Topic 1: Introductions: Getting to Know You & Explaining the IDS degree
Dear Cornerstone students, welcome to Spring 2012’s Mentoring Blog. In this first blog post, we’ll start off by introducing ourselves and learning a little about each other’s degree programs. You’ll have until next Sunday to reply to this blog although we recommend doing so sooner in the week rather than later. We’ve included some questions that you can use as jumping off points below. To reply to the topic, use the “comment” feature instead of creating a new post and be sure to sign your name at the end of your reply.
Icebreakers:
Meet the Mentors:
Hi, my name is Melissa Castorino. My areas of study are communications and health and I have two minors which are psychology and sociology. I started my degree at Daytona State College in the nursing program. I decided to change majors and the nursing classes and prep courses counted toward the health component of my degree. I declared two minors because I could not decide between psychology and sociology. I have a passion for both disciplines. I choose communications because I had to choose something for my other area of study and it has worked out perfectly. I explain IDS to others by explaining the reason why I choose it for my major. I could not decide on just one area of study, it felt too limited to me. My degree allows me to explore and learn about all of the areas that I have a passion for. The advantage of an IDS degree is options. The disadvantage is that few people know what an IDS degree is so you end up explaining it to people more often than saying you are a business major. This mentoring blog is a project that I really enjoyed as a cornerstone student so I am looking forward to our weekly conversations and I hope you guys are also. Feel free to ask us any questions that you have even if it seems unrelated to what we are discussing for the week. We are here to help you guys with anything that we can!
Melissa Castorino
Hi everybody! My name is Manika Chuon. My two areas of study are Life/Biomedical Sciences and Physical Sciences and my minor is Business. I started at UCF back in 2004 as a Business major. One year later I decided to switch to Biology. And last summer I changed my major for the final time to Interdisciplinary Studies. It has taken me a lot longer to graduate than I’d like to admit, but I’m happy I did not give up and I cannot wait to get that diploma in the mail after this semester! After graduating I will pursue a career either working with a non-profit organization or teaching high school biology.
Outside of school, I work full-time as a pre-kindergarten teacher. I love children! My boyfriend and I sponsor a little girl in Sierra Leone through the non-profit organization Children of the Nations. Anything I can do to help a child makes me happy. I also enjoy running, reading InStyle magazine, eating good food, going to the beach, and traveling to name a few things. Please feel free to ask me anything, I am pretty much an open book! I took Cornerstone last semester and I know it is a time-consuming course, but I truly enjoyed participating in the blogs and learned some interesting things along the way. I hope y’all enjoy it too and hopefully we will all come away from this with something new.
Manika Chuon
Hello! My name is Julia Elrod, and my areas of concentration are Public Administration and International & Global Studies with a minor in Leadership Studies. I completed my A.A. degree from Indian River State College about 11 years after I graduated high school, and I found that the IDS program here at UCF was my best option to a degree I felt would be the most useful to me. I currently work in the Quality Management department at the Orlando VA Medical Center, and I have recently applied to graduate school programs in Washington, D.C. for International Development. My favorite past time these days is hanging out with my husband and cats in my limited free time.
In discussing my degree program with others, I tend to keep my explanation of the IDS program simple almost always emphasizing my specific areas of focus and how I see them integrating into a career. While I see interdisciplinarity as a huge benefit in the workplace providing a specific yet diverse education, I feel that I haven’t been able to as comprehensively study each of my focuses as much as a single focus or double major would provide. Nevertheless, I decided on the IDS program because it provided me the best opportunity to study my passions and still allow me to graduate with my B.A. in a reasonable amount of time.
Julia Elrod
Dear Cornerstone students, welcome to Spring 2012’s Mentoring Blog. In this first blog post, we’ll start off by introducing ourselves and learning a little about each other’s degree programs. You’ll have until next Sunday to reply to this blog although we recommend doing so sooner in the week rather than later. We’ve included some questions that you can use as jumping off points below. To reply to the topic, use the “comment” feature instead of creating a new post and be sure to sign your name at the end of your reply.
Icebreakers:
- Who are you? What do you like to do for fun? What don’t you understand about your major?
- How do you explain IDS to others?
- What are the advantages/disadvantages of an interdisciplinary education?
- What made you become an IDS major?
Meet the Mentors:
Hi, my name is Melissa Castorino. My areas of study are communications and health and I have two minors which are psychology and sociology. I started my degree at Daytona State College in the nursing program. I decided to change majors and the nursing classes and prep courses counted toward the health component of my degree. I declared two minors because I could not decide between psychology and sociology. I have a passion for both disciplines. I choose communications because I had to choose something for my other area of study and it has worked out perfectly. I explain IDS to others by explaining the reason why I choose it for my major. I could not decide on just one area of study, it felt too limited to me. My degree allows me to explore and learn about all of the areas that I have a passion for. The advantage of an IDS degree is options. The disadvantage is that few people know what an IDS degree is so you end up explaining it to people more often than saying you are a business major. This mentoring blog is a project that I really enjoyed as a cornerstone student so I am looking forward to our weekly conversations and I hope you guys are also. Feel free to ask us any questions that you have even if it seems unrelated to what we are discussing for the week. We are here to help you guys with anything that we can!
