This class has put me way outside of my comfort zone. I have
never written a blog before, and I’ve always struggled to keep up with online
classes. I had to be proactive, as many of the assignments for this course had
to be started well in advance of their due date. At the beginning of the
semester, I went through and looked at all the assignments and put all of the
due dates in the calendar on my phone as well as on my laptop. I think doing so
definitely helped me to keep up with all of the requirements for the course.
I definitely felt like I wanted to give up straight from the
beginning. A lot of the assignments are very intimidating, especially the ones that
involving interviewing multiple people for 10-15 minutes. I’m an introvert and
I hate small talk and I hate networking because it makes me feel uncomfortable.
Doing those interviews or even getting in front of a camera for an elevator pitch
for an invisible online audience is scary. And no matter how many times I do
those interviews they always feel fake and cumbersome. Obviously I did not give
up as I am still here posting, but it’s hard to say that anything has really
pulled me through when I am still here struggling with those assignments. But
that’s just how I am, and there really isn’t any “getting over it.” There’s
only doing and moving on. If there was anything that did pulled me through, it
would be the knowledge that I need a good grade in this class to outweigh the C
I will likely be getting in Finance this semester. Yay for professors who are
trying to fail you! (not).
I feel like I have always been a very tenacious person, as I
tend to be very head strong and once I set my mind to something I usually see
it through. But I would say this class has actually made it harder for me to
keep that attitude and mindset just because of how far outside my comfort zone
many of the assignments are. This class is very hands on despite it being an
online class, which is awesome but it is a very different style of learning and
it definitely takes some time to get used to.
If I were offer three tips to next semester students, they
would be:
1.
Be
proactive! Read all the assignments during syllabus week, start well in
advance on the ones that will take a while, and find the books you want to read
at your local library as soon as you get the reading list and put the ones not
available yet on hold.
2.
Think
futuristic! To get into that tenacious mindset, think about how your
actions now affect your future. And not necessarily just your grades or GPA at
the end of the semester, think about how doing well in this class will allow
you to graduate, and the skills you learn will be the deciding factor to that
dream job you want.
3.
Start
with friends and family. The easiest people to interview will be your
friends and family as they are much less likely to judge you and can help you
get over social anxiety. Even if they don’t fit the segment or target market
you need to interview for the assignment, I would suggest to interview them
anyways. Doing so will give you more practice and will help you when approaching
strangers to interview.
Briana,
ReplyDeleteI was an introvert up til about 30 but now I am more of an ambivert or at least I would like to think of myself as one. Nevertheless it is still intimidating interviewing people. I think what I have found is when you express you're a college student working on a project then people are more likely to help and some people want live to become a part of something outside of their day to day lives. Some people's interests become peaked when you say you are working on a project which makes them want to become involved. There is always the fear of rejection present but that has become fun for me as sometimes when I am initially told no I try to see how persuasive I can become. I think the key is to try to find some type of edge to keep yourself going beyond the trepidation and throughout the no's.
Briana,
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine doing this class as an introvert! I have always been comfortable around people and meeting new people, to an extent. My girlfriend is an engineer and a total introvert, so I know a little bit how it can be. Just keep up with the good attitude and keep working hard. This class has refined my skills as a salesman and made me a better business man, as it will with you too! I think college as a whole is all about tenacity over difficulty. As far as the finance class goes, good luck! I have heard so many horror stories about it! My minor is in business and I am dreading that awful class! Keep up the good work!
Hey Briana! I completely agree; when it comes to interviewing people it can definitely be intimidating and not something that is within my comfort zone. Especially not knowing how they are going to react to an idea that you feel passionate about. Your tips are so relatable, specifically the one about interviewing friends and family. I do think they are more inclined to give constructive criticism so its a win win.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like you've done a great job in this class being proactive and staying ahead of the class! I have found the interviews to be difficult too, especially since 10 minutes seems to be too long for some things and you end up just awkwardly talking and rambling to make the time cut off. Your tips are great though and I think you'll end up doing a great job and finish strong!
ReplyDelete