1. Cognitive and Intellectual learning: What I have learned

Going into the Global Media systems course, I honestly did not know what to expect at first. As someone who has mainly been taking design courses and is constantly consumed by artwork and projects, I thought this course would mostly be about media and how it connects to my major. I specifically chose it because of the media integration aspect, which I thought would be beneficial for me as a graphic design student. However, as we started having classes, I realized that the course was teaching me things that went beyond what I expected. My experiences have changed a lot, not just in class but in how I look at things outside of class. 

One of the biggest concepts that stuck with me throughout this course is the idea of a single story, which we learned about through Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk, the danger of a single story Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on The danger of a single story (video). It made me realize that people are much more than what we hear about them or what we see from the outside. Everyone has experiences that contribute to their identity, but we do not always get to see or understand all of them. Sometimes, we hear one thing about a person or a group and start believing that this is their entire story without considering what else might be there. 

One of my favorite assignments we have done so far, and what felt most personal to me, was when we had to analyze the single story of something we had read or watched. I chose The Fault in Our Stars because I grew up reading the book and watching the movie, so it was something I already felt connected to. When I first read it, I remember feeling sad for Hazel and Augustus and everything they had to go through. However, I never really thought about the deeper meaning of the story or how it connected to the way I understood people living with cancer. 

Before analyzing it, I mostly associated  cancer with sadness, hospitals, and suffering. I think I had a limited understanding of what it actually meant to live with an illness like that because I mainly focused on the difficult parts of their lives. What I realized was that Hazel and Augustus were not just people with cancer. They had their own personalities, humor, friendships, relationships, fears, and dreams. They wanted to experience life like anyone else, and their illness was only one part of who they were. This made me connect the story to Adichie’s idea because I realized that I had been looking at people without serious illnesses through one limited perspective without really thinking about the rest of their lives. 

It also made me think about how books and movies can influence the way we see people. Sometimes, a character is represented mainly through suffering, and we start associating an entire group of people with that one experience. Even though I had known this story for years, analyzing it through the idea of a single story made me see it differently. It showed me that sometimes we can be familiar with something without fully understanding its meaning.

Another activity that stood out to me was when we had different words written on boards, including ableism, and we had to write down what we thought about them. I found this interesting because it made me think about how we understand words connected to discrimination and whether we actually understand their meaning beyond the word itself. Ableism made me think about how people with disabilities can be judged, excluded, or treated differently because of their abilites. It also made me realize that discrimination is not always something obvious. Sometimes. It comes from assumptions about what someone can or cannot do, or from the way society expects everyone to function in the same way.

This activity also helped me understand how ableism connects to bias because when we make assumptions about someone based on their abilities or differences, we might unintentionally treat them as if they do not belong or cannot participate in the same way as everyone else. This made me think about how discrimination can happen even when someone does not necessarily intend to hurt another person. It also helped me understand why equity matters, because treating everyone fairly does not always mean treating everyone exactly the same. I have also started understanding the importance of empathy, not just feeling sorry for someone, but actually trying to understand their experiences instead of assuming that I already know what they are going through. We can never fully understand someone just by looking at one part of their identity or hearing one thing about their life.

Another thing I appreciate about this course is the activities we do every morning. At first, I thought they were mainly about socializing and getting to know one another, but I gradually realized that they have a purpose beyond just the fun of it. They allow us to share how we feel, talk about our experiences, and get to know one another in ways that we probably would not through normal conversations. At the same time, they make me think about how much of our personal lives we are comfortable sharing and how we can be open while still having boundaries.

I also really like how we annotate the readings and have the 2 minute reflections at the end of class. I feel like these reflections help me remember what we have done throughout the day instead of leaving class and forgetting about everything we discussed. They give me a chance to think about what stood out to me and how I can connect it to my own life.

Even though I feel like I have learned a lot, I still have concerns. How do we recognize our own biases when we do not even realize that we have them? How can we tell when the media is showing us an incomplete story about a person or a culture? I also wonder how people from different backgrounds can look at the same situation and understand it in completely different ways. 

2.Intrapersonal Learning: What I have learned about myself

One thing I have realized about myself throughout this course is that sometimes I can think I understand something simply because I am familiar with it. This is exactly what happened in the Fault in Our Stars. I had read and watched it before, and because I already knew the story, I never really questioned how it influenced the way I viewed people with cancer. It was only when I had to analyze it for the assignment that I started looking at it differently. This made me realize that there are probably other things I believe I understand but have never really taken the time to question.

