The honours programme

The honors program is a curriculum we enrolled in to grow both personally and professionally. The timeline provides an overview of our learning and professional development activities, but behind the honors program, there is also a significant social aspect that is sometimes overlooked.

At the beginning of the program, we started getting to know each other. When I first entered the class, I knew no one except for two faces I had seen before in school. Initially, this was quite challenging, as almost everyone seemed to know who they were with and already had a connection. I felt like this period was something to endure. This feeling was reinforced by the image of the previous group, which, in my opinion, had a great sense of camaraderie. However, we often only see the positive side of others.

It was reassuring that in the first few weeks, we had many introductory assignments, contributing to a sense of safety. An important moment was when Yanthe asked me to collaborate on an assignment from Catya. This surprised and pleased me because I didn't feel confident enough to approach others myself. This showed that my initial judgment is not always accurate.

As a team, we actively worked on strengthening group cohesion through activities such as bowling and afternoon drinks. Despite these efforts, a certain division emerged in the group. This changed during a night out in week 6 when I realized that we were not doing this alone. Group bonding became stronger.

In week 5, the buddies were announced, and Jonas became my buddy. Although I initially didn't understand why we were paired, it turned out to be a golden move. We benefited a lot from each other and had a great time together.

In the first weeks, we indicated preferences for roles in the team, with PR being my first choice to improve my skills in approaching people. This became my assigned role.

As we progressed in the honors program, the split in the group became more evident in week 6. We felt that we would never come together as a unified whole. This tension reached a peak during Nick's presentation. While it is true that evaluation and feedback are necessary for progress, the way this presentation was conducted could have been improved.

A more constructive approach would have been to facilitate an open dialogue. It was evident that not everyone was present, creating a sense of injustice because not everyone had the opportunity to defend themselves or provide feedback. A better approach would have been to organize a meeting where all stakeholders were present. This would have provided a safe environment for everyone to share their perspective and express any concerns. An open discussion with the entire team would not only have contributed to a better understanding of each other's viewpoints but also to creating a more collaborative and supportive atmosphere.

I believe it is crucial to ensure fairness in giving feedback and making decisions that affect the entire group. This contributes to a positive and healthy group dynamic, which is essential for the success of any team project.

Nevertheless, I was glad that Jonas joined the PR team, and despite negative feedback, I learned that being open to feedback and maintaining a positive attitude are crucial for personal growth. The group split only diminished just before the conference, where we finally worked as one team. Despite my initial expectation of going through this alone, I made friends and had a lot of fun. I learned not to judge quickly and to be open to people and feedback because valuable learning moments and growth come from it.