Melissa Castorino
Hi everybody! My name is Manika Chuon. My two areas of study are Life/Biomedical Sciences and Physical Sciences and my minor is Business. I started at UCF back in 2004 as a Business major. One year later I decided to switch to Biology. And last summer I changed my major for the final time to Interdisciplinary Studies. It has taken me a lot longer to graduate than I’d like to admit, but I’m happy I did not give up and I cannot wait to get that diploma in the mail after this semester! After graduating I will pursue a career either working with a non-profit organization or teaching high school biology.
Outside of school, I work full-time as a pre-kindergarten teacher. I love children! My boyfriend and I sponsor a little girl in Sierra Leone through the non-profit organization Children of the Nations. Anything I can do to help a child makes me happy. I also enjoy running, reading InStyle magazine, eating good food, going to the beach, and traveling to name a few things. Please feel free to ask me anything, I am pretty much an open book! I took Cornerstone last semester and I know it is a time-consuming course, but I truly enjoyed participating in the blogs and learned some interesting things along the way. I hope y’all enjoy it too and hopefully we will all come away from this with something new.
Manika Chuon
Hello! My name is Julia Elrod, and my areas of concentration are Public Administration and International & Global Studies with a minor in Leadership Studies. I completed my A.A. degree from Indian River State College about 11 years after I graduated high school, and I found that the IDS program here at UCF was my best option to a degree I felt would be the most useful to me. I currently work in the Quality Management department at the Orlando VA Medical Center, and I have recently applied to graduate school programs in Washington, D.C. for International Development. My favorite past time these days is hanging out with my husband and cats in my limited free time.
In discussing my degree program with others, I tend to keep my explanation of the IDS program simple almost always emphasizing my specific areas of focus and how I see them integrating into a career. While I see interdisciplinarity as a huge benefit in the workplace providing a specific yet diverse education, I feel that I haven’t been able to as comprehensively study each of my focuses as much as a single focus or double major would provide. Nevertheless, I decided on the IDS program because it provided me the best opportunity to study my passions and still allow me to graduate with my B.A. in a reasonable amount of time.
Julia Elrod
Hi Everybody!
My name is Sarah Hill. My areas of concentration are Health Science and Life/Biomedical Science and my minor is sociology. I am a non traditional student finally completing my senior year after taking my first college course in 1989! (ouch!!!). I, like my fellow mentor, Melissa am a former nursing major but after much consideration have determined that I am called to serve elsewhere. Upon completion of my BS here at UCF, I plan to apply to the the Social Work MSW program and the Masters in Sociology with a focus on Domestic Violence.
I believe that my IDS education here at UCF has uniquely prepared me for social services in the public sector. I have received a very well-rounded education and I am well aware of the conditions facing survivors of domestic violence. This field of study is a passion for me and I know my IDS degree will help me get my foot in the door and take me to the next level in serving survivors in need.
It is a bit of a challenge explaining the IDS degree to people. I even have a friend at Penn State that is taking a similar major and he doesn’t understand what we’re doing here. I like to describe it as a “big picture” education. I tell people that we get to learn things from more than one discipline and then view issues from a broader perspective.
Sarah Hill
Hello, my name is Chanel Mosby. I love to travel and photograph landscapes and cityscapes in the new areas that I visit. When I am at home and not studying, my favorite past time is playing video games. As an Interdisciplinary Studies major, my areas of concentration are the Life and Physical Sciences with a minor in Digital Media. This is actually the 3rd (and final) major that I have switched to during my university career as I started out as Digital Media in 2007 and then switched to Biotechnology a year later. Since then I have even transferred to an entirely different university in Germany before returning to UCF last semester and becoming an Interdisciplinary Studies major. For me, I feel that one of the major benefits of this program is the degree of flexibility it offers for you to look into what you want to do later on. The disadvantage is that due to that flexibility, you will have to put some thought into how to explain your degree to others, but that is what the corner and capstone courses are here to help you with. I hope that you benefit from this blog as it runs its course and remember that we are here to try to help you with any questions you might have.
Chanel Mosby
My name is Michelle Puikis. My areas of study are Behavioral/Social Science and Life/Biomedical Science and my minor is Health Science. I currently have a nonprofit organization that seeks to reform the way society treats medicine. Too many things go to waste when others are suffering. My future plans are to go to pharmacy school and become a pharmacist in order to advocate generosity to eliminate that suffering.
