Thesis 1: Midpoint Review Recap

It felt really good getting back to work on my thesis this week. The start of school is a nice change. Wrapping up last semester was tough for me. I didn't receive a passing grade for my first semester and therefore, I needed to retake the class. To be honest, I was extremely bummed at first. It meant pushing my graduation out another semester. I felt defeated and down. However, over the summer, I came to realize that it might have been a blessing in disguise. Now, understand that I am almost always the Pollyanna or optimist in my trials, and this time wasn't any different. I thought of a few silver linings.

First silver lining: I will be able to pare down the number of classes per semester. Instead of the overwhelming previous plan of three classes per semester until graduation, I will now be able to pare it down to two classes a semester, with possibly only one next spring and one in the summer, and then two in the fall of next year. This will greatly reduce my stress and anxiety, and hopefully, that will show in my work.

Second silver lining: I now have an entire semester more of experience for my thesis. However, this might raise the expectations from my teachers, which could be either good or bad. I am able to look at my thesis in a clearer light with a full semester of exploration done.

Third silver lining: My assignments this semester could be completed faster because much of the content has already been thought through. Just the new designs and various wording will need to be completed.

Fourth silver lining: My content will become more polished because I can take the time to review my materials thoroughly.

Overall, one setback has turned into four blessings. My project isn't perfect, but I believe retaking this class is just what my project needs.

In gearing up to turn in my first assignment, I reviewed and edited my Contract, Gantt Chart, Materials Matrix, and DS chart. One thing I pondered on this summer was a suggestion from one of my teachers: I needed to narrow down my demographic. I was covering too broad of a scope. I added guerrilla marketing as the mode of marketing. I believe adding guerrilla marketing will provide deeper insights into the success metrics of my project, especially the case study.

Next week, I'll wait for feedback to see if my contract is approved. After that, I'll move on to the initial branding phase of my thesis.