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When I registered for this class, I anticipated a heavily structured course as I noted the large number of students. Instead, I was met with two creative, engaging professors whose intention was to involve each member of this seminar personally, and to gain a greater understanding through our interpretations of their thoughts. This back-and-forth movement of knowledge has spurred incredible philosophical debates and conversations, and I often forget the size of the class altogether.

Initially, I was also skeptical of the grading process because I really like immediate results and having a sense of where I stand academically, but the lack of numbers, signs, and indicators has empowered me to write more freely and creatively, and to take more risks in my claims and thoughts. In setting the grading system up in such a way, we’ve been given the opportunity to delve into processes and concepts that would normally be considered ‘too much of a reach,’ but the lack of stark essay prompts has also inspired me creatively. I didn’t think I would be able to conjure up a functional essay without explicit direction, without the looming presence of a grade in return, and knowing that it was available for the entire world to read on the internet.

The only thing I feel that could improve about the class is the way we communicate with one another using serendip. I think the website has the capacity and potential to be more of an online classroom than a communal blog. If we were assigned to respond to one another on serendip, the conversations and considerations that we have after class could have a bigger presence in the class and in our understanding of one another’s beliefs.

Overall, I'm learning more than I'd ever anticipated, and am watching as the information I've come to understand in this class applies to everything else in my life.