Treat 'em like dirt, they'll stick forever

Tina Chu

Comm 101C Introduction to Communication Studies

Winter 2012

MTWTHF-9am-1145

D. Terry

How I define myself after taking Comm 101c, is someone who is beginning their journey to the Communication major. Unlike others in the class who are upper division and have already taken upper division Communication classes prior to this, I am just starting out. Being a second year college student at San Jose State, I have the ability to not only be able to get Comm101C as a class. But luckily not have to deal with trying to petition to get in during the fallowing semester. Because of the environment of the winter sessions I am able to get everything and learn everything at a fast consistent pace where I only have to focus on one subject and not have to stress over other classes. This winter session has made me learn more things than I would learn over a typical semester which made me realize that I am able to focus more as well.

I definitely think the short semester has influence my interest in communication, It’s gotten me to question more of the ideas and such to how we go along with communication and gave me a advantage because I was able to actually start communication as a major in the beginning instead of jumping around classes. After taking the class learning the different aspects of communications, I’ve used it in ways which help me gain awareness about the world around me which has given me a more open idea of how to see things . Communication helps us have a variety of ideas as well has preparation to uniquely create different career paths for ourselves as well giving us the higher advantage based upon where we want it to me. I see communications as a way to create a balance between individuals through observing and finding the basis of a common ground between people.

With this course I have improved significantly with my grammar skills when it comes to writing up papers, I am more cautious when it comes to proof reading and grammar and also push myself to look out for those errors. Not only has my grammar improves but my motivation to write out my opinions and lay out information I know with comparison to personal experience in order to understand the course material better.  In most essays it is not encouraged as much to bring in personal experience but when writing the Critical Analysis essay I was able to understand theories and parts of the book of “Their eyes were watching god” significantly because of being told to use my own experiences for my own understanding.

In the beginning I established that as a communication scholar I am primarily interested in finding ways in which communication can fit into my multiple career goals , the reason why I love communication is because it gives the many opportunities in which other studies don’t offer. There is not a complete direct place you have to set communication into unlike majors like business or engineering. Currently I do field marketing work and have used it to my advantage in sales, interaction with consumers and companies , as well as finding a way to engage the public into certain products. It has helped me gain much more advantages as of how to view and communicate with people instead of using a direct general approach in which has its limitations and I still believe the same thing over the past few weeks

According to Warren and Fasset “ social constructionism is the view of communication as a process , as a messy enterprise that we all engage in , searching for meaning in ourselves and each other as we make our way through the world.” Social constructionism is what I am going through right now. I am trying to figure out my life whether it is school , family , relationships. Everything has been a spiral for me and nothing has been easy, it seems like the world has been crushing me and I can’t get out. Because of everything, I have been really negative in terms of my life because of some personal problems I have had. Right now I feel stuck but I’m trying to make my way through everything and figure out where I’m going along the way. Life isn’t easy, and even thought I don’t see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel right now . At one point I’ll hopefully get passed all of this and be able to be happy along all of that.

 Some of the questions I asked in the beginning of the semester were “Why is it in a world full of diverse settings , do we still judge others based on their religion , race , gender , culture , tradition and so much more?. Is it because of our own personal views in which we judge others?.  Is it because we have not experienced their lives therefore we judge because we are un-experience?, why would we think something is wrong or weird if we’re not a part of it?. I am not saying I’m and the most open minded human being and I don’t do the same at times- but I am questioning the idea of establishing such a harsh judgement upon things that are different to ourselves.” Out of those questions I feel like mass majority of them were answered because of the theories we learned through out the semester which helps us analyze the way people see things or think .