Introduction

When I look over my full academic career, inside and outside of the classroom, I realize that I have learned so many lessons that will impact me in the future. College really has been a central point within my life so far. It has anchored me and taught me many things. Interdisciplinary skills are so valuable because they directly connect to every part of your life. Skills such as time management, technical skills, and leadership skills are used in every facet of your life. College taught me how to develop these skills and nurture them. In an article by the Maine Department of Education, “Why is interdisciplinary instruction important,” the authors go over all of the reasons why interdisciplinary education is important. One point they go over is the idea of critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is something that I have deeply worked on over the years. In each of the artifacts that are mentioned, they have increased my critical thinking in different ways. Throughout this essay, each period of life will be explored as it relates to my growth and interdisciplinary studies. 

Before College

The time before college is a very experimental and necessary time. The development that one receives from middle school and high school should not be ignored. During these years, we learn vital skills that will aid us in the future. When we finally get into higher education, we consistently build upon the lessons we learn from lower education. One example of this is middle schools offering extra assignments in classes that will help to further your education. In my seventh grade math class, we were given an optional assignment that had higher level math questions. This forced the student to think outside the box and come up with creative ways to solve a straightforward problem. It helped me to develop my interdisciplinary skills at a very early age. The Washington Post talks about these occurrences and how they are very beneficial to our development. In the article, the author Phyllis Fagell gives an insight into how our brains are developed during these crucial times. They talk about organization and systems and how they are created during this time. (Fagell) In middle school, children are just now starting to juggle a lot of assignments and extracurriculars. My time management skills are something that I learned during this period of my life. It was the first time in my life that I had to create a schedule and follow it accordingly. This is one of the skills that I still carry with me today. 

Freshman and Sophomore Year

Starting college truly opened my eyes. Within the first couple of years, I was exposed to many different topics and discussions. In particular, I took an honors English class. In this class, we dissected pieces of apocalyptic literature. This helped my critical thinking skills exponentially. It is the same set of skills that each one of my artifacts gave me. Particularly, the policy analysis papers one through three helped my critical thinking and interdisciplinary skills. What these papers and my past assignments have in common is that they prepared me for the future assignments and tests that I would have to do. Building upon what was established, the lessons learned from middle school and high school were used at this point. Freshman and sophomore year were akin to the freshman and sophomore years in high school. At both points in my life, these were new beginnings. Their main responsibility was to introduce me to a new way of thinking and a new way to think about the world around me. The school system is set up in a way that each student is learning information that builds upon what they have previously learned. At Old Dominion, I really felt like I was expanding my knowledge. It allowed me to further explore my interests while also focusing on the things that make me happy. 

Junior and Senior Year

Junior and senior year in college were probably some of my fondest memories. According to the ODU Cybersecurity section, the program offers study in multiple disciplines under the cybersecurity umbrella. (ODU Faculty) During these last two years, I heavily focused on my major. I switched from general education classes to full cybersecurity classes. This is where my interests were truly fine tuned. As mentioned previously, cyber law was almost something I was interested in. Due to this, I took a higher level course in my senior year called cyber war. This fully expanded on the things I learned within my cyber law class. Instead of learning about U.S. based cyber laws, it expanded and we heavily discussed foreign policy. This was perhaps one of my favorite classes. Moreover, classes heavily delved into cybersecurity techniques and policies. Heavily focusing on one area of interest helped to challenge all of the skills that were obtained earlier. The interdisciplinary skills that were first created years ago were finally starting to shine. In these classes, different skills had to be used in order to complete different assignments. Time management was a huge skill that I had developed over time and  now it was finally getting its time to shine. Specifically, in my senior year, I had to juggle my time between six classes. Up until this point I had only ever taken five. Adding another class into the mix was challenging but it was necessary. Adding another class changed the entire schedule that was arranged up until this point. In order to properly deal with this course load, a paper schedule was needed. Each week, I would assess what needed to be done. Then, at the beginning of the week, each assignment would be assigned a day. On each day after this, I would complete any assignment that I had assigned to that day. This meant that every class had its day and it allowed me to pace myself. Due to this, my grades flourished. My last semester as an undergraduate is one of my best. All of the learning I have done throughout the past decade has prepared me for this moment.   

