing. Did you have any that you liked more than another? This is my first semester at UCF, so any recommendations would be helpful.
Stacey,
DeleteI've taken quite a few psychology courses as well at UCF, and as a Women's Studies Minor, I would definitely recommend Women's Mental Health. Very interesting, and it could end up counting for either discipline. I also would recommend Abnormal Psychology. You cover all of the personality disorders, and psychotic disorders. Super interesting.
Alyssa
Hi there, I'm Camilo. I am 22. I have a bf. and this is my first semester at UCF after having left Valencia last Winter. I am an avid reader and a lover of classic literature, classic films, poetry and art. I do a little sketching of my own, and from time to time work with oil pastels. Also, I am a vegetarian and aspiring to become a vegan within the next couple of months.
ReplyDeleteMy majors are: Communications and Behavioural and Social Sciences. My minor is French. I am quite passionate about Communications, as I hope to pursue a career as a reporter.
I came across the program through my mass communications class; My professor mentioned it would be a great way to become a good journalist and/or editor, and the more I thought about it and did research, the more I felt I wanted to make it my degree program.
When it comes to explaining it to others, I start by making sure that I plan on integrating my disciplines and applying them to whatever I do. I tell them that it's not just random things I am learning, but overlapping subjects and areas of study that through the IDS program, I can learn how to work them into something cohesive for my professional career.
As an aspiring journalist and human rights/animal rights activist,I find that these careers and issues cannot be addressed from a single perspective or a single area of human knowledge-- otherwise, they would not be complex, nor would they present a challenge.
The advantages of being an IDS student is that I don't see myself as limited-- just studying communications, or humanities, or art, or psychology, etc. And not having any time to seek for complimentary disciplines that shape what I learn and give me a real-world perspective. I think that this program can open many doors for many careers involved with either public relations, journalism, activism and even as a writer or an advocate for any and all causes, working for a Non-Profit. Socially, I feel like I can understand people better. As the world is made up of so many elements that are not exclusive to one area of study, or one area of the human experience; Life is multi-coloured, like a broken-up beam of light that passes through a prism.
A possible disadvantage is becoming lost/confused, and perhaps not finding how the disciplines being learnt can form a whole or how they can be applied to a career. But that's just one of those things that has crossed my mind. I have seen in courses in the past that I could understand concepts being taught in them, due to similar concepts in another class, which made it easier to learn and grasp the terms, etc.
You mention similar concepts from one class making it easier to learn and grasp another...I am taking Intro to Women's Studies with this class, and with that I have a service learning component. I went to Pace Center for Girls today to begin. As I sat there listening to the history and the school's values and belief systems, I was comparing it to everything I have researched so far for my first three worksheets in this class. I selected my areas of focus because I thought they would work well together, but after today, I am now sure they will. I just need to figure out how to make the best of all three worlds.
DeleteI love your line about life being multi-colored...that is so true.
Camilo,
DeleteHi, first of all. It's great to get to meet everyone this way! You mentioned that you're a vegetarian trying to make the leap to vegan, and I'm currently in the same boat. The hardest thing for me....cheese! I love cheese. I'm actually angry I was ever introduced to it, because trying to pretend like it's not delicious is torture. Living in Orlando though, you do have a lot more options as far as a vegan lifestyle is concerned. Here in Jacksonville, there's only one store that sells all organic/vegan options, and virtually no restaurants. At least that's a money-saver though.
But anyway, I'm glad to meet you, and good luck this semester!
Alyssa
Hey, Camilo! I love poetry and art as well! I figured I will give my bf a poem this valentine’s day!
DeleteI see you want to be a reporter/journalist, believe me that crossed my mind too when I was hosting for an online radio show. I believe that if you follow your passion in life it will make you eternally happy. I say, keep it up! It would be so exciting to see you on the news one day!
--Catherine
Hi Stacey! How do you like living in Fort Lauderdale? I grew up down there and I can not wait to get back! :)Capstone is taken the last semester before you graduate, as my fellow classmates have explained to you. If you have any other questions, do not be afraid to ask, that's what we are here for. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Camilo! One of my areas are Behavioral and Social Sciences as well. How do you like that? Its so interesting taking all the Psychology courses. I completely agree, the advantages of being an IDS student is that you are not limited, and you can tailor your courses to your interests. Good luck at your first semester at UCF. Many fun and exciting times to come!!
Jess F
Hi, Jess. I am so happy to be back in the south. I left North Miami Beach almost 10 years ago, so I used to frequent it here. While I am glad to be back, I can see I am missing some great opportunities on the campus of UCF in Orlando. Maybe I'll get to some, who knows?
DeleteI think it's great that you want to open a gym for kids with disabilities. I have been a volunteer for 9 years in the elementary school setting. Although I worked with kids up until the fourth grade for the mainstreamed classes, my favorite two classes were the special needs kids pre-k thru 5 year olds in one school and k thru 6 in another school. I will always have a special place for kids in my heart, but they just were so much more special.
Any plans where you want to teach or what path you will pursue?
