Things I’ve Learned @ Brescia

Kate’s List

Hey everyone,

Having just graduated from Brescia, it is really amazing for me to look back on my 4 years and realize JUST HOW MUCH I learned. In class and out, my time at Brescia opened my mind and shaped my views. It encouraged me to think deeper, to aim higher, and to use my education and my life to make a meaningful difference in the world.

I really want to record some of the insights I’ve had in the past 4 years and share them with you- I think it gives a great feel for what an arts education is all about! Here is my entire list (some of them are linked to blog entries, some of them I haven’t written yet).

However, before I do, I want to share one of the most important things I’ve learned with you: that learning (and life) is a journey. At University, I began to realize that knowledge doesn’t just “exist”– it is created. And that WE are the people who create it.

This means that our knowledge is always changing and evolving. There is so much of the world to learn about and experience, and so many different ways to look at things. As we grow, meet new people, go new places, read new things, and have new experiences, our views change. And that’s okay. It’s okay to make mistakes, it’s okay to change our minds, it’s okay to open our beliefs about things to make room for the new things we encounter.

So: here is my knowledge in progress. I hope that it inspires you to both think about how it fits with what you know and to share your knowledge with me and with others as we work to create our understanding of the world together.

Kate

Things I’ve Learned @ Brescia

1. There are many doors of opportunity, but YOU are the one who has to stop and knock!

2. Being a leader means collaborating with others, but it does not mean abdicating responsibility for the process or outcome of what you do.

3. We all have many intersecting identities that make up who we are.

4. Correlation does not equal causation.

5. Being assertive helps you to get what you want while balancing your rights with the rights of others.

6. One of the greatest gifts you can give is to listen (but it can be hard!).

7. Understanding human behaviour is not just “common sense” (we’re complicated!).

And a few learnings that I didn’t have time to write more about:

8. Feelings are real (and important).

I wasn’t too into feelings before I showed up at Brescia. But as I came to see feelings more as a “signal” from my body. Instead of seeing feelings like anger, sadness, or jealously as good or bad, I’m learning to just try and accept them and listen to what they’re telling me.

9. There are a lot of bad ways to make an argument! (And knowing them helps you to spot it when others do it!)

If you’re interested in this kind of thing, check out this site on logical fallacies or talk to Dr. Hudecki at Brescia! Even better, read “Attacking Faulty Reasoning” by T. Edward Damer.

10. Human rights (and love) are where it’s at.

At my time at Brescia, I really came to believe in the importance of human rights as a guiding light. I’m still exploring this, but it really helps make things clear for me!