Personal Growth

I have grown a lot because of this class, but this one alone is the one I am most proud of and thankful for. In class, we are challenged to find our values and create a vision for the future. Doing so made me realize what I really loved in life and what was easy, effortless, and enjoyable for me. After figuring this out, I realized that smoking marijuana was taking me away from things that aligned with my values and was jeopardizing the things in my life that are easy, effortless, and enjoyable. This realization is the sole reason that I quit smoking and have been going strong ever since. Ever since I quit, I have been able to be more present in everything that I do, and I am far happier than I have ever been. Thank you, Dr. Friedman, for forcing me to see what is important to me. Without this class, I don't think I would have been able to quit. 

Another way I have grown is through my organization, which is because of the class content, but more of the way the class is taught. Dr. Friedman never puts anything on canvas, which at first I was not happy about at all. I felt like it would be hard for me to stay on top of stuff, and I was right. Within the first couple weeks of the class, I missed the deadline for a leadership assignment. I was pissed, to say the least, but Dr. Friedman suggested putting all of our assignments into a Google calendar in order to stay on top of everything. Taking this advice helped me not only not miss any more assignments in ESP 252 but also helped me be able to better manage all of my schoolwork, travel plans, appointments, and fraternity events. Having things on a physical calendar helped to create less conflict and help me stay better organized. ​​​​​​

Throughout the semester, we have learned a lot about empathy and have done activities in class. Before, I thought empathy was just being king, but now I realize that empathy is really just about caring. This change in perspective has helped me to understand people better and help those close to me find solutions to their problems. When people around me used to have problems, I would just fire off solutions that made sense to me. Now, when those around me, specifically my girlfriend, have issues, I will always ask questions. Sometimes, the questions are more personal, and sometimes, the questions are more based on the problem. I have found that it really depends on the person and the situation. Some of my friends think it is weird or corny when I do it, but it hasn't really bothered me. However, the people who take it seriously actually really appreciate it. 

Before the semester, my email etiquette and layout were nothing close to what it was supposed to be (shown below). However, throughout the semester, it slowly improved. My second email attempt (shown below) included a signature, professional signature, no "hope all is well," proper file names, and line spacing, making it easy to read. However, after getting more feedback, I had to tweak my email one more time. I had too many email signatures, so in the final attempt (shown below), I decided to take out the physical signature. In the end, my first and second attempts were failures, but now I feel as if my email is professional and practices good etiquette.