Blog Post #3

The JPL project was an extremely fun challenge. Looking back, I would say my group's overall dynamic was very good which helped the teams we broke into work effectively. Building and testing the device went quite well, and we collected strong data that theoretically should have showcased a much stronger performance. If I remember correctly we had around five runs that either yielded a perfect run or were close to it. The device seemed to be working very well and it was rather consistent. However, during the actual competition, we had a far-from-flawless run. I am still a little frustrated with the results and how to challenge itself was conducted at the competition but that is in the past. I found comfort in the fact we made our device from the original thought. Which to me is far more important than winning the competition.

In terms of what could have gone better, as I mentioned, our performance at the competition could have been stronger but regarding group work, I don't have much o comment on. I will admit that we got off to a rocky start, and perhaps we needed better organization when we first started the project. I found that many people were contributing somewhat minimal effort towards the research document because everyone simply wanted to be building. However, as time went on and we split into groups everyone collaborated far more effectively. Group members helped one another while completing their portion as well and things ran smoothly.

I would say the only major thing I would change is trying to get off to a stronger more organized start. I think there needed to be more communication, in the beginning, to determine roles and expectations from each other. For example, when we first chose who would complete each part of the project it was very chaotic and disorganized. Which I believe led to the rocky start we had. In the capstone project, I want to have a more organized start and stronger communication early on.

A piece of advice I would give myself is to enjoy every part of the capstone project. I find myself stressing about projects a lot and end up missing the part that's enjoyable about these projects. I found myself doing that very thing when we first started JPL, as I was so stressed about finishing the document I was not able to enjoy the project. I know I need to be on task, but I need to allow myself to enjoy the experience. I am lucky to be a part of a program that allows me to take part in activities such as the JPL and soon-to-be capstone project. I want to enjoy every part of the process this time around.