Week 2 - Resume building/Project Management

    At the program's start, I aimed to give myself more than enough hours of study time. Anticipating any unexpected requests or distractions, I was able to fully communicate my availability with the household and provided myself a quiet space. I like to review the lecture throughout the week and plan to take the quizzes by Monday. This allows me time to test my knowledge and helps continue the flow, reducing the need to review assignment criteria. Assignments that require more research, revision, or are likely to require more time, I begin at the start of the week and continue to improve upon them, without neglecting other assignments that could be done much sooner. This has proven effective, keeping on top of coursework and updates as they arise. Additionally, I've enrolled myself and will continue participating in workshops and career-building/portfolio-building opportunities to help me engage deeper with the industry. I'd like to include the SQ3R - Survey, questions, read, recite, review - which is mostly integrated in my original study strategy, except recite. I do repeat the reading aloud periodically, but I worried I was wasting time and would write it out instead. I will include both methods.

    My time management skills are improving. The stress diminishes as I solidify my academic routine. I begin the day with a cup of coffee while I review emails, announcements, updates, and material for the week, to organize tasks based on priority and length of time. The physical movement keeps me stimulated and easily puts me into focus. I can study from as little as 2 hours at a time to 4 on most given days, a goal set to supply myself with ample study time. Lecture videos and readings are fully reviewed before notes, so I get the full information first. Breaks can be an hour or two, depending on the needs of my external responsibilities. I consistently maintain communication with my group and designate time for meetings and project contributions. Delegating tasks has been a smooth experience and varied between members, with each of us assigning or taking on tasks where needed. Before tackling any assignment, I plan by laying out the criteria for the material, being sure to apply relevant sources and discover an appropriate starting point. I continue until about 7pm, where the night is mine to continue or take the night off. This alleviates any stress of falling behind or struggling too long on a particular subject, as I've dedicated beyond the minimum recommended time frame, especially in anticipation of sick days, emergencies, or low momentum. 

    Learning about Project Management basics was far more enlightening than I anticipated. I understood a project manager as someone who directed a project from start to finish; however, there are far more challenges and skillsets that being a project manager encompasses, such as managing an entire team, maintaining steady processes, weighing the budget constraints against time constraints to determine a realistic outcome before taking on projects, and juggling multiple projects at once. 

    Finally, we had the opportunity to witness last year's capstone project presentation. Some projects included Bird's song, a game about an extinct bird native to Hawaii known as the Kauai O'O. I loved the presentation! Everyone was well spoken, informative, and the presentation took you through a game-centered experience. In my limited experience by comparison, no improvements from my perspective in that each member shared their knowledge, described their process and what tools they used, as well as a demonstration of game operations. Fantastic project!

    Overall, we continued to learn how to work as a team, collaborating with our designated groups to produce a professional resume, as if we were building our own service company. It came out exceptionally well, and I'm fortunate to have paired with interactive and communicative people. Having reflected on the importance of collaboration, I've come to recognize that my communication skills are improving, and I aspire to strengthen my capabilities even further to be seen as a vital contributor and support to my team. I notice myself initiating more often than in my earlier experiences, especially asking clarifying questions that I was once too sheepish to share.