Written by Caterina 2022 Cohort
I am slowly coming to the end of my Pre-MDM program. During this year of study, I learned a lot of knowledge and skills not mentioned in the previous program. It was a challenging year because it was a program to improve my English and involved much expertise in digital media and collaboration. In Jason’s class, I learned much about professional thinking, how to think about digital media, and how to use prototypes to convey stories. His courses are frequently full of surprises and difficulties. He broke down the project process and guided the students step by step until the final deliverable was finished. Students have a good understanding of each process step in the project. Now, I’ve learned how to deconstruct the process using models.
In Aida’s class, the emphasis was more on improving students’ presentation skills. Aida constantly prods us to speak more in class and be brave to share our opinions when working in groups. Pitching and presentation will probably be my biggest obstacle if I enter the MDM program directly.
The second thing is that I learned how to cooperate because the success of a project must contain the efforts of the whole group members. In group work, you must learn how to position yourself, complete your job, and provide help when the group members need help. It is common to have disagreements in a group, and group members actively converse to resolve issues. There should be no discrimination because we all have diverse backgrounds and strengths and should be good listeners. Listening to others’ opinions will also be rewarding. The highlight of CDM is the teaching style, where the teachers and students are like friends and support in learning. In my previous college life, the professors tended to make people feel distant, they did not actively communicate with students, and it was difficult to contact them after class.
However, Jason and Aida always talked with students and patiently answered our questions. As a result, the students in the following class were eager to interact with the teachers. Interact with them to improve your speaking skills and learn about the project’s steps. I appreciate that I had the opportunity to study in Pre-MDM. Thank you to both Aida and Jason for their help. Also, I met a great group of classmates who made me feel welcome in Canada. This experience is unforgettable; it is a treasure in my life and will help me study at MDM. Last but not least, congrats to all Pre-MDM students: we have completed the challenges; see you all in MDM!