If you’re not scientifically inclined much like myself, signing for a science class that wouldn’t count towards prerequisites, feels similar to taking a bullet. But this class was special. Environmental Studies 101 wasn’t a mistake. The science wasn’t complex formulas. Instead, it was the study of people and their relationship with the planet they inhabited, and this couldn’t be measured. The next discovery I made about the class was even more shocking, I was good at it.
Clearly, Environmental Studies was a special class. Three-hour labs are the worst part of the week for a college student. This is not the case for Environmental students. Labs were a fancy way of saying “field trip”. College is a truly stifling place, you’re forced indoors most of the time painstakingly trying to finish your next assignment. The freedom to go to a farm, a park, or a museum for three hours is truly a blessing. On the days of the “hard” labs, for an example climbing a mountain, every Environmental student knows the feeling of taking a quick nap on a quiet ride home. Enjoying the last little bit of freedom before arriving back to campus.
The class made you see the world differently. You became concerned about things you’d never think were problems in the first place. The class was like punching out the lenses of your rose colored glasses. The class caused a subtle lifestyle change. Movie posters steadily became replaced with vintage National Park advertisements. Cardboard boxes began to pile up, unmoving until they could be properly recycled. The change was good.
The class had a bigger impact on things than just habits. The way you looked at nature would never be the same again. A prime example of this is dirt. After you really get to know it you call it by the fancier sounding name of soil. When you see an exposed patch you are forced to think about how it affects the life around, what its texture may be like, and what microorganisms lie beneath. This new insight will encompass every aspect of nature. Each day promises to reveal even more secrets
After almost completing my minor I can say it gets more difficult. You won’t be pulling in solid A’s like before, but this will not limit your enjoyment. Environmental Studies has truly been a gift to me. Looking back on freshman year a lot of mistakes were made. I am happy to say that taking this class has not been one of them, and I am excited to see how this minor will shape my future.
I would like to thank Dr. Peter Brewitt, Dr. Kaye Savage, and the Environmental Department at Wofford College.
