Not Just Busy Work: Learning Why Homework is More Than Just Homework
We’ve all been there: writing a paper for a class and thinking, “I am never going to use this in the real world.” The frustration is understandable, as it is sometimes difficult to see the benefits of an assignment when they are not immediate. However, Franklin College senior Ashley Snoke learned that those seemingly tedious pieces of homework can be essential for once-in-a-lifetime, real-world experiences.
“When I took IHE with Dr. Hurtado and Dr. Phillips my freshman year, it was the first time I wrote a large research paper. It was 15 pages about Venezuelan asylum seekers on the topic of immigration, and at the end, we had to give a presentation. It taught me how to put together a really great research paper and enhanced my confidence and public speaking skills.” – Snoke
IHE—International Honors Experience—is a unique Franklin College course where an annually rotating host of professors conduct a class around a specific world topic. Previous courses have included a class about immigration, beauty, knowledge itself, etc. The class is rigorous and challenging but also offers invaluable benefits such as study abroad scholarships, something the Plainfield, IN native decided to put to good use.
“I’ve benefitted a lot and gained a lot from traveling abroad. We have an excellent travel abroad program. It’s easy, it’s painless and it gives you a lot of peace of mind because our Global Education Director Jenny Cataldi is amazing. Because of Franklin College’s great financial services for traveling abroad, I was able to get a substantial amount of scholarships to go, which was amazing because otherwise, I would not have been able to afford it. Franklin College is really great with scholarships.” – Snoke
Ultimately, Ashley earned an internship in Ireland, working for the Irish Parliament over the summer. Between juggling stressful responsibilities and deciphering thick Irish accents, the history/political science double major learned a lot about herself during those two months abroad. However, one skill was surprisingly useful to Ashley.
“When I was working in Ireland, oftentimes we would have to do research to give my boss some information about things he was talking about, kind of like talking points. And I was researching farming in Ireland and imports and exports, and a coworker was doing the same thing. I had such great ideas for the research and I constructed a really great argument over the topic he was talking about. I realized that because I had written so many research papers and received such great feedback on them, I was ready for this research project.” – Snoke
At Franklin, homework isn’t just homework. It’s preparation for real-life experiences.