When we first started as a class, I really didn’t know what to expect. Will this be a generic writing class, will we be doing photoshop mainly, or is this a radio show/broadcast-type ordeal?

What I got was a wonderful “happy little accident” 😉

It was honestly extremely challenging – I enjoyed learning how to navigate the different mediums and I am actually very grateful that I can at least throw together a project at a whims notice if I wanted to later in life. Now I’m not completely lost when I’m watching something going- man, I wonder how they did that or if I can even do it.

I now know the answer is always yes – it just may take a long time to complete.

I’d be lying to you if I said that sometimes I didn’t curse like a sailor when I had just gotten done with grueling Neuro and Psych classes and now I had to spend another six hours in front of my computer editing while I watched everyone else partying and having fun. Honestly, though, that shit can wait- I’m more proud of the fact that I took an academic challenge that was most importantly something out of my comfort zone and I CRUSHED it.

Not once did I shy away, and I know I’m not making things you’d pay thousands of dollars for- but that’s not my paygrade now, is it? I still think for an amateur I did pretty well this semester – especially considering the amount of time I’ve had to practice.

My favorite assignment was probably the radio show for this reason. I sat there for HOURS tweaking every little thing about the audio for that show- to the point where I started to hear minute decibel changes between lines. However, once it was all said and done I had a plethera of new skills under my audio-editing tool belt and everyone in the class loved it!

Something that DS106 has taught me is that we are all in the same boat more than we think we are. Some weeks are better for some than others – but having us all here and knowing that we could bitch and moan to each other and ask for advice was honestly really comforting. Being thrown into the deep end as a collective and having to navigate our way through it is something beautiful missing from a lot of classes today.

Trust me, I have had my fair share of classes where everyone is in the “deep end” cause its the most rigourous academia we’ve had to deal with in years – but that’s not the same as this.

This questioned our skill sets more than our ability to regurgitate factoids on a piece of paper. We all had to sit there- no matter the background- and try and cover a common ground. It was a beautiful breath of fresh air to be able to have some freedom in a class- let alone creative freedom.

The idea of being in this together was also beautiful in that I got to watch all of my fellow DS106 members learn and grow right alongside me.

Thinking back to the video we watched week one of class of former students explaining what they liked and what to look out for in DS106 makes me giggle- they could not have been more right.

To my surprise, I really think I’m going to miss DS106. No offense, Bond!

I knew that I had a chance to become very interested into the class because while I may not have the skillset I desire, I have an appreciation for creation through all mediums- so I was ready to give it a shot. However, I didn’t think I’d get sucked into this as hard as I have.

Thank you all for a wonderful year and for all the feedback and inspiration for my projects. Hopefully, this isn’t the end of us sharing stuff with each other.

Holy shit we made it to the end….

Guess that’s our last official DS106 happy little accident.