Portfolio: EWB Project - Personal Statement Example

Portfolio 2: EWB Project Name Course Instructor Date Introduction Working on the EWB project was an eye opening experience that introduced me to real life situations where the knowledge acquired in the engineering classes comes in handy. Although improvisations were required at certain stages of the project, the major part of the necessary knowledge was from the learning resources that we were taken through during the course of the study. Throughout the development of the ICT projects in the project area, group work proved useful because the pooling of the learnt information was essential in implementing the project for the reason that there were numerous views and thus being spoilt for choice proved helpful. With the aid of group work, wider points of view were reached and this proved useful because the outcome of the project would affect a wider population (Tindale, Kameda and Hinsz 2006, pp. 1-2). EWB Project Many lessons, most of which will be helpful in the professional environment were learnt from the field project. At the beginning of the semester, I had several expectations, one of which was the anxiety to go out to the field and work on the course project. Equipped with the engineering skills that I had attained during the semester, the expectations were fulfilled because the knowledge and the skills learnt were very helpful. The skills and knowledge were helpful in that we were able to comprehend the basic nature of the project that we were supposed to undertake (U.S Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation 2012, pp. 1-3). Moreover, the essential processes that were required in the accomplishment of the project were made available to us and thus it was easier to work on the project. In portfolio one, there were a number of things that I expected to learn from the undertaking of the project. Some of the things that I outlined included; career development, putting into practice the theoretical aspects of the course that I had learnt, arriving at solutions to human problems and learning the survival tactics while undertaking a project. On career development, the project was very essential because I had a firsthand touch of what was expected of me when I was to be called upon to put to practise what I had attained in class. During the project, I was able to attain knowledge, perceptions, expertise and attitudes that will prove helpful in my future career. Equipped with such knowledge, it will be easier to harness my profession in the way that I want it to work for me (Watts 2011, pp. 2-5). The ICT project enabled me to work and at the same time learn the necessary skills that go with the profession. Towards my career development, I believe that the project has greatly increased my chances of career outlook at the completion of my course. With the project undertaking and with the aid of group work, I was able to attain personal qualities that will enable me be better at my profession because personal discipline was an essential part of the project because it ultimately con tribute to the group outcome. The ICT project has been essential in equipping me with the relevant knowledge and expertise that will be vital when I get immersed in the job market. The project was an opportunity aimed at initiating the expansion and growth of developmental skills that would be indispensable in my entry into the job market (Cadefop 2011, pp. 5-12). The project as an aspect of career development was a great experience because it acted as an opening to the real world where one had to prove their worth to the society through what they had learnt. The success of the installation of the ICT centre insinuated that the group was ready for the professional undertaking because we had what it took to develop the society through the engineering technology that we had gained. Putting into practise the theoretical engineering knowledge was another major experience that the project granted us. Before the project, I used to wonder whether what we used to learn could really be applied in real life situation because it all seemed to be a hoax or a situation where you learned one thing and had to substitute it with another while in the field. While working on the ICT project in the field, the acquired knowledge, skills and processes were necessary in kick-starting the processes that we were to be involved in. It came to our realisation that without the theoretical aspect of the course, it would have been tedious to carry out the processes that were involved in the project because they acted as a manual to the activities that required reference to learnt data. Working on the ICT project and the knowledge that we impacted on those who were to manage the facilities after we handed over the project, were as a result of the theoretical perspectives that the course has impacted on us. The theoretical framework of the course was essential in the sense that one had to be well vast in the engineering approaches in order to carry out practical undertakings whose roots were the engineering theories. While undertaking the project, I learnt that it was essential for one to be fully aware of the theoretical aspect of the course because one had to have its reference in order to appropriately work out the ICT appliances that we were involved in while installing the ICT facilities in the communities that were facing limited financial power. The knowledge made it possible to study the telecommunication structure in the area in order to come up with the relevant software that could adequately serve the areas’ needs. Moreover, it was due to the theoretical knowledge that we were able to determine the problems that these communities were facing and thus came up with a solution structure. The operation, installation and handling of the project material and data were as the theoretical perspectives had stipulated because necessary care was always required while working in the field. By exploring the theoretical knowledge in a practical situation, we