Introduction
During my study here on Campus at Old Dominion University, I have had a great deal of time experiencing the outreach of my major and its offering. This was made possible through the departments and faculty that are present within the Cybersecurity degree field as they have taught me all that I know about the major today. School has encouraged continuous learning of my current major, but what are skills that I had the pleasure of learning from my advisors and what not?
From my degree field, I learned about soft skills like collaboration, teamwork, and critical thinking skills that are normally seen in the workplace with others. Classes like CYSE 200T: Cybersecurity, Technology, and Society, and IT 210: Business System Analysis and Design showcase these skills. Hard skills that are based on experience like a professional welder were also influenced by similar classes. Classes influenced by hard skills include CYSE 250: Basic Cybersecurity Programming and Networking, and CYSE 270: Introduction to Linux. To elaborate on these skills, collaboration was most useful to me personally since it allowed for a discussion of notes with my peers for future ideas and thoughts that I had at the time. Teamwork was my second favored soft skill that I learned since it was taught and later developed within me to separate the work among peers to finish projects faster and ease on the workload, which is seen a lot in many white-collar areas of profession. Lastly, the soft skill of problem solving is necessary and a close third since it is the main necessity for a job in this field, since a career in penetration testing or someone like a cybersecurity specialist will need constant critical thinking skills. Moving onto my hard skills from my introduction to Linux and programming courses, these are beneficial and most influential to my later career since they serve as the backbone of my learning and basis of my understanding related to Cybersecurity. They teach the beginning foundations of the course, which is why I find them influential.
IDS 300W was my most influential interdisciplinary class. It went over various disciplines like sociology, history, and economics. Through these disciplines I was able to bring together different sub genres while studying varying aspects with an interdisciplinary mindset. This made it easy to bring topics closer together. It ultimately stands for my growth and progress throughout the course which brings me to my first theme.
Personal Growth and Transformation
I find personal growth and transformation to be one of my most important overarching themes shown in my coursework during my undergraduate study. I find this true due to the impact of my growth in the field through trial and error of conducting my college life. A good example of this would be the transfer from high school to college as there is greater emphasis on deadlines and studying to keep good grades for future consideration. This has graciously raised my work ethic, studying practices, and degree goals. I find that my sleep schedule and time maintenance have improved due to this theme as well. Since I have due dates and deadlines with no chance of makeup like my CYSE 406 level class, transformation of my scheduling was necessary.
I also found personal growth during the beginning of my study in Cybersecurity through the formulation of journals for classes like CYSE 201S: Cybersecurity and social science which was often challenging. I didn’t have a fondness for writing which is why this class was often challenging for myself, but as I began to study up on the topics that were presented, things became easier in the long run. It is also worth mentioning that I found the journals to be a noteworthy reflection of my processes with the creation of my E-portfolio. I noticed examples like an improved writhing style, greater understanding of the topic, and a better comprehension of the overall compass when reviewing such artifacts.
Finally, I found that this theme improved my studying capabilities. Courses like Phil 355E: Cybersecurity Ethics required intensive studying which led to me rereading text to fully understand it for the assignments. This not only inspired better knowledge within the class, but it also made it easier when completing assignments and writing prompts as I was prepared and well suited for it. I find this to be my main theme throughout my coursework with my pursuit for a higher thinking purpose as a worthy contender.
Pursuit of Knowledge
I find pursuit of knowledge to be my second most important theme since it involves my inspiration. I find that it is most notable in my coursework scattered across my ePortfolio, since it relays a lot of my passions and reasons for doing what it is that I love to do in my field. This is especially true when looking back to my module discussion about integration. The integration stemming from portfolios allows students to understand a greater purpose within themselves as individuals (Eyon, 2014, p.13). I find that even from the beginning of my portfolio during my CYSE 200T class that my pursuit of knowledge for cybersecurity has been ever growing since with the number of tactics, practices, and ideals that I have managed to obtain due to such reasoning. It is due to the integration that stemmed from my e-portfolio that I was able to understand a greater purpose for what it is that I wanted to do and pursue.
I also found that this encouraged my understanding of ePortfolio theory and the development of my own narrative identity. Due to my pursuit of knowledge and understanding of my major, as shown by my relentless coursework, I began to practice and form an understanding of ePortfolio theory by constructing my own knowledge through teamwork and problem/solution related soft skills that I learned from undergraduate courses. When I needed to understand the concepts of Java, Linux, and Python I turned to peers in my major to consult and discuss studies that would be most beneficial. When I needed further guidance and direction when working out code for projects in my CYSE 250 course, I turned to others in my environment to better my knowledge for the assignment. I was engaging in ePortfolio theory through my pursuit of knowledge for specific assignments and projects that I wanted to do and learn the most about. Finally, I find that I have a strong understanding of my narrative identity through my appreciation of redemptive meanings in suffering and certain beliefs in karma under my pursuit of knowledge. This is mostly due to my conversations with adults and peers that led to such a perception since it has come to be my understanding of my behavior and cognitive skills. It is also said that individuals with such admiration have greater well-being, mental health, and skillset when it comes to decision making, which is another important theme to my undergraduate coursework.
Ethical Decision Making
I finally find my ethical decision making to be my third most important overarching theme. I find this to be a great theme about my course work and choices over the years. Decision making has affected my life in such a way that it has allowed for various opportunities like the ability to decide between different offers based on my GPA, ability to be a part of honor societies like the NSLS which I currently reside in, and my ability to complete assignments on time as a means of positive impact for my future career as indicated by my artifacts. I include honor societies like the NSLS since they stand for my commitment to something outside of the school which is a further statement to my comment and decision making for the better of my future and knowledge. I put ethical decision making last due to the importance of the earlier two, yet still find it to be on par since it collectively brings out the importance of the earlier ones. I, for example, find this true since Personal growth and transformation stands out based on the decision making that I conducted during classes like CYSE 406 for the necessary transformation of my schedule. Without this Ethical decision I would fall behind due to the inaccuracy of my day-to-day lifestyle. I also, for example, find this to be true with my pursuit of knowledge as it stands out based on my decision making to collaborate with peers and members of the cybersecurity organization to grasp a better understanding of my source material and studies. Ethical decision making is an important theme that is represented by my resume, journal, and honor artifacts that show the influence of the preceding two.
Conclusion
I find that my time at ODU has allowed me to complete, learn, and inspire a lot when it comes to hard skills that I have learned, the coworkers and undergraduates that have inspired me through their helpful words and thoughts, and my decision making which gives me the ability to complete tasks in a timely manner. This is also true when considering the learning of my hard skills for studies like python under my pursuit of knowledge, my collaborative adjustment soft skill that shows my personal growth over the years, and my ethical decision making when it comes to choosing future internships, planning out assignments, and getting things done in general. The soft and hard skills that I have learned throughout this course: overarching themes that portray my progression, critical thinking, and advancement: and my involvement in interdisciplinary classes has shaped my understanding of my persona and identity as I know them to be true today.
References
Eynon, B., Gambino, L. M., & Török, J. (2014). “Reflection, Integration, and ePortfolio Pedagogy”
Retrieved from http://c2l.mcnrc.org/pedagogy/ped-analysis/