It’s really important to understand the IDS major. Did you know that it is the second largest major on campus, behind psychology? That being said, it’s important for us to network together and encourage one another in the way we all plan to use our degree. One of the advantages of being an IDS major is that we don’t have many limits in our education. We can choose what we are passionate about and what works best to prepare us for our future goals. If you chose this major because you don’t know what you want to do, don’t get discouraged. See this as an opportunity to listen to other people’s stories and get inspired to dream big.
Michelle Puikis
Hi My name is Leanne Sless. My areas of study are Communications and Business with a minor in Women’s Studies. I am also a Fashion Major from IADT Tampa that loves to be a complete tomboy. Saving our planet and the people of this world from disease touches my heart deeply. I am creating a completely organic product line that should be launched sometime this year! My areas of study give me the well roundness to become a successful entrepreneur. I don’t see that I could have all of the knowledge to create and lift this company off the ground with one specific degree. Thank goodness for IDS! I hope you all find this blog as fun and useful as I did when I was a cornerstone student. Please don’t stress it, answer from your heart and absorb as much as possible.
Leanne Sless
Hello everyone!! My name is Justin Sikes. seems like we have a good mix of people here so im excited to get this thing started. I am currently a bartender and manager of a small itlian restuarnt in NSB beachside and I work five nights a week sometimes more but its all good I enjoy the people and my co-workers. I changed my major to IDS just a semester ago after taking about two years off from school I was formerly a Molecular and microbiology major at UCF and with a year and half left with that degree I decided that it wasnt for me and I moved back home to regroup. With this regrouping i went to an advisor and I told him that I was ready to be done with school and he said okay lets see what we an do for you. He asked me a few qusions and then said I might have a degree for you which come to find out was IDS and my areas of study are health science, Life/biomedical sciences and minor in business maybe also a minor in health adminstration? We will see? My orginal plans were to go to pharmacy school and become a pharmacist like my father but people change and im not getting any younger so i decided just to own a pharmacy instead. So i hope that this IDS prgram can help me with that goal. I have many people ask me what im taking or what im dng with school and te best way that a can describe this degree is by saying that it is three areas of study that conbined will give me a BS and i will have a little bit of everything to put on the table when it come to knowledge? most people seem like tey get it but i dont think I even get it yet? until the next post
ReplyDeleteJustin Sikes
The way I explain my degree now is a little different than when I first started this degree, and the biggest difference is the confidence in which I describe it. I use to say it is an IDS degree where I declare two areas of study in health and communication and then I would explain that I declared two minors and that the degree gives me a wider knowledge base than a traditional major. I now say I am an IDS major with two areas of concentration of health and communication with minors in psychology and sociology, but I say it with so much more confidence than I did when I first started that instead of people being like what? They are like oh OK that makes sense. As you progress through the degree you will see how your disciplines work together to form one body of knowledge and you will get it :)
DeleteMelissa Castorino
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DeleteHi Justin!
DeleteI stumbled upon the IDS major in a pretty similar way to you. I was a Health Sciences (Pre-Clinical) major when I came to school in the fall of 2010, and I quickly changed my major after looking at some of the upper level courses that I was required to take. IDS has allowed me to take a step back and really discover where my true interests are, and that has been very helpful. By the sounds of it, IDS is very fitting for both of us!
Bri Darby
Hi Justin!
DeleteWhat restaurant do you work at in NSB? I actually grew up there, my family lives in Ponce Inlet! Small world! I actually initially came to UCF thinking I was going to pursue nursing. Turns out I hate science and, after shadowing a nurse, hated that too. I've changed my major a few times, and am kind of unsure, like you, of what it really means to be an interdisciplinary studies student, and have that degree. At this point I just kind of want to have a degree and be done for a little while, as I have a feeling I wont be doing anything relative to my major. Did taking a couple years off help?
-Tanya Hunt
Hello Everyone! My name is Ann Ross and I am new to UCF as well as the IDS major. I am also a very non-traditional student. I am a 37 year old mother of two who has changed my major about 4 times, and taken about that many breaks from college since I graduated from high school waaaaay back in 1992! At one point or another in my college career I have majored in early education, nursing, respiratory therapy, AA general studies and now IDS. I now have 93 college credits accumulated and only an AA degree to show for it. IDS seemed like the best option to put some of my past educational experience to use and allow myself the opportunity to explore the many areas that are of interest to me.
ReplyDeleteMy areas of study are currently life and biomedical sciences and Behavioral and social sciences with a Minor in Health Sciences. I currently have no idea what I plan to do with degree once I have earned it, but I know I would like to work in the healthcare industry in some capacity. I am hoping that the more I study and learn the clearer it will become to me.
