Final Self-Reflection

Honestly, I can’t believe I made it to the end of this class. Being a new class, I wasn’t sure about what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t the whirlwind of concepts, project work, and fun guest lectures that we had this quarter. I came into the class not knowing the details of being a PM, but now I feel that I have a much better picture of the role. It’s centered on communication, on having a strong sense of organization and direction, but also on being able to be flexible and rolling with the punches. While there was a lot to juggle in the class, I saw how those skills really helped my team meet our goals and stay as on-track as possible. 

I liked being able to stretch my horizons in trying to have an understanding of every side of the project during my turn as PM. It was certainly overwhelming at times; I’m normally the kind of person who will do extra work where it is needed in projects, even when it is not necessarily my responsibility. With this project, I worked on trusting my teammates, doing my part by being as open as I could in communication, organizing and making group goals clear, and checking in to help where I could. The collaborative nature of a PM is something that I love. The experience also showed me that I don’t quite like thinking about the business side of things. While I certainly appreciate knowing what I do now, and all the context that that provides me, thinking about and planning for that aspect of the project was my least preferred thing. It’s good for me to know, so I can avoid taking on roles related to that in the future!

In terms of the class structure itself, I would really like to have sections separate from class. Breaks were certainly useful and very much appreciated, but by the time the section rolled around, I was mentally exhausted most of the time. I enjoyed the guest lectures; it was nice to hear the diversity of experiences and advice from people in the field. I also liked having the in-class exercises, whether that be with things on the walls, or discussing with each other. However, I feel like it can be organized better, whether that means having the class in a more suitable space, or organizing lecture time more effectively. At times, the exercises felt sort of “rushed into,” and things would feel a bit disorganized. Overall, I really appreciate this class for giving me more perspective into being a PM, as well as highlighting skills that are applicable to any area of life.