Pathway Reflection
I have been in the graduate pathway program of INTO George Mason University. I enrolled this program because I needed to improve my GRE score. I have been studying PROV 504 (Accelerated Introduction to Graduate Study) and EAP 508 (Accelerated Graduate Communication in Disciplines). Both of these subjects have helped me to grow as a person. They both aim to improve student’s approach to a professional graduate life.
PROV 504 has taught me the main aspects required for professional career and academics in United States of America. Being from a different country, I believe this course is very important for graduate students so that an international student like me can step in their field of interest confidently. This course taught students the methods to write a resume in a graduate format and also helped students to have their own blog on word press/onmason, which motivated me to express more about myself to others. Additionally this course directed the students to attend various activities on different workshops in their discipline so that they could have more ideas on the opportunities available both on and off the campus, courses and their professors. Furthermore, a class was held to explain the important factors of library and how to use various resources and taught the means to access the online journals and books, so that it’s easier for students to find exactly the articles they are looking for.
EAP 508 has taught me to summarize and critically analyse the academic articles/journals, to find the rhetorical elements such as the object of study, new offering, purpose, exigence, methodology and relevance which helped me to conduct a research in our discipline based on our field of interest much easily. English was not our first language in our country and this class was essential for every pathway international student. The main research work in our discipline was the MCP (Multidisciplinary Colloquium Project) project. It helped me to have an idea of the methods of conducting a research and presentation according to the standards of United States of America academics.
Both the courses helped me to achieve my career goal. Stepping into a field of development it helped in improving my written and spoken English. Also learning the methods to have latest information in the discipline is learning to be professional. At first I was little close minded, but pathway helped me in opening myself and through this I improved and met new like-minded people.
The presentations in both the courses foster the confidence level. The classes were fun,interactive and productive. I had always looked forward to these courses.