Intro

I will begin with honesty: I did not enter this course excited. I entered it uncomfortable and emotionally guarded. The early morning timing already felt overwhelming, but what unsettled me most was how quickly the course invited me to engage with my feelings. As someone navigating depression, anxiety, and PTSD through the Center of Well-Being, I had learned to cope by avoiding emotional exposure. My trauma taught me that being invisible often felt safer than being seen. Walking into a course where reflection, emotions, and vulnerability were central made me feel out of place from the very beginning.

During the first few weeks, I stayed mostly silent. Activities that seemed light or “fun” to others, especially morning games, were unexpectedly triggering for me. One activity, where we went around the room answering “What makes you happy?”, created a physical and emotional block. While classmates shared easily, I felt unable to perform positivity on demand. It was not that I had nothing meaningful in my life, but rather that I did not have something easily shareable in that moment. Silence became my way of protecting myself.

Learning About Myself

One of the most impactful learning moments in this course came from watching Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s The Danger of a Single Story. Through this talk, I realized that I had been living within a single story of myself, seeing myself primarily as “the girl with PTSD.” This realization deepened through our discussions of empathy, bias, and othering. I learned that othering is not limited to how we treat people from different cultures or backgrounds; it can also be internal. I had been othering myself.

This insight became especially personal during the Identity and Baby Photo assignment. Looking at a photo of myself as a baby made me feel empathy toward myself in a way I never had before. For the first time, I felt gentleness instead of judgment. This assignment taught me that self-compassion is something that can be learned, and it changed how I view and speak to myself.

What I Will Use in My Academic Life

Academically, this course taught me that learning does not need to be loud, fast, or performative to be meaningful. Early in the semester, spontaneous verbal participation was difficult for me due to anxiety. However, the course design emphasized choice and flexibility, allowing reflection through writing, discussion, and digital tools.

Using Google Docs as a private drafting space helped me organize my thoughts honestly before sharing them. In addition, AI tools supported me when anxiety or brain fog made it hard to articulate ideas. These tools did not replace my thinking; they helped me access it. This experience taught me how to advocate for myself academically while remaining engaged, a skill I will continue to use in future courses.

What I Will Use in My Social Life

Socially, this course reshaped how I understand connection and community. The physical setup of the classroom, with chairs arranged to face one another, encouraged listening and presence rather than performance. Over time, hearing my classmates’ ideas and creative contributions made me feel less isolated.

Listening to peers such as Malak, Nada, and Yasmine reminded me that everyone carries unseen experiences. I learned that meaningful connection does not require oversharing; it requires a sense of safety. This realization has already influenced how I interact with others, making me more patient, empathetic, and open in my relationships.

What I Will Use in My Career

The GCC was the most career-shaping component of the course. Participating in global discussions about AI helped me understand how digital literacy functions beyond the classroom. It also taught me an unexpected lesson about professional representation.

Being in a space with professors and professionals made me realize that confidence is not only about knowledge, but also about understanding professional norms. I learned that being career-ready means being prepared for the room as much as the topic. This insight will shape how I approach networking, conferences, and professional environments in the future.

If I were to show someone my learning from this course, I would choose three pieces of work:

1. The GCC photo Assignment, because it demonstrates how course concepts helped me develop self-awareness and empathy.

2. A Reflective Blog Post, because it shows the evolution of my thinking and my engagement with digital identity and reflection.

3. The AI-Based Game Project, because it reflects how I used AI creatively and ethically to turn lived experience into an interactive learning tool.

Together, these pieces represent both my academic and personal growth throughout the semester.

Reflection on Digital Tools and Technology

Technology played a major role in making learning accessible for me. AI tools such as ChatGPT and Perplexity helped me translate thoughts into words when anxiety made verbal expression difficult, and they supported me during periods of low focus. Google Docs became my safest academic space, allowing honest drafting before public sharing.

Learning about accessibility and copyright, including the meaning of symbols such as ©, ®, and ™, changed how I think about creating and sharing content. I now consider inclusion and ownership in every academic or professional project.
One tool I struggled with was with blog , as the visibility of private annotations felt too exposing for reflective work. Finally, the classroom technology and physical setup itself supported my learning by creating an environment that encouraged comfort and participation.

Reflection on the GCC Experience

The GCC experience was intellectually engaging and personally empowering. It would have been even stronger with clearer guidance on professional expectations, especially regarding dress and networking. Nonetheless, it strengthened my confidence and clarified how I want to present myself in professional spaces.

What I Would Change to Improve the Course

If I could change a few things, I would introduce anonymous digital check-ins for morning activities to support students with anxiety or PTSD. I would also suggest a GCC professionalism or style guide to help students feel more confident in professional settings. Finally, offering more privacy options in tools like Hypothesis could make reflective learning more accessible.

Who Should Take This Course?

This course is for anyone who feels silenced by their own mind but wants to find their voice through digital tools and a learning environment guided by a professor who is genuinely nice, understanding, and supportive.

Conclusion: Leaving with More Than Digital Literacy

I am leaving this course with more than academic knowledge. I am leaving with stronger discipline, greater self-awareness, and practical digital literacy skills that I will carry into my academic and professional life. Dr. Maha Bali did not simply teach digital literacy; she created a space where learning felt safe and human. Through this course, I learned not only how to use digital tools, but also how to show up—for my education, for others, and for myself.