Week 1: Introductory blog post

Hi everyone! My name is Daisy and im a fourth-year psychology major. However, this is my second year at UBC as I did my first 2 years at the University of Ottawa. I grew up in Peterborough Ontario but have fallen in love with the west coast these last couple of years. As mentioned in another post, I don't see myself leaving anytime soon (or heading back to frigid winters, no thank you!). I love to be up in the mountains, or down by the beach taking in the views. 

I was a student in the Romance studies class last spring and fell in love with the style of the course as well as the ‘flipped classroom’ design. Even though I’ve completed my literature requirements, I truly enjoyed having a class that was different from the required psychology courses that I usually take. As a psychology student, the ‘readings’ tend to be from textbooks or research, so having a class that pushes me to read classic novels or books that I wouldn't otherwise come across appeals to me very much. Moreover, as someone who is a bit shyer, I always enjoyed being split up into break-out rooms or small groups to discuss our opinions on texts. All to say that as soon as Jon mentioned that there would be a class similar to RMST 202, I immediately added the course code to my list of courses to take. 

Heading into romance studies last term, I knew very little in regard to what lies ahead, and I can say the same in terms of my knowledge of Spanish literature. However, with all that I learnt from the readings last spring, I’m excited to expand what I know in this subject. As someone who would love to one day travel to South America, I think that this is a really unique opportunity to learn more about the history and stories from the past told first-hand. I also don't often find myself coming across much media or work from south America (like TV shows, movies etc.), so im excited to be introduced to it. Im hoping that after this course is done, I will have broadened my knowledge in terms of what makes Latin American literature different from the literature we came across in romance studies for example. 

My question for the class is if anyone is in this course to broaden their knowledge of Spanish literature in hopes of one day visiting these places with this new perspective? 

Comments

  1. Alison JonesJanuary 15, 2023 at 12:34 PM

    Hi Daisy!

    I definitely am! I find it really interesting to read these stories in order to gain new perspectives on the world around us. I was originally born in Argentina and travel back every so often, but it would really be amazing to one day do a big tour of South America while carrying the knowledge and entail the reading will provide. I think this would make the experience much more personal and enjoyable as you can deeper understand the countries history and its people.

    Alison

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