Blog on Samir

The person I interviewed is Tom Nguyen. He is a dual enrollment student at Georgia State Perimeter College. He is a junior in high school and attends Dekalb Early College Academy. He has lived in Stone Mountain, Georgia all his life. He refers to himself as a gamer who prefers first-person shooting games. He is also considered to be well-traveled. He has been outside the country multiple times and has been to Japan and Vietnam, his home country.

Three words that Tom chose to describe his academic self are “out of the box, creative, and different”. His biggest influencers for his academic self are his family, more specifically his two older siblings and his parents. His brother, was the one to pave his path of going to the same high school, doing dual enrollment, and then later going to Georgia Tech. Although he has realized that he doesn’t want to follow in his footsteps completely but wants a head start in college. As of right now Tom does not have a major but has an idea of what he wants to major in computer science.

This being his second semester at GSU, he is really enjoying his time here. He appreciates the certain freedom that comes with college and professors not hovering over you the way high school teachers do. Things that frustrate him about college is the way professors use multiple sites when it comes to assignments, it becomes complicated to check everything so that you won’t be late or miss assignments entirely. In the video, “Developing a Mindset for Successful Learning” by Dr. Chew, he speaks about the 10 study strategy principles. One of them is, “successful learning requires planning ahead”. This can be related to the multiple sites, being that communication with your professor is very important to the planning process.

Not really knowing what aspect he wants to focus on within that major, he is confident that he wants to work with technology because it is something he is passionate about.

Chew, S. (n.d.). How to study. How to Get the Most Out of Studying. Retrieved from https://www.samford.edu/departments/academic-success-center/how-to-study

Academic Profile

This is an interview done with the remarkable Shelby Crum. Shelby is a 21-year-old young woman who was born in California but grew up mostly in Indiana. Seven months ago, she and her boyfriend, Jacob, decided to make a change and move to Georgia, which landed her at GSU. During her time here, she encountered a lot of trial and error within her academic journey. With these experiences, she seems to have a unique perspective on academics and describes it as a way to conduct oneself in a learning environment. She expressed herself as reserved and curious, traits that have helped her explore different career paths after her high school graduation in 2019.

To begin, one would say Shelby’s academic journey has been a winding road. After considering a degree in business, she decided to pursue a career in beauty. However, she soon discovered that her true passion was in the healthcare field. This realization led her to switch her major to nursing, a decision she has not regretted yet. Shelby is deeply invested in her nursing studies and enjoys learning about the human body. She finds anatomy and physiology particularly interesting and has a strong desire to understand how the body works. Her curiosity to learn make her a dedicated student and a future asset to the healthcare industry.

Moreover, Shelby believes that learning new things is a critical component of becoming “our most authentic selves.” She acknowledges that knowledge is important for everyone, as it allows individuals to speak confidently and express their thoughts and opinions effectively. Despite the challenges of learning, she remains motivated and engaged, even in her favorite subjects. Although Shelby recognizes that learning can have its difficulties, she remains dedicated to her education. She understands that staying motivated and committed to her goals is essential to achieving success.

Her dedication and focus have led her to attain great knowledge. She believes that the key to attaining knowledge is to start small and gradually build up. Rather than diving into the hardest assignments right away, Shelby begins by completing smaller tasks and thoroughly reviewing her work. This approach not only helps her to solidify her understanding of the material, but it also gives her a sense of accomplishment and motivation to tackle more challenging assignments. Through her methodical approach to learning, Shelby is able to immerse herself fully in her studies and gain a deep understanding of the subject matter.

This deep understanding allows her to stay on top of the academic competition because she believes that the grading system is important in measuring academic progress; however, she also feels that the current education system is too focused on competition and places too much pressure on students to perform at a certain level. She believes that the approach to education should be less restrictive, allowing students to explore their interests and strengths without fear of failure. This perspective aligns with ideas presented in “The New Education: How to Revolutionize the University to Prepare Students for a World Flux” by Cathy N. Davidson, where the author argues that traditional teaching and grading methods are outdated and instead suggests a more personalized and student-centered approach to education. The book highlights the importance of fostering creativity, critical thinking, and passion in students rather than just teaching to the test. Shelby’s thoughts reflect the need for a shift in education that prioritizes a student’s growth and well-being over grades and competition.

In conclusion, Shelby Crum is a remarkable young woman with a unique perspective on academics. Her journey has been filled with trial and error, but she remains dedicated to her education and is deeply invested in her nursing studies. Shelby believes that knowledge is essential for becoming one’s most authentic self. She also believes that the key to attaining knowledge is through dedication, focus, and a methodical approach to learning. Furthermore, she feels that the current education system places too much emphasis on competition and grades and that a more student-centered approach to education would benefit students. Her views align with the ideas presented in The New Education by Cathy Davidson, further emphasizing the need for a shift in the way education is approached. Shelby’s dedication and commitment to her education make her a promising future asset to the healthcare industry.

