Halfway Reflection

1) Tenaciousness is a competency. What are the behaviors that you have used (or developed) to keep up with the requirements of this course? 

I've always been a planner. I like being organized. Oftentimes, I find myself spending hours arranging small documents and things in my rooms on the weekends. I like order. But putting things in order takes time. A lot of time. And, for the summer semester, there is not much time. So, you can probably guess how frustrating it is to take classes while having things out of order in your personal life. 

I've made it this far in this class though, and it's because I've learned more on how to balance personal affairs, academics and work. I've mostly used Google Calendar, a new white erase board that I use to keep track of deadlines, and sticky notes on my computer. I like routines. So, I routinely check my assignments throughout the week and do bits and pieces until I can do the whole thing. It helps. 

2) Tenaciousness is also about attitude. Talk about a moment or two when you felt like "giving up." What pulled you through? Do you feel like you've developed a tenacious attitude during the past two months? What experience or experiences most contributed to this?

I hated the times when I really wanted to give up. What always pulled me through was imagining my life without this information. I compare and contrast what my life could be if went back on this decision. What ultimately makes me stay is the fact that I need this knowledge to grow. I want to be able to master business because that is my craft. There was a time when I wanted to give up, but I told myself "You'd be playing yourself in the future." 

3) Three tips. What are three tips you would offer next semester's student about (1) fostering the skills that support tenacity and (2) developing the 'tenacious mindset' ?

Develop a good relationship with your TA. It's really important to hit the ground running with him/her, so that you can use them as a resource for assignments and questions that you are bound to have. 

Keep a positive attitude. Life is about taking L's. Don't expect that to change because of the class's structure. It may hard to focus one week's assignments compared to the last. Remaining positive and believing in yourself helps a long way. 

Schedule time to work, eat and exercise. These assignments take a long time. If you're like me and you're also working while taking classes, time will be a luxury. Use calendars, planners, task lists to help you out. But you should also maximize your time throughout the day to eat well-portioned meals and to exercise. It's always helped with my energy and made me more productive.