I currently have the luxury of a flexible work schedule because I work for my boyfriend who owns his own business. He supports me in my endeavor to finally obtain my bachelors degree.
I will be honest and tell you all that this course has made me realize that an IDS degree isn't exactly what I thought it was going to be and I am struggling with coming to terms with this. I rightly assumed that this major would allow me to explore many subjects that interest me, what I did not anticipate however was the need to integrate it all. This has been more difficult for me than you might think. I hope that eventually it will become easier for me, I guess only time will tell.
I am looking forward to getting to know you all and hopefully getting answers to some of the questions that have been plaguing me.
~Ann Ross
We have a lot in common! I graduated high school in 1995, I have two young boys and I was also a nursing major at Daytona State College and changed majors to the IDS degree, I would also like to work in the health care field. I also had issues trying to integrate the disciplines in the beginning. I honestly choose areas of study that I liked and I let my interests lead the way. As a senior I can now say that my areas of study work so well together and I am amazed at how much overlap there was between the disciplines! If you are passionate about your areas of study, you will be able to integrate them and it will make sense as you work through your degree.
DeleteMelissa Castorino
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DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHey Ann,
DeleteI also am not sure what I want to do with my degree, and I would like to work in the healthcare field as well.
I can really sympathize with you on not fully grasping what an IDS degree would entail. I chose this major because I thought I would get to study what interests me and this whole integration thing threw me a fast one! It's pretty difficult for me, too, but I know that all this will help us in the long run. :)
-Amanda Brashear
Thanks Amanda. It is actually very comforting to know that I am not alone in my struggles:-)
Delete~Ann Ross
Ann, I can't tell you how many credit I have as well and I'm still workignon my Bachelors. I think that the IDS major is the way to go for us! Good luck.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHey Ann!
DeleteFirst of all, I have to say you are truly inspirational. To have a family, and be pursuing a degree must be difficult, as I have trouble with just taking care of a dog.. and my boyfriend. :) Like you, I am also struggling with what it means to be an interdisciplinary studies student, as I initially did not realize actually integrating my disciplines (which is a little difficult mine are psychology, communications, and film studies).
On another note, my boyfriend owns a company involving healthcare IT. I'm not sure if you're familiar with it, but he hires a lot of people who are familiar with the healthcare industry. It is quite profitable, and up-and-coming, and I would encourage you to look into it!
-Tanya Hunt
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DeleteHello Ann,
DeleteI think that you brought up a great point about integrating areas of study. I think that doing so is the only way to get the most out of the IDS major. Since my minors are health services administration and business administration I think the integration between the two should be smooth since many health services occupations include a business aspect.
- Nicholas Spivey
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ReplyDeleteI am Patricia Alise Priest. I go by Alise. My parent have always called me by my middle name. For fun I love to do anything on the water with my friends and family. We go to the beach, fishing and hang out at the lake. Sometimes it is hard for me to see how all the combinations that are available can go together when it comes to IDS. My areas of study are Public Affairs and Behavioral & Social Science with a minor in Health. When I explain my major I use the example of a melting pot. However already I'm feeling like I will be able to explain this major better in just a short while. I became a IDS major because I sat down with a counselor and was so confused about what direction I should go. After speaking with the counselor I felt like this was a perfect fit for me. I look forward to learning more about the IDS degree while taking this course.
ReplyDeleteI think your areas of study go great together! My areas of study are very similar to yours and as you take classes you will see it. Your areas compliment each other very well!
DeleteMelissa Castorino
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DeleteManika, I'm not exactly positive what I want to do with my IDS degree just yet. I've had thought have management in a hospital. However I didn't mention earlier but I'm and insurance agent. So at this moment my goal is to open up my own insurance agency.
DeletePatricia Alise Priest
I had the same feelings as you Alise! My areas of study are Health and Behavioral/Social Sciences with a Criminal Justice minor, so before beginning this cornerstone course I had no clue how I was going to incorporate these three together. I was completely stuck after deciding that I no longer wanted to go the nursing route, and IDS have given me so much flexibility. I feel like I am on the right track, even though I still am not sure what I want to do when I graduate!
DeleteBri Darby
I think the way you explain IDS currently is a very good comparison. Describing this major as a melting pot is a good analogy that someone who is not part of this major can understand. Your story is a good example of why I think that Interdisciplinary Studies is a great major to offer at all universities, it gives a clear path to those who don’t know exactly what they would like to do. Finally, I think that your disciplines complement each other very well.