Outside Learning

When people discuss outside, not in the classroom, learning they do not mention study abroad. In between my junior and senior years, I took a week trip to London. While it was not required for my major, it gave me a lot of world experience that I would not have had otherwise. It was an English class that allowed us to create a feature story. This feature story is also one of my artifacts within this portfolio. According to the University of Missouri, study abroad is a great tool for development. They explain how study abroad can cause the student to be more cultured. (University of Missouri) When you experience a new culture, it causes you to examine your own more closely. Since this was my first time out of the country, I had many new experiences all at once. It was the first time I was not accompanied by my family. It was also the first time I was in a completely new country and city. It allowed me to experiment and learn without the confines of the classroom. The feature story that is in this portfolio is one of my favorite works I have ever done. In the paper, a connection between music and life is made. Since I played the violin for many years, it was only natural to relate that to something I saw within the National Library. This story truly allowed me to be creative and express myself. The whole experience was one learning exercise. Outside learning is a very important part of furthering your own knowledge. In an article by GlobalGoodness, author Julien Beauvois explains how and why outside learning is becoming more popular. When a student is outside of the classroom, they form a bigger appreciation for everyday life. They also learn lessons that are simply impossible to teach – such as dealing with everyday people. In the terms of my outside learning experience, I felt as though I learned so much. Many of my skills were developed due to this incredible opportunity. 

Conclusion and The Future

Each stage of life offers something to the overall picture. When discussing our academic journeys, we tend to forget about the early years. The skills that we have developed only exist because we started to work on them a long time ago. In the future, I hope to continue my learning. I believe that once you are a student, you are always a student. We never truly stop learning. Once college is complete, I will go on to start the Cybersecurity Masters program at ODU. While I am nervous, the amount of skills, knowledge, and experience I will gain is very valuable. Going beyond the Masters program, I hope to move to a different city and start my career in the tech field. While I am not totally dead set on what I want to do, I know I want to use my cybersecurity degree. The tech field is gigantic but also competitive. It will just be another challenge to overcome. As long as I tackle it one step at a time, it will be mine. Who truly knows what the future will hold? However, I do plan to take it slow and discover everything this world has to offer. The memories I have made before college, within college, and even after college will forever be with me. Looking back over my whole academic journey has been rewarding and I hope I can truly build upon what I have already learned. 

References

Beauvois, Julien. “Outdoor Classrooms, an Increasingly Popular Idea.” GlobalGoodness, 20 Dec. 2020, globalgoodness.ca/en/outdoor-classrooms-increasingly-popular-idea/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRhypKhbyylnytqCdVBSAMm0Hr05bTONw0CoK2-DxGf51r78_5_5NA6hoC4NoQAvD_BwE.

Center, Career. “Why Study Abroad Can Change Your Life.” University of Missouri, 5 Oct. 2022, career.missouri.edu/why-study-abroad-can-change-your-life/.

Faculty, ODU. Cybersecurity (B.S.) | Old Dominion University , www.odu.edu/academics/programs/undergraduate/cybersecurity. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.

Fagell, Phyllis  F. “Top 10 Skills Middle School Students Need to Thrive, and How Parents Can Help – The Washington Post.” The Washington Post , 29 Feb. 2016, www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2016/02/29/top-10-skills-middle-school-students-need-to-thrive-and-how-parents-can-help/.“Why Is Interdisciplinary Instruction Important?” Why Is Interdisciplinary Instruction Important? | Department of Education, www.maine.gov/doe/index.php/learning/II/overview/why#:~:text=Interdisciplinary%20learning%20encourages%20students%20to,considering%20it%20from%20multiple%20perspectives. Accessed 14 Apr. 2024.