I’ve said this many times before, but CMU’s emphasis on experiential learning is one of the reasons I love this school. I can be confident that following my graduation, I will leave CMU will valuable skills that will prepare me for the working world. Not only does the university accomplish this through the blend of practical and theoretical thinking in the classroom, but also through the required practicum placements.
Category: courses
Esther Derksen
Most of the science students at CMU are asked: “Why do you go there? What does CMU offer?” Third Year Arts & Science major, Esther Derksen believes that her time at CMU has enhanced her understanding of the human experience and expanded her scientific worldview.
In the first semester of my third year I decided to take a course called Literature & Theology taught by Dr. Paul Doerksen. This turned out to be one of the best decisions I made during my degree. Paul taught the class in a different style than he had before; we spent the whole semester studying the work of one scholar named Marilynne Robinson. Robinson’s confidence in her writing and awareness of the world are some of the qualities I admired in her.
Writing does not always come easy for some of us, and the thought of handing in your first university essay, proposal, etc. can be very frightening. Prior to joining the CMU community, I had taken an AP English class that I felt had given me a decent grasp on essay writing. However, as classes began to pick up and I received syllabi, a stomach-wrenching realization came over me as I failed to recognize most of the academic writing styles in which I would have to write future essays. I felt a little embarrassed to ask for help and thought I would have to resort to the all-knowing gurus known to our generation by the names of Google and YouTube.
I don’t really like getting up at 7:30 AM snoozing until 8:00, forcing myself into a shower, propelling myself to a hastily eaten breakfast, and then speedwalking to my 8:30 class. But as soon as Professor John Brubacher opens his mouth, I am content.