More Than Just Thinking

As a student at Puget Sound, you will have many opportunities to learn actively.

You might choose to conduct research independently or by working closely with your faculty and fellow students. Or, you can elect to work as an intern in Tacoma or Seattle at places like Boeing or the office of Tacoma Weekly. You can readily find meaningful volunteer work in our community. In fact, 75% of Puget Sound students invest their time in community service and development—one of the highest participation rates in the country. And you may venture beyond campus by studying abroad in one of the more than 100 programs available in over 40 countries.

We're working to build a culture of reflection on our campus."

Many schools promise these opportunities to you, but few will ensure that you make the most of them.

It all comes down to reflection: encouragement from professors and peers to think deeply about the person you are and the impact you make on the world around you. At Puget Sound, each class or activity includes reflective thinking. “We’re working to build a culture of reflection on our campus,” says Alana Hentges, director of career services.

Reflection is not only valuable for students’ personal and academic development, it’s also extremely practical. As students progress through their college education, they need to think about how they articulate the narrative of their learning outside of the campus community, says Alana. Puget Sound graduates possess strong critical-thinking and career-building skills. They are able to explain to potential employers, “here’s what I learned, what I did, and how that’s valuable to your company,” she explains.

Through a partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Puget Sound students “raise the roof” by building a tiny house for local residents. Students (and President Crawford) take up hammers, lay flooring, and shingle the roof, all to benefit our wider community.

Renée Houston, associate dean for experiential learning and civic scholarship and professor of communications studies, supports the entire Puget Sound community in embracing the practice of reflection as a critical component of deep learning. “The transformation that happens in experiential learning is the process of reflection, alchemy really. We can put students in classes and give them experiences, but unless there is time and process for reflection, they don’t deepen their learning. They don’t synthesize.”

Renée provides a hypothetical example: You might take a trip to the Chilean mountains to sample snow. You might know that your study of the snow is important, but if you can’t say why it’s important, the work does not yield true understanding. You might not know the value of your knowledge.

Reflection at Puget Sound takes many forms. From group discussions and journaling activities to photo journals and e-portfolios, from writing assignments to one-on-one dialogue, students gain the ability to process their experiences, maintain open and curious minds, and create their own paths. In doing so, Puget Sound students are distinctively equipped to understand the true value of their education right away.