Hey everyone! Im Kayla Lee, 21, this is my second semester at UCF and I am a junior. I live in Indialantic and have been here my whole life. I love to surf, fish and just hang out at the beach, basically anything thats fun and in the sun. My areas of study are Psychology and Communications with my minor in criminology. Its hard for me to explain interdisciplinary studies to people but I try by saying that I combine 2 areas of study with a minor. An advantage for me being an Interdisciplinary studies student is because it was hard for me to choose a major because I just couldnt pick one subject. Once I learned about interdisciplinary it was very easy to pick this as my major because I could pick what I like. A disadvantage could be that not many people know what it is and you always have to explain it to people.
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DeleteHey, Kayla! I know what you mean when you talked about the difficulties of picking a major, there’s just so much to learn. But, I think, as you progress in your academics “IT” will come to you. In my experience I just had to make a choice and decide to stick to it, and learn to excel. As I posted below, I’m down to two graduate programs, either Psychology or Physical Therapy. Now, I wonder if there is such thing where those two programs are combined?
DeleteI wish I can put (Hehe!) here because it made me smirk a little when you mentioned explaining IDS to other people. Again, I go through the same thing. I have gotten a comment that I am “a jack of all trade but a captain of none.” But, I know I am the captain of my ship. I feel like you have to be a student of IDS to understand its advantage and its focus. I didn’t have a clear idea before, when my friend told me about it, and now I have a better understanding
Hello Kayla! We have a lot in common! We are from around the same area and have the same areas: psychology and communication. It is true that not as many people know what IDS is- and that makes it hard to explain. Throughout your cornerstone class you will learn many ways in which our degree is beneficial... especially in the job world. Catherine, you are right...we could be classified as "jacks of all trades but masters of none"...but one thing is for sur- we know how to solve problems from many different perspective. I think that is something potential employers will love!
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DeleteCatherine, I just read that you learned to surf how are you liking it so far? Kailee, its cool that we have that in common and also glad to hear other people talk about our future employers!
DeleteHye Kayla, I too have a difficult time explaining my major to people. I usually get the same response, "huh?". I enjoy the flexibility of this major and love that I am not tied into one specific subject.
DeleteHi Kayla,
DeleteI am a lifelong Floridian myself! Its something that I have found to be a rare characteristic. I chose to switch my major to IDS for the reason that you said you liked about the program. After being a business major I found that I really didn't know "what I wanted to be when I grew up." I liked that IDS gave me some options and didn't restrict me to a set curriculum.
Micah
Hi, everyone! My name is Catherine. I’m originally from the Philippines; I moved to Florida when I was 14. I went back to the Philippines last year where I continued practicing Muay Thai—kickboxing that originated from Thailand, and continued long distance running as well. I also learned a couple of few new things: swimming and surfing. I had the opportunity to learn more about my culture as I became involved with hosting a poetry group and online radio—which led me to blogging. As you can see, I enjoy cultures and sports.
ReplyDeleteI am currently taking classes in Biology and Psychology as my areas of study, and taking Health Science as my minor. I know that I want to advance my academics by applying to a graduate program. Currently, it is between Psychology and Physical Therapy.
I am so happy to have found Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) because I feel like I have more freedom with what I want to explore as an undergrad. Having the background in psychology and practicing physical therapy, or the alternative by having a background in Biology and health science and practicing psychology, makes me feel that I would have a better understanding of a person as a whole. I have eight more classes to finish before graduation.
Hey Catherine, I am impressed with anyone who can participate in Muay Thai. It takes incredible discipline to participate in a sport like that.
DeleteStacy, Camilo, Catherine, and Kayla,
ReplyDeleteThanks for getting us started on our first blog topic of the semester! My name is Amber, I am in Capstone and I am one of your mentees! I am so happy to get to know all of you over the next few weeks and share our IDS stories! I feel like it was just yesterday that I was in Cornerstone on your side of this project so I have the upmost empathy for all of you and your course load (we capstoners are going through the same thing, too).
Stacy, you seem like a real go-getter... on the ball right away and I like that alot! I was the same way in cornerstone and it's a great way to be in life!
Camilo, I applaud your vegan aspirations! Good luck and keep us all posted :) Hope you have a great Valentine's Day with the bf, make sure he buys you something pretty!
Catherine, the Philippines sounds so excited!!! I traveled to Europe a few years ago but I have so many more places that I want to see! I, too, moved here when I was a young teenager. It's not an easy thing to do. There are far worse places to live though, for sure.
Kayla, I understand the difficulty you're experiencing with explaining your degree to other people. I had to sit down and really figure out what it meant to me. I always tell people that it's a special custom package degree, designed to hit all the objectives that I created for myself at the beginning of my collegiate career. It has allowed me to explore social & legal paths in life as well as become a bilingual speaker.
I am looking forward to getting to know all of you better!!!
And remember, just keep swimming :)
Amber
Hey Amber, I really like your way of explaining IDS to people. Hearing how everyone else explains IDS I think is really helping me out a lot. Thanks to everyone on here!
