Halfway Reflection

1) Tenaciousness is a competency. What are the behaviors that you have used (or developed) to keep up with the requirements of this course?

I had to sacrifice some of the things I used to do with my free time, to make sure I was concentrated and organizing my time effectively, and to be able to comply with the course work for all the classes I’m taking. I had to allocate enough time for the lectures and activities, and make sure I was always right on schedule. Apart from time management, I’ve also learned to get out of my comfort zone and “put myself out there”, since this course requires for you to approach people, engage with them and keep pushing your idea until someone says “yes”.

2) Tenaciousness is also about attitude. Talk about a moment or two when you felt like "giving up." What pulled you through? Do you feel like you've developed a tenacious attitude during the past two months? What experience or experiences most contributed to this?

Mostly the reminder of how hard I worked to get into this school, and how lucky I am for it, is my main fuel that keeps me going. Also seeing how proud my family is of my achievements and how they notice I’ve become a more responsible, hardworking student.

There have been so many times in the past few months when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore. It was really hard to adapt to the UF intensity in all my classes, and there were times when I thought about dropping out or transferring back to community college cause it was “easier”, but every time I thought about the effort I put into sustaining high grades to get in, and also how rewarding the payoff will be after my learning experience in this university. It is that feeling that I must go through the difficult times and pull through, because I know that once I’m done, I will achieve amazing things.

3) Three tips. What are three tips you would offer next semester's student about (1) fostering the skills that support tenacity and (2) developing the 'tenacious mindset'?

·      Invest in a good planner. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a planner, calendar or even a good bullet point list where you can organize the important assignments, activities and exams coming up. Learning to organize your time is KEY. Make it part of your routine, and it will become easier.

·      Don’t take no for an answer. Be polite about it, but if you can change somebody’s mind once they have rejected you for an internship, a job interview, or even if you’re pitching a business idea to them, ask to receive feedback, and remind them to keep you in mind for the future. Making a good impression goes a long way, and sometimes it just takes a little extra push.

·      Be optimistic and try to have a positive attitude. Things don’t always go the way we plan. Some days can be stressful, and after a bad grade, a problem at school, or a harsh criticism of your work, you can get discouraged. Don’t, having a positive attitude is key! You have to learn how to take the punch, get up, brush off the dust, and move on. I know it’s easier said than done but remember that there is an endless number of doors to knock on, and if you keep knocking and knocking in all of them, eventually one will open. Make sure the first time they see once they open that door, is a big smile.