Category: First-Year

LDR 101 Reflection

December 6, 2020 / CDVL

My first semester of college went by in a highly unexpected fashion. There were things I wanted to do but could not, and things I did not want to do but had to. Regardless, the first half of my first year will always be a pivotal memory for me. As much as I could not accomplish given the circumstances of 2020, I can proudly say I did more than I expected.

My Leadership 101 course was one of the many causes for my change in character over the semester. I insisted on the “Women Directors” course at the beginning of the year, intrigued by the lesson plan, final project, and overall purpose for my college experience. I can confirm I made the right choice.

“Women Directors” enlightened me with a myriad of films done by women–most of whom I had never heard of before–and educated me further on historical feminism within the creative world. As an artist and producer, the course was definitely an essential experience. Aside from teaching me more about the minds of women whose footsteps I hope to follow, the course has trained me to see films in a new light overall. This was done by having my classmates and I decode hidden meanings in films from their cinematography, music, and actors’ expressions. Researching the backgrounds and motives of filmmakers gave me a deeper understanding of the films I watched. Now, I find myself instinctively looking into the productions of films I see regularly.

Along with the films I watched in this course, presenting and discussing its assignments affected my outlook on the class. I picked up techniques and rhythms for public speaking: keeping productive energy going in a group, making others feel comfortable when paired with me, understanding I cannot control everything and it is normal to not know all of the answers, being courageous and giving my input, and tracking how much I speak so as to allow others a chance to voice their thoughts.

My efficiency in Digital Literacy also improved due to this course and the others I took in the semester. Zoom Meetings were very uncomfortable in the beginning of the year, but there were positives to being closer to my laptop screen than to my peers. The distance forced me to (a) adapt to new softwares quicker, (b) grow more aware of the tools I have online, and (c) remember that everyone has had a different pandemic experience than mine. It is better to empathize than scrutinize.

One of the members of my team was very silent with the rest of us, and we always checked in on her rather than tried to force her to work with us. In regards to my other teammates, my work with them promoted my flexibility from switching roles amongst ourselves, my understanding of when to step in to direct our team, and my ability to consider other people’s ideas. It was nice to work with people of different skill sets than mine, and I have learned that just because someone thinks differently than someone else, it does not mean they cannot work efficiently together.

Overall, this course taught me that to lead, one must know how to follow, empathize, and recognize that everyone thinks differently. That is a lesson I will not soon forget.

The Blind Contour

October 29, 2020 / CDVL

A video presentation of me participating in blind contouring and sharing my experience.

Blind Contour drawing is an exercise done to show an artist’s ability to “see” the lines, shapes, and value of a reference object. The artist cannot lift their pen or pencil from their canvas; the drawing is done with one continuous line.

I did the my blind contour drawing for my art class, Visual Thinking 160. I was interested in how good my eyes were in seeing the lines of an object, and I chose toys for my references.

This exercise relates to visual thinking in that it trains the artist’s eyes to not seeing an object all together, but in pieces. It also builds a sort of trust between the eyes and the hands; without the ability to erase and redo parts of the whole, the hands have to go on the whim of the eyes.

This exercise was very therapeutic, as most projects in this class are, and I was very surprised by how much I loved the outcomes of each reference. I hate making art that isn’t solid or neat, and this broke a mental wall for me; even messy art is good art. I’ll definitely be doing this again.

StrengthsQuest Reflection

October 2, 2020 / CDVL

A screenshot of my Strength Finder results.

A student’s StrengthsQuest shows them their dominant social and mental attributes and what they can contribute to the world the best.

I’ve always been told I was intuitive and relative to those around me, always molding my view of a person or group to represent them and not my own personality.

So, it was no shock to receive Restorative (#2), Relator (#3), and Intellection (#4) as three of my top 5 StrengthsQuest results.

However, Adaptability (#1) and Responsibility (#5) were interesting additions to my results. I have been known to go with the flow of life and not dwell on things until they present themselves to me, but I would not have guessed Adaptability would be my #1 trait. Additionally, while responsibility is a key value of mine, the act of it is very subjective to me (it depends on what I am doing at the moment or what I will be doing in the future to determine the level of responsibility I will have for a certain task.)

Of my five strengths, I hope for Intellection to be the one my (future and present) peers see in me the most. I value great conversation and discussion, and I don’t limit the two to certain values or opinions of the people I share them with. In other words, I would love for people to know they can ask or talk to me about anything, and I’ll look at it from a compassionate AND passionate perspective. I won’t try to sway someone from their opinion if I see they feel deeply about it, I’ll only inform them of other options or indulge in a witty conversation if they feel up to it 🙂

My First Post!

May 30, 2019 / CDVL

Hello, lovelies!

I’m so excited about my oncoming experience at Agnes! Before I enrolled, I was terrified about the idea of college. The pandemic, stressful as it may be, was a huge help against this fear; I was so tired of high school by the time it hit and I hated being on standby in life. So, I was suddenly eager for college to start, and ASC has yet to disappoint.

This website, for example, is an incredible surprise. I don’t know if other colleges make this aspect mandatory, or if Agnes Scott’s SUMMIT program is just that awesome (I think that might be the case lol,) but this is an amazing idea! Having the knowledge of web-design alone is very helpful for the world we all live in today. I’m very impressed with this school and how productive it already seems.

I’m excited about my courses this semester as well. I’m taking Visual Thinking 160 with Professor Ruby, Japanese 1 with Suzuki Sensei, Intro to Women’s Studies with Professor Hackett, and Leadership 101: Women Directors with Professor Korol.

I didn’t know how interested I would be in Women’s Studies, but this class is dope! I love the energy and the conversations we’re already having. It may just be my favorite class.

My art class is a close second. I’ve already made a piece and am on my way to revising it. Everything seems to be going by quickly, BUT it’s all at a pace, so I don’t feel overwhelmed. I also really like the people in this course, whether they share my major (Studio Art) or they’re under Art History, they all seem very invested.

I like my Leadership course as well, only we haven’t really done anything related to the name of the course. However, I do appreciate what I’ve learned about being a Scottie, how to utilize the resources in this school, and how to present my work.

My Japanese course is the only class I’m questioning. Don’t get me wrong, the professor is sweet and very helpful with pronunciations and material. I love the idea of learning a whole new language and the content is genuinely interesting, but the planning seems a bit scattered. Fortunately, we do something every call, and I retain something each time. Unfortunately, it’s my latest class so I’m usually exhausted by the time we’re done. I don’t think I’ll drop it or anything, but it feels like I’m more so tolerating it than enjoying it completely.

Overall, I’m loving my college experience. Thank you, Agnes, for making me feel taken care of. It really helps with everything going nowadays.

Until next time <3