DeleteAngela Boyd
Hey everyone! Manika its funny because I too have enough credits to graduate but my GPA is too low as well. lol that M&M major was a dozzie for me. Anyways i forgot to tell a little bit more about myself. As you guys have read i work a lot but I do get free time which right now is taken up by this class and my marketing one but its all good ;) on that free time i do custom cabnetry and funiture i like to work with my hands, also i enjoy traveling the past few years i have worked really hard for a few months and start to get burned out so i would take a week off and go somewhere? cali, maine,col, new mex, the islands(a lot) i also would take backpacking trips i love the outdoors and like the fact that i can take a 60 mile round trip hike in the mountains and never really see anyone and not have cell reception!! thatis huge for me to be off the grid for a bit and not even have it if i wanted it. The winter is the best time to go too! so beutiful with everything in white specially in colorado. Im also a beer maker i have been doing this for a few years and getting some good reciepts down in the books so maybe one day i could do something with those and i guess the last thing i enjoy doing is playing golf i have played since i was 7 years old and played all through high school, never played in college but honed my skills even more to play in the US amature, so now i really just do it to have fun and drink beers with the guys. lol until next time
ReplyDeletejutin sikes
Wow Justin! I really envy you for having the opportunity to travel the way you have. I have such an immense desire to see the world but am so limited at this time to do so. Maybe one day when my children are grown and out of the house and I am retired...one can always dream, right:-)
Delete~Ann Ross
Hi everyone, my name is Amanda Brashear. I love photography, being at the beach, and going scuba diving.
ReplyDeleteI am a junior as well as a transfer student, and switched majors from Biomedical Sciences to Biology to IDS in my first semester here. I had no idea how to go about my plan of study because the majors I wanted involve higher math classes and I have a serious issue with math! While talking to an adviser, she suggested I look into IDS because I could still study certain aspects of a major, minus other aspects (however, this could probably be seen as a disadvantage because I'm not taking any math courses). I thought it would be perfect because I love biological sciences and the humanities. So, my areas are Life/Biomedical Sciences and Humanities with a minor in French. When I explain IDS to others, I usually just give them my disciplines and talk about how the idea is to just bring them together.
I've been having trouble trying to see how I can integrate my areas together seeing as how they are completely different, but I know that this course will eventually help me to see a relationship between the two.
-Amanda Brashear
Hello Amanda! It’s always nice to see other photographers. Have you ever tried underwater photography to go along with the scuba diving? I know what you mean about having issues with some of the upper level classes, but for me it is a serious problem with biochemistry and all those reactions. Thankfully, with the IDS degree I’ve managed to keep taking upper division courses in the microbiology courses while avoiding classes like Organic II. It can be hard figuring out what to do with your specialties at first but I’m confident you’ll get there. One thing you could try is talking to a few of your favourite professors from each of the various fields and see if they have any ideas. One of mine gave me some good ideas and another pointed me to someone else who she thought would be able to help as well which has given me a lot less anxiety about the future.
Delete-Chanel Mosby
Hi Chanel! I haven't had the chance to try that yet, but I definitely want to! I don't get as much time to photograph as I'd like and my camera recently broke. :(
DeleteI am really thankful for this plan of study. It may still be difficult, but at least I actually have a chance of making it through (unlike math and chemistry classes).
Thank you for the advice! I will certainly give it a try. :)
-Amanda Brashear
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DeleteHey Everyone!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Brianna Darby (I go by Bri), and I am a second year student here at UCF. I came into college with a Health Sciences (Pre-Clinical) major, and changed to Nursing last spring. I work as a Scribe in the Emergency Room at Florida Hospital, so between that experience and the nursing pre-requsites, I once again changed my major! I played field hockey, ice hockey, and lacrosse before coming to college, so I love playing sports whenever possible. I am from New Hampshire, so I miss being around snow!
As far as being as IDS major, I really liked the sounds of it. My biggest problem throughout school has always been finding my real interests, and I find it very hard to take classes that do not interest me. Becoming an IDS major has given me a lot of flexibility; my major areas are Health and Behavioral/Social Sciences with a Criminal Justice minor. When others ask me about my major, I usually just tell them what my major areas are, and what my minor is. This makes it sound like I am just double majoring, so I find that this is usually a good way to avoid all of the questions and the need for a deep explanation.
As I said before, I love the flexibility of the IDS structure. The main reason that I switched from the Health Sciences major is because I knew there was no way I could do well in classes like organic chemistry and biochemistry. Being able to choose my areas of study, as well as my specific classes, allows me to avoid any of those classes that scare me to death. This has proven to be a pretty big advantage so far! This cornerstone course is helping me really learn about what being an IDS major means, and I have learned that I really had no idea what it means. My initial worry with becoming an IDS major was how I am going to incorporate my three areas of study, but this cornerstone course has already helped me realize that it is always possible to combine different areas of study.
I look forward to learning more about all of you!
Bri Darby
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DeleteHi Bri. Welcome and we are glad to have you!:) I certainly can relate to uncertainty in interests especially as it relates to taking classes. Typically my problem though is that I'm interested in everything, like seriously everything with the exception of engineering and healthcare, and have trouble narrowing down to a reasonable course load.
