Of Education & Opportunity

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Anyone who has read more than one blog post should know by now that I can't say enough about the educational value inherent in traveling. I love travel! And I truly believe that the cross-cultural exchange, communication skills, plus the flexibility & adaptability it promotes is invaluable in today's world. But that being said, I also have a deep appreciation for the more "traditional" classroom style of education. My maternal grandmother and grandfather were both long time educators. She worked as a kindergarten teacher and he as a elementary/middle school principle for 30+ years. So the value of education was instilled in me at a young age and has only grown over the years. One of the major draws for me to attend Franklin was their academic program. I was excited by the thought of learning with professors/peers that hail from all across the world and the International Relations program seemed to be a perfect fit with my interests. Now that I am here, I know I made the right decision. As a fan of learning, I love the liberal arts core curriculum requirements at Franklin because it encourages me to explore disciplines beyond my major requirements. My first year (besides major requirement classes) I took a biology class, a math class, and an Italian class. As it so happens, I discovered a real passion for environmental studies and a strong desire of mine to learn Italian! Hence my current academic plan (if you've read my About Me tab) includes an Environmental Sciences minor and an Italian minor along with my International Relations major.

 In my opinion, college isn't just about getting a degree as quickly as you can for as little effort as you can. I view my time at Franklin as one very large opportunity, for which I am very grateful. The liberal arts education here has afforded me the opportunity to learn about things I might never learn about otherwise. If I had attended a non-liberal arts school as an IR major and then worked as a professional in the world of international politics, I can't imagine when I would have had the opportunity to learn about the psychology behind social norms or the science behind land erosion/desertification. But at Franklin I have covered both of those topics and, in the process, I realized that they are actually highly relevant to my professional development. No problem exists in isolation and the knowledge I am learning across disciplines will be vital in developing innovative, integrated solutions for a wide range of future problems. Not to mention that I believe education in itself to have enormous intrinsic value! Suffice it to say that I plan on filling my four years at Franklin with as much knowledge as I possibly can! This semester I am taking Social Psychology, Intro to Political Science, Intro to Biology, Sustainability Sciences, Intermediate Italian, and of course my travel course studying the fall of former Yugoslavia. Like I say on my About Me tab: education truly is a gift, a powerful force for change in the world, and I plan on making the most of mine!
PS: Want more info about Academics at Franklin? Check out some helpful links, and as always feel free to comment below:

But let's be honest, as great as the academics at Franklin may be, the view from my study spot doesn't hurt either... :) 


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