Final Course Reflection

This semester was interesting. Not entirely with regard to course and class material was, but in general, interesting. The Olympic break was amazing, incredible, estupendo; however, it put me in Summer mode by early March.

This brings me to my first point. Aside from having a semester broken up by breaks, some sunny skies, and a late long weekend, I was never quite inspired by this class(nor any other of my classes this term, for that matter). I understand that the University has criteria for what an instructor must cover during the given semester, and that given the current structure and system, an introductory 'survey' of a region or culture's literature is "sufficient" for receiving credits saying we've "learned" it, but c'mon. This class, like most of my classes at UBC, has been lacking in something, something that keeps people interested, intrigued, inspired to do the reading and work on time or even ahead of time. Having a class that is interesting and compelling will make you come to class on time, will make you not miss any classes, and will make you give it that extra effort.

With regard to this particular class, I would have liked to have spent more time with each text, as I'm sure Jon would, in order to get a better understanding of why they are important. Reading each text was tough, and I had hoped that lectures would clear up any misunderstanding I had had, and would clarify what was notable about the stories. This was true to some extent, but only occasionally did I find myself really riveted by a lecture. I think what would have helped would be a more focused reading, and a bit of direction given before each reading. I find that it helps a reader, especially a reader new to a certain genre and/or language, to be provided with something to think about and look for in the text. We sort of went into each text blind, without direction or an introduction. A lot of the texts went way over my head, but having a brief introductory lecture or briefing regarding what to expect and what to look for, I think I would have been able to understand each text better.

Now don't get me wrong, its not all the class/university/system's fault, for we as students are responsible for motivating ourselves to try hard, no matter what material, how boring or how dull the class. I've often come to the conclusion that it must be me, it must be my own interest in the subject matter. If I were more interested, than I'd be getting a lot more out of the course. This is true to some extent. Having an interest in the subject matter, an interest beyond simply receiving credits from a course you're required to take to graduate, makes an important difference in how you enjoy and what you learn from the course. There may be an effect of a lack of self-referential material here; I really can't relate to Latin American identity, literature, or culture for that matter. I may get much more out of a class like this after having spent some time in Latin America. But maybe as a student of Spanish and Spanish culture, its up to me to find interest in something I'm unfamiliar with or unrelated to.

In sum, I'm glad its nearly summer, and that the course is (almost) over and done with. Next time around, if there is one, I should go to Latin America before studying this material, and I should study it at a slower, more focused rate, perhaps at a school that doesn't try to cram "knowledge" down our throats and send us on our merry way into the unknown.