Looking Back: Key Takeaways from My Digital Media Journey

ramyrahman2
Apr 22
2 min read

I find myself reflecting on my new gained digital media skills and the projects that challenged me to grow into a creative individual with a love for nostalgia. This course has been quite the journey—sometimes frustrating, often rewarding, and consistently pushing me beyond my comfort zone which I loved.

The Humbling Experiences

I never thought a certificate test would become such a pivotal moment in my academic career. The 'Indiana University plagiarism test' was a humbling experience in a multitude of ways I didn't expect. Going in with confidence originally along with a 'this wont take long' mindset led me to quickly realize I was second-guessing distinctions between paraphrasing and plagiarism that I thought I understood perfectly. What made this assignment memorable wasn't just its difficulty but how it altered my approach to writing. After multiple attempts/close attention to nuanced details I was finally able to earn that certificate—and most importantly, developed a heightened awareness that has improved every paper I've written since. The test taught me to treat citation as an ethical practice central to academic integrity; its a must, what initially felt like an obstacle became one of the most valuable skills I've gained this semester.

Digital Disaster to Website Wonder

With eyes now focused on the Wix website let me tell my story, it first began as a very complicated one, those very first few weeks of website creation were honestly disheartening(due to my lack of experience; as a person who was very new to websites and letting my creativity flow it took some time) leading to bad navigation elements, awkward spacing, and a color scheme I can only describe as horrific. I remember staring at my early drafts thinking in my noggin 'who would ever visit this eyesore?'; but something great happened as the weeks progressed, I gained new found insights on website creation; each new assignment pushed me to explore different features, and slowly, my 'Early Internet Nostalgia' website transformed from something I was embarrassed by into a project I'm proud to share with all four corners of the globe. What made this experience so truly memorable isn't just the end product but rather the evolution from frustration to 100% confidence ♡⸜(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⸝♡.

Finding My Voice Through Podcast Creation

Creating my 'Remembering the Golden Age of the Internet' full podcast was easily the most personally meaningful project of the semester since I allowed emotion to carry it from start to finish. There was something powerful about using my voice to express ideas I care deeply about; speaking passionately about midnight game releases and pre-algorithm YouTube while incorporating sound elements created an entirely different connection to the material for me. These three experiences stand out because they've changed my approach to communication overall alongside providing me with the necessary tools I need to create and express my love/interests.

Thank you!

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