As a senior in college, I can reflect back here at my time at OSU and very clearly identify courses that I liked and thrived, classes I didn’t like so much and felt as if I had to give everything to barely hold on, and everything in between. One class in particular that stands out to me that I thought I took a lot away from was my business development class. While it didn’t seem that specific or life-changing, the skills I took away completely changed me in my professional life. I got to learn corporate etiquette, interview skills, and overall just how to conduct my work life as a respected professional. The reason I believe that transformation truly took place in that class was because of the fact I was consistently pushed out of my comfort zone in a safe environment as well as actually practicing and did everything we learned. Another takeaway was that my instructor did every assignment with us. Showing us expectations and what he was looking for in a successful assignment. This idea of a “say, show, do” mentally during teaching really let me grasp the different concepts. UPS also did something similar in their training transformation, “UPS opened its first-ever full-service pilot training center, a $34 million, 11,500-square-foot, movie-set-style facility in Landover, Md., aimed directly at young would-be drivers and known as Integra” (The Making of a UPS Driver). This allowed a safe environment to learn and practice with peers.
An example of a poor course I took was a class in accounting which is a really tough subject for me. The class consisted of just tests, quizzes, and two-hour lectures. For me what was missing was the collaboration piece or the ability to try and fail without negative repercussions. A suggestion for that course to cater to different learning styles could have been accomplished in group practice problems or maybe a class warmup where you can work with a partner. Overall the guidance piece with a course is something I really value and was searching for in that classroom.
Nadira A. Hira, F. writer. (2007, November 5). The making of a UPS driver. The making of a UPS driver – November 12, 2007. Retrieved November 4, 2021, from https://archive.fortune.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/11/12/101008310/index.htm.