Works Cited 

• Davidson, Cathy N. The New Education: How to Revolutionize the University to Prepare Students for a World Flux. 2nd ed., Basic Books, 2017.
• Crum, Shelby, Pair interview transcript, February 2023
• Weaver, Rebecca, PhD; Project #1, Profile of fellow student (“academic self” interview) February 2023, GSU ATL

  Academic Profile of Trinh Bui 

Trinh Bui is 18 years old and is in the second semester of her first year at Perimeter College. She was born in the USA but her parents are from Vietnam. Her overall academic self is confident and intelligent as she has put her studies first throughout her life. We are going to take a look at how her academic self has grown and developed through Trinh’s education and life experiences. Trinh’s academic self has been shaped by many things in her life, starting when she was young. She has always felt a great deal of pressure from her parents and environment to study hard and put her academic goals first. Her parents are quite traditional and they wanted her to go to medical school, but instead, she took inspiration from her uncles and decided that she wanted to pursue computer science or software engineering.

Thrin attended Catholic school from pre-k throughout high school. This also had a big impact on her academic self as she was taught from a young age to have a differing set of morals and values compared to children attending different schools like public schools for example. At this Catholic school students wore uniforms and said prayers. Thrin said this helped her in some ways because she did not have to worry about the daily struggle of finding an outfit but she disliked it in a way because students were not able to express their personality and individuality in the same way because of the enforced uniforms and strict dress code. Overall Thrin enjoyed her time at Catholic school. She was involved in many sports during her time there, these include volleyball, soccer, and tennis. Volleyball was her main and favorite sport. Because she played so many different sports they ended up having a big impact on her academics self. This was because they taught her the precious skill of time management. Thrin had practices almost every day and during this time she also had events such as games and matches on many of her weekends. This forced her to develop good schedules to balance all the things she had going on in order not to fall behind in her studies. During later years Trinh has been very happy that she was able to develop a sense of self-control and consistency so early on in her life because she found it very useful during her college career.

As mentioned before Trinh is in her first year at Perimeter College and has enjoyed her classes for the most part. Trinh explained to us how she considers herself lucky to avoid COVID during college because if she had needed to take classes virtually she might have delayed college for a semester or a year due to the situation COVID was causing. Hearing Trinh talking about this issue reminded me of one of the readings that we did during the first week by Melissa Azaric in the article COVID-Era College: Are students Satisfied? In this article, the author talks about how students often dread having to take classes online and feel like they are missing out on the college experience but also feel like their learning is suffering because of how covid affected their college experience. Students who had to take college courses during COVID did not get the chance to develop relationships and understandings with their professors. At the same time many professors, according to this article, felt like they were not able to do enough for their students. Vice President for Enrollment Audrey Smith said  “Because there was so much activity in terms of the change in[residential] status, staff were behind,”. This was said in response to teachers being moved around, and administration and such being confused which led to people not being able to rely on staff to relay information, and often students and parents could not even get a hold of staff reliably. Trinh feels lucky that she was able to avoid all the stress that covid caused college students and is happy that she chose a school where students can take in-person classes. 

  One of Trinh’s future goals is to transfer to Georgia Tech after finishing two years at Perimeter. After that, she wants to pursue a bachelor’s or possibly a master’s in Computer Science or Software engineering. Besides her uncles inspiring her to follow this future career path, Thrin had a teacher in high school who taught computer science, and he helped her a lot. She refers to him as one of her mentors and inspirations because he was able to show her the joy and interesting parts of computer science and that prompted her to want to learn more and pursue it in her future. Many students can probably attest to how having a good or bad mentor, coach or teacher can completely influence how you view a certain subject or activity. Luckily for Thrin, her teacher inspired her to work hard and learn more about her subjects of interest. She has a deep interest and enjoyment for what she is studying and is a great example for college students around the world to take a look at their lives and ask themselves if they truly are inspired by what they are studying because if you are your academic self will truly thrive.

The below writing is the synopsis of my interview with Kayla Graham. Kayla is a first-year pre-med nursing student at Georgia State University, and her journey to get to where she is now is evidence of her determination and versatility. Born with Jamaican roots, Kayla grew up in a strict household where academics were highly valued. However, it wasn’t until she joined the National Guard that she truly valued her education. Despite going through high school just because she had to be there, Kayla is now determined to finish what she started. She says that is evolving, learning to “enjoy” the academic process, and embracing the opportunities that college has to offer.

