Self-evaluation

Here is the brief self-evaluation I was asked to write for my Philosophy 101 course. I think it makes a swell blog entry as well because it may provide insight to why many of my posts are the way they are.

Although a critical evaluation of the current state of academia will be avoided, it is worth noting that my recent awareness of the matter has led me to conclude a major point: A tremendous effort must be made on the part of the student to meticulously scrutinize and evaluate the information being presented in a university course in order to receive a well-rounded, quality education, particularly in the humanities and social sciences. A course in existential philosophy could not have come at a better time for me.

Overall, I am pleased with my progress over the past semester. I have not missed any meetings and I manage to consistently turn in what I feel are quality papers. The nature of the course has caused me to take an active interest in the material and truly reflect on the topics, making paper writing effortless and enjoyable. Consequently, I feel that I have produced some of my best essays in all of my four years at UNCW. This has to do with that fact that I believe philosophical thinking should (and does in this case) go beyond a simple academic study of the topic. The paper topics are such that they require us to think for ourselves and apply the concepts and themes to our own lives; something that I feel is not stressed enough in undergraduate coursework.

While my performance in the course thus far has been nothing less than what I normally expect of myself, the unorthodox class format and teaching style has made me aware of the importance of constant self-evaluation and inner reflection. This is in contrast with the typical university course where grades and minimum requirements are emphasized over the benefits of a more personal, reflective approach to higher learning. The result is usually a detached, unimpassioned approach to education on the part of the student. Over the past semester, I have taken full advantage of the class format and used it to my benefit. I don't have to worry about attendance, due dates, participation grades, quiz grades, multiple choice exams, group work, PowerPoint presentations, or getting the right answer. While some of these are important to the class, the point is that I don't have to worry about them. As for getting the right answer, I have learned that there is no right answer in philosophy. That is the beauty of this course and the reason why I feel I have been enjoying it so much.

Over the past four months, I have experienced a metamorphosis in the way I think about and view the world. This change, I feel, has much to do with the material covered in Philosophy 101. I believe that the format of the class has allowed me to not only learn about existential philosophy from an academic standpoint, but to apply existential concepts and themes to my own world. I have rejected many of the more extreme philosophies, such as nihilism and other overemphasis on death and despair. Conversely, I have embraced Heidegger's discussions of conscious awareness of death as the key to understanding and appreciating the nature of our existence. Although I have yet to fully grasp the intricacies of many of the philosophies discussed in class, they have made me realize that there is far more to life than simply existing.

In conclusion, I am very satisfied with my performance in the course given the limits of undergraduate coursework, such as brief fifty-minute sessions and a consideration for other courses. My only regret is that I didn't have enough time to fully immerse myself in the worlds of Heidegger, Husserl, Sarte, Kierkegaard, and others. I got feeling that these fellows has massive amounts of time on their hands to not only produce the work they did, but to synthesize and reflect on it in the first place. I am envious to say the least.