When I think back to the start of MMS 172, I can still remember how overwhelming it felt. I was walking into a course where I had absolutely no background, no experience with microphones, sound cards, or audio software. At first, everything felt foreign, almost intimidating, and I honestly questioned whether I could survive three months of this. But as I sit here now, looking back on all the frustrations, small victories, and late nights of trial-and-error, I realize that this course wasn’t just about learning audio, this course tested my patience, creativity, and resilience.

In my self-introduction at the start of the course, I admitted that I had no background in audio. My expectation was simple: to at least understand the basics enough to complete the course requirements. I wasn’t aiming for mastery, but I hoped to gain practical skills I could use in future multimedia projects.

At first, even the technical terms felt overwhelming. Equalization, compression, mixing, layering, all of these sounded like jargon that belonged in a professional studio, not in the laptop of a student who had no idea what he was doing. On top of that, setting up my condenser mic and sound card felt intimidating. I was worried I’d break something just by plugging it incorrectly.

But slowly, through the modules and exercises, I began to pick things up. The early assignments felt like baby steps: listening exercises, small recordings. These tasks seemed simple at first but later proved important, they built my confidence little by little.

The biggest test, of course, was the final project. For mine, I chose to create a lo-fi cover of an OPM song. This decision brought both excitement, I like OPM song and wanted my own twist, and fear, because I wasn't sure if I can pull this off.

Initially, I planned to utilize GarageBand, since it was more beginner-friendly and I was already starting to get the hang of it. However, this application did not come with bonus points, so I decided to migrate to FL Studio instead. This was somehow frustrating, I had almost grasped how to use GarageBand, and just when I thought I was getting comfortable, I had to switch to a different DAW and learn everything again. It was not an easy journey, and at times I felt like I was back to square one.

There was even a time when I felt very frustrated to the point of doubting myself, asking if I could really make it until the end of the course. The workload, the technical hurdles, and the constant trial-and-error all piled up, and I remember staring at my screen, thinking maybe I wasn’t cut out for this. That moment of doubt was real, and it almost broke my momentum.

But learning FL Studio eventually became my everyday challenge. I had to figure out how to record clean vocals, how to loop background sounds (like the rain effect I used), and how to balance instruments so nothing overpowered the other. At one point, I even got stuck looping the rain sound to match the entire song length, it was frustrating, but eventually, I figured it out.

The process wasn’t smooth. There were moments when my recordings didn’t sound right, when the levels were off, or when I had to redo entire takes because of minor mistakes. Still, I kept pushing forward, telling myself that perfection wasn’t the goal, completion and growth were.

By the time I submitted my final project, I knew it wasn’t flawless. But I was proud. From knowing absolutely nothing, I managed to produce a complete track with vocals, background effects, and a distinct mood. For me, that was already a huge achievement.

If I evaluate my performance, I’d say I did better than I expected. My biggest strength was perseverance and time management. Even when I felt lost, I kept experimenting and troubleshooting until something worked. I also made it a point to use my time wisely. During the holidays, instead of going out or simply resting, I took advantage of the break to focus on academics, including this course. That extra time allowed me to catch up, refine my project, and really process the lessons. Creativity also played a role, since I didn’t have advanced technical skills, I leaned on my ability to experiment with mood and storytelling through sound.

My weaknesses were mostly technical. I still struggle with mixing and mastering. Sometimes my audio still sounds “amateur,” and I rely heavily on online tutorials and trial and error. But at least now I understand the basics. I may not be able to produce professional-quality audio, but I can appreciate the process and the effort it takes.

Comparing my performance with the expectations I set for myself at the beginning, I’d say I met them. I wanted to survive and learn, and I did both.

When it comes to my classmates, I have to admit that I didn’t have much direct interaction with most of them. However, reading through their conversations in the group chat gave me a sense of reassurance. It was interesting to know that I wasn’t alone in this journey, many of them were also struggling, figuring things out, and asking for help. 

I even remember one instance where a classmate reached out for assistance with a DAW issue. We both happened to use FL Studio, and while it was a pretty simple technical matter, sometimes all it takes is another set of eyes to spot the solution. We managed to fix it, and even though I wasn’t completely sure at first, it worked. Seeing those moments of collaboration reminded me that even in an online setup, support and shared struggles exist, and that’s comforting in its own way.

Where do I stand among them? Honestly, probably somewhere in the middle. I’m not the most advanced, but I know I gave my best considering my background.

As a BAMS student, I see MMS 172 as more than just a technical requirement. Audio is a huge part of media and communication. Whether in podcasts, vlogs, films, or even simple presentations, sound plays a role in shaping stories and engaging audiences.

Even if I don’t plan to pursue audio production professionally, the skills I learned here will definitely be useful. For example, I can now pay better attention to sound quality, background music, and narration clarity. This course made me realize that audio isn’t just a “supporting element”,  it’s a powerful tool for storytelling.

Will I continue learning audio? Maybe not in-depth, but I do see myself exploring DAWs casually, especially for personal projects. I want to get more comfortable with sound design and maybe even experiment with music mixing as a hobby. At the very least, I won’t be as intimidated by audio software anymore.

Looking back, MMS 172 was one of the hardest and most draining classes I’ve taken. There was one point where I seriously doubted myself, questioning if I could even make it to the end. That feeling of frustration was real and heavy, and it nearly pushed me to give up.

But despite the struggle, I still managed to finish. My final project may not be perfect, but it’s proof that I pushed through when I almost didn’t want to anymore. I won’t romanticize it, this wasn’t some inspiring journey where I suddenly became passionate about audio production. It was tough, sometimes discouraging, and I’m honestly relieved it’s over.

Still, I can’t deny that I walked away with new skills and a better understanding of audio than when I started. Whether I continue with audio or leave it behind, at least now I know I’m capable of working through something that felt impossible at first.