Lately, I have been talking about the events that I have gone to or things I have been involved in. Yet, an important part of school is the actual classes you take as well. Currently, I am taking the following courses: Marketing Research, International Marketing, Geography, Religious Studies, Business Writing, Jogging, and Weightlifting … 17 credits in total. It has definitely been a busy semester, but I have learned so much from this wide variety of courses.
One lesson that I won’t forget for a lifetime came from my Business Writing class. In this class we were told to keep a journal on our observances with how well (or poorly) people listen. I was only conducting this observation for a week, but I learned so much about myself and others in the process. I watched as TV interviewers never actually allowed their interviewee to finish their thought or even have time to think, I noticed that we are better listeners when upsetting events have occurred in another person’s life, I observed people texting while claiming that they were listening because they were good at multitasking, and I watched as some people listen only long enough to be able to create what they want to say next. Why are we such terrible listeners, when listening to others is a way of showing how much we care?
Basically, our society has taught us that we need to constantly be doing something, which is why it is so rare to find someone who will actually sit down with you, make eye contact, and truly listen to what you have to say. This is why I am so thankful for the friends that I have found here at UW-Stevens Point. They are an encouragement to me on my best days and my worst days as they are always willing to listen to me. I have found that true friendships are based on the idea of give and take. Without this, a relationship is only one-sided.
Therefore, as our busy semester continues, I wanted to encourage you (and myself) to remember to take the time to just stop and listen. I know that by doing this, it will benefit both you and your relationships. And don’t forget to look around when you finally take that time to stop and listen. If you don’t, you might miss something wonderful.
-Brittany
Brittany Melby is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point majoring in business administration and interior architecture.