Written by Han 2022 Cohort
The years pass by like clockwork. This is the last journal entry I am writing. Retrospectively, the pre-MDM period holds significant meaning for me.
I had the pleasure of meeting two excellent teachers. Aida and Jason. They left a profound impact on me. I enjoy Aida’s teaching; it’s far more than courses for English but English for digital media, culture and philosophy. She brought us together in a world containing theoretical and practical knowledge. I want to say that every theme of each class can be extended into an entire semester because of its complexity and value. I especially appreciated the topics related to emotional intelligence and philosophy. Meanwhile, Aida is a teacher with genuine caring and empathy for students. She did extra work for us, like organizing field trips, modifying our English in resumes and portfolios, and bringing guests to chat in conversation clubs. I am very grateful.
On the other hand, Jason provided many professional and executive tools to evaluate our products in each phase, such as reverse brainstorming, bull’s eye, and KFC. Some are used for analyzing and improving products, while others offer a way to reflect our work objectively. He never limited us to only doing things within our comfort zone, so we had to keep learning new software and considering new forms of our work.
The expertise they taught me and how they gradually changed my perceptions and attitudes are enough to prepare me to take on new challenges.
Working with different people was interesting. They have various personalities and styles that hugely stretched my adaptability. (They all have good characters and virtues, so I didn’t encounter any obstacles in daily communication)
At the same time, I have made good progress in self-expression throughout the year. At the beginning of the project NEESH last semester, I was habitually reserved during the discussion, which I aimed to change in the second semester. At the end of that first semester, we had a great result due to the professionalism of my teammates. Though I dedicated much time to my part, I hadn’t participated enough. However, this semester, I tried to speak more of my ideas, and they were partially accepted, which encouraged me greatly. In the project of Steveston cannery, I have the honour of serving as a team lead. It was my first time here taking on a leadership role, and I initially felt nervous since my teammates were more capable than me in many ways. As time passed, I felt empowered to take on the responsibility of solving conflicts and ensuring our project went well. I also discovered more and more of my strengths and weaknesses. I became more objective in evaluating others, more stoic, and constantly checked my unrealistic scenarios and preconceived biases.
The Pre-MDM program provided a fun and engaging way to learn new things. I feel fortunate for this experience and will cherish it and move forward with the knowledge I have gathered.