Cumulative Reflection

A look back on my time at Iowa State University.

Prior to attending ISU, I did not have a grasp on how to solve problems
in a systematic way. Iowa State prepared me by giving me
opportunities to break down larger problems into smaller parts. I have
been able to work within small teams and large teams, as well as work
by myself. The many classes offered at Iowa State allowed me to study
various electrical components and their characteristics, the physical
and mathematical properties to understand those components better,
and how to be resourceful when I come across something confusing.
Most of my resources were the class textbook, my classmates, or the
teacher. In a few specific situations, I would look to scientific journals or
the campus library. I took a class on semiconductors, called EE 332,
which required a technical paper on the semiconductor properties of
any Light Emitting Diode (LED) operation. My team used multiple
journals to help explain our technical paper. These journals had
comprehensive views of how to fabricate and analyze a white LED.
Another class required me to consult the departments Electronics
Technician about my final Electric Circuits project. For the majority of
my team projects, I would use my partners as resources to bounce
ideas around. I found it very rewarding to learn how to communicate in
teams.
My personal experiences and opportunities have taught me
cooperation and compromise while working in a team environment.
There are many lab-oriented courses in which lab work is done through
partnerships. I learned how to delegate responsibilities, understand
differences, enable strengths as well as treat weaknesses, and
ultimately reach a result. Similar situations involved writing large
papers with more than one contributor. However the paper is much
easier to finish, the voice of the paper gets lost among multiple people.
From those assignments, I decided to take on editor roles and
compressed the paper into one voice. Other team environments, such
as leadership roles within an ISU club called Digital Women, quickly
taught me to be organized. It is also very important to communicate
common goals, and discuss possible outcomes with the rest of the
executive board. This specific opportunity taught me the impact I can
make; I am proud of the club and what it has become. Along with
Digital Women, my senior design project exposed me to decision

making. When brainstorming a solution to a specific problem, one has

to be ethical while considering all outcomes. I found that ethics should
never be overlooked, especially when the solution involves a global or
societal impact.
Looking back, I wish I had done a few things differently. Project may
have not been as stressful had responsibilities been separated early on
in the project timeline. This only seemed to be a consequence when a
team member did not communicate well. Furthermore, I wish some of
my projects had taken more risks; I do not remember feeling unsure
about the projects goals. When the deadline of a project came around,
I was almost always certain it would be completed to the requirements.
As for general assignments and class notes, I feel I could have
absorbed more information had I used Cornell Notes; this method
involves headings, details, and summaries for each chapter if not
notebook page. I know that I studied well, but something tells me I
would appreciate looking back at a more outlined set of notes.