7 Finding Your Place Journal Response Assignment
This assignment asks you to listen to and critically interact with assigned episodes of the Finding Your Place Podcast. You will complete one three-part journal entry for each episode of the podcast that you’ve been assigned by your instructor.
Episodes that Your Instructor Has Assigned:
- Episode 1: Welcome to the Podcast
- Episode 2: Why are You in College?
- Episode 3: Choosing a Major
- Episode 4: Getting Help
- Episode 5: Managing Fear in College
- Episode 6: Seeking Financial Aid
- Episode 7: Exploring Gen Eds
- Episode 8: Going Back Home
Episode 9: Getting Involved Outside the Classroom- Episode 10: Creating Your Place on Campus
- Episode 11: Connecting w/ Mentors
- Episode 12: Communicating w/ Your Professors
- Supplementary:_______________
- Supplementary:_______________
Each journal on a podcast episode should include the following heading and all three sections below …
Your Name:Sample: David Roberts
Episode# and Title:Sample: Episode #2 Why Are You in College?
Date of Listening:Sample: September 25th, 2019
Part 1: Personal Connections to Favorite Moments
Part one asks you to select two (2) interesting and specific observations for each episode of the podcast that you’ve been assigned. Each of your two selections should include 1) a specific moment from the podcast (if it’s something someone said, quote the observation and indicate who said it) and 2) 100-150 words about why you found this idea of interest and/or how it connects to your life as a college student.
Sample:
- “Originally college mattered to me because, well, I saw my parents struggle a lot growing up. So initially that was why college was the point. To go and it assured me a job…but now that it’s my fourth year in college I’ve realized it’s just a center for knowledge…it’s such a great place to go if you want to expand your horizons”—Ana Leyva
- I really identify with this passage. Like Ana’s parents, I’ve watched my parents struggle a fair amount financially. My dad was laid off two years ago and, while he got a new job, it’s not as good as his other one. So I’ve come to college to make sure I get a good job. That’s really important. But I also agree with this “expand your horizons” idea. I want to learn new things about myself and about our world, I really do. In my junior year I hope to study abroad, though I’m not sure about the money. I’m only in my first year, but I’m going to be interested in how college is going to change me. I can already tell it’s going to be quite a ride.
Or, highlight a moment of sound from the episode that really moved you or connected with your life. Like this:
Samples:
- Ana starting her car and driving home – (2) I really enjoyed this sound and it made me think of my own drive home. I’m liking college so far, but when I get into my car and begin driving home I feel a certain kind of freedom. I miss home. And college takes me away from home in ways I don’t always like. Being in the car, I can really feel that push-pull between my reasons for going to college and why the people at home want me to go to college.
Dr. Brenda Flannery’s voice was great. I’ve never met Dr. Flannery. Maybe I never will. But I loved the passion I heard in her voice when she talked about college. It was so clear she had been moved by her experience. I also liked hearing her laugh with Ana and have what seemed like a really equal conversation with a student. This makes me think about the kinds of connections I want to make on campus.
Part 2: Good Advice
In episode 2-12 (and the supplemental episodes), student producers interview people who can offer good advice, or the producers offer good advice themselves. In this second portion of your journal entry, list one piece of advice offered in this episode. Restate the advice, and then write a few sentences on why this advice is good for you to take, even if it seems hard to do right now.
Sample:
In the “Managing Fear in College” episode, I really appreciated the advice that Tanita’s counselor Frank gave. He said that we should think about trying a counselor visit on a trial basis – just go in, meet the counselor, talk just a little bit about how I’m doing, and then think about coming back if it went well. I think I would benefit from visiting a counselor, but that’s just not something men really do in my family. I like the idea of not spilling all my guts out, but just trying a short trial conversation. I guess I didn’t know I could do that.
Part 3: My Question(s)
In this final part, please come up with one question you have after listening to the episode. Feel free to have more than one. Offer a few sentences of explanation for why you wrote this question.
Sample:
Question: Why is it that when people talk about college they so often talk about getting a job?
The whole episode just got me thinking about how almost everything I’ve heard about college is about getting a job. I liked how Ana and Dr. Flannery talked about so many other things. It got me thinking about college, but it also got me wondering why so much emphasis is placed on jobs.
