Looking Back, Looking Forward
Devon L. Thomas
It was the spring semester of my college senior year, and I had saved one of my Gen Ed requirements — an arts course — until my very last semester. I signed up for Introduction to Improv and found myself in a small dance studio with a group of first-year students and a few seniors like me who had also put off this requirement until the last minute. While I was open to the idea of playing improv games and perhaps becoming funnier in the process, I didn’t consider that improv would help me prepare for my next goal, which was getting into graduate school. I had other priorities that felt more important at the time, like waiting on acceptance letters and travel dates to interview for graduate programs. Little did I know that this course would equip me with an array of public speaking skills necessary for my future career as an educator.
One of the class assignments was among the hardest things I’ve ever done for a Gen Ed course: singing any song we wanted for two minutes, on our own, a cappella (without any music), in front of the entire class. Our professor’s mindset was that public speaking is one of the most common fears — but an essential skill for many jobs — and singing in public scares people as well, so if you could do both, you could basically do any public engagement after that. I was afraid and I was also a terrible singer, but I knew that I wanted to get a good grade in the course because the achiever in me didn’t want my last Gen Ed grade to tarnish my overall GPA. I decided to sing one of my favorite songs, “Just A Girl” by No Doubt. This assignment required me to practice the song in my apartment and endlessly subject my roommates to my singing. To this day, I can still see the faces of my classmates sitting in a U-shape around me as I stood in the middle of the room. I sang the song loudly (mostly to cover up the sound of my voice shaking from nervousness) while doing my best Gwen Stefani impression.
As I went on to graduate school that fall, I couldn’t have anticipated that my graduate assistantship would also require me to practice public speaking frequently, which often involved answering questions on the spot, a crucial skill one learns in any improv exercise. To this day, I can still sing “Just A Girl,” though I promise you that my singing abilities have not improved since then. However, the threshold of what I find embarrassing to do in front of other people has shifted. As a result of this improv exercise, practicing presentations is now a regular habit of mine. I now consider each public speaking engagement as an opportunity to perform for an audience and, most of the time, I actually enjoy presenting.
There will be plenty of learning opportunities throughout your Gen Ed courses that at the time may spark some similar insights. Other times, these learning moments will pass you by, emerging only later when you’re asked to do something seemingly unrelated, like give an impromptu presentation for a colleague who is out sick. As part of your Gen Ed experience, you will be asked to answer tough questions, tackle large and small assignments on your own and with a team, and practice new skills that may seem unrelated to your theoretical future career. By remaining curious, trying new things, and being willing to risk failure (or the feeling of embarrassment that can mimic failure), you will surprise yourself with how much you can learn and grow. That meaning-making can happen in the moment or well after the experience and are the lessons to carry with you throughout your life.
Questions to consider as you read Part 6:
- What are some surprising “lessons learned” that you have picked up from your Gen Ed courses so far this semester?
- When you face setbacks and make mistakes, what can you do to learn from that experience?
- What knowledge, skills, and experiences might you need before entering your career? If you’re not sure, how might you find out?
- What are your preferred ways of reflecting? How might you build in moments to reflect throughout your undergraduate career?
