Final Blog Post

Last week I gave my final presentation to my classmates, processor, and our department chair. I feel very proud of myself for identifying a gap, but I still have a long way to go. Some of the feedback/questions to ask that I received from my professor and department chair are to create a solution & prototype in the summer and for students to test, interview the wellness exchange and ask “why do you have [x, y, z] on your website”, why do we as students look at schools as resources when that’s not their role, why do universities tailor everything they do to undergraduates, and not graduates, and at what point is the intervention in these digital mental health interventions? Gah!

I’ve been so focused on a gap that I haven’t thought about a solution. I am hoping after talking to some of these groups on campus over the summer, I’ll be able to develop a solution and a prototype before the beginning of the Fall semester to workshop with students. Since I am developing something for students, I don’t really feel as though I can make anything without talking to them first. They have the answers. Right?

This week I have been focusing on my Introduction and Literature Review, which wow, are hard! Even though I have spent the last 3 months identifying a gap, it’s been challenging to put it all into words. The thing that I am finding the most useful is to look at what I write as a draft. I need feedback and guidance and validation that I am writing this all out correctly. But as of right now, my confidence is very low.

All in all, what a semester. It’s been challenging and I’m kind of glad it’s over! I am looking forward to the summer, resting, doing more research, talking with my stakeholders, and taking my time to develop a prototype. I mean that to say, I don’t want to rush through it. I care about my thesis and I need it to feel meaningful.