Okay, so it's not exactly what I wanted to write, but I had to stick to the prompt- and written while super sleep-deprived:
Writing Exercise #5Upon being asked to complete this reflective writing assignment about DOC 3, I couldn’t help but immediately think of how far I have come this year- geographically as well as personally. I would like to start with a brief description of my life before moving to UCSD, to help illustrate the shift one year later.
Morgan Hill, California- Famous for its fragrant mushroom farms, this small bedroom community of the high-tech industries of nearby Silicon Valley maintains a population that is 72.4% white, with a median family income of $90,134, and also happens to be my hometown; it’s where I spent the first18 years of my life.
All throughout my childhood years, I was very active and involved with the community and the schools- my parents were both tenured teachers in the district, and as is usually the case in small towns, everyone knew everyone else’s business. Every time I got into trouble or was tardy to class, my parents knew about it before the day was through. As a result, I was encouraged to succeed and to behave well, and consequently found myself more and more intertwined with the people and way of life that was Morgan Hill. My town was very conservative, very suburban, and scandal happened behind the closed doors of perfectly manicured homes. In my high school, there was not very much diversity, and the only way I ever got to interact with students of other races was through my Rotary involvement and my participation in badminton. It wasn’t that I inherently discriminated against those different from me, it was just that I was ignorant of most other cultures and ways of life.
However, everything started to change once I came to college. I’m not sure what the criteria were that determined I would end up in Marshall College, but it turned out to be very appropriate for me. As soon as I arrived here, I was immersed in a sea of fresh new faces, of ambitious young adults who were all here to learn and study, but who all came from different backgrounds. This may sound a little ridiculous, but I was so surprised that all these people of different races and religions could actually be cool, intelligent people. DOC 1 helped with that- I learned how to look beyond a person’s outer appearance or behavior and that in order to gain a proper understanding of the world, I needed to broaden my perspectives and be open to new ideas and experiences. I was immediately making new friends and socializing (even dating) with people that I would previously never have thought to talk to. In a way, this made me angry at my upbringing, and when I went home for winter break, I was appalled at the intolerance of my community. Meanwhile, back at UCSD, I was learning how to live with nine other girls in a tiny dorm with variable plumbing and questionable cuisine, and exploring the rest of the campus and what it has to offer. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to have two consecutive healthy days this year, but despite the hospital visits and vomit-filled trash bags, I was the happiest I have ever been every day I spent here in La Jolla. I have made lasting friendships, had unforgettable experiences, and learned so much about the world already, and this is just my first year.
In my opinion, the DOC program has helped me immensely as far as shaping my perspectives about the world and developing my own ideologies. By far, I think that DOC 1 has been the most beneficial course of the three-quarter series. DOC 2 provided me with a lot of information, but was the least enjoyable. As for DOC 3, I really enjoyed the reading material, and happily read all the assigned texts before they were due. However, as of now, I’m not exactly sure what we were supposed to come away with at the end of the quarter. There was a lot of good material, but I don’t think the course objectives were very clear. That being said, I truly enjoyed the reader and two novels, and would definitely recommend Marshall College as well as DOC to any incoming freshman.
Thanks family for the conference call last night! It was really fun! : )
Can't wait to see you all!
