Post #13: Self-Evaluation

I think I devoted a great deal of effort to each assignment I worked on this semester. My blogs and my grades for them were each reflective of my abilities. I think they improved towards the end. Especially for the 1970’s blog, which I felt put a lot of pressure on certain people as a result of group problems. These problems have been building over the semester and I feel certain members had to do more and make up for things that others weren’t doing. My attendance, however, was not as steady as I would have liked it to be and as I am accustomed to mainly for health reasons. I have been dealing with two cases of mono since May and unfortunately couldn’t do anything about it until this winter break. I also am currently getting CT scans for chronic sinusitis problems. So there was a lot to keep up with in terms of trying to stay physically 100% and maintain a good average taking 16 credits. I missed a couple group meetings as a result of my absences, but I took the responsibility to inform my group of the situations and I was willing to do whatever needed to be done for them and myself. Once our group work was completed I thought the majority of our assignments were a job well done. Our group conditions, on the other hand, were extremely bad. I felt we had no real leadership and it put strain on our ability to accomplish a task efficiently. It seemed that many members simply thought the work would do itself or they wouldn’t have to contribute because they knew others would eventually do it. It was a very frustrating last two assignments and the group situation created very stressful, negative attitudes towards the assignments and others. I may have liked doing some more of the assignments individually because it would have reduced some tension in relation to the assignment and I feel I would have learned and taken more away from certain assignments, had such problems not been occurring. I did feel I learned a great deal and was pleased to learn about events in time periods that are not normally focused on. I think with my previous knowledge and what I know now, I have a more holistic understanding of U.S. History. It is useful that we learned the attitudes and circumstances surrounding certain eras (WWII for example). I think knowing this will make me a more understanding and compassionate citizen as I grow up and enter the workforce.