1. The first thing I really liked and learned from is that the small thing can bring joy/delight to you. At the beginning of the semester, there was an assignment to get or post a picture of something that delights you; what made me realize that there was a pic of the sea, dogs, food, etc., and how small things can make a difference in a person’s mood. Another thing, when we talked about microaggression, I was not aware of it until we were introduced to it in the article “The problem of othering“. Lastly, the video showed us the difference between empathy, sympathy, and compassion; at first, I was bewildered about them; however, I found the video very useful in terms of showing the difference and explaining each one. And after the video we did a discussion that made us all get meaning of each one.
  2. One of the critical things I learned about myself was that I could think in a creative way. While we were doing that activity of writing alternative uses of an object, I found myself very engaging in the activity. For example, started thinking about how we could use a paper clip in something else other than just using it for papers. Another thing is problem-solving skills; while working in groups, I learned to go through all the steps of determining the issues, generating and evaluating potential solutions, and then putting the best ones into action. Also, talking about my culture made me realize more about myself (in zoom, where we were divided into rooms and asked questions to different people from different countries).
  3. I am dealing with people with different thoughts and trying to understand every personality, as most of the class time, we work in groups. I think Soliya will better enhance this skill more as I’ll be talking with people not only with different thoughts but also from other cultures. What is also important is not to judge someone based on the first interaction. Most of the time, I make decisions without fully understanding the circumstances. It’s crucial to wait until you have all the information. It’s one of the most prominent arguments against passing judgment on others. What helped me understand that more is the game Know Yourself.