Reflection and PDP Paper
Reflection
As a freshman Oil and Gas Management student, I can say that I have already seen the tip of the iceberg wherein the iceberg is my course and the part of it that I have seen are the experiences I have encountered. Compared to the course experiences of those people who have already graduated from the course, I think I do not have the right to say that this is just an easy course and not really a hard and challenging one yet. I have realized this after I reviewed our academic guide and course curriculum for the first time. The subjects we are going to encounter two to three years from now are definitely much harder than the ones we have now.
This is actually the reason why I have started to brace and prepare myself. I think that if I will be able to learn all the lessons being taught to us today, there would be no reason for me to fail in the more advanced subjects. After all, our college prepares us and teaches us all the necessary foundational skills and knowledge before exposing us to the harder part of the course. I am trying to make myself more of an optimist rather than a pessimist because I believe being a pessimist would not bring me anywhere. I will just keep on speculating things and thinking of what ifs instead of just simply trying them without any complaints and what ifs, just simply doing my best. But of course, I know for a fact that I should learn how to make logical decisions and avoid making very risky ones.
There have been moments where I get failing scores and there also have been moments where I get perfect scores during quizzes, recitations and major examinations. Here is what I have realized though: Grades can never be a measure of a student’s intelligence. Although it can help an individual gauge his performance during lecture and laboratory sessions, it can never be used as the sole factor or determinant in measuring a student’s intelligence and potential as a professional in the future.
As a freshman student, I have come to realize the value of coming to class prepared. Usually, our professors throw basic questions during classroom discussions and he usually gives the ones who could answer his questions right some bonus points which could mean a lot because they are actually bonus. Meaning, not everybody gets it and you cannot always get it. There was this one time when I got called by one of my instructors to answer his question and I could not answer it correctly because I have not read anything about that lecture topic the night before. From then on, I make it a point to read even just the fundamental concepts and principles for the subjects I am going to encounter the following day. This way, I can say to myself that I have come to the class prepared. I know this will have a huge bearing two to five years from now because I will not have to adjust anymore. You really cannot come to work unprepared; otherwise, you will lose your credibility. It is an additional responsibility but it should come in handy. For some reason, it makes me a more responsible and organized person. Over the past few months, I have seen some great improvements with my performance as a student as a result of coming to school prepared. My recitation and class participation grades went significantly higher and I think I deserve the credit.
The Value of Time Management
Before, I thought that I will have a lot of time to enjoy my life as a college student. I was wrong. My parents sent me to college to study and not to do businesses that are irrelevant to my study. Time management is an important skill that helped me balance my life as a student, as a son, as a classmate, and as a friend. It’s really important to make sure that everything is balanced and is in line with one’s priorities. I give myself time to think before participating and saying yes to extra-curricular activities. I learned how to always consider my top priorities; my schooling and my family. I personally think this would help me as an employee in the future. I will surely encounter a more hectic schedule than the one I have now and that’s why it would really be important for someone like me to learn how to manage myself and my time in those types of situation.
Strengths
I think one of my greatest strengths is my being flexible. I think of myself as a sponge. I am not rigid when it comes to learning and I always think not just inside or outside the box; I think beside, on top of, below, and on the corners of the box. I make it a point to listen to what others feel or will feel if I make a certain decision that would affect them, especially in group activities.
Weaknesses
Everybody has a weak and vulnerable spot. I can be very vulnerable to procrastination. I usually do not follow schedules. Instead, I do things in a rushed manner.
Opportunities
An obstacle is an opportunity. Whenever I fail, I always view it as an opportunity to learn. I simply think that I cannot learn if I will not, at some point, fail. Life cannot always be filled with success. At some point, you will really fail. But I rest myself assured that I will learn something from that failure that—something that will make me a better man, better at his job.
Threats
As of now, I do not see any threats aside from my ego. I tend to give high regards to my ego. I think this is why sometimes; I tend to be a competitive person which could be good at some point. But being overly-competent could make you lose friends and I have actually experienced losing one.