DeleteFor a while I also kind of described my IDS program as a sort of "double major", which in some sense is true. However, since I have become more confident in my program and in the integration component, I tend to discuss my degree with the end goal, my future career, in mind. What kind of future career do you have in mind that has fueled your concentration focuses? It seems that you have a clear interest in the healthcare sector. How does the Criminal Justice minor play into that?
Your concerns about integration are really valid. But as you said, once you realize how much possibility exists, that worry subsides. Also, as you begin to take your core curriculum and upper level classes, integration becomes so much more apparent. For me, this experience came when I was sitting in an Environmental Ethics course as was thinking about how applicable my studies in International Relations could so easily be applied to some of the problems and issues in the environmental field. If it doesn't make sense now, don't worry and give it some time. These things have a way of revealing themselves just when we least expect it.
Well, again welcome and I look forward to learning about you and your journey!
Julia Elrod!:)
well there seems to be a lot of us that have tried the biology field here in this group,or maybe the teach did that on purpose? idk? Any extra advise that the mentors can give us on this class like how did you get all this work done in the week? I no that i work a lot and it seems like the best way for me is to just get up early everyday no matter what kind of night i had at the rest and put on a few hours a day on this class just so I can keep up. also is the capstone class set up lik this as well? thanks
ReplyDeleteJsikes
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DeleteJustin,
DeleteIndeed we were all set up based on our concentrations and career paths! I think it's been a good thing so far to see others with such similar stories. As far as the course load goes, I've found it best to just take one assignment at a time. In our capstone class the weeks open up one at a time, so we don't get overwhelmed with trying to get ahead. If your content doesn't open up one week at a time, I would definitely suggest that first. Second, try not to look at it as one big list of assignments. I've found that my assignments coordinate very well and soon enough you'll be able to make connections between your assignments and the wealth of a to-do list. It will all come together to form a much bigger picture. It's well worth it in the end! Stick with a schedule and pace yourself to take it a little at a time.
-Michelle Puikis
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DeleteHi Justin.
DeleteYes indeed these classes are a tremendous amount of work, but at the end it is really worth it. And yes, typically, the groups are structured so students with similar focuses are placed together. At least that was the case for my cornerstone blog group.
As far as managing the work and input required by the course, just think about it one assignment at a time. I know I can get caught up and overwhelmed by the amount of work this capstone class requires. But when I think about it one task at a time, it becomes a lot more manageable.
And can I offer one bit of advise....get your rest! Make sure you are getting enough sleep because it makes the perception of the assignments less ominous...at least this works for me. And yes, the capstone class is structured quite similarly to the cornerstone class. Hope this helps! Just breath and you will be just fine!
Julia Elrod!:)
I agree that there are a lot of us who have a background in the biological sciences, myself included. Therefore this course is very different from the classes that we are used to which is why I think there may be some confusion. I think that this forum is good because former students and some of classmates may be able to help us define what this major is about.
DeleteAngela Boyd
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ReplyDeleteHi everyone!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Tanya Hunt, and I guess I am a senior now (I graduate in the fall). I love living in downtown Orlando, and I usually spend my days working out, studying, enjoying the outdoors, and shopping :). Academically speaking, I initially came to UCF pursuing a nursing degree. I quickly found that was not for me, and switched gears completely, changing my major to radio/tv broadcasting. After jumping head first into that major, I found it to be a little to specialized, and thought that something more broad would be more appropriate for me, as I am not completely sure exactly what I want to do. Now I am interdisciplinary studies major, with my three disciplines being social psychology, mass media communications, and film studies. They are quite diverse, and coming into the major, I did not realize that they would be integrated.
I usually describe my major to others as basically, three minors. I know this isn't exactly true, but it's the easiest way for me to explain it (right now) without getting that look of confusion. I am pretty excited however to be able to say, with confidence, what exactly I am majoring in.
My problem is that I can see myself doing a million different things! I love being around kids, and have taught martial arts since I was 12. I would love to be a teacher, but I could also definitely see myself doing something within communications or human resources, as I am also good with people and solving problems. I could even see myself being a lawyer, since I can argue with a wall. I know my strengths and I know my weaknesses, but narrowing it down is hard for me. I know people are probably reading this and thinking I'm crazy and indecisive (which may or may not be true :)), but I think the biggest issue I have is that I am so used to having a specific goal to achieve that it's driving me crazy. I guess my goal right now is just to graduate with A bachelors degree, and see what opportunities I can create for myself from there.
I would love for you to share your thoughts and ideas with me!
