To succinctly conclude my thoughts on the course here is a direct excerpt from the last entry of my POLI 308D journal log.
The first goal I set out before transferring to UBC this year was how to maximally squeeze my undergraduate experience here as I only have 2 years left. What I have learned so far and what I will learn over the next 2 years will impact me for the rest of my life on a personal and professional level. This course, POLI 308D, was a great way to kick off that goal. Being a part of unconventional, experiential learning in a political science program context really reinforced the notion that UBC was a great institution to continue my political studies at. Furthermore, I can confidently say that the collective skills I learned in this course, especially reflection, will enrich my experiences and learning at UBC. By continuing reflection I am solidifying, and understanding the type of growth I am undergoing. It’s being self-aware.
Another aspect of the course which I thought was highly valuable was the interpersonal connections you make. I am currently in a class of 220 people (POLI 110) yet I sparingly know a few names of the people who sit around me. There is limited interaction with the professor and TAs. In 308D I have gotten to really know the project members and others in the class due to the informal structure. It's ironic how the professor and TA took a hands-off approach for this class and nonetheless there was more positive interaction with them. Learning about the people around me, their future endeavours, and where we could collaborate in the future makes this class exponentially more advantageous than other classes. There is a networking and community component to it. I can realistically learn my poli material in a textbook anywhere but having a forum so to speak is something not every institution or class can offer. Among all the classes this semester, the tightest connections I have made have been from POLI 308D. This is something that should be communicated in the course description for the future.
This is exactly what I was hoping my poli-sci UBC experience inside and outside the classroom. It’ll be interesting, to say the least when I’m in my career in a few years and to come across this log to see how much of it corresponds to what I am doing then. This will be the bedrock for the future of learning in my opinion. As everything moves online, physical locales for educational institutions will be more oriented towards it being a forum rather than a place to passively learn. In any case, my very last final thought is that I am incredibly thrilled to have chosen UBC and this course!
My experience in POLI 308D has been overall productive and rewarding. The application of political science, outside classroom skills, and reflection made it both incredibly useful for my future line of work and rewarding. Having to reapply the same methodology in courses (mid-term, term paper, final exam, repeat) over and over again translates into stagnant academic and personal growth. Being in an open yet semi-controlled/structured environment to apply my academic, soft, and hard skills was more impactful than the typical arts course I have been in. With that being said, POLI 308D can be optimized even more to provide a greater, more enriched experience for future students who aim to be involved in project management, political consulting, marketing, or some form of collaborative entrepreneurship.