Over the course of the semester, I have gained new outlooks on things that I wouldn’t have without this class. Here is a list of some of the few most important ones to me:
- The Environment ≠ climate change: Just because the main focus on the environment today is all about climate change, does not mean there aren’t other issues to address. We have to look at the small things that bring about these big issues in order to make changes. We can’t create a new ozone layer, but we can change the habits that we do in order to make the current one better.
- Creativity can be learned: Before this class I thought you were either creative or your weren’t. I didn’t realize that just like almost any other skill creativity can be taught. I went into the class thinking that I would use the skills I already had and not really bring anything new to the table, but I was wrong. Through the design thinking process, mainly prototyping, I realized just how creative I can be. I just needed the push and someone to say “hey, you need to make something new and novel” to get my wheels turning.
- Being a leader can mean many things: Through the course of taking many business school classes, I had come to the conclusion that a leader is the loudest person in a group with the most opinions. However, after taking this class I have realized that leaders come in all shapes and sizes. Being a leader can mean that you have a great idea and are trying to implement it for the greater good of other people. It can mean that you listen to everyone else’s ideas before speaking. It can mean that you spend extra time and effort in a project you are really passionate about. The list goes on and on, but my main takeaway is that I don’t always have to be the strongest personality in a group to be a leader or have good ideas.
- Each person can make a difference: Most people think that it takes a really big change on a large scale to make a difference. I have now come to realize that I can make a difference just by making small adjustments in my everyday life. I don’t have to wait for a big corporations to introduce a new sustainable idea to implement sustainable habits in my own life. I can start incorporating them right now.
- The world IS getting better: If you look at any news source you would be lead to believe the world is falling apart. However, the world is on the up and up! I’ve learned that even though most of the news we see or are presented is bad or about climate change, not everything is falling apart. Companies and individuals are taking steps to be more environmentally conscious every day.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this class and will be taking the things I learned into my post-grad life.