Reflective Introduction

This project taught me so much about myself. I remember the first day of class when the portfolio was introduced and I was dreading it. I felt like it was a huge amount of work and for just two credits it didn’t seem worth it. I was very close to dropping this class but I am so glad I didn’t. I learned a lot of new habits and I learned what techniques and strategies for success worked for me and didn’t work for me. My favorite Learning Objective exhibit was the time management self-study. This is the very first experiment that I did on myself because I have always been so bad at managing my time. Prior to this experiment, I would notoriously wait until the last minute to do any and every assignment. After making multiple different plans and trying to stick to them for three days, I realized that I needed to make some revisions. After 15 years of school, I have finally found a way to balance everything. My least favorite exhibit to produce was the Mindset learning objective. I felt that this one wasn’t as hands-on as the others and I found it hard to make my exhibit interesting. I also don’t think that I got as much out of this experiment as the others as I still find myself criticizing and demeaning myself daily. I think if there is a way to make this exhibit more kinesthetic, student may get more out of it. I really enjoyed the self-designed exhibits! It was nice to be able to create my own experiments that were tailored to what I needed to work on personally. Specifically, I liked self-designed exhibit 2. For this exhibit I turned my room into a place where I can both work and relax. As a very environmental person, I am very sensitive to my surroundings. For example, if I am surrounded by working people, I am more efficient and if my workspace is cluttered I find it hard to focus. It feels great to finally have my habitat organized and tidy whereas before it was hard to keep it clean because it was naturally so cluttered. Overall, I am so glad that I took this class and made this portfolio. I think that it is something that I will be able to look back on if I am ever getting off track academically. My younger sister is a rising freshmen in college and she has already told me that she can’t wait to look at my portfolio and get some tips and tricks for “how to college” next year. I have learned so many new study techniques, how to balance school and extracurriculars, how to utilize resources like the Academic Success Center, and so much more. I cannot wait to apply these new habits to the rest my academic career and beyond.

Learning Outcome 1: Mindset

Learning Outcome 2: Self-management

Learning Outcome 3: Learning

Learning Outcome 4: Exams

Learning Outcome 5: Collaborative/Interpersonal Skills

Learning Outcome 6: Goals

Self Designed Exhibit 1

Self Designed Exhibit 2