Month: October 2016

Week 4

Today in class I think we mostly went over having strong oral presentation because we had to present our pitch in front of the class which I believe that I still need to work on because I was too nervous to go up as a front runner. We also needed a global mindset for that assignment because we had to think up some ideas in order to explain why we want that certain group project. And to win over the mentors we had to think of creative ideas which is where the “global mindset” comes in because we have to think outside the box. I think I have developed all of these but I definitely still want to grow in the public speaking aspect and also using my resources on campus.

I think today’s class was disappointing only because I didn’t get the project I wanted but on the other hand it opened up my eyes to how competitive the real business world can be. Also it was helpful because it taught me more about pitches and the difference between a good one and a bad one. I don’t have anymore questions but I will probably have some once the projects start.

Week 2

The Holistic criteria covered in today’s class were: how to demonstrate leadership on campus and in the community, strong quantitive, written analytical, and oral presentation skills necessary to be successful in our rigorous academic curriculum, and utilization and effective leveraging of university resources and opportunities. I would say that I am well rounded and I have developed leadership skills on campus however I lack in the other two topics we learned.

I think out of the topics we covered in class today the oral presentation skills could be improved because usually I only speak well in front of a crowd of people I know other than that I usually get choked up. Also another big thing I need to work on is using my resources on campus because I know that could benefit me in the long run. To improve these areas I am going to try and participate in toastmasters and I will start seeking help from tutors and attending academic advising and office hours religiously.

Having Quantrel Willis (sorry if I misspelled his name) speak to the class was awesome I thought that he connected with us and also he taught us an important lesson on implicit and explicit bias. I think what was helpful about class today was that we finally got a clear understanding of how some bias can be hurtful and that we should get to know someone first. Also he showed us the process of how to file a complaint against someone if they are saying anything harmful to myself or others which can be useful in the future. Today’s class was succinct and very descriptive and I am left with no questions.

Week One

In today’s class we covered the ability to overcome obstacles, have a global mindset, and a clarity of purpose with regard to academic and career goals. I believe that I developed all of these skills because I grew up in a household that encouraged me and I have always been involved in the community by doing various volunteer work and internships. However, what I can grow on is demonstrating entrepreneurship because although I am very adventurous and imaginative, I do not have the knowledge on how to start a business on my own. I can improve on this by asking different resources on campus and maybe doing internships with companies that started from entrepreneurship.

At first I was pleased to see that majority of my class were my friends from the fourth floor of my hall but honestly I felt uncomfortable having to assume things about each other. I understood the principle of the matter but the activity made me realize how easy it is for us to assume the worst about people then actually getting to know them. Also we didn’t even stop to ask the person we were assuming things about if they were comfortable with it just in case we hit a sensitive point. But on a lighter note, I think what is really helpful about the class is that it brings us closer together and that there are assistants there that have once been in our seats and has a success story to tell. I think my biggest question that I am wondering is what our exact mission is because if we are trying to get used to the U of O campus and the business world that majority is caucasian people, shouldn’t we have some white students in our class or some white businessmen come in to speak to us?

Overall I am able to find resilience in my life because I remember how hard I worked to get where I am. I begin to realize how my family struggled for a long time to get me to where I am today and I can’t sit around and feel bad for myself but I have to get up and try to be successful. It’s easy to give up but what’s hard is actually sticking through it and being persistent but it definitely has more benefits in the long run.