A Global History of World War II
During the fall semester of 2015, I took an honors seminar about World War II. This class also had a study abroad aspect during winter break where we traveled to London, Paris, and Normandy. During the semester we met once a week where we held discussions about different topics from the Second World War. Some topics were things that are generally talked about when WWII is mentioned and these are things like General Patton, the atomic bombing in Japan, the D-Day invasion in Normandy and the Holocaust. We also learned about things that people normally do not talk about, these things most people do not even know about. I learned about the Nanking Massacre in China, comfort women in Japan, and the USSR’s cruelty towards its own people
I decided to take this class because I have always had a love for history and there was a trip involved. When I was a little kid I would go to the library and check out history books and read them for fun. This passion followed me into high school and eventually college. Another passion that this class touched on is my love of traveling. Before this seminar I had been to China and Mexico, but I had never been to Europe. I had always dreamt about visiting London and Paris and this class was finally my chance. I loved it. It really brought the material we had spent all this time learning to life. The trip made it very real for me. It is very different seeing the history in person than just reading it out of a book.
This experience was meaningful to me because I want to become more aware of cultures other than my own as an American. Traveling really shows me how different other countries can be and the interactions between people of different nationalities. The actual class time of this seminar was mainly a group discussion and this really helped me overcome my fear of talking in class. I am a very shy person and this encouraged me and showed me that what I have to say is important. I am extremely happy that I took this class.
Here are some pictures from my trip.
I decided to take this class because I have always had a love for history and there was a trip involved. When I was a little kid I would go to the library and check out history books and read them for fun. This passion followed me into high school and eventually college. Another passion that this class touched on is my love of traveling. Before this seminar I had been to China and Mexico, but I had never been to Europe. I had always dreamt about visiting London and Paris and this class was finally my chance. I loved it. It really brought the material we had spent all this time learning to life. The trip made it very real for me. It is very different seeing the history in person than just reading it out of a book.
This experience was meaningful to me because I want to become more aware of cultures other than my own as an American. Traveling really shows me how different other countries can be and the interactions between people of different nationalities. The actual class time of this seminar was mainly a group discussion and this really helped me overcome my fear of talking in class. I am a very shy person and this encouraged me and showed me that what I have to say is important. I am extremely happy that I took this class.
Here are some pictures from my trip.