What have you learned about the way you learn, work, and/or collaborate?
When you are young, you think the whole world revolves around you and that you can accomplish anything and everything by yourself. I always thought I was better of as an independent worker because I had full control of my projects. This year however that changed. When a project approached and we weren’t assigned partners, I would still seek help or feedback from my teammates. This is a clear sign of maturity. I was responsible.
When working with partners I would make an early connection with them because I was going to work with them for the next couple of days. The trust between us was a strong bond that allowed me to advice the person on his work. Not dictate him or her, but share my thoughts on the project. He or she would also do the same and our relation seemed more as a two colleagues rather than high school students trying to get along.
What project was most valuable to you, and what have you gained from it?
The project I was waiting for since the beginning of the year was Ampersand. I had heard about the many multiple times and I hoped that I could be a part of it one day. When our class finally started working on it, I was confused because I hadn’t nailed my idea. It was unfortunate that during the writing segment of Ampersand, teachers around the county began to loose their jobs and colleges raised tuition. I have many friends that were affected by it and I thought it would be a great story to tell. In 5 years from now, someone will look at the article and understand how life was back then. I thought I was fortunate to have an interesting story to tell, something I could share with the world.
Once it was published, I was set. There is an article out there with my name on it, misspelled but it’s under my name. Just as my teammates articles are published waiting for someone to learn from them. After this project I became more aware of how powerful media is. We base our opinions on the facts and opinions of others. We have broadcasting companies that are own by people who decide the things we view. If there is enough information about issues from varying sources, then Americans will start creating their opinions using common sense. I need to be one of those sources, someone that can share ideas that may never be view.
Describe one valuable mistake you made this year.
The biggest mistake I made this year was not trying hard enough. The first semester of math I worked to earn good grades, beside the fact that our teachers had advice us to enjoy the work and great grades would follow. I found Math challenging and confusing, I would ask help from tutors rather than my own teacher and I would stress when my grades wouldn’t go up. The problem was, I wasn’t trying hard enough. First semester not once did I stay afterschool to seek for help; instead I thought I would catch up in class. When Finals came around, I studied with my teammates, I passed the first final, but the second one, in which I got a C, dropped my down three points. I finished the semester with a C. When I looked at my grade I regretted everything that led to that point. Every single moment wasted.
I had some nice vacations to regret my poor decisions and to reflect upon them. I was motivated to start fresh with a new perspective. My teacher came in with a new start as well, and there was a new atmosphere in the classroom. I joined Math help for X-block besides having three other favorites, but I knew it had to be done. I understood Math better than last semester and my grades were impressive. Ending Math with a B+ or A- never seems so sweet.
No comments:
Post a Comment