The Power of Vision

Did you know vision built the world? Not only that but it was the important “material” used than even the steel, stones and cement. Without vision everything else would have simply been matter occupying space!
Vision is defined as a vivid, imaginative conception or anticipation and the video seen in class “The Power of Vision” showed how important having a vision/visualizing the future i.e how thing could be, before attempting something. Vision was important to the birth and development of Countries, achievements in Children, survival of Individuals under the most horrendous conditions (Jews in Nazi concentration camps) and in the Business World at large.
In thinking of my own 5 year goals/visions that I hope to accomplish the following comes to mind:
1 – To graduating in May 2009. In order to do this given that I am only a sophomore at the moment I have to attend winter and both summer intercessions this year from now until 2009 and I have to keep up a 15 credit course load.
2 – To get at least 2 different internships before I graduate. I present have an internship, my first ever, and I’m quite comfortable here but I don’t think the work is challenging enough nor am I learning (in my opinion) anything connected to the field I hope to enter. As such I would like to have at least two more internships both relating to Marketing but both focused on different aspects of the Marketing Industry. So far I have joined the Marketing Club to interact and learn from others and to be informed of Marketing opportunities. I have also made the decision within myself that a paycheck isn’t all of it, at the moment, my internship is paid but I’m willing to have an unpaid Marketing internship that would be both exciting and knowledgeable.
3 - As an International Student, I can work in the U.S one year upon graduation but I require sponsorship to work longer. I am working towards this at the moment by going to presentations on this issue that would better inform me of my options and how I may go about getting sponsored I am also networking with people that I come in contact with at my present job etc. Also I’m joining and actively participating in clubs and doing/intend to pursue internships to better equip and market myself.4 – As an alternative to being sponsored my intended Marketing degree would allow me to work in the Ministry of Tourism in my Country, affording me countless opportunities to travel, market and assist in the development of my country.
5 – A Bachelors degree is nice but to stand out more in the job market I need more. Upon acquiring more funds through working (whether in the U.S or home) I intend to get a Masters Degree. This is the last thing I have set for myself to accomplish in a 5 year period.

Decision Making

We got had gotten back our grades on Wednesday and i was none to happy. The professor said that on Monday we would have a chance to appeal the grades and argue an answer we choose as long as we could back it up from the book. Well that sounded a bit better i thought, i should be able to move up a grade....no correction... i WILL be moving up a grade i asserted with confidence, not just with myself but with what i wrote and why i wrote it (after all i may not have read the slides but i certainly know what that $68 textbook said!). Not only did the professor said this but he was a bit secretive in what he said next....that we wouldn't want to miss Monday..hmm
On Monday all was revealed.The professor was going to let us decide what he should do with the grades we got (a curve, an extra credit question etc).we also got to gave inputs as to the format of upcoming exams. POWER!!!!! we had the whole period, over an hour, to come up with our proposal that the professor would look over and give us feedback if necessary so that we could make changes.easy right? the catch however was that EVERYONE had to 100% agree to EVERYTHING that we wrote in our proposal...o oo.
A self-selected student went up to preside over the proceedings, gathering our suggestions etc etc etc.from here on in,total pandemonium. There was about 8-10 majority voices that went back and forth as the rest of us looked on, from time to time turning to the person sitting next to us and commenting. why? because these voices' suggestions was in the favour of us all, there was nothing to lose and seemingly unending benefits to be had.
As time ticked by however there seemed to be no consensus in sight, except for the curve (which was given by the professor if we decided to accept) everthing else failed to get 100% vote,frustration grew and with it the voices of the minorities. In order for everyone to benefit everyone had to start compromising with on what they would be willing to accept. In the end i myself, quiet and laid back at first, just taking in everything, had to project my voice at what i felt was an unfair proposal based on the selfishness of a very few nameless individuals. why should what they want be given preference to what i want? was it because in the blink of an eye they went from being in their seats to infront the board with a marker?
At 7:05 there was no accepted decision and even quick strokes of the hands weren't enought to erase the parts people refuse to agree with in hopes of salvaging our proposal. talk about a lot of collaboration a little to late.However at that point i didnt care much,my grade wasn't THAT bad, i could live with it and myself for not being bullied into accepting someone else's dream/beneficial package.
As the professor was leaving those of us who did stay back, after most of the self-serving people left managed to 100% agree on a package in about 1 minute that was accepted by the professor.truthfully the agreement more than likely came about because of desperation...even just having the curve was MUCH better than nothing and everything else proposed.
the other way to handle our conflict in the class to get a more desirable outcome was to at the very begin work on majority collaboration of realistic proposals that were fair instead of wasting so much time on seemingly whatif analysis.