I think I need to be more aware of how easy it is to believe that we are being fair to everyone without questioning our own thinking. It made me wonder whether there are situations where I have made assumptions about something without realizing it. I do not think learning about bias means that we suddenly stop having assumptions, but I think it means becoming more aware of them and being willing to question them when we notice them.

I have also started thinking more about how my own background and experiences affect the way I see the world. I know that the way I grew up, the people I have been surrounded by, and the media I consume all influence my perspective. Before this course, I did not always stop to think about these things. I would usually stop to think about these things. I would usually form an opinion based on what I knew. Now, I am more aware that what I know might only be part of the picture.

As a graphic design student, I am used to looking at images, colors, and visual communication, but this course has made me think more about the messages behind what we see. I have started paying more attention to how people are represented and whether the images and stories we consume give us a complete understanding of them. I find this interesting because it connects to my major in a way I did not expect. Design for me is not only about making something look good; it is also about communicating ideas, and those ideas can influence how people understand others.

The morning activities have also made me think about how I present myself to people. I have realized that getting to know someone takes time, and that sharing personal experiences can help people connect, but everyone has their own limits. I think learning to respect these boundaries is just as important as being willing to open up. For example, I used to be in groups where I would feel comfortable in because I have my friends in this class, however when I was forced to get to know other people, I felt like I got out of a bubble I was stuck in. So I learned that I should get out of my comfort zone even if it feels scary at first. But time changes everything and I feel like I got to know each of my classmates better and not feel shy anymore. However, I still have questions about myself. I wonder how much of my perspective comes from my own experiences and how much comes from the environment I grew up in. I also wonder whether I sometimes make assumptions without noticing them, especially when I am unfamiliar with something.

From living my whole life in Egypt, I know that my cultural background will be part of how I see and discuss different issues during Soliya. I am interested in learning how people from other cultures perceive my background and whether their understanding of Egypt is different from my own experience of living here. I also want to recognize that I cannot represent every Egyptian or speak for everyone. I hope that listening to others will help me understand myself better and make me more aware of the assumptions I might carry without realizing it.

3. Interpersonal learning; how I interact with others

Throughout this course, I started to realize that interacting with people is not just about being friendly or having a conversation. It is also about how we listen, how we respond, and whether we are actually willing to understand someone else’s perspective. I think it is easy to assume that we understand someone based on a small part of their identity, but the idea of a single story has made me realize how unfair that can be.

Another thing I found interesting was how we completed some assignments through blog posts, where we had to share our thoughts, come up with a title, and choose an image to illustrate our idea. As a graphic design student, I enjoyed the creative aspect, but it also made me think about how the way we present an idea can influence how others understand it. An image might communicate a message, but it can also leave things out or encourage people to see something from only one perspective.

 I also liked that we were sharing our own interpretation rather than simply repeating information. It made me realize that our opinions are influenced by our experiences and the things we have been exposed to, even when we do not notice it. I think it is important to remember during Soliya because I want to understand why people see things differently from me, while also questioning the assumptions behind my own opinions. I do not expect to agree with everyone, but I want to learn how to express what I believe without assuming that my perspective is the only way to understand an issue.

For me, being a good global citizen means understanding that the world is much bigger than my own experiences and that I have a responsibility to learn about what happens beyond my immediate surroundings. I still wonder how we can stand up against discrimination and injustice when they do not directly affect us personally. Through Soliya, I hope to learn how to communicate with people from different cultures, understand perspectives that challenge my own, and become more aware of how my words and actions can affect others. I want to learn how to disagree respectfully without dismissing someone’s experiences and how to turn empathy into something I actually practice in my everyday life.

4. Discussing Palestine and the Middle East during Soliya

I think that if Palestine or the current war involving Iran and the wider Middle East comes up during Soliya, it could be one of the most challenging parts of the experience. These are not just topics that people talk about in the news. They can be connected to peoples identities, families, safety, and personal experiences. Because of this, I would expect people to have strong feelings and different perspectives about what is happening.

If I were able to direct the discussion, I would want everyone to feel that they could speak honestly without being judged or attacked personally. I would encourage people to explain why they think the way they do and to listen to others before immediately responding. I would also want the discussion to go beyond what people see on social media or in the news and allow them to understand the human experiences behind the issue.

I would not want the discussion to become an argument where everyone is only trying to prove that they are right. Instead, I would want people to question their assumptions and understand why others might see the situation differently.