Not Gifted, Just Stubborn
If this is the first
thing people see, I don’t want to look perfect. I struggled, overthought
things, and procrastinated, but I still got through it. That’s the impression
I’m okay with.
My experience in IS101
was stressful but worth it. I didn’t always stay ahead, and most of the time I
felt like I was catching up, but I still finished.
I Thought This Would Be Easy… Excel Said No
I came in thinking Word
and PowerPoint would carry me. Then Excel humbled me real fast. I had to slow
down and actually understand what I was doing instead of just clicking
randomly.
What helped me the most
was repetition. Doing the simulations again and again made things stick. At
some point, it just becomes instinct.
Motion Paths Made Me Look Smarter Than I Am
For Chapter 6, I chose
6.9.5 Motion Paths. At first, it felt like extra animation, but it actually
made my PowerPoint dynamic and fun to watch. Instead of just appearing, things
move with purpose and guide attention.
It was confusing at
first, but after practicing, it started to make sense.
Below are images from my A3 and A8 assignments where I applied animations and design.
Stress, Overthinking, and Somehow Passing
The course forced me to
stay on track, which I needed.
Professor Wu made me
overthink sometimes, but it helped me pay attention to details. My classmates,
even without much interaction, pushed me to keep up just by seeing their
progress.
What I gained from this
course is understanding how I actually learn, which is through repetition. From
Professor Wu, I learned to focus on details and follow instructions carefully.
From my classmates, I learned to stay consistent and not fall behind.
I didn’t do everything
perfectly. I procrastinated, stressed out, and doubted myself a lot. But I
still finished.
And honestly, that’s
enough.
One Last Hedgehog Thought
"You can stumble and stress, just don’t quit the process"
Hi Kevin, you seem like a very creative person. It's always so fun to see your blog posts. Everyone struggles in their classes but I haven't seen anyone as driven as you. Your PowerPoint looks great as well, so good job! Stress tends to motivate me into actually achieving my goals so sometimes stress and overthinking isn't always a negative thing. It does feel bad at the time, though.
ReplyDeleteHi Izabelle, thank you for the kind comment. Honestly, the PowerPoint was surprisingly fun to make, especially learning the line motions and animations. It did not even feel like homework at some points because it was interesting discovering different ways to make slides move and flow together smoothly. I think that was one of the few assignments where I stopped worrying about grades for a moment and just enjoyed experimenting with PowerPoint features like a person who accidentally unlocked a new hobby. IS101 somehow turned presentations into something more entertaining than stressful, which I honestly was not expecting at the beginning of the semester.
DeleteHi Kevin, I really admire all the effort and creativity you put into your blogs. You are doing a great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Brittney, thank you for the kind comment. The blog honestly took a surprising amount of effort, trial and error, and research because I spent a lot of time figuring out how to keep the images and animations moving smoothly without everything breaking apart. At some point I realized I was spending almost as much time experimenting with Blogger and PowerPoint effects as I was actually doing the assignments, but it somehow turned into a very strange hobby along the way.
DeleteHi Kevin, seeing you conquer everything way ahead of schedule has been very inspiring. I don't think you should've been as stressed as you were for this course. It's okay to calm down and take it easy sometimes. Good work though!
ReplyDeleteHi Tomas, I honestly just do not like having pending work because I get anxious when things start piling up near the end. If I rush my work, that is usually when I start making mistakes, and once nerves take over my grades really start dropping badly. That is why I try to finish things early whenever possible, even if it means stressing myself out ahead of time instead of panicking later. The idea that my overthinking inspired someone is honestly a little funny to me, but I guess anxiety sometimes turns into productivity.
DeleteHi Kevin, Honestly, Excel was way more complicated than I expected at first. I also thought it was going to be pretty straightforward, but the more you advanced through the sections, the harder it got. At some point, you realize you can’t just click around and hope for the best, you actually have to understand what you’re doing. Repetition definitely helps though, because after practicing enough, things finally start to make sense.
ReplyDeleteHi Vania, I am going to be honest, during the test there were moments where I was also clicking around and hoping I picked the correct answer because I could not fully remember what the function was supposed to do. Sometimes Excel feels less like logic and more like surviving through educated guesses under pressure. You are definitely not alone in that feeling because I still get confused by certain functions too, especially when the exam timer starts making me panic.
