Artifact - HONORS 101 Reflection

This reflection helped me to look at my journey over these past few months and see just how far I've come. While I still have a lot to learn, I feel that I have grown a lot as both a student and an individual.

During this quarter, both my academic and personal skills have grown immensely. This is a combination of needing to adapt to an online and remote learning environment, as well as the increased academic rigor and more open schedule of college.

Remote learning in high school was relatively easy for me because the classes had a severely reduced workload and I already knew how to succeed. However, in college, a concrete understanding of the subject matter is essential to success. You can no longer simply attend class, complete assignments, study for an hour the night before the test, and expect to get an A in the class. You must be engaged with the class and the subject material itself, actively listening during lectures, studying days before the test instead of hours, and fully opening your mind to take in what you learn. However, this kind of engagement can be hard with online learning, as without being physically present, there is much less personal connection, and one finds themself somewhat removed from the traditional learning environment.

I felt this degree of removal in several ways. I felt it when I experienced a general lack of motivation to do my work – without being on campus and attending class in-person daily, it was hard at times to see what I was doing all this work for, what I was working towards. I suspect that this was not a feeling that only I experienced. I also felt it when I was waking up late, eating breakfast at lunchtime, and staying up far too late. In high school, I had a definitive start and end time for school every weekday. In college, this boundary between when school starts and ends is much blurrier. Without this template to structure my day around, my schedule and daily habits begin to fall apart.

To fight this feeling of removal, I began to take steps to actively combat it. I met with students on Zoom outside of class to work on homework. I went to my professor’s office hours. I joined a club that I was passionate about. All of these were tools that I could use to make the best of the situation I was dealt, to make my own college environment even when there was none.

My goals have changed somewhat during this first quarter, both in the short term and the long term. Before this quarter, I was unsure why I was joining the Honors Program. I knew that it was interdisciplinary and had a very tight-knit community, but other than that, I did not know much else. Now, after hearing the inspiring words of the speakers at the Global Challenges event, I can say why. I want to make a difference in the world, and I feel that the Honors Program will make me better suited to do that.

While my interest in technology was the main reason that I pursued an engineering major, I have always wanted to use this interest to help benefit humanity. However, I always thought deep down that this was a far-off dream, that I would most likely end up in a career at a large company like all other engineers. But after hearing the work that the speakers in my ENGR 101 class did, I realized that this dream might not be so far-off. The UW has many opportunities available, from clubs to research to minors. At the UW, I want to actively seek out opportunities that will allow me to get closer to these goals. In the short term, I want to continue my research at the Makeability lab, while putting more thought and meaning into my work. Research at a lab is one of the ways through which I feel that I can make a difference. I Arjun Simha also want to join a competitive club, so that I can truly push myself and test out the skills that I have learned and develop new ones.

Going into this quarter, I was not sure if I wanted to pursue Electrical or Computer Engineering, but after realizing that EE offered far more career paths and flexibility, I feel that it is the right choice for me. I have a relatively new interest in automotive engineering and combined with my interest in combatting climate change, I think I could make a meaningful impact in that field. Additionally, I have a strong interest in industrial design that I want to explore. While minor options in design are limited, I would like to explore the possibility of becoming more involved in the field of design.

Overall, this quarter has allowed me to settle into college and develop essential skills that will allow me to succeed. I still have much to learn but I know that I am on the right path!