When I was told that I would be required to take University Colloquium, my first question was "University WHAT?" I had already taken a course called, Environmental Biology of Southwest Florida, and the two were starting to sound very similar. As the Colloquium course is required to graduate, I decided to be positive and hope I would learn a few new things in the process.
I consider myself mildly experienced when it comes to wilderness. I have explored southwest Florida in ways that include nature hikes (through FGCU campus), marsh walks, and a trip to the slough in stomach deep water. I have also climbed Black Mountain, part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Chain, in North Carolina. Other wilderness regions that I have explored include mountains in Maine and beaches in Canada and Florida.
I enjoy being outdoors when the weather permits. In Florida, it is hard to comfortably enjoy my time outside because of the extremely erratic weather. It is either unbearably hot or there is a torrential downpour, but rarely is there an in-between. When we reach the cooler months, I like to run outside and take my dog for long walks (because it is so much cooler outside).
We will be attending a few field trips during this class. I guess if I have any anxieties or reservations about the class, they would be not knowing what to expect on the field trips. I am not a fan of large bugs or animals crawling up my legs while walking through the swamps or marshes. One of my goals in this course is to get over the uneasiness I have with bugs. Another goal I have for this course is to learn a little more about the environment that I live in. I'd like to be able to identify and name different trees and plants in Florida.
I believe that this class will teach me effective ways to be environmentally friendly, how humans affect the environment and our global community, and it will help me develop "an ecological perspective". I know that after completing this course, I will have the knowledge to help me in my future profession. As a future teacher, I hope to gain as much knowledge as I can while in college to be better prepared for my career. I am looking forward to an enjoyable experience and many adventures with my Colloquium class!
