JohnPatrickODonnell

11/18/15
HonorsColloquium
ProfessorRohan

EPortfolioReflection
MyexperienceatUNCCharlotteandtheUniversityHonorsProgram,hastaught
mequiteabitaboutmyselfandmytalentsinsomeareasandlackthereofinothers.Ivelearned
thisthroughthecoursesthatIvetakensofar,andsomeofthemoredifficultthings,suchas
technicallabreportsforengineering,oreventheengineeringclassingeneral.EventhoughIm
changingmajorstoEconomicsandPoliticalScience,Iwouldntredothesemesteroverwithout
theengineeringclassbecauseofallofthevaluablelessonsthatithastaughtmesuchasthe
importanceoftimemanagement,thatIneedtodoworkinamuchmorecarefulmanner,Iwould
changetheoveralleffortthatIputforthinmyclasses.Inanycasethough,Ivefeltdetachedasa
wholewhenitcomestoextracurricularactivitiesatUNCCbecauseIwantedtosettledownand
getmyprioritiesinorderasopposedtotryingtodotoomuchatonce.So,theamountof
networkingthatIvedonepalesincomparisontomyfutureplans,butIneedtoexecutethose
plansifIwanttosucceed.
ThissemesterhastrulybeenanenlighteningexperienceinthewayofdiscoveringwhatI
trulyhaveapassionforinlife.Goingintocollege,Ithoughtthatengineeringwasgoingtobe
thecareerforme,itmadesense.ImgoodatmathandsciencewhichIthoughtwerethebase
foundationsofengineering.Granted,theyarekeyconceptsinthefield,butthereissomuch

JohnPatrickODonnell
11/18/15
HonorsColloquium
ProfessorRohan
morethatisnecessaryforsuccessconcerningthepracticeofengineering.So,oneprojectintothe
class,IrealizedthatengineeringwasntformeanditwastimeformetofindsomethingthatI
wasinterestedinfortherightreasons,notjustthefinancialaspectsofit.Thisledmetotwo
thingsthatnotonlyinterestedme,butIalsounderstoodandhadacertainaptitudefor.Thisbeing
PoliticalScience,whichIhavealwayshadaninterestin,andactuallyunderstandandwantto
haveafutureinasapoliticiansomeday.TheotherbeingEconomics,whichIfirstbecame
interestedinbecauseofthemovie
Moneyball.
Itwasatheorythatmergedalogical,economical
approachtosports,soIwasimmediatelyhookedonit.Givenmymathbackground,andmy
analyticallybasedthinking,itseemedthatthiswasaperfectwaytousebothofthosetools.
ThesetwomajorsalsoareonesthatwouldbeveryusefulinmygoalforafterIgraduate,which
isLawSchool,preferablyCorporateLawatChapelHill.IfeellikeIwouldbeamuchmore
valuableassetintheacademiccommunityifIwaspursuingsomethingthatIlove,ratherthan
somethingthatIthinkislessinterestingthanwatchinggrassgrow.
AlthoughIvefacedmanychallengesthissemesterinregardstothehonorscoursework,
orthegeneralchemistryclassthatonlyathirdofpeoplepass,orthechemistrylabthatIlost15
pointsonbecauseIdidntknowaboutaneasysafetyquiz,mymostchallengingandinfluential
taskwaswritingmyfirsttechnicallabreportfortheelectricalcircuitproject.Now,Icansay
withcertaintythatIhaveneverdislikedaschoolassignment,asidefromartprojects,asmuchas
thisone.A15pagereportonelectricalcircuittheory,asseeninmysecondartifact,wasnotonly

