Final Course Takeaways

Looking back at this course, there are a few things that really stuck with me especially after working on the final project. The three biggest takeaways for me were learning how important audience awareness is realizing how powerful digital media can be and understanding how much collaboration actually matters in group projects like this.

First I did not really think that much about the audience before this class but now I see how important it is. With our final project about food insecurity we had to think about who we were talking to and how they would actually receive the message. We had to change how we presented things for both local community members and younger students since they pay attention to content in different ways online. This made me realize that even if your content is good it does not matter much if it does not actually connect with the audience you are trying to reach. Another thing I learned is how much digital media tools can actually do. I used to think podcasts, websites, and PSAs were more professional things but this project showed me that regular students can create really solid content using tools like SoundCloud, Audacity and basic web platforms. It also made me realize that media is not just about posting information; it can actually make people care more about an issue. In our case talking about food insecurity through audio made it feel more real than just reading statistics. Lastly, I learned a lot from working in a group. Every person in the group had a different role and at first it felt kind of separate but in the end everything came together. If even one part was missing the project would not have worked the same way or felt complete. It showed me that collaboration is not just splitting work it is actually building something together. Overall, I feel like I understand communication and media way better now than when I started the class. It is not just about what you say but how you say it who you are saying it to and what tools you use to get your message across.