By Vedang Sonavane
My experience in the pre-MDM program was invaluable. Pre-MDM was the first graduate preparatory program I participated in. I chose it for a specific reason: I wanted to integrate my previous master’s program in Political Science and public policy with digital media. Coming from a humanities background, I needed to gain the communication and technical skills necessary to guarantee success in the MDM program. Thus, I opted for the pre-MDM program to upscale my technical skills and to have time to integrate my previous master’s knowledge into digital media and the industry in the area.
The program ran for two semesters (a total of eight months). It was the perfect opportunity to get into the specifics of technical language (Technical writing), digital media communication (English for digital media), and pitching for specific purposes (Pitch and Presentation). The first semester set the ball rolling to learn about the skills above, it gave us the freedom to explore and polish our presenting strategies. For instance, pitching and presenting were skills I always felt I could improve on, and through continuous learning, I gained a lot of insights. This course helped me feel confident in explaining any creative idea or pitching a project in a way that does justice to my concepts and effectively conveys my message to the audience.
The second course, English for Digital Media, focused on leveraging Figital Media fields’ terminology to maximize our potential in the industry. It emphasized versatile communication skills crucial for interacting with people who have different skill sets within the industry. The third course, Technical Writing, was particularly relevant with the advent of artificial intelligence. It has become crucial for most of us to develop analytical, critical, and writing skills. This program provided hands-on experience in reading and writing critically and analytically.
The program wasn’t all about studying, we had many field trips and activities integrated into the learning process, which helped me understand the Canadian work culture and how things work socially. This experience has made me feel more confident before starting the MDM program. The second semester delved deeper into the same topics but at a more advanced linguistic level. We had project simulations with role-play clients from the industry, ranging from four to twelve weeks for both, the 1st and 2nd semesters, where we understood the ideation process through learning and applying terminology in agile management, scrum, and other different tools.
My cohort came from diverse backgrounds and had varied skill sets. Working with them required me to learn to adapt and develop communication skills, useful in the professional world. Our instructor, Jason, taught two courses throughout the first and second semesters: Team Communications and Transmedia. These courses pushed us out of our comfort zones and gave us the tools to broaden our horizons, think creatively, and follow logical routes simultaneously. Aida’s courses, Pitch and Presentation, English for Digital Media, and Technical Writing brought everything together in a well-synchronized learning process. Overall, The program allowed me to polish my power skills, encouraging and challenging me to grow into who I could be, and helped me develop the confidence to join the next cohort in MDM this fall.