Good Night, and Good Luck

COMM 107 was an experience. I don't think it was a bad experience, but I can't really say that it was a good one. It started out with the schedule. I made a mistake choosing an 8 am class, every day of the week, and, unlike my Tuesday-Thursday morning class, attendance was never taken. I had little motivation to go to class on a regular basis. However, more than just the timing of the class played into why I did not attend as often as I should have.

Soon after the school year started, I realized that much of the material was self-explanatory and even a cursory review of the powerpoints would supply all the information I needed. The material read straight out of my high school psychology textbook, and the small differences were easily explained by the communications textbook. The powerpoints and lectures were essentially derived from the textbook, and it made no sense to show up for class when all I would have to do instead is skim the chapter for that day, take a few notes, and look at the blog to know if anything was due. Thus, I had no motivation to wake up at 8 AM to attend a class for which I already knew much of the material. There was little incentive to go to class, and since there was no penalty, there was no incentive to not skip. This probably accounted for the class being half-empty on any given day.

There were many aspects of the class which I found to be interesting and contributed more towards a practical knowledge of the subject rather than to the curriculum. Many times, the guest speakers had a more significant role in changing my communication skills than the course material. I enjoyed listening to many of them and found that they contributed interesting material and variety to the class.

The time layout of the class was not as beneficial as possible. Even though I attended most classes regularly in the first few weeks of school, I did not know anyone in that class, besides Margaret and Geoffrey, and that was only because they lived on the same floor as I did. If the group presentation had been the first activity, I feel that it would have been easier to connect and make friends with people, rather than getting to know people towards the end of the semester.

One aspect I really appreciated was the Facebook group. Since I am consistently on Facebook, it was nice to get the notifications reminding us about assignments, letting us know what other people had questions about or to review for the midterm. The Facebook group, along with the blog, were easy means of communicating with other students and with the professor without having to go to office hours.

Overall, the class was helpful in improving my communication skills by making me aware of how I speak and how to speak well, but there was no need (or desire) to go to class on a regular basis. I really appreciated the guest speakers, who often raised valuable points about how to communicate, but there was little else I found of value for this class.