Kim Wilson, Dean of University of Nebraska--Lincoln College of Architecture
Name of Person Interviewed: Kim Wilson, Dean of the University of Nebraska College of Architecture
Location Visited: Outside of “the barn” in Architecture Hall
Observation and quotes:
She studies higher education because she is a leader. She studies The Bible because of her strong Christian faith, and she studies her curriculum to integrate the most relevant information into her classes.
She teaches studio classes, so she is not exposed to students cramming because studying for studio is not something you can really cram for, it is more “applying what you learn” and “understanding through work.”
Dean Wilson uses learning style assessments in order to gain insight into her students study habits and practices.
For her personal study, Dean Wilson prefers to study between 6:00 and 11:00 A.M. in a “quiet environment” where she is able to have “interaction with the material.”
Sometimes she has to study outside of her normal allotted time due to “urgency” created by due dates, deadlines, or priorities, but she feels that cramming reflects a “lack of discipline,” or general apathy toward the material being studied.
Dean Wilson finds studying to be enjoyable because it is intellectually stimulating which is the main criteria that must be fulfilled when she’s choosing people to surround herself with.
She stated that she has been able to see a disconnect in the study habits of our generation in our tendency to multitask which is greater than her generation’s and even her parent’s generation.
Dean Wilson feels that students today underestimate the amount of time it takes to do something usually due to a student’s level of desire to understand the concept, or the amount of relevancy it has to a student’s life.
She feels studying is incredibly important as a student, and also later in life to ensure that we are “lifelong learners.”
Interpretations:
We met Kim Wilson. We were amazed to realize that she still studies regularly to enrich her life. This is significant because it lets us know that even though we may graduate, studying is a life-long practice that doesn’t go away, even if you’re the dean of a college, you will still be studying whether that be in a professional, or a personal capacity.
Madeline Smith, 5th Year English and French Major Student
Name of Person Interviewed: Madeline Smith
Location Visited: Selleck front Desk
Observation and quotes:
Location Visited: Selleck front Desk
Observation and quotes:
She has to balance working with studying. She’s a fifth year student studying English and French which she says is conducive to studying in groups of one to two people. Madeline says that she hasn’t had to cram lately, but she used to have to cram for tests in her early years like most college students. She studies in life through reading which she does for pleasure and to continue to learn. She likes to study “in the morning or the early afternoon” in places like coffee shops, her house and around campus. Overall she prefers solidarity when studying because she is distracted by loud noises which she solves by leaving. When working, Madeline studies when she can; however, it is most often done in her personal time.
Interpretations:
We met Madeline Smith. We were amazed to realize she sacrifices her personal time to create the perfect study environment before. This is significant because it shows that people take studying seriously and will go out of their way, spending extra free time studying in ways that are best for them.
Interpretations:
We met Madeline Smith. We were amazed to realize she sacrifices her personal time to create the perfect study environment before. This is significant because it shows that people take studying seriously and will go out of their way, spending extra free time studying in ways that are best for them.
Joe, 4th year Business Major
Name of Person Interviewed: Jeff
Location: A Fraternity house near Selleck
Observation and quotes:
Jeff is a fourth year Business major. He finds the best time for him to study is right before the class he has to study or do homework for. He usually studies in his room because it is quiet and comfortable. He’s never experienced academic anxiety because he never crams or stresses about tests, but admits the class that requires the most studying is accounting. The classes he studies least for are the ones he takes online. Jeff avoids distractions by turning off his TV and phone after the “second or third time it goes off”. In his free time, Jeff likes hanging out with his fraternity friends and gambling online. He studies in his personal life by looking into different gambling reports and techniques, which give him insight on strategies to increase his chances of winning. Jeff describes “There are a lot of "crazy" things in gambling to study”.
Interpretations:
We met Jeff. We were amazed to realize that Jeff rarely studies for his schoolwork and instead spends more time studying for his interests in his personal life. This is significant because we found out how little work you can do and still manage to just “slip” by through school and make it to your 4th year, which shows the differences in requirements of majors and how different individuals’ study habits can be.
Joe, Maintains Broyhill Fountain and works with UNL Operations
Name of Person Interviewed: Joe
Location Visited: Broyhill Fountain
Observation and quotes: Joe works with operations for the Union (15 years), taking care of small projects, renovations, maintenance and fixes, such as plumbing and electrical problems. He maintains Broyhill fountain, where he uses test kits to test the water. Joe “studies” working the job for so many years and learning by experience. The University also offers safety and emergency classes as a formality, another way he “studies”. Other skills he has were self taught – only formal education being high school and UNL for one year. After leaving UNL Joe went to St. Paul, Minnesota where he worked as a Railroad Engineer for 23 years. He worked as a fireman for a year on railroad. Worked mostly on dynamics of train brakes, electronics. Joe said, “I know everything.” He learned his engineering skills through on the job training and a lot of practice. He likes his job because of the people he works, enjoys finding the source of problems, and “tinkering” with things – in all aspects of his life (has a workshop at home where he does mechanical). He likes that every day is different. As he described, “Life changes everyday”.
Interpretations:
We met Joe. We were amazed to realize that our interpretation of Joe into being an average man who ended up in a maintenance job that not many people want, we learned that he is actually very experienced and has a variety of different skills that he learned from his jobs. This is significant because it shows that even with little formal schooling or “studies”, you can learn a lot just from watching, practicing, and experiencing you can actually teach yourself a lot more.