JohnPatrickODonnell
11/18/15
HonorsColloquium
ProfessorRohan
unbelievablydull,butitwassomethingIcouldnotseemyselfdoingfortherestofmylife.The
actualactofengineering,constructingthecircuit,wasallwellandgood,butIwasntahugefan
ofexplainingelectricaltheoryinsuchamonotonousway.Now,giventhattheexplanationofthe
designishalfthebattle,ifIdidntlikethataspectofit,thatdbelikesaying,wellIlikeplaying
soccer,butImnotahugefanofrunning.Itjustwouldntworkout.So,asaresultofthis
mindnumbingexperienceamongmanyotherthings,thatinfluencedmetoswitchpaths.
Evenifthissemesterhasntbeenentirelysuccessfulatprogressingmetowardsaspecific
degree,thereisntmuchthatIwouldtakebackasidefromthelackofeffortthatIputforthinmy
academicshere.Itsquiteashiftfromhighschool,whereIcouldexcelbyputtingforththebare
minimumamountofeffortandonlydoingwhatwasgraded,andeventhennotalwaysdoingit.
EvenAPclassesthereweresomewhatofajokebecauseasidefromcalculus,chemistry,and
biology,thegradeswereessentiallygivenbaseduponhowmuchtheteacherlikedyou.So,the
incentivetoactuallytrywasneverreallypresentinthatenvironment.WhenIgottocollege,I
hadaninklingthatitwasgoingtobedifferent,andIwasgoingtohavetogoaboveandbeyond
ifIwantedtosucceed.Inthebeginning,Iwasdoingwell,Ikeptupwithmywork,evendoing
extrapractice.Allinall,Iwasbeingverythoroughwithmyacademicendeavorsandthingswere
lookingup.Asthesemesterprogressed,Istartedtogetbecomealittlemoreapatheticregarding
mystudiesandmygradesstartedtofalter,whichgavemeabitofawakeupcall.Atthatpoint
though,Ihadalreadylostadecentamountofvaluablepoints,especiallyinthewayofmy

JohnPatrickODonnell
11/18/15
HonorsColloquium
ProfessorRohan
chemistrylabandgeneralchemistry,whichputmyGPAatriskfortherequired2.5forthis
semester.Giventhatsituation,itwasnecessaryformetorevertbacktothemethodsthatIhad
appliedinthebeginningoftheyear,andhopethatIcouldexecutethosemethodsinawaythat
wouldhelppullmygradesuptothebesttheycanbe.
AsInotedinmyCityAsTextReflectionPaper,Imfromasmallruralcountyinthe
mostnortheastcountyofNorthCarolina,sothebigcityofCharlotteissomethingofadifferent
experienceforme.ThepeopleherearealsonotlikethepeoplethatIgrewaccustomedtowhile
livingontheOuterbanks,soittookmeawhiletoadjusttothechangeinpersonalitiesand
whatnot.Igrewupwithkidsthatweremuchmoreinterestedinthepresentorlookinggoodin
highschool,asopposedtothekidswhowereactuallyworriedabouttheirfuturesandputforth
effortinthingsbesidestheirsociallives.WhatIrealizedontheCATtrip,isthatIhavenotmade
asmanyconnectionsamongtheUniversityHonorsProgramstudentsasIshouldhaveorwanted
to.Itendtostickwithasmallgroupoffriends,butthatsnowaytogoaboutdoingthingsifyou
wanttosucceed.Ibelievethatitisagoodideatohaveyourclosefriends,buttheyshouldntbe
theonlypeoplethatyouassociatewith.InoticedthatIhadnoideawhothemajorityofthekids
wereonthetrip,anditworriedmethatIhadntatleastacquaintedmyselfwiththem.Regardless
ofwhetherornotweregoingtobebestfriends,thepeoplewhoresideintheUHPareagroupof
peoplewhowanttosucceed,andafamiliarfaceismuchmorelikelytogetthejobthanarandom
one.

JohnPatrickODonnell
11/18/15
HonorsColloquium
ProfessorRohan
Iamashamedtoadmitthatinthewayofbetteringmycommunitythroughservice,Ihave
beenlacking.InsteadoffocusingonwhatIcandohereandnow,IvebeenfocusingonwhatI
canaccomplishinthefuture.Inthepast,communityserviceplayedarelativelyimportantrolein
mylifebecauseIwastheVicePresidentoftheBetaClubatourschoolwhichisaServicebased
organizationintheUnitedStates.Iwasactivelyinvolvedwiththeplanningandexecutionof
serviceideasandevents,butonceIarrivedhereittookabackseattomyownambitions.Toput
itinthewordsofOliverQueen,IhavefailedthiscityandIneedtostartimprovingupon
myselfinthatarea.
Inanycase,myexperienceintheUniversityHonorsProgramthissemesterhasbeen
nothingshortofalifelessoninwhichIneedtobebetterineverysenseoftheword.Ithas
preparedmeforsuccessbyintroducingmetonewconceptsandideasthatrevolvearoundnot
onlybecomingabetterstudent,butabettercitizenthatwillbejoiningtheglobalcommunity.

O'Donnell,JohnPatrickC.
ElectricalCircuitTechnicalLabReport
.Tech.N.p.:n.p.,n.d.Print.
ODonnell,JohnPatrickC.CityAsTextReflection.