When I first looked at the syllabus for the course, I felt like it was very clear and well done. It covered the usual things you expect, like class expectations, grading, assignments, and deadlines, which made it easy for me to understand what the course will look like. Still, what stood out to me the most were the projects we will be doing throughout the semester. Some of them seemed really creative and different from what I am used to, especially the Digital Community Ethnography and the Visual Social Analysis assignments. Those caught my attention right away because they are not the typical kind of projects I’ve done before, and I feel like they will give me the chance to be more creative while also learning new skills. I liked that the syllabus not only explained the rules but also gave me an idea of the work we’ll do to think in new ways and connect about real social issues. It showed me that this class won’t just be about writing essays, but also about trying out new ideas through projects that at least for me seem a bit more complex but at the same time very fun and meaningful.

Now talking about observations on any certain group, I have learned a decent amount of things about the Amish people through videos and documentaries, and even though I have never seen them in person, I was able to discover a lot about their culture, their way of living, and their traditions. As for now, I do not engage with a specific community by my own, but something similar is my college experience, where I meet many people from different places and being around them gives me the chance to share and also learn from their cultures and things they like to do.

As for the first day of class, my first impression was that this course is definitely going to be more challenging compared to what I am used to, but in a good way. Ms. Harris gave us a warm welcome and made the classroom feel comfortable and open, which helped take away some of the nervousness I had walking in. My main objective in this course is to improve my writing and reading skills by working on the weaknesses that I know I have. With all the experiences I gain from this class, I want to become better at expressing my ideas clearly and hopefully with more confidence. I believe the assignments and projects will push me to practice more, and in the end, this will support me to grow as a student and be a helpful tool in my path as an economics undergraduate.