Out of the three words I asked Kayla to describe herself with, the first one was discipline. Kayla attributes the army as being her biggest motivator, shaping her into the disciplined individual she is today. Kayla was initially intimidated by the pressure of academic expectations but soon realized that her military background had prepared her well. She began to embrace the learning process and started to appreciate the results of her discipline and hard work.

Kayla’s interests are far-reaching, in addition to her academics, Kayla has a passion for aesthetics, graphics and design, and she has already completed her certification as an esthetician. In addition, Kayla is a spiritual person, which has helped her maintain balance in her life. Hence why the second word she used to describe herself is broad.

Kayla’s third word to describe herself was evolving. She has come a long way from just wanting to attend high school because she had to, to now being determined to finish what she started and fulfill her goal of becoming a nurse and her realizing that learning can be enjoyable. Kayla believes that her determination and discipline will overcome the challenges she is set to face. As Dr. Stephen Chew said in his principles to develop a mindset for learning video, Kayla aspires to find value in what she is studying to do her best in it.

In conclusion, I asked Kayla, why college? Kayla answered by saying that College was a chance for her to evolve and try new things and she decided to embrace it. She hopes that the obstacles that are to come, like the ones she has faced before, will help her continue to grow and evolve. For me, Kayla’s background really shows that a positive attitude, an open mind, and determination could help someone grow as an individual. She is a reminder that anything is possible with hard work and discipline.

Sources:

• Kayla Graham, pair interview transcript, January 2022
• Chew, Stephen. Https://Www.samford.edu/Departments/Academic-Success-Center/How-to-Study.
   

I would like to introduce Aurion Cooper: he is currently at Georgia State University majoring in Film. He is 21 years old and with his parents graduated high school while his mother also has a bachelor’s in teaching. He has been in GSU for 2 years and had some setbacks which made him take a gap year and miss a few semesters. Despite having difficulties, he is completing his education in Film at GSU. He has a confident and friendly personality which makes him approachable and he is understanding. He enjoys beats, editing videos, streaming, working out, video games, and tv. He is outgoing and mature and watches football. 

Aurion Cooper graduated from Columbia High school in Georgia. He is incredible in not giving up despite the difficulties in studying. He struggles academically but he makes up for it with hard work and perseverance. His major accomplishment in High school was graduating and passing in Geography. He had trouble with math in high school which plays important role in choosing a major of his choice in college. His biggest influence when it comes to education is money and knowing that he could get a good life. Having a good education motivates him to the point where he wants to strive for something more than just money, but bigger opportunities like meeting a CEO.

Aurion has mixed emotions about college. For example, he asks why does he have to go into debt for a future where he wants to be living well, but has to give money back at that time? But at the same time, he feels like college is a risk that they have to take if that is what they want. At first, he was majoring in Computer Engineering but soon he realized he does not have the aptitude for it and so he found something else that interested him. He is now majoring in Film at GSU he believes with the creativity and skills he will learn throughout his studies he will be successful. 

Aurion Cooper describes his academic self as driven, balanced, and focused. He told me he is driven to achieve his education and be successful, he balances his social and academic life well and he is focused on what he has to do. He has trouble with writing papers. He makes grammatical errors, second guesses himself, repetitions while writing, and goes off-topic. Anne Lamott informs her readers that she would just write without any stops and her writing would be terrible but she says that’s what first drafts are supposed to be and they can improve as they add more or revise the first draft. To improve in writing, Aurion practices writing, does revision, proofreading, and uses Grammarly. He makes his first drafts which he can improve. 

Aurion has a positive outlook on himself and the future. He feels like learning new things is something that is a part of growth. Without it, you just become stuck with the same mindset of what you’re used to. His struggles with learning are that sometimes he tends to comprehend things the wrong way, and it gets me to have circumstances where I get off topic to what it is. He believes grades are what defines a student in my opinion. In my eyes, it could mean you’re smart or somewhere in between. 

In conclusion, the interview with Aurion Cooper was a great experience and motivating for me. He has his struggles but he does not let them bother him and keeps on moving. He is doing well in his studies right now but his past experiences and struggles gave me a new perspective on learning. He prefers in-person classes over online classes because it lets him focus on his studies. While I always thought that online class is much better since it gives you to work at your own pace and you have more time to yourself. The interview with Aurion Cooper made me question myself, what more can I do to improve myself academically and how can I balance my social and academic life?

Work Cited

Lamott, Anne. “Shitty First Drafts.” Language Awareness: Readings for College Writers. Ed. by Paul Eschholz, Alfred Rosa, and Virginia Clark. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005: 93-96.