were able to clearly relate how theories informed reality and how its application in the field was necessary. Arriving at solutions to human problems was another expectation that I had before embarking on the EWB project. Bossaert (2003, pp. 3-7) asserts that arriving at solutions for human problems is usually an essential aspect of any professional undertaking because such a performance usually transforms into the usefulness of the careers that the society is endowed with. Working on the community ICT project was a satisfactory experience because it enabled me to give back to the society by my involvement in the solving of the communal problem from the theoretical perspectives that I had learnt. My involvement in this project proved the relevance of the course that I was doing to the general community because it enabled me to directly further the call for ICT development and communal empowerment. Equipped with the knowledge, processes and skills that go with the engineering profession, it was a great undertaking whose experiences will be handy in my involvement in other projects that involve the solving of human problems. Installing ICT facilities in an economically challenged environment was an achievement because on completion, the natives could easily connect with the rest of the world by sharing in debates on the social net work. Moreover, through the ICT facilities and the training that they had acquired, they were able to run their own ICT facilities. Moreover, in solving this human issue, the schools too benefitted in the sense that the students could be enrolled into the program so that when they came out, they could adequately manage their own communal resources. After the completion of the ICT project, it proved how effective and how people driven the project had been because it empowered the youth to venture into businesses that economically empowered them, for instance some took up electronic repair classes in order to be able to manage the project and thus eke a livelihood for themselves. This was an experience that I had not anticipated at the beginning of the semester because I never thought that that project was going to be as helpful as it turned out. We knew that it was going to be successful, but not as successful as it later turned out to be. Moreover, another experience learnt from the project, which I had not anticipated was the carrying out of the cost benefit analysis in order to establish the suitability of the project for communal consumption. This aspect was to ensure that the government was lured into supporting the sustenance of the ICT project. Apart from endowing me with the necessary knowledge on working on other forthcoming ICT and engineering projects, the EWB project enabled me to adequately fulfil my expectation of learning how to successfully acquire survival tactics while undertaking project ventures in the field. While undertaking the project task, there were several impediments that had to be overcome in order to ensure a successful completion of the project. Although we had anticipated some of these challenges, it still came as a surprise because we had not experienced them elsewhere. The blockades that rocked our path included; communication barriers while in the process of collecting the necessary data in the implementation of the EWB project and health vulnerabilities for instance polluted water, unavailability of quality meals and unfavourable weather conditions for example extreme temperatures and rain. Learning the survival tactics was an important experience because it acted as an initiation into a field that I was going to operate in upon graduation. Its implications were far reaching because I was going to encounter the same while working on other projects in the future. This experience was important because it gave us the resolve to keep pushing until we realised the goal that we had set on. The huddles appeared as obstacles that had been placed in our way in order to hinder us from achieving the goal that we had set our minds on achieving. The experiences that we went through have far reaching implications on the up and coming groups that will be involved in the projects of similar weight because this will give them an overview of what to expect or plan for in the course of the project undertaking. Learning survival tactics, undergoing a career development undertaking, finding solutions to human problems and putting into practice the theoretical aspect of the course have been informative lessons that the other groups will refer to in preparation for their projects. As stated earlier, the lessons learnt from this project do not end in the field but upon graduation, the cycle will repeat itself because the professional situation will be a duplication of the same processes. For future reference, since we entered the above mentioned problems while in the field, the university should make arrangements on the introduction of a course that introduces the students the problems that they might face in the field and how to overcome them. Moreover, such projects, for instance the ICT project, should be taken more often in order to equip the students with the relevant working experience so that they are easily integrated into the professional environment. I am raising this issue of more projects because before we entered little issues putting the theoretical lessons into practice because it was a first for us. Motivations and barriers for studying at the University Studying engineering this semester has been worthwhile, especially with the project that was involved. Initially, with the project up and coming, I was anxious because I dreaded the ICT project for the reason that the previous students has implanted in us the notion that projects are usually taxing and hard. Moreover, the lectures have been very supportive because were it not for them the theory part that was essential in the field would not have been completed on time to allow its application in the field. I really enjoyed working with my group because as compared to