Week 13 (2): Concluding Remarks

 This course has felt really short considering the amount of books we have read. I am truly going to miss this class. I have never felt so happy with the way a course has ended in university before. I really struggle with finding motivation, especially when you are surrounded by overwhelming stress and anxiety around courses, but with this class I actually found myself enjoying what I was doing. I am not that big of a reader, so I did fear that I would really struggle with this type of class, but Jon and his “choose your own adventure” style helped relieve so much of this stress. 

I really have to commend Jon and Daniel for their passion and commitment to the content in this course. How engaged your students are in a class is solely based on the teacher's attitude towards it, and I think this helped me with wanting to understand just what I was reading and learning. Although most of the time I struggled with understanding, especially with Borges, I am still glad I pushed myself to at least try. At the end of the day, that is what I am most proud of myself for. I really tried to understand the literature we read in a different way, rather than just reading. I was focusing on what I was feeling, what it reminded me of, thinking over and over again about a particular passage. I think that this style of course is what really allows students to attempt to engage with the material. The class discussions, even if sometimes I was too shy to raise my hand, I found some of the most productive discussions I have had in my university career. Everyone is so smart. Everyone should give themselves a pat on the back for completing this course, because although a lot of the stress was reduced, it was still a hard course to understand content wise. 

I would also like to say that I think I learned a lot more than just the wonderful (although not all the time) literature that Latin America produces. I learned a lot about history, the military, dictatorships, and coups. Information I would have never known about or most likely been exposed to if not for this class. So for me, this class was like a two in one! 

Personally, I think the book that stuck with me the most was A 100 Years of Solitude and A Distant Star. Both deal with extremely different plot lines, but I think I felt the most engaged when reading these books and they both had to do with creativity in one aspect or another. Anyways, a BIG thank you to Jon and Daniel and everyone in the class for making this semester a very memorable one! 


My last question to you all is: Is there one book or theme that you think will stick with you for the rest of your life? Or maybe in a less intense version, which book did you tell your parents, family, friends, dogs about? Why did you feel the urge to share that particular story? 


Thank you guys all again :)


Comments

  1. Daniel OrizagaApril 10, 2023 at 10:10 PM

    You have done a great job this semester! I am very happy to know that you enjoyed what you did (and what you achieved) on this tour. Maybe you have heard this before, but in my case it is completely true: classes go well because of the work of the students, because of your commitment and good attitudes. Thank you for giving so much, in so many ways, Jordan. Feel very proud of yourself!

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  2. DaisyApril 12, 2023 at 2:11 PM

    Hi Jordan! Im going to miss being in this class with you. Ive had so much fun reading with you these last couple of months! I told my parents about 100 years. Mainly because I read it all reading break in front of them and they kept asking me questions haha. But, it was definitely one of my favourites from the term, and i'm really glad that I was assigned such a classic and well-known novel that I can say I've read :) Take care

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