If I could re-do my 1st semester of graduate school, I would definitely take Informatics Project Management as one of my initial courses. By doing so, I believe I would have been more equipped to tackle and complete assignments and projects of an individual and group nature.
First off, taking Project Management provided me more of an in-depth overview of the realm of project management software. Being a visual learner, it is important to be able to view my list of to-do/action items in numerous ways while still keeping things organized and managed in an overall simple, streamlined manner. I especially value being able to use productivity/project management tools like Notion and Upbase while navigating my iSchool journey.
Additionally, the Project Management course enumerated the five stages of project management which codified the key elements of initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure which work together to achieve successful project completion. By gaining a better understanding of each stage of the project management process, I was empowered to modify and adjust my mindset in managing and completing my schoolwork.
Thirdly, project management has shown me that there are far more benefits than solely seeing a project to fruition though that is something highly valuable in itself. For instance, project management involves cultivating a fine balance of soft and hard skills which make it a highly desirable skillset, especially in our current job market.
Finally, taking the Project Management course has helped me identify leadership skills that I currently possess and also those that I would like to continue to improve. I typically do not view myself as being a person who initiates things in general. Still, one valuable aspect that graduate school has taught me is being a project initiator which in my own words is someone who makes the first communication/contact to get a project jumpstarted.
Through this course, I am grateful for all that I have learned, will continue to learn, and look forward to how I can apply these concepts as I progress in the MS in Informatics program and beyond!