Delete"Somehow Passing" is an understatement with what you have achieved in the class this semester. Thinking how much you stress out with the class work is almost similar how you have so much achievements in this class. Your blogs, as always tell myself, is always inspiring. Just the sheer will of your actions can inspire a lot of students, not of anxiety, but to try harder. We have different strength and weaknesses and like you, we only see weakness in what we lack. However, it's also good to slow down and to see the things we have achieved in life. To be in the moment for while gives you another perspective in life and I hope you can see that despite having so much things crushing you down.
ReplyDeleteKeep pushing hedgehog! More battles are to come but I can say confidently that you'll rise up again and fight. Learn how to give up at a point but if that's not a choice, make everything count!
JD, honestly the blog is mostly my way of venting and documenting my academic anxiety throughout the semester. If you look at my Section 2 posts, it is basically a timeline of me trying to survive assignments without mentally collapsing.
DeleteThe projects actually took a surprising amount of time and effort though, especially the A8 PowerPoint because it took me almost two weeks to properly learn the line motions and animations without accidentally sending objects flying across the slide.
Even if I joke around a lot in my posts, I really was spending hours adjusting tiny details, rewatching animations, and trying to make everything look polished, so I genuinely appreciate the compliment.
I remember your slide presentations, and you really did a good job with the motion path and transitions. Wishing you the best of luck as you continue pursuing your accounting degree, you’ve got this!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ivette. I just hope that I am not rushing into anything. Looking back, I feel like I could have done better in some parts, but at the same time I know I really tried to push myself this semester. Sometimes I think the pressure to keep moving forward makes me focus too much on what I could have improved instead of appreciating how far I already made it.
DeleteHi Kevin! You went above and beyond in this class! You did an amazing job on both of your presentations, and definitely inspired me to work hard. I wish you the best of luck in the future! And I promise I won't be evil to you if you become homeless lol! ^_^
ReplyDeleteHi Avery, I’m really sorry if I gave that impression to you. That homeless joke is honestly just part of my pessimistic way of thinking sometimes, and I usually joke about worst case scenarios before they even happen. I’m still trying my best to avoid that future, but my brain just likes preparing for disasters ahead of time.
DeleteHi Michael. You made a point when you said that repeatedly practicing on a concept helps you. That helps me memorize important formulas as well. I like reading your posts because they talk about how someone keeps moving forward, even through challenges.
ReplyDeleteHi Makell, I agree that repetition and practice really help concepts stay in your memory longer, especially with formulas that look confusing at first. Sometimes the only way I learn is by repeatedly making mistakes until the process finally sticks in my brain.
DeleteHi Kevin, you absolutely stood out amongst the class to where at some point it seemed like you hardly ever struggled. What you were able to do was very impressive and great job on staying consistent throughout the class!
ReplyDeleteHi James, I appreciate that, but trust me, there were definitely moments where I struggled quietly behind the scenes. A lot of the consistency honestly came from fear of falling behind, so I just kept pushing forward one task at a time.
Deletehello Kevin you stand out the class a-lot I mean you didn't just pass, you conquered the course that something to be very proud of! I love the amount of creativity you had on these blogs post I wish you nothing but the best of luck in life and please don't be negative you have amazing mindset keep pushing Hedgehog life has only begun and I know you are ready to face what's to come we will be cheering for you!! It was pleasure to have you as a classmate.
ReplyDeleteHi Manuel, your comment really means a lot because sometimes I focus too much on mistakes and forget to appreciate the progress itself. The “Hedgehog life has only begun” line actually made me laugh because now it sounds like the start of a dramatic sequel.
DeleteHello Kevin. Your slide animations look amazing! I wish I was there in person to see it. Hearing about how far ahead you were in the course throughout the semester was really motivating! Great work!
ReplyDeleteHi Scott, the slide animations were actually one of the most fun parts for me because it felt less like schoolwork and more like experimenting with creativity. Motion paths and transitions were frustrating at first, but once they started working correctly, it became weirdly satisfying.
DeleteI agree that Excel was humbling! I also love that you added your A8 slides. I loved that topic because it was eye-opening.
ReplyDeleteHi Chae, I am still practicing Excel right now because some of the functions still make my brain freeze a little. The A8 slides were a nice break from formulas since it felt more creative compared to troubleshooting nested functions for hours.
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