Reply To: Catch-up week
Catch up week reflection:
This workshop allows us the freedom to choose a project we are passionate about or care deeply about. Unlike other classes I have taken, where professors usually predefined the topics or provided a selection of projects for team assignments, this class offers more flexibility. In those previous classes, I often chose the easiest project that required the least effort and offered the highest chance of getting a good grade. That was my main motivation to stay engaged with the project. Unfortunately, I don’t remember much about those projects because the topics were not of personal interest to me.
This class, however, is conducted in a discussion format where everyone has the chance to share their experiences, and others are encouraged to chime in with their perspectives. It is much more engaging. Unlike other classes, which were primarily lecture-based and didn’t offer many opportunities to share our thoughts or discuss our assignments from the previous week, this format encourages active participation.
I remember one project in graduate school where we needed to reach out to a nonprofit manager. It was difficult to schedule an interview with them due to their busy schedule and priorities, which impacted the overall timeline of our project. Unlike that graduate project, in this current project, we have the opportunity to talk to many people. If one person isn’t available, we can move on to the next. We also get to interact with our classmates during the workshop and hear about their experiences. Everyone is very encouraging. It is a safe space to share what we have learned, what worked well, and what could be improved upon. I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences so that we can learn from each other.
Josh’s book provides some scripts as examples of how to talk to our interviewees, which is incredibly helpful. People also shared their experiences and responses from the interviewees, and Josh offered his advice on how to handle certain situations. I think it would be helpful if we could pair up to practice and get real-time feedback from Josh and our classmates.
The biggest surprise I have had is that I can’t believe I am finally working on the projects I have had in mind for years. I am proud of my dedication and the thoughtfulness I am putting into my reflections and assignments. In today’s class, we discussed having a healthy relationship with failure. I think it is something I need to spend more time considering so that I can embrace failure and move on, as I tend to feel stuck.
I think for the rest of the class, we will continue to learn more about the problems we are trying to solve and refine our definitions and solutions. There might be roadblocks in moving to the next phase, or I might feel anxious about talking to more experienced people in the field I am working in. Turning ideas into reality could also be challenging. However, after practicing, I believe we will become better at facilitating conversations and leading efforts to make changes.