Semester Reflection Part 1

What have you learned about the way you learn, work, and/or collaborate?

This year I learned that my best work isn't always done with a partner. Throughout my years at this school i always had a mindset that sure i can do something but if i have a partner it will always be better and if its not i could pass it off on them (partner is normally brent). But i've learned that working alone i feel more pressured to do a better job because i dont have a partner to pick up the slack and it normally makes for a better product. Take Ampersand for instance, I thought i did a great job on the writing piece and i did it without a partner. As opposed to Media Saves the Beach, i had 4 other partners. Throughout the project we were always unaware about who was doing what and we all just thought someone else would do it. At the very end we were pressed for time and our product ended up not being as good as it could.

What challenges do you face as a student in a project-based learning environment?

My time management skills are definitely lacking. At this school we are given free time to work on whatever we choose. I often just put off whatever needs doing until roughly a week before it's due. On Media Saves the Beach me and my entire group barely got started until 2 weeks before it was due. Granted it turned out alright but it could have been a lot better with more dedication and time management skills.

What project was most valuable to you, and what have you gained from it?

Ampersand is without a doubt the most enriching project of my junior year. The project itself isn't very complex and not necessarily hard to do, but to create writing up to the standard of which we as students were held was quite a challenge. But it wasn't the challenge that was so enriching, it was that i was pushed to the limit to create the best writing piece i had ever made. Throughout high school I'm always writing papers for class and this paper showed me to knock off sledgehammer words, -ing words, making my point quick and crisp, and the value of a lot of drafts. This project, I'll remember for years to come.