-Tanya Hunt
Hey Tanya,
DeleteI think it's good to be open to opportunities. I can definitely relate to a level of being indecisive. I had no idea what I wanted to major in when I first started college. Luckily, I found my answer in the jungles of Peru one summer. For the past 6 years I have been going to Peru and one year I had an experience there where I saw a desperate need for medicine to be distributed to these tribes that were too far away from civilization. I saw so many people suffering because they couldn't get a medication for worms (which we rarely need in the U.S. and probably overproduce and throw away). It was that experience that motivated me toward a career path in pharmacy and then moved me to create my own nonprofit that will one day help distribute medication to volunteer clinics and third world countries.
I'm sharing this with you to encourage you to seek out adventure in your interests. If you graduate and still haven't found your biggest passion, then travel, flip a coin and begin an adventure. It's all about discovery. Sometimes we won't know until we experience our truest passion. So be encouraged, I have a feeling you'll figure it out sooner than you think : )
Also, I usually explain the IDS degree as a create your own degree. That's been the most intriguing way of explaining it that I've found. People are willing to listen to how you can create a degree. And from there I explain the two areas and the minor. If given the opportunity, I also try to explain what interdisciplinary studies truly means and why it's important in the future. You'll learn a lot about that in cornerstone, so no worries.
I'm excited to see what you discover!
-Michelle Puikis
Hello Tanya,
DeleteI have the exact same feeling as you at times, there's just so many opportunities out there that it can be so hard to choose what you want to pursue. Even with graduation coming up in May, I still don't really know what to say when people ask me what type of job I want to get afterwards. It sometimes feels like I have a long list of things that I do not want to do but the list of things I like is still pretty long. The best advice that I can really give you is to explore as much as you can. If you have some general ideas of fields that you might be interested in then try to get either experience in them or just talk to someone in that profession. It's helped me narrow down some choices in the past because I learned what the day to day work flow would be and that helped me cross a few items off my list.
As far as explaining your degree, I think that the cornerstone course will really help you with that. I also did cornerstone and capstone back to back and at the start of last semester I had no idea how to explain the degree, much less defend it to those who thought it was not worth it. However, I feel that I have learned a lot about how to explain it and how to emphasize the strengths thanks to the Cornerstone class. So hopefully it will help you as well!
~Chanel Mosby
Hello everyone,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Nicholas Spivey and I am a junior at UCF. I have lived in Florida for some time so I really enjoy going to school in Orlando and everything there is to do in the area. Outside of class I love playing basketball, going to the gym, spending time with friends, and listening to music. School wise, I just declared myself an IDS student at the beginning of this spring 2012 semester. Intially I majored in engineering but decided to change after realizing I didn't have a passion for math and science. My second year of college I was a health services administration major. I decided to change my major to IDS because it was a better fit for me in my status in the Air Force ROTC program here at UCF. My areas of study are Commerce and Health with minors in business administration and health services administration; additionally I have a minor in Aerospace Studies (required for AFROTC).
When attempting to explain what IDS is to my peers, I usually explain it as a bachelor's degree that focuses on two disciplines as oppose to one, almost like "customizing" your major. The difference between IDS and a double major is that IDS allows you to study multiple disciplines of choice but in the same time frame as a single major student. In addition to that, I think IDS has an advantage in the flexibility it gives students to obtain a stellar knowledge base without being limited to specific offered programs. Next year I will be graduating and commissioning into the Air Force and hopefully work as either a Force Support Officer or Logistics Readiness Officer. Within the military, your degree does not play such a major role in your job unless you are in the medical or engineering field. However, out of the military I would use my academic background to pursue a health or management related Veterans Affairs job that way I can use my academics and military experience to benefit.
- Nicholas Spivey
Hi Nicholas!
DeleteI understand, I had a difficult time explaining my major at first and I got a large majority of responses like "Oh like a general studies degree" or "I have never heard of that, is it some type of fast track degree". You are explaining IDS perfectly! This is a self-designed program that enables us to choose majors in areas of academic interest and that will be most beneficial to us and our future employer. The IDS major enables us to study the key concepts that we will be utilizing in our future career. With your areas of study in Commerce and Health along with minors in business administration,health services administration and Aerospace Studies you will be definitely stand out to a future employer. It makes you very diverse and knowledgeable. An employer nowadays wants a versatile and intelligent employer (left and right brain thinkers).
When I first started at UCF I was in an Accounting major and like you realized that math was not my strong point. I was utterly confused at what I wanted to do, then upgraded to IDS with areas of study in Commerce and Communications. This still enabled me to enjoy the business courses that I wanted to take and gave me the communication skills to speak to my clients (which I would have never gotten with the Accounting degree alone).
I think that you will get a strong grasp on how to explain your degree throughout your Cornerstone class. This class opened up the world of IDS to me.
Good Luck!
