Carpe Diem, Seize the Day, Boys

Finding my own Dead Poet's Society classes my second semester of college

Hello, again friends!

One week has passed and oh what a week it has been. I could honestly say that this has been the most hectic week of my life.

I celebrated some significant milestones while also grieving some difficult life transitions. Even so, time goes on, unwilling to wait for us to catch up.

This brings me to what I wish to talk about today: my classes. With 18 credit hours, my classes this semester consist of classic British literature, introduction to the Francophone world, introduction to music history, first-year writing, and introduction to anthropology.

It is with great joy, readers, that I tell you I have finally obtained my own dead poet’s society professors. You must know that Dead Poet’s Society is a favorite story of mine that has greatly contributed to my love of academia and shaped the way I view my own learning.

My heart is wholly content in my class choices with literature and anthropology being two of my favorite classes so far.

The two professors of these classes have already begun to challenge my way of thinking and push me to take hold of my learning experience.

To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, let me simply describe some of the aspects of my anthropology class:

1. The professor instructed us to call him by his first name

2. We aren’t doing a grading system (per se)

3. There is a tea time during our break

I feel like these three things in themselves create the picture I am describing when I say I have found my own Professor Keating.

His eccentric character and caring nature for his students shows throughout every class and it has only been the first two weeks. From the moment we all entered the classroom, he encouraged my classmates and me to foster a sense of community. After all, we would be together for this next semester, so we might as well get a little cozy.

Both my literature and anthropology professor especially remind me of these two particular quotes in Dead Poet’s Society,

“I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way.”

“I always thought education was learning to think for yourself.”

-Mr. Keating

Though they have yet to stand on their desks, these specific professors have put forth the challenge to my classmates and me to take our learning into our own hands, focusing less on grades and more on what our minds soak in. We must look at things in different ways, from different perspectives, and strive to think for ourselves.

I feel wholly grateful for the chance I get to take such classes and pursue knowledge in this way. To be able to mentally let go of the idol that is grades is priceless and so beneficial to my academic life.

Not only do I feel free to focus less on grades in these classes, but I have also begun to feel similarly about my other classes. At the end of the day, I’m going to college to learn not to come out with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

When I graduate I do not wish to look back and feel like I spent my weeks striving after a letter grade.

I want to come out with experience, knowledge, love, and wisdom. Perhaps, my anthropology class this semester, is one step closer to growing these parts of myself.

Readers, it is my prayer that you too cherish the moments you are able to learn. Whether you are a student right now or not, you will never stop being a student of life.

Spend time learning, dive deep into the beauty knowledge offers us.

Carpe diem.

Most ardently,

Alayna Brianne