Surprisingly, I didn't mind being at home during the earlier stages of the pandemic. Because I lived thirty minutes away from my high school, I figured it would give me more time to focus on school and save me the time it would take me to get to and from school. I also lived close to my pals, so I didn't have to worry about missing out on their company.

  This is the mindset that allowed me to do the exact opposite of what I desired or thought living at home would allow me to do. Because I was at home and engaged in remote learning, it was tough for me to concentrate because I could easily check my phone throughout class and no one would question me. I was messaging all of my pals during class, and zooming didn't help because my teachers didn't always require our cameras to be turned on. Even if they did, making an excuse for why our cameras weren't working or we were having "wifi connection problems" was simple. In terms of motivation, I believe that being in a classroom offered the appropriate setting for me because I was surrounded by my classmates. I believe that having a teacher present the facts in front of me also helped to gauge my attention.

  This institution, in my experience, does a wonderful job at mingling students through AggieLife and other on-campus organizations. Since we are on a UC campus, I believe that smaller class sizes for rigorous classes like chemistry, biology, and math would be beneficial during lectures because it allows students to get to know one another. I also believe that taking attendance for them is important because it forces students to come in person. Of course, this action will only be taken in consideration of those who are ill at the moment.

  I believe that having a small class size and remaining constant with that class will help to establish an environment in which friendships can be made, as opposed to discussion sessions, which are typically shorter than an hour long and provide insufficient time to get to know someone. Of course, I understand that class is not the time to socialize, but I believe that sticking with a group of people you get to know better can entice some people to come to class and enjoy it.

   Experiment 6 was a watershed moment in terms of realizing some key aspects of writing. I feel that this post allowed me to show off some of my personality by being assertive about my opinions on how the epidemic was handled academically by the institution I attend. This post definitely helped me find my writing voice without coming across as arrogant. I began to feel more comfortable speaking my mind rather than trying to appease a specific audience. In the past, I've sometimes been scared to express my perspective if it differed from the majority's, not only in writing but also in life. I believe that writing, both in this class and in the Native American course I attended before WR39A, has piqued my interest in producing contentious essays. As my writing career progresses, I wish to expand my knowledge in this area.