As my walks become increasingly darker and colder, the realization hits me that the semester is finally coming to a close. As I wander through campus, I look at the trees and buildings that have become familiar to me over the past year. It has been a full year since my first final season and it shows. I know all the “secret” study spots and have perfected my routines down to a science. This semester felt more tangible than previous semesters as I have come to accept my new way of life. High school is falling further into the past and my future seems to sprint towards me. I look back at the pictures and memories of my freshman fall semester and I can barely recognize myself. I feel like I have grown and matured in ways that I could have never conceptualized. A large portion of those changes can be attributed to the vast knowledge I have acquired over these past 18 months. Through lived experiences, furthering my relationships with others, and the classes I have taken, I am more equipped for the situations that life has and will continue to throw at me. I feel more comfortable in social situations than ever, can handle disagreements and intellectual conversations with ease, and overall feel more confident in my capabilities and decision-making skills. A significant portion of these skills can be attributed to my experience in the scholar's program. Between the required supporting classes, the in-class projects, the content of the course, and especially the people, the SGC program has been essential in furthering my understanding of the world around me.
The SGC program has a very unique curriculum. When I entered the classroom 18 months ago, I would not have guessed that the class would teach me so much about reason and critical thinking skills. The class presents itself with a focus on climate change, however, I feel the most critical part of the content is the scientific toolbox. Many of the college classes I have taken are so focused on shoving content down the students’ throats that they rarely teach students to question the material or interact with the class in a way that furthers their understanding. This black-and-white style of teaching dampens students' critical thinking skills to a point that it bleeds into other aspects of their lives. Since I was taught logical fallacies and other reasoning skills by scholars I have begun to notice when people employ these fallacies in their everyday lives: not just when discussing academic or political topics. I serve on the standards board for my professional fraternity, Kappa Theta Pi. The board is in charge of handling acts of misconduct from fellow brothers and interpreting our constitution to deliver just rulings and punishments. I serve alongside four other brothers and during our discussions, I have noticed that people will use these fallacies when trying to break down a case. While they do not employ these techniques intentionally I have noticed that my fellow members will often use straw-man arguments or run-away arguments(for example… if we lay down this decision then this much larger, worse thing will happen) rather than analyzing the case purely in the context of our constitution. They also commonly demonstrate a confirmation bias; they only look for evidence that supports how they believe the case should be decided. Scholars has given me the tools to recognize these fallacies and have helped me address them when they occur. I believe that our board has made better decisions than in previous semesters, simply because I was able to address these problems and ensure that rulings were made with as little human bias as possible.
Ultimately, I was the most enthralled with this aspect of the curriculum. While the climate issues that were addressed in class were intriguing and insightful, these tools have had the most direct impact on my life. These skills have forced me to engage more directly with the curriculum in my classes and find passion in my studies. For example, in one of my supporting classes for scholars GVPT273: Introduction to Environmental Politics, I employed a large portion of the skills taught in the scholars' curriculum. In Scholars, I was given a large overview of the issue of climate change and the various facets that make up this large topic of study. While we covered the legislative portion of climate change in scholars, I was able to interact more deeply and directly with the legislative process in this supporting class. By the end of the class, I was well-versed in the historical context and current legal frameworks in place to tackle the climate issue. I felt more confident in my ability to discuss the topic of climate change and engage in academic discussions. Another supporting class, CMSC250, also engaged in this facet of the curriculum. This class offered mathematical explanations for the algorithms and data structures employed in computer science. The tools given by scholars encouraged me to engage more deeply with this curriculum and understand the why behind the information I was learning. Both of these supporting courses, among others, inspired/reinspired my passion for government and computer science. By engaging more deeply in these classes using the scientific toolbox, I found myself more passionate about learning about these two fields. I wanted to have a greater understanding of these fields of study and regained a thirst for learning that I thought died after my high school graduation. These tools have also helped me find an intersection of these two fields in the interaction of data processing and political surveys, which is now what I plan to pursue a career in.
In addition to these skills, scholars have given me a community of people who have significantly improved my college experience. I have made a good friend in one of my fellow scholars, Sabrina. We are both out-of-state students and have been able to relate to our collegiate experiences. We have made each other feel more comfortable in an environment that is full of people who have known each other since high school. In addition, I have found acquaintanceships with other scholars through many of the in-class discussions and projects. When we did the in-class simulation, I became close with one scholar in particular and have continued our friendship out of class. Through this person, I was able to meet other individuals in more environmental and physical science-based majors. Since I am in a technology fraternity, both my academic and social life are filled with people with similar mindsets and interests. Scholars and the people I have met through the program have allowed me to interact with people outside my field of study and get a more nuanced perspective on current events and life in general. While scholars have had a significant impact on my life, I think I only contributed slightly to the culture of scholars. I believe my work in class groups and projects impacted the people in the room, however, I never directly contributed to the program. I never participated in lectures in class, nor did I attend any of the events outside the classroom. Scholars has been an integral part of my college experience and the tools it has provided me with will continue to shape how I approach certain aspects of my life. I don’t think I would have ever picked up a second major if I wasn’t a part of the program. Therefore, I don’t think I would have found my career path, either. Even though scholars is coming to an end, its impact on my future is just becoming visible. I am grateful for the wonderful professors, people, and opportunities that scholars has given me.