In any course, emotional intelligence is essential for both personal growth and academic achievement. Assignments within courses often present challenges, particularly when they require students to understand and apply newly learned knowledge. For instance, in my Environmental Inequality, Governance, and Technology class, I was tasked with developing an environmental policy memo for Canada, aligning with their efforts to combat biodiversity loss and adhere to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. However, while conducting research for this assignment, I encountered an issue: the frustration of being unable to identify any loopholes or gaps within existing policies. Adding to the difficulty was the fact that the policies and frameworks currently in place or under consideration were newly released, mostly between 2023 and 2024. This made it challenging to find recent academic sources and critiques relevant to these documents.
However, by exercising self-awareness in my situation, I was able to reflect on my emotional state and think about self-regulation techniques. Instead of lashing out at others and complaining about my situation, I took a step back and thought about what I was able to do in my current situation. Due to that, I was able to calm my mind and regain focus. Furthermore, I scheduled an appointment with my professor, choosing the earliest available slot, knowing she possesses a deeper understanding of the subject matter than I do. She was able to offer me valuable resources to aid in my research. Through practicing emotional intelligence, I was able to overcome the roadblock with my assignment.
Reflecting on the process of building my cloud night light, I felt a lot of frustration when the cloud failed to light up as intended. With the project deadline looming the next day and our meeting only scheduled the day prior, stress piled up as I struggled to find a solution within our limited time frame. Feeling overwhelmed, I decided to disengage. In an attempt to equally distribute the workload, I asked my teammate if she would be willing to independently troubleshoot the issue, as I had primarily handled the coding aspect. However, her reluctance highlighted a potential flaw in my approach. Upon reflection, I realized that my dominant leadership style may have hindered our collaboration. By assuming the majority of responsibilities, I neglected to allocate tasks effectively, leaving my teammate feeling confused and excluded from the project's development. In hindsight, I recognize that practicing emotional intelligence, such as recognizing and managing my frustration and involving my teammate more in decision-making, could have greatly benefited our collaboration on the project.