The Journey — Questions & Challenges
One of the major questions that I had before the start of the class was if I had the ability to succeed in this class. I negated the doubt that I had by partaking more in discussions and contributing to the discussions in class. One Challenge that I had at the start was my public speaking ability. I had doubts about my ability to think on the spot, but by volunteering and speaking up, I gained confidence in my ability to speak publicly.
I learned that by confronting your fears in a healthy way, either by challenging yourself or by facing your fears head-on, you can achieve anything. I learned that I shouldn't be limited by the labels that I place on myself: instead, I should focus on what I can do, how I can do it, and perform self-reflection after an activity.
The Turning Point
The turning point for me was when we performed the Civic Debate in class. It was a major turning point for me because I had never participated in a debate, even though it was a pseudo-debate, and it was a pleasure to announce my ideas in class and to show not only others, but also myself, the critical thinking abilities that I had gained in class.