Education can be regarded as a step towards a definite career path. It is also the background for the future job as well as the entire life as an individual is equipped with extensive knowledge and numerous skills. It is possible to compare higher education with a mosaic that helps people reveal a broader picture of their lives, their selves, their future, and the entire society. My undergraduate education resulted in my empowerment in many respects.
I have acquired skills in creating videos and screenplays, critical writing and researching, as well as collaborative leadership. Thus, I have become more knowledgeable, skillful, and confident, which increases my chances of landing a good job and succeeding in life. It is possible to consider particular ways my undergraduate education affected my development as this reflection will help me identify my strengths and reveal areas to focus on in the future.
The acquisition of knowledge is one of the most evident benefits and outcomes of undergraduate education. I have learned about various aspects of human life and the ways other people see it. For instance, I learned a lot about symbols and stereotypes as well as the way they affect people. Thus, my work on ravens was quite influential as it encouraged me to pay a lot of attention to symbols (Hongyi “Ravens” 1). In my video and visual projects, I tried to employ various symbols, and I will continue adding various meanings through symbols and even stereotypes. My project concerning the role of media and the distribution of power in human society was also rather eye-opening (Hongyi “Representation, Power, and Discourse” 1).
I implemented extensive research on the matter. Numerous researchers unveil peculiarities of the role of media, and the distribution of power is one of the most recurrent themes. The project made me think about the power I will have as I will be a part of the media world. I started thinking about ways I will use that influence to make a real difference. More importantly, my undergraduate education has nurtured my desire to learn and know more as I have acquired specific skills to research and to think critically.
For instance, when working on my papers, I learned how to find reputable sources, what features reputable sources possess, how to support my ideas with other studies. All these skills are important for my life-long learning. Any person should continue acquiring new knowledge daily as once the learning stops, the individual becomes prone to making wrong decisions or even being deceived. Of course, professional growth is crucial for succeeding in life as only high-profile professionals achieve goals set.
My undergraduate education equipped me with numerous specific skills. Thus, creating videos is one of the skills I managed to develop significantly. I learned how to manage shots and add music. These quite technical skills will help me deliver my messages more effectively. My video project reveals my progress as my technical skills enabled me to convey the meanings I wanted to share (“OCD Part2 Med 5 3 Hongyi Ding”). The video includes many symbols the viewer is invited to decipher. I have always thought that art should empower people and make them think and act. When studying numerous courses, I understood that my approach was the most efficient and valuable.
The undergraduate course was also a valuable experience as it helped me master the language or, at least, properly communicate my ideas in English. In many cases, it was quite difficult to convey the meaning I had in my mind. Writing a scenario was a challenging task as I want to include as many symbols and meanings as possible, but I also had to make sure viewers will be able to spot and decipher them (Hongyi “Grow Up” 2).
My research of the literature on the matter and class discussions (as well as my communication with peers) enabled me to produce a very good scenario. Moreover, the entire course was a significant contribution to the scenario as I acquired knowledge in various spheres. Thus, different courses made me think of different things and develop new perspectives. Of course, my daily life in a new environment was also a significant contributor to my project.
It is also noteworthy that my artistic vision was facilitated by the critical thinking skills I acquired during the course. Writing papers on different topics helped me acquire the necessary vocabulary and become a more skillful writer. I learned to structure my writings as well as ideas in my head. I believe this is one of the most important skills I acquired during the undergraduate course. Of course, I had been able to articulate my thoughts before I started the undergraduate course. However, my progress is evident and can be traced when reading my written assignments. Some people believe that critical thinking skills are overestimated and can be regarded as an unnecessary waste of time.
Nonetheless, I think these skills help individuals communicate more efficiently and achieve goals set as their persuasive power is significant. I have acknowledged the power of the word, and I want to master it. Interestingly, my ability to write improved my ability to read and understand numerous meanings and goals hidden in numerous writings. Now, I can easily identify the purpose of this or that paper, and the aims and author had in mind. Many works have become clearer for me now, and I feel more comfortable as I can see various meanings. It is much more difficult to manipulate my opinion or affect my decisions.
Apart from specific skills, the undergraduate program helped me unveil the nature and peculiarities of leadership and efficient collaboration. The skills acquired will help me succeed in life as they will be essential in my career and family life. I learned about different leadership styles and understood that a true leader should empower the team members. The project that involved staging short scenes can be regarded as an illustration of my progress in this respect (“Waverly Hongyi”).
We worked together on dialogues, gestures, and emotions. I took into account the ideas of my peers. I did not simply tell everyone what to do, and this approach contributed greatly to the success of the project. I believe diverse perspectives made the performance more colorful. The work on the video was also an example of the use of my leadership style (“OCD Part2 Med 5 3 Hongyi Ding”). Although I chose shots and created the video, we all worked on the creation of the project as my friends improvised and shared their views on the settings, postures, and so on. I have to admit that the work I had in mind before the start of the project is different, but it is less polished as well. I believe the collaboration allowed me to create a truly interesting project.
I also understood better what true collaboration was. I have read some literature on leadership and collaboration, but one project became an eye-opening experience for me. It was a symbolic and, at the same time, quite a straight-forward representation of collaboration (“Pyramid”). Building a pyramid was a challenging and very fun task. We all had to invest our full potential to handle it. The task also helped me realize that my leadership style was very effective.
Thus, the leader saw the full picture and could assign manageable positions (tasks) for members of the team. Nonetheless, I acknowledged that the team members were the ones to see the true state of things within the scope of their responsibilities. It was very important for me. This knowledge and my collaborative leadership skills will allow me to achieve my further academic and career goals.
On balance, it is necessary to note that my undergraduate education equipped me with knowledge on various topics as well as valuable skills. My artistic vision and capacity, as well as particular skills associated with completing specific tasks, have improved significantly. I opened up new horizons and acknowledged the benefits of life-long learning and self-development. The undergraduate course provided new insights into the way society develops, which is important for any individual who wants to succeed in life. The course also improved my self-esteem, which is important for my future career.
I have become a life-long learner who is ready to apply certain knowledge and skills to pursue career goals. My undergraduate mosaic is now almost complete, and I am ready to encounter new puzzles to solve and new pictures to unveil.
Works Cited
Hongyi, Ding. “Grow Up” BISMCS 343 B Screenwriting. 2014.
—. “Ravens” BCUSP 140. 2016.
—. “Representation, Power, and Discourse: Discovering the Connection Between the Three Concepts in Hall’s The Work of Representation and Representation and the Media” BISMCS 333. Winter 2015.
“OCD Part2 Med 5 3 Hongyi Ding.” n.d. Web.
“Pyramid.” n.d. Web.
“Waverly Hongyi.” n.d. Web.