the ones that I had been involved with previously, the current one was willing and ready to work together in order to ensure the individual progress of each one of us. In addition, the university made everything much easier by availing the learning materials and aids that had been lacking for a while, for instance, the engineering section in the library was stocked with texts that were essential but expensive and not easily available on the market. The only major difficulty that I encountered this semester were the programming language classes because as compared to previous classes, the language that we studied was a new one and in this regard, we were the first group to attempt it. With no previous material or notes to refer to, it was hard to comprehend the basic tenets and functionalities of the language. But with time, I got around the problem with the help of my group members. Initially, I did not prefer taking engineering as a study course because the perception that it was hard had overridden the course itself. So far, the course is doing well because I managed to overcome the misconceived constructions that the society had sewn regarding engineering studies. With the availability of learning resources, the course is neither going to get easier nor hard, but it will entirely depend on my individual input in ensuring that I am upbeat. With the huge amount of work that we had, my major problem was personal management with reference to personal time management. I often studied late into the night in order to meet the course expectations only to arise late for my morning lectures. I often missed the major part of my morning lessons because I never heard the alarm. The entire experiences were taxing because there were notes to copy, read through and understand without the lecturer’s help and then sit for examinations that I had not adequately studied for. Since the work kept on pilling, I almost gave up on engineering. If a similar problem arises again, I will go for group work because I realised that it works best for me than personal study. With group work, I found out that the different views that we often discussed were easier to relate to than when I spend the entire night studying alone. My team’s functioning and performance For a start, in order to ensure an effective and efficient team, every member was supposed to carry out a self analysis process in order to be endowed with the necessary qualities to be able to point out the flaws in the other team member’s mannerisms. This was an important aspect of the group because the actions of one member spoke volumes about the entire group. To ensure cooperation, penalties were set for those who failed to adhere to the precepts that had been laid down by the group. Time management was an essential aspect of the group and thus timely delivery of individual assignment for group review was highly valued. Moreover, with the certainty that together we are more creative than as individuals, we have vowed to remain self motivated in the attainment of our academic goals and objectives (Tarricone and Luca 2010, pp. 640-642). The team functions next to an ideal team because all the presentations are usually expected back fully researched and presented in a manner that every group member will find it easier to comprehend. Equipped with the fact that members will be awarded points based on their contributions to the group, the group members are always ready to deliver in order not to appear as the weaker one in the setting and thus this acts as a point of motivation for group success. Equipped with Kennedy and Nilson’s (2008, pp. 4-6) view that individuals can only attach value to themselves in all that they do if they do it as a group, my group has established discipline as a core tenet of team character development, an attribute that ensures each member knows the group’s expectation of them. Founded on discipline, both the group members are the group leaders understand that respect is two way and without it, the group will be plunged in chaos and all that we have been working for will be lost in a wink. To ensure this, procedural rules and regulations have been set in place to ensure that the remedies are well outlined and thus decision making processes are never disputed. Lastly, of great importance to the group are open avenues of communication so that it is easier to raise issues and effectively get a satisfactory feedback. References Bossaert, D, 2003, Career Development as an Effective Tool to Enhance the Attractiveness of Public Employment. Survey for the 40th Meeting of the Directors of the Public Service of the Member States of the European Union. Retrieved 8/5/2013 http://www.dgaep.gov.pt/media/0601010000/grecia/SURVEY_ON_CAREER.pdf Cadefop, 2011, Career Development at Work: A Review of Career Guidance to Support People in Employment. Retrieved 8/5/2013 from http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/Files/5183_EN.PDF Kennedy, F, & Nilson’s, L, 2008, Successful Strategies for Teams: Team Member Handbook. Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation, Clemson University: South Carolina. Retrieved 8/5/2013 from http://www.clemson.edu/OTEI/documents/teamwork-handbook.pdf Tarricone, P & Luca, J, 2010, Successful Teamwork: A Case Study. Retrieved 8/5/2013 from http://www.deakin.edu.au/itl/assets/resources/pd/tl-modules/teaching-approach/group- assignments/case-studies/case-study-edith-cowan-university.pdf Tindale, S, Kameda, T & Hinsz, V, 2006, Group Decision Making. Retrieved 8/5/2013 from http://lynx.let.hokudai.ac.jp/~kameda/SageGDMchaptfinal.pdf U.S Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation, 2012, An Introduction to Project Management. Managing Water in the West. Retrieved 8/5/2013 from http://www.usbr.gov/excellence/Finals/FinalIntroPM.pdf Watts, A,G, 2011, Career Development, Learning and Employability. Learning and Employability Series Two. Retrieved 8/5/2013 from http://aces.shu.ac.uk/employability/resources/id592_career_development_learning_and_e mployability.pdf Read More