The first big accomplishment we had was the completion of a situation analysis and the founding of an interesting topic on The University of Oregon campus that we decided needed fixing.  In this, we found passion for our topic and developed a vision that we all shared as to how to fix the problem.

Another huge thing we did was complete a 17 page proposal as to what exactly we wanted to do.  It was through our situation analysis that we found flaws in our idea and we were able to use this to narrow down exactly what it was we were trying to accomplish.  Once we did this, we wrote draft after draft and edited page after page until we felt our proposal met all standards necessary.  It was interesting how good we felt about the proposal after it was done and yet how discouraged I was when I saw some things in other proposals and presentations that I wish I had included in our proposal.  This was just part of the learning experience.

The last, and most stressful thing we did was prepare a presentation for the ASUO members.  I cannot express how nervous I was, going into this presentation.  I kept forgetting my lines before the presentation (not to mention my pollen allergies were kicking up and my eyes were killing me) and I thought I was going to blow it.  Luckily, I was very proud of myself as I pulled it together and completed the presentation with the best rehearsal of my lines I had ever had.

I learned so much from this class as an individual as well as a group member.  I spent so much time writing memos to fake people and trying to get as much information as possible into a 1.5 page paper.  I spent much more time sitting in library or Lillis rooms trying to edit or come up with ideas for our proposal/presentation.  I truly believe I put in between 50 and 60 or maybe even 70 hours of work, just for this class.  I am needless to say, very proud of myself.

I am even more proud of my group members!  I am so happy with the way our group turned out.  Ian did a great job as a leader, especially when he looked for other people’s opinions.  Tawny was exceptional as she was always on the ball with getting her work done and coming prepared to meetings.  JingJing was the mother of the group, always coordinating meeting times between everyone and reserving rooms in the library.  Hitomi was always a pleasure to have in the group and would always ask the right questions.  Lastly, Chris was the one who sparked our idea and I truly commend him for that.  In a situation like this one it is hard to step up and be creative; at least it is for me.

The last thing I want to touch on is the creativity I picked up from this class.  I truly believe I have become better at thinking of ideas and I credit all of it to this class.  I also think that I have become a more open minded and creative group member in terms of accepting other people and their ideas.  Finally, I have become a much better business man in terms of writing, punctuality, and professionalism.  I think that I could really surprise some people that have know me in the past with the new way I go about my business as a person and a student.

I had an awesome experience in this class!

Another area of the class that I should be able to do well in is that of leadership.  In my life I have been in many leadership roles ranging from captain of athletic teams to having a strong voice in my fraternity chapter.  I tend to speak loudly in a physical way as well as how I say what I want to say.  I think of my voice as one that people tend to listen to (whether it be because they have no choice, or they care what I have to say).  My challenge is going to be to go into meetings with an open mind looking for what other group members have to say.  It is going to be listening and looking for ways that my fellow group members can help the group and make us better as a whole.  With that being said, I think that this class has a lot to do with the “we, not me” idea.  By this I mean that, although there are individual grades to be had, a group cannot succeed if they do not collaborate and come together as a whole.  It is not just about the single grades, its about how the team comes together to create a final masterpiece.

My group members have done nothing but impress me so far.  We have a good, social group where no one seems to feel like they can’t say something.  Sure, some people talk more than others, but that is how a group situation works.  In having that loud voice mentioned above, I feel its part of my job to get the less vocal members incorporated in the conversation by asking them what they think.  In the two meetings we have had we have proposed ideas and come up with a team agreement.  The team agreement was a great exercise to sort of get everyone on the same page (i.e. exchange numbers, talk about expectations, issues etc.).  I am very confident in where this group can potentially go.

One portion of the class that I will need to work on is the professionalism aspect.  I have always been one to turn my assignments in completed and on time, but I have never had to speak professionally or present in a professional manner.  This is going to be a good class for me because I will be able to bring my punctual personality to the class while learning to act professionally.  This will make me a better student and overall person.

Although this will be without a doubt the hardest class I have ever taken in my education career, I am excited to face the challenges and see what this class can do for me as a person especially in terms of leadership, collaboration and professionalism.  I’m excited to look back at these blog posts at the end of the term to see how much I’ve changed, what I have accomplished and even what I still need to work on.