Project Reflection
Initially I had a difficult time choosing a project. I wanted to do something that I was passionate about and something that I knew I would continue to use and value after the actual class was finished. I went through several different projects, but finally came up with the idea of beginning to learn Latin. From a young age I’ve always had the desire to know Latin--I bought an old Latin textbook at a used bookstore when I was ten. Languages have always fascinated me, and I knew that by learning Latin I would be better equipped to learn other languages, I would be more prepared for my graduate studies, and I would gain a better appreciation for English, Spanish, and Greek--the other languages I have extensively studied.
Prepping for my project was an extensive process. Luckily, I have connections with several professors that know and have taught Latin in the past, so I spent a lot of time consulting with them on curriculums, strategies, and goals for my project. After researching different programs I finally settled on using the Wheelock’s Latin curriculum. At first I had a group of about seven students to work alongside that were also trying to learn Latin. However, as the days went by they each decided to postpone learning Latin. This was a large hurtle for me to jump because learning languages is much easier when you have other people to learn and discuss it with you, but after setting myself a rigid schedule I was able to continue progressing.
My goal for this project was not to become completely fluent--that is a process that takes months or sometimes years. I also didn’t want to set a goal to accomplish a certain amount of pages or modules in my curriculum because I didn’t know how quickly I would be able to learn and absorb all of the information. My goal instead, was to spend over forty hours working through the curriculum--whether that meant spending an entire week doing and redoing a difficult module, or doing three modules in one sitting. My goal was based on being able to truly learn and understand the concepts instead of just reading over the material. I definitely feel that I accomplished my goal--there were weeks that I spent redoing sections that I had a difficult time grasping, and as frustrating as that was, in the end I was truly able to understand the concepts. Because I spent so much time trying to complete absorb the information I have already seen benefits--I can look at both English and Spanish and pick out Latin roots.
I had hoped that my outcome would be an increased knowledge not only of Latin, but an increased understanding of the languages I already knew. Sometimes now when I’m reading I play a game: trying to identify as many Latin roots as I can. This gives me a better understanding of the languages I know and simultaneously helps me practice my Latin. I was also hoping that I would be better prepared for my graduate studies because I started learning Latin. Although I won’t know this for sure until I actually get to graduate school, I am confident that the time I’ve put into learning Latin will pay off in my future studies.
Learning a language really comes down to having good, consistent study skills. Although I feel like I had good study skills prior to this project, learning Latin definitely gave me the opportunity to practice those skills. I definitely got better at sticking to a study schedule though--oftentimes I have a tendency to procrastinate, but I quickly discovered that Latin isn’t something you can learn in one sitting. It took consistent effort every single day.
I’ve thought a lot about why SUU decided to put an experiential learning requirement into place. I think that sometimes as students it’s really easy to get caught up in the requirements for your major and lose sight of the joy that comes along with learning and discovering something simply because you’re interested in it--whether it’s in your exact field of study or not. I think this program gives students the opportunity to pursue something that they are passionate about that they maybe wouldn’t put in the time for if it wasn’t required.
I think another, more obvious, reason is all in the name. An EDGE Project gives students just that: it gives them an edge on other students in their upcoming educational and career pursuits. College degrees are becoming more and more common--and because so many individuals now have a bachelor’s degree the job and graduate school fields are becoming more and more competitive. It is becoming increasingly beneficial to have side projects or previous experience in fields individuals are planning to pursue. The EDGE Program gives individuals a chance to build a project around their interests in order to give them an edge in achieving their future goals.
Prepping for my project was an extensive process. Luckily, I have connections with several professors that know and have taught Latin in the past, so I spent a lot of time consulting with them on curriculums, strategies, and goals for my project. After researching different programs I finally settled on using the Wheelock’s Latin curriculum. At first I had a group of about seven students to work alongside that were also trying to learn Latin. However, as the days went by they each decided to postpone learning Latin. This was a large hurtle for me to jump because learning languages is much easier when you have other people to learn and discuss it with you, but after setting myself a rigid schedule I was able to continue progressing.
My goal for this project was not to become completely fluent--that is a process that takes months or sometimes years. I also didn’t want to set a goal to accomplish a certain amount of pages or modules in my curriculum because I didn’t know how quickly I would be able to learn and absorb all of the information. My goal instead, was to spend over forty hours working through the curriculum--whether that meant spending an entire week doing and redoing a difficult module, or doing three modules in one sitting. My goal was based on being able to truly learn and understand the concepts instead of just reading over the material. I definitely feel that I accomplished my goal--there were weeks that I spent redoing sections that I had a difficult time grasping, and as frustrating as that was, in the end I was truly able to understand the concepts. Because I spent so much time trying to complete absorb the information I have already seen benefits--I can look at both English and Spanish and pick out Latin roots.
I had hoped that my outcome would be an increased knowledge not only of Latin, but an increased understanding of the languages I already knew. Sometimes now when I’m reading I play a game: trying to identify as many Latin roots as I can. This gives me a better understanding of the languages I know and simultaneously helps me practice my Latin. I was also hoping that I would be better prepared for my graduate studies because I started learning Latin. Although I won’t know this for sure until I actually get to graduate school, I am confident that the time I’ve put into learning Latin will pay off in my future studies.
Learning a language really comes down to having good, consistent study skills. Although I feel like I had good study skills prior to this project, learning Latin definitely gave me the opportunity to practice those skills. I definitely got better at sticking to a study schedule though--oftentimes I have a tendency to procrastinate, but I quickly discovered that Latin isn’t something you can learn in one sitting. It took consistent effort every single day.
I’ve thought a lot about why SUU decided to put an experiential learning requirement into place. I think that sometimes as students it’s really easy to get caught up in the requirements for your major and lose sight of the joy that comes along with learning and discovering something simply because you’re interested in it--whether it’s in your exact field of study or not. I think this program gives students the opportunity to pursue something that they are passionate about that they maybe wouldn’t put in the time for if it wasn’t required.
I think another, more obvious, reason is all in the name. An EDGE Project gives students just that: it gives them an edge on other students in their upcoming educational and career pursuits. College degrees are becoming more and more common--and because so many individuals now have a bachelor’s degree the job and graduate school fields are becoming more and more competitive. It is becoming increasingly beneficial to have side projects or previous experience in fields individuals are planning to pursue. The EDGE Program gives individuals a chance to build a project around their interests in order to give them an edge in achieving their future goals.
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