DeleteStacey,
ReplyDeleteI am still unsure of where my career will take me. I just know I am very excited to move out of orlando. Since I am graduating in May, I am looking forward to traveling for the summer. Thats great you have been a volunteer for nine years, such a great feeling.
Jess F
Hey everyone, my name is Allen Haley. I am 26 years old and in my second semester at UCF after transferring over with my associates degree from Daytona State College. Before I get into more about myself let me congratulate all of you who are about to graduate. What an amazing accomplishment and I can not wait until I am able to do the same. Now back to me, I work with individuals with disabilities at a residential facility with over 200 individuals. I run the department that is responsible for taking our individuals off campus on activities. I also run our facilities Special Olympic program. I thoroughly enjoy working with Special Olympics and would one day like to work for Special Olympics directly. My 2 areas of study are behavioral and social sciences and public affairs with my minor in coaching. When someone asks what I am majoring in I usually get confused looks. I have noticed that IDS is not very well known by many who ask about my major. When I explain it I usually try to make sure they know the goal of the IDS degree, which is to pick two areas of study with the goal of being able to use them both when furthering your career. One of the disadvantages I could see with an IDS degree is people not fully understanding what it is all about. I am really excited to continue my education at UCF.
ReplyDeleteAllen,
DeleteYou are not the only one who gets confused looks when you tell someone you major. I have gotten used to it in the months since I switched majors. I agree with you concern of individuals not understanding what the degree is all about.
Micah
My name is Kyle Greaves. The perspectives on the major have been really interesting and helpful, while at first I was very skeptical of the "blogging" part of this course I can already see it will be very informative and provide valuable insight.I was born in Virginia and lived in South Florida for awhile and then I moved to Orlando for school. My hobbies include grappling and various card games. I also volunteer at a retirement and nursing facility. I really like working with older adults and hope my career will involve that, I may also look into graduate programs that would allow me to pursue that goal. Surprisingly everyone seems to be somewhat familiar with the degree that have have asked me about my major. One of the advantages of an IDS degree is the custom nature and the fact that courses are much more likely to be appealing to your interests. One of the disadvantages would be that some people may not have an idea of what it is and assume it is "easier" than other degrees.
ReplyDelete-Kyle Greaves
Hi everyone, my name is Micah O'Steen. I am currently a senior in the IDS program. My areas of study are Commerce and Public affairs. I also have a completed minor in Psychology.
ReplyDeleteI have been a student for quite sometime as I have been working my way through my degree. I am a 5th generation Floridian and I have lived in the Central Florida area my entire life.
I recently changed my major to Interdisciplinary Studies and, though I am enjoying the diversity the program offers, I am having a little difficulty making the transition. I am, however enjoying the challenge and I am looking forward to the rest of the semester.
When I tell people what my major is I explain to them that it is a program designed for those who are not looking to higher into a degree specific job or career. As I stated above I like the freedom and diversity that the program offers however I am finding it difficult to link all of my disciplines together. I understand how they, at times, relate to one another but it is not an easy task to fully integrate all of them together.
To me, integration means intermingling two or more things so that the product is better or different. When I am designing something on my embroidery machine, I can take simple designs and integrate them to form a new, more spectacular design. By integrating veggies into my food, I am creating new dishes while also bulking up my portions in a healthier manner.
ReplyDeleteI have only taken pre-requisite classes so far and have yet to meet any of my requirements within my areas of concentration. I do believe that my areas of concentration (Psychology, Criminal Justice, and a minor in Women’s Studies) will be of help to me both academically and professionally because of the career path I would like to take. Having been such an avid volunteer and had the opportunity to gain experience in the courts, meeting juveniles in trouble as well as those that have been victims, I have a strong desire to help them make positive changes in their lives. I believe that my areas of focus will allow me to gain insight into the understanding of behaviors, actions, and reactions to situations surrounding our youth and help me provide them with positive reinforcement.
Personally, I didn’t realize how much I would really gain even in the introduction to Women’s Studies class. I initially selected it because I was told that the focus would be not only women, but also minorities. I feel like everything I have read so far has struck a cord with me, and now I really think that will be more of a focus. I am volunteering at Pace Center for Girls and think this would be a great career choice hopefully some day. That is a facility where all three areas of my studies will certainly integrate well.
Having read “Collaboration Seeks to Create Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Curriculum,” I can see different examples throughout that relate to integration and interdisciplinary. First, the four universities working together to incorporate the strengths of their majors and develop a curriculum to use together is one example. Another example is that they are going beyond simple tests and assessing their ability to demonstrate knowledge. Taking simple tests is what Brazilian educator Paulo Friere calls the “Banking Method” of education, “where students are like banks and teachers deposit information and withdraw it in quizzes and exams (Women’s Lives, Gwyn Kirk, 3). Having to demonstrate one’s ability means hopefully it will have a longer lasting impact on a student/s. A third point of importance here in relating this to interdisciplinary is that they are working together “collaborating through regular meetings and conference calls to talk about their shared challenges and successes.” Together, the four Universities are creating a new curriculum that can be utilized alone (new, a different curriculum incorporating the best of all the subjects) or within an existing curriculum (being integrated).