iExamen

Adriana Vicario 

iExamen

7 February 2013

Completing the iExamen was a rewarding experience that opened my eyes to the way I communicate and interact around others. Having to observe myself throughout the day allowed me to evaluate the type of person I am and how I deal with certain situations. Even shutting off my technology for an hour was a new experience because I found myself at a place of discomfort without the things I am so accustomed to. This self-analysis brought many details to my attention that I found to be both positive and negative.

Observing myself for this whole day really made me understand who I am and how I could be perceived among other people. Starting off my day with calculus, I notice my conversation with my professor at the end of class was certainly different from seeing my friends around campus. Talking to the professor I was cautious and careful of what I said and how I presented myself. I of course could not act as my goofy self around my respectable teacher. However, when I held casual conversations with familiar faces, I felt relaxed and comfortable with whatever it was that I felt like expressing. The difference in my tone, body language, and comfort was brought to my attention as I became aware of myself.

Noticing how I act around people face to face has also made me realize the difference in my communication through technology. Texting my friends or calling my parents was a completely different interaction than in person. Through technology I was not so worried about how others viewed me. It is simple and effortless and I have time to think about what I want to say before I say it. This also leads me to believe that I may have more courage to say more things over text or email because it is not as personal and pressured.

When I spent my hour without any technology at all I felt slightly anxious and missed the presence of my normal surroundings. I decided to do some homework to allow the time to pass by but this meant that I could not listen to music or watch a TV show at the same time as I normally do. This was a good experience because it did limit my procrastination but also allowed me to fully indulge myself into what I was doing. Normally I only give half of my attention to whatever it is that I am doing because I am so distracted with technology. However, with nothing to do but focus on other matters, I was finally completely engaged with my work. I definitely think that removing myself from distracting technology helped me realize how much I could accomplish without it.

I thoroughly enjoyed my day as I self analyzed everything that I did. Focusing on myself was refreshing because it allowed me to visualize how it is that I am perceived by others. It also made me think about the positive things about myself and what I could do differently to change the negative things.