I don't really believe that anyone can prepare you for what's to come in freshman year, and they most certainly don't tell you what classes to take. But one really great decision I made was including this class in my schedule. ENC 1145 is a service based learning course, which allows you to participate in non-profit organization volunteering, and then write and reflect on your experience. This class is mainly opinion based, and depending on the teacher, can be one of the most fun classes you will take here at Florida State University. My expectations were nothing like what I got; I thought that it would be in a lecture style setting and all I'd have to do was sit back and take notes, but instead I got this small class of about 20 kids, and we definitely needed to talk. But that was what made it all the more fun, we threw out our ideas, agreed and disagreed, and even fought a little in the process.

 

When it came time to choose an organization to be partnered with, I would advise that you chose what plays into your interests rather than your major. I initially had ranked America's Second Harvest as my second option because I thought that working with an organization in my major would be more logical. Surprisingly, I don't think my experience would have been the same had I been given a different organization. By stumbling upon America's Second Harvest, I learned an incredible amount in such a small period of time. All the papers, journals, and small amounts of writing here and there let me research some major issues such as hunger, poverty, and our food market today. You'd think that being a first world country, we'd have rid ourselves of starvation, and homelessness, but even we are not invincible. 

 

Being given assignments, such as the Mini-Ethnography, I was able to express my opinions, and research an issue on my own terms. Essentially, this course is designed for the students, and guided by the students. Engaging in volunteer work with your community opens your eyes to what is happening outside of the bubble that is Florida State University. 

 

If volunteering had done one thing for me, it was that it has changed my view, and whether or not those five hours of community service changed my life, I realize it was never about me in the first place; it was for the people in my community. By making sure that the foods that reached others were safe, it meant that someone was getting dinner that night, or for the rest of the week. It meant that one less person was going hungry, one less person was worrying when the next meal was going to come, and someone found relief in that one box. 

 

I think that this class has changed my role as a student, and that the next four years are going to be a process of giving and receiving. With the education I receive from Florida State University, I am able to give back to my community in a way that is beneficial to my time and to the people I am helping. ENC 1145 not only changes the person I am for the community, but allows my writing to create an impact far beyond the confines of the University. 

 

So, may it be that writing and community service is or is not "your thing", I highly recommend taking this course. May your efforts help change a life, bring good karma, or just give you peace of mind at night.

 

Maybe no one was there to tell me, so this is me, here to tell you.