Introduction

Hello, my name is Asha and I will be taking you through multiple sensory experiences here at Knox. We used the StoryMap software as well as pictures and in-depth descriptions to bring to life different aspects of our life and Knox College. We dove into habitus, body techniques, data collection, emplacement, sensory communities, and so much more. Take a look through each StoryMap to learn more about my sensory experience at Knox.

In Correspondence 1 we looked at our study habits, as well as those of our friends. I dived into the immersive sensory experience that is studying at Seymour Library behind the circulation desk and the study habits of my friends in the Career Office.

In Correspondence 2 we looked at how we think our days go versus how they actually went. In this StoryMap you will see a typical day in the life of me brought to life through sensory descriptions and images.

In Correspondence 3 we looked at the habitus and body techniques of people at different events. I looked at the know alumni and trustee fundraiser Venture Boldly. I took note of the ways in which we group around food and music.

In Conclusion …

I think that through this class, I have learned how to learn better. I have discovered new techniques for getting through difficult readings and have improved my attention span during longer class periods. As I took this class, there were many concepts I initially felt familiar with, such as different ideas of data and knowledge. However, by paying better attention in this class than in the last one, I feel that I not only deepened my understanding of those concepts but also learned about new ideas I don’t recall encountering before—such as habitus and embodiment.

In particular, I struggled with the concept of habitus. With multiple readings each describing it in different ways, I found it difficult to grasp a clear, solid definition. After discussing it with my peers and professor, however, I developed my own working definition: Habitus – A set of habits and interactions with the living and non-living environments, influenced by societal structures, hierarchies, and regularities.Being able to create my own definitions and insights about the concepts we explored is one of the most valuable takeaways from this class and something I will carry with me into future educational experiences.

Of all the activities in this class, my favorite has always been the Dear Data postcards because I love the idea of expressing data in fun and artistic ways. That said, the activity that had the most impact on me was the Sense Spot exercise. By simply sitting in one space and focusing on all the small sensory inputs, I found myself fully in the moment. I used this almost meditative practice to appreciate my surroundings more, and in turn, I believe it led to more positive experiences, even during simple tasks like walking to class. Of the readings in this class, I especially loved the pieces by Vannini et al. “A Sense of Place, A Sense of Time” and Lisa Law’s “Home Cooking”  for the same reason: their vivid sensory descriptions made me feel transported, as though I were experiencing the places they described firsthand. If I had to remove one reading, it would probably be the Mauss text. I found it so confusing that it actually made my understanding of habitus more difficult.

I believe I met all of my academic learning goals as well as the goals set by the class this term. Personally, I was able to better comprehend the readings, pay closer attention in class, and follow the content more effectively. In terms of course objectives, I improved my understanding of key concepts, enhanced my observational skills, and became more aware of how people embody different habitual norms and standards. Regarding my personal goals for the class, I only fully achieved one: learning to fall into a backbend. While I made progress on the death drop and the handstand, I wasn’t able to fully master either. The main obstacle was time—I didn’t have much free time this term to practice consistently, so my efforts were sporadic rather than focused and sustained.

I learned a lot about myself over the course of this term and through this class. This term presented unexpected challenges that were difficult to overcome, but doing so helped me prove to myself that I can handle adversity. This class also increased my confidence in my academic abilities, particularly in preparing for graduate school. Taking the class twice has allowed me to see how much I’ve improved as a student throughout my college years. One of my biggest fears about graduate school was that I might not be prepared for the academic rigor, especially because I’ve always struggled with the dense and verbose nature of academic texts. However, this class taught me that, with a few re-reads and discussions with peers, I can understand even the most challenging readings. That realization is one of my most important takeaways, and it’s made me feel more prepared for the next step in my academic journey.