Assignment
Choose one assignment from the following options to submit for your assignment. Type up your response according to the guidelines listed in the syllabus, and upload your assignment as a WORD attachment or PDF at the bottom of this assignment.
Your response will be evaluated on the basis of: a) how well you demonstrate an understanding of and engagement with the assignment task; b) the clarity and quality of your writing; c) your overall effort on the assignment. The assignment will be graded on a scale of 0-25 points, and the grader's comments and grade should be available to you as soon as possible.
The questions posed in each option are designed to help guide your thinking and response. You are not required to respond to all (or even any) of the listed questions, although your responses should be organized in some way. As with any writing assignment, providing sufficient background information to your topic and offering specific examples to support your views will make your ideas clearer and more convincing.
You are welcome to write beyond the minimum page requirement for the assignment.
NOTE: Some of the options are duplicates from the midterm assignment. Complete a DIFFERENT assignment than your midterm assignment. You will not be given credit if you complete the same option assignment twice, even if you take a different angle on the assignment. Make sure the content of your essay DOES NOT, in any way, repeat, reiterate or rehash anything you wrote in your midterm essay.
If there was an assignment on the midterm list that you'd like to do and that is not listed below, ask Martin if you can do it for this assignment.
Option 1:
Interview a professor or faculty member who you would like to get to know better. As a suggestion, you may want to interview someone whose class you enjoyed or who teaches in the discipline you hope to major in. Check to see when their office hours are. You may also want to send them an email to let them know that you will stop by their office hours. When you go to meet with them, introduce yourself and use the questions on p. 6 of Andreatta to guide your interview. Jot down your professor's responses on separate sheets of paper.
After your interview, type up a 3-4 page essay that reflects upon the interview. Summarize what you discussed and reflect upon what you learned. What did you enjoy the most in the interview? What surprised you or what did you find unexpected? Did you learn anything that changed your view of the university, research or what it means to be a professor?
Option 2:
Make an appointment with an academic adviser in a discipline that you think you'd like to major in. Before your visit, review your ‘Academic Advising Report' (AAR) on your portal (see this video if you cannot locate your AAR). Discuss what lower-division classes you've taken in the major, what classes you'd like to take next year and what classes you'd like to take to fulfill your upper-division requirements. Discuss any other activities that you'd like to participate in (study abroad, faculty research, an internship, etc).
After your meeting, write a 3-4 page reflection. Summarize what you discussed in your meeting, what advice your adviser gave to you, what your plans are for the next three years of study and how you plan to achieve your goals.
Option 3:
Interview a graduating student in a major you are interested in pursuing (ask a major adviser, residential assistants or college adviser for referrals). Before the interview, re-review Chapter 5 of Andreatta, and prepare a list of questions to ask during the interview, including questions about why the student chose the major, how they prepared for the major in their first two years of college, what classes they liked, what they hope to do with their major (if anything) when they graduate and what major-related activities they are involved in (internships, research, etc). Take notes during your interview.
After your interview, type up a 3-4 page reflection. Summarize what you discussed and reflect upon what you learned. What surprised you or what did you find unexpected? Did anything you learn change your view of that possible major? Are you still motivated to pursue that major? Why or why not?
Option 4:
Read a book or watch a movie about a group or individual that is very different from you (see a list of recommended books or movies in the Files folder entitled "list of books and movies on social differences - for Final Project"). Before undertaking the assignment, re-read Chapter 7 of Andreatta. In a 3-4 page paper, discuss what the book was about and your reactions to it. What viewpoints or perspectives was the book or movie expressing? Was there anything that surprised you or that you found unexpected? In what ways were the views in the book or movie similar and different from your own views? How is the book or movie similar or different to the information in Andreatta?
Option 5:
Attend a meeting, event or open house of a student organization that you are interested in or unfamiliar with. Before the event, re-read Chapter 8 of Andreatta. While attending the event, jot down the details (date, time, location, etc), what the event was about and who or what it featured (speakers, performances, etc), along with your observations and reactions to it. There are MANY different student organizations , many of which have weekly meetings worth attending.
Write a 3-4 page essay response about the event. What did you find most interesting, intriguing or enjoyable about the event? What had you heard about the organization prior to attending? After attending the event, is this an organization that you think you would like to join or be part of? Why or why not?
Option 6:
Watch a movie that represents college life (see list of movies in the Files folder under the title "Films about College Life - for Final Project"). Before watching the movie, re-read Ch. 9 of Andreatta. In a 3-4 page paper, discuss what the film is about and how much it relates to your own personal experiences of college life. What are the similarities and differences between the ways college life is portrayed in the film, how it is discussed in the text and your own experiences? What do you think accounts for these differences? Would your recommend the film to a peer or friend if they wanted to know what college life was like? Why or why not?