Hannah Kanter

UNST 109E
Dr. Naomi Adiv
June 7th, 2016
Spring Term Reflection
At the beginning of this term I was still reeling from what was probably the most
difficult term of my college career. During winter term I had been working 55 hour work
weeks in addition to taking 13 credits and trying to balance it all as gracefully as a could
while not tripping myself in the process. But as a product of that experience I have tried
so hard this term to be kind to myself, to budget and allot my time in a way where I can
finish all of my academic responsibilities while sustaining my adulting faade. At the
beginning of Fall term I knew I had my various study habits that would make it so I
wouldnt fall too far behind too fast, but I quickly learned that those which worked before
would not work this year. If only because the set of circumstances that I was under last
year were so different that they are now. Last year I was living on campus, within a threeminute walk to everything and not working. But this year, I was living across the city
from my university, trying to juggle school and work. So I had to adapt, I had to change
and mold my habits so that I could make all of the shifting pieces work without losing the
one that could ruin it all.
I feel like I went in to Dr. Adivs Freshman Inquiry with an unconventional
understanding of college education because I have seen them completed (or not) in so
many different ways. My closest friend is finishing her junior year of undergrad and
staring her capstone in social work at 19. My mom had my youngest brother two weeks
before her last round of finals to graduate she was 32.
I also have to remember that this years freshman inquiry was not my first college
class. I had been taking classes on my own at Portland State since I was 16, overtly

Hannah Kanter
UNST 109E
Dr. Naomi Adiv
June 7th, 2016
ambitious and thought Latin was a great place to start. But my understanding of my
college education has changed so much from where I started. I started this year bitter that
I was stuck re-taking freshman requirements. I started this year with an air of entitlement
that I realize now was unnecessary, because we are all there to learn. At the end of this
year I have gained so much, I have found new passions that I did not know that I had
before and I have let go of expectations that I now realize were not realistic. I started this
year with a plan and an excel sheet. I was going to get through this year and then
bulldoze though my major with out looking away from the goals at hand. But then I fell
in love with the history of languages, and how they evolve. I spent four months
researching PIE, or Proto-Indo European languages. Learning literally everything there
was to learn, and extrapolating connections from vague sources to create an academic
piece that I am most proud of. At the end of spring term I have the same major, because
no matter how I shift the title I still enjoy and thrive where I am. But I also have a new set
of goals, I have dropped a minor or two, picked up an additional major, and decided to
take my time and learn everything there is to learn. Even if its not in my perfectly
formatted excel spreadsheet.
I honestly was not hoping to get much of anything out of this class at the
beginning of winter term. I had a lackluster professor for the same class in the fall, who
did not love what he was teaching and just, did not engage the class. After a week in Dr.
Adivs class I knew a lack of interest would never be this professors issue, instead we had
a professor who was learning and loving our city right along with us. I had never had a
class where instead of the professor lecturing us, we were having a conversation; and if
ever for any reason she didnt know the answer, she would go and find people who did to

Hannah Kanter
UNST 109E
Dr. Naomi Adiv
June 7th, 2016
come and discuss it with us. Over all this class beyond exceeded my expectations, it blew
it out of the water and best of all Im looking at my entire world in a new light.
Now when I walk though Portland, I dont just see the beautiful city that we live
in, but also its history, its pitfalls and charm. I can have a conversation with a customer at
work about our devastating homelessness issues and offer them resources for further
inquiry. Every day I ride the 77-bus line right through the heart of New Old Chinatown
and feel my heart fall at what was once a beautiful vibrant enclave of people that has now
fallen in to disrepair. I now know the principles in which Portland was founded and can
honestly say that I am proud to see the people here try to step out from under them. But I
am also so disappointed in the white-bread state that our city is in. Especially when
there is so little respect for the people of color and immigrant communities that build the
beautiful city that we all call home.
In coming terms I am transitioning. I am excited to get in to the nitty gritty of my
International Studies major, and even more excited to begin my Political Science major
too. I am also so thrilled to have found people this year that get just as excited about
learning, and look forward to further nurturing the relationships that I have built with my
fellow students and professors in my coming years at Portland State University.