Class Assignment - ICAP 4357 - Self Reflection

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In the beginning of the semester, the goals I wrote on my homepage were getting an A, making new friends, and having good time. I don’t know about my grade yet, but my other two goals have been fulfilled. Now looking back the road we have walked, I start to feel a bit nostalgic. On the second class meeting, right after Dr. Yue told us to form teams, I came to Lee Schmitz to ask him whether he wanted to be my teammate. He said yes, and Jennie Levine also joined in with us. We became the members of Team Four, and our journey began.

Three was a small number for a team, and each of us felt that having a clear leader was not a necessary thing. Because of that, throughout the semester, we shared to workload together in a voluntary manner. This method required a very good attitude and responsibility of each team member, and fortunately we all had those. We would meet each other outside the class if we needed to, and showed up being prepared.

As the only non-American member of the team, I had to try my best to be recognized. This always was a disadvantage of being an international student. “How could a foreign student ever be as productive as an American?” – Even I find it hard to believe sometimes. Because of that, in the beginning, Jennie and Lee often had something to tell to each other, and I was left out of the conversation. This was not anything new to me, however, so instead of being offended and becoming introvert, I pleasantly told them they should not do that or I would cry. Sometimes, good sarcasm can be really decisive.

As a student who had been through various Management courses, I tried to be as devoted and selfless to Team Four as I could. I would go an extra step anytime I needed to, such as in conducting the questionnaire or preparing the display board. On the Saturday when we were visiting the high income neighborhoods, I overcame my initial nervousness and did better than I had expected. I never had known I could go door to door and calmly ask people to fill out the surveys. When we were doing our report, we decided that each member would do one analysis. My teammates seemed to be overwhelmed with their shares, even though the report had many other sections to get done. So I volunteered to take care of the rest. In the end, our report was around 20 pages, and 14 of them were my product. Staying up until 4:00 one night was totally worth it, as before I knew it, I became a valuable asset for the team, and my teammates finally would appreciate me.

Unlike other classmates of mine in this ICAP class, I personally feel that the courses I have been learning in UCM are very beneficial to me. Thanks to them, I clearly know how to develop myself as a team member, and as a leader. The crucial keys are trying my best on my part and being willing to listen to others. In this class, I have also learned that being positive is also very important. On the presentation day, the first team’s presentation was too long and overly detailed, causing my teammates to be nervous, stressful, and unmotivated. Noticing that, I decided to present my part concisely but sufficiently, and also added some humors. It was my sudden decision, but the effect was incredible. My two teammates followed up in the same manner, and they were even smiling while presenting their parts. Our presentation was exactly 15 minutes long, and I believe it was a pleasant experience for everyone in the room. When we are happy, even if the enthusiasm is out-of-no-where, then people around us will feel at ease also.

Six weeks was not a long time, but what I was learned from this class was abundant. I became a better team member, and a better person. More than ever before, I feel that Business Management really is a right choice for me, and the path I am walking on truly will help me reaching my goals. For that, I am thankful.

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Author's note:

This was my paper for my ICAP 4357 class (the class was mentioned in my previous post The Way of Happiness). The reason why I post this is because this explains well what experience I have been through during the last July (well, kind of). Keep in mind that as my assignment, this paper is submitted to some certain criteria and requirements. Since this was intended for my professor, my frequent readers may find it repeative. If that's the case please bare with it.