I can honestly say that I have never done as much research for a single class than I have for this one. I am absolutely horrendous at statistics and graphs, so this made the statistical profile assignment extremely frustrating and challenging for me. Although we had an in-class workshop on creating graphs, this was still the biggest hurdle for me. Working not only with online sources but also books – books filled with graphs and charts and facts – is something I don’t often do at all either. It was an interesting experience, but one that was useful and painful at the same time.
The interview project, on the other hand, was an immense amount of fun. I learned so much more by just listening to the anecdotes of people who have lived through experiences I have never been able to truly connect with. By putting myself in someone else’s shoes, and asking questions, and prodding when needed, I learned what I really wanted to learn. And that was a lot. I would love to do another project like this in the future. The personal connections that are created in this form of project are really a beautiful thing, and I believe much more substantial than cold graphs and numbers. The stories that I listened to seemed much more real and appealing that the numbers we crunched. However, I must say that transcribing the interview was a pain in the rear, but also worth it!