Leanne Sless
I have a question for everyone, mentors might be able to answer this better, do employers hold a IDS degree on the same level as someone with a more specific degree. For example, if someone has a degree in IDS and one of their minors is health, will an employer regard their degree as being just as valuable as someone who has an actual bachlor's degree in health?
ReplyDelete- Nicholas Spivey
Hi!
DeleteThe IDS major enables us to study the key concepts that we will be utilizing in our future career. With your areas of study in Commerce and Health along with minors in business administration,health services administration and Aerospace Studies you will be definitely stand out to a future employer. It makes you very diverse and knowledgeable. An employer nowadays wants a versatile and intelligent employer (left and right brain thinkers).
Hope this helps!
Leanne Sless
Hi Nicholas,
DeleteI am glad you asked that question because I too was wondering. In fact, my primary concern is that potential employers will not fully understand what it means to have an IDS degree. I worry that it will be discounted by them as some general liberal arts type degree. In my opinion an IDS degree is actually shaping up to be a great deal more difficult than some of the other specialized degrees would have been. I would really love for potential employers to be aware of the level of work that goes into this degree but I am not sure they will be.
~Ann Ross
This may be the wrong way to look at it but I feel that I will change my "major" on my resume to whatever the job I'm applying to. For instance, if I'm applying to a hotel I'll write my major is hospitality and so forth. It is rare that they will actually check your degree. They really don't have access to that information.
DeleteThank you Leanne for the insight, I am definitely looking forward to making myself more marketable once I graduate as I am sure we all are. I didn't think about it but having a IDS degree vs a traditional one does mean you have a wider spectrum of skills.
DeleteAnn you brought a good point too, being that IDS students have two disciplines that can be a more difficult load, especially figuring out how to integrate the two.
Gregory I like that attitude, committed to doing what it takes to stand out amongst the pack!
DeleteHi i'm Gabriella. Although I have lived in Florida for a long time, I still feel like I hold onto a lot of my New York roots. I really do love that city, but Florida has grown on me and I love it here too. When not in school or at work, I love to read and explore new things. I recently took a lesson in vaulting on horseback (basically gymnastics on a horse) which was amazing. I was so excited that I was able to stand up and learn some "tricks" my very first time!
ReplyDeletePeople ask me about IDS and I sometimes find that I have a hard time explaining exactly what it is. I usually tell people that it lets me pick multiple areas that I am interested in. I honestly think this degree gives us an advantage over other degrees because you are shown how to use the viewpoints of other disciplines together to solve problems. The issues we face are rarely black and white and having the ability to use several disciplines to approach and issue is becoming more important.Already having these skills is a valuable asset.
I am interested in so many things and having to choose just one for a major was very difficult for me. When I found out about the IDS degree I thought it was the perfect degree for me and that was a first!
I also choose the IDS degree because I couldn't pick just one area that I wanted to study. I thought the IDS degree was perfect for me and now that I am at the end of my degree I can say that I was right. I love my course of study and the broad knowledge that I feel that I have.
DeleteI agree with these posts. I couldn't focus on just one focus of study and with IDS I can be very well rounded with my courses and learn about everything that interests me.
DeleteHi everyone, I’m Angela Boyd. I’m currently in my third year here at UCF and am on track to graduate this summer. My two areas of study are Physical Science and Life/Biomedical Science, I also have a minor in Health Sciences. I just recently changed my major to IDS to allow me to graduate early. The reasoning for this is because I was accepted into pharmacy school and will begin Fall 2012. Because I am new to this major I am still trying to figure out what Interdisciplinary Studies is about, so if anyone has any good suggestions of how to explain this major that would be great!
ReplyDeleteSome activities that are of interest to me outside of pharmacy include the Marching Knights, Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority, attending many different sporting events, and traveling.
Even though I am new to this major, I do find different aspects that are advantages such as being able to study several different areas to figure out what students want to do once they graduate. It also allows students who know what career path they would like to follow to graduate early. What I am struggling with and hope that a student could help me understand is that I find this class focuses mostly on helping students understand how to use each discipline they have studied and how to combine them in future work, but because I already know what career path I am taking I am not sure how to benefit from this course. Good luck to everyone this semester!
Angela Boyd
The cornerstone class is really set up to help you learn to begin to integrate your knowledge form different disciplines into one cohesive body of knowledge. I found a lot of overlapping of concepts and theories between my areas of study. I see your point about already knowing your career path, but I think you will find the cornerstone and capstone classes helpful.
DeleteMy name is Greg Eisenberg. For fun I like hanging out with my fraternity brothers and I perform stand up comedy. I chose this major because I want to own my own business's in life and I think business is a skill acquired, and not learned in a classroom so I picked this major so I can take the classes I want and graduate with a degree in something. Advantages are taking classes that interest me and disadvantages I feel are that you don't have a set path for after school like other majors.
ReplyDelete