Week 5: Looking Back

How has my experience at Michigan prepared me for this?

Well, as I had mentioned before, working on my own without boundaries has been a challenge for me. I've definitely felt that, while at UM, I've expanded my creativity and ability to express ideas and speak my mind, which has been a huge part of my job while working on the UGA Vault. Taking classes that have made me write papers on different topics, as well as classes that have made me engage in debates on topics which I had previously been unfamiliar with has allowed me to quickly analyze situations and learn how to respond to them in various ways. Writing papers often times allowed me to make a laundry list of points, not unlike a list of ideas that I've been rattling off for my employer while at work. In-class debates have gotten me to speak my mind more freely, and especially learn how to do so when receiving brushback from those I'm talking to. It's helped me react to quick changes from what I first expected, and made me feel like I've been a large part of my work team. My classes at UM have forced me to do gobs of research and analysis on various topics; of course, research is an invaluable skill for any company, especially for a start-up attempting to maximize its reach. And of course, lots of work for my classes I've had to do on my own. I've taught myself a variety of techniques for getting work done by myself at school, and I've used those to carry out my work over the summer.

A final thought before next week: the lack of work that I've received recently has been frustrating, and I'm speaking with my boss tomorrow, who wants to help get me some more work to do. I've also realized that the nature of this work should allow me to work while I'm at school too, so I think I'll be able to continue this job and stay productive when I get back to school!