Week 10 Hustle

During international student orientation, one of the international upperclassmen jokingly told us that Carls never know what date it is. This is because they can only measure time with the term schedule. I laughed at such a ridiculous notion. How could anyone not know what date it is?

Well, almost two full terms into my Carleton journey I now understand what she was talking about. It is surprisingly easy to get lost in the hustle of the college’s hectic academic schedule. Events are planned on the “Thursday of Eight Week” and schedules revolve around this 10-week period. Midterm break is a prized day off from classes that people eagerly look forward to during the first month of the term. Truth be told, I had not realized it was already March until I saw the grass peek out for the first time in months!

Surviving Week 10

Because of our fast-paced academic schedule, the last two weeks of each term are especially busy. The number of people working in Hulings Hall past midnight increased substantially in the past few days. Additionally, my friends’ complaints about their lack of sleep is more frequent than ever. Though everyone is crazy excited about the approaching and much-needed Spring Break, it is clear that it will take a Herculean effort to get there.

Busy…

This week, I had a lot to get done. As much as I loved my classes this term, they kept my to-do list seemingly endless. These last 2 weeks, in particular, I had a lot of assignments due because, once again, I do not have any exams! Instead, here’s a sneak peek of all the things I must submit during the tenth week.

Visual Presentation for my Cross-Cultural Studies Course

My final project had two components: an essay that I submitted on 10th Monday (yay me!), and a visual representation. My class will have an exhibition in the Weitz Center where we will showcase our projects. We also get to tell our stories to those who come to visit. This year, the presentation is called “Moving Between Cultures.” In the exhibit, we explore concepts of multiculturalism, culture shock, cultural marginality, and many more.

My presentation is on the process of reentry. In it, l talk about my reentry experiences, discussing my experiences returning home after being abroad for extended lengths of time. For my visual component, I made a model of a suitcase split into three sections. Each suitcase represents one of these reentry experiences. See the blueprint above.

I am excited to see the culmination of the past months, and to share what I have been learning about myself with my friends!

Writing a Sociological Autobiography for Intro to Sociology

Surprisingly, my Intro to Sociology class did not have nearly as much writing as I would have expected. This final assessment, however, is quite work intensive. It is meant to help us reflect on how the theories and concepts we have been learning about are related to our personal lives. In other words, we are bringing sociology down to the personal level. It is quite the adventure.

Planning a Lesson for my Educational Studies Course

Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy has been one of my favorite courses at Carleton. It was thought-provoking, insightful, and uncomfortable in all the right ways. Thanks to the Academic Civic Engagement component of the course, we had a chance to talk with all kinds of educational experts. From teachers at Patrick Henry High School in Minneapolis to incredible Carleton alumni, meeting professionals in the field was a pleasure. Writer Kao Kalia Yang from the class of 2003 came to our class!

One of our last assignments for the class was one of my favorite (and longest) ever. We were asked to create a one-week lesson plan for a class set of our choosing. I poured my heart and soul into my first-grade curriculum around queer issues, and though it was by no means perfect, I am very proud of it.

The Week Ahead

As you can see, the last week of the term looks pretty busy for me. I cannot wait to be done with this trimester and enjoy my Spring Break in Iowa! (Stay tuned for more on that.) See you then!

Fátima strives to learn everything about everything, but is especially interested in Sociology/Anthropology, Psychology, and Disney! As a freshman, she can’t wait to introduce her peers to her native Guatemalan culture, put in practice her newly acquired ASL skills, and play in the snow for the first time. In her free time, Fátima can be found watching cartoons, poorly playing the ukulele, or desperately missing her dog, Cosmo. Meet the other bloggers!