Daria Plachkova, 2200869

Intercultural dashboard

Value/norm/ No go Depends Accept&adapt Mindset

behavior
Prioritize family and I completely agree. Growth
friends Our family and
friends are always
there for me, they are
my support system.
Make the most of life I would like to Growth
adapt that idea into
my lifestyle.
Sometimes I waste
time because I
always think I have
all the time in the
world but that is
not true.
Do not dwell on In some situations Growth
negative moments it is better to
for too long move on quickly.
In some cases,
however, it is
important to
examine my
feelings, to ask
myself if I made
any mistakes and
to think about
what I can learn
from them.
Respect each other I think it is very Growth
important to
respect the people
that surround me
because their views
and opinions are
just as valid as
mine.
Always help those I would like to help Growth
who are struggling the people around
me more, because I
should always strive
to make the world
a better place.
Always be social and While it is Fixed
surround yourself important to
with people spend time with
other people,
 sometimes I like
being alone
because that way
I am more
productive.
Work hard to achieve I think that hard Growth
your goals work is important,
but over-working
can lead to a lot of
problems, such as
burnout.
Always stand up for I completely agree. Growth
yourself People should
always defend
themselves and not
let other people
walk over them.
Pay attention to the I think that is a very Growth
people you care important part in
about maintaining good
relationships
Accept people for While I generally Fixed
who they are agree, I also think
it is important to
acknowledge the
flaws of
somebody,
especially if they
are bothering me.
In a group setting, it I would like to Growth
is important not to implement this
let personal feelings mindset in the
affect the work flow future. The most
important thing is
for the work to get
done, so I should
not let my
emotions cloud my
judgement or affect
my productivity.

Fixed mindset  

It was the first day of week 3, my official start of the International Business program. We had our first
guided work session with our tutor and got introduced to the company that we would be exploring.
From then we were told to already start researching our company and to compile data within our
project group and it was made clear that this would be an important part of our assessment.  

This was a very unfamiliar situation for me. For one thing, I was not yet accustomed to working with
a team of other people, so the way in which we were approaching the given task was quite different
from how I would proceed on my own. To add to that, I did not have any prior education when it
came to how a company operates or even how to do research. I was starting to panic. I wanted to
excel at the program and start off on the right foot. I expected to slowly start receiving relevant
information and knowledge, detailed explanations of what we would have to do in the ye  

Instead, I felt like I was plunged into a world I did not understand. While working with my project
group, I was participating in the discussion actively and remained quiet. I was not really thinking
about how to approach the assignment, but only focused on my negative perception of my own
knowledge and abilities. I was already starting to convince myself that I was not good enough for the
program and that no matter what I did, I would never be able to catch up to some of my peers who
had already received prior business education or were more familiar with the studying environment.

This resulted not only in an unproductive session for me, but also negatively affected me for the next
couple of days and I was in a terrible mood. It was only the first day, yet I had already concluded that
I would not do well and that I was lacking skills. Thankfully, I was proven wrong. As the weeks went
by, I was starting to acquire more knowledge and develop my skills, I gained clarity on our
assignment and the communication within our project group was improving.  

What I learned is to not be quick to panic when presented with a new obstacle before even starting
it. I also realized that instead of undervaluing my intelligence and abilities, I must seek to fill up any
gaps in my knowledge. Lastly, I decided to be kinder to myself, to accept that I would not understand
everything immediately and that sometimes I would need help, so that in the long-term I would have
a more positive approach to life. 
 
Growth mindset

The first day of boarding. I was certainly feeling nervous. Not only would I be starting my journey at
Avans University, but I was also about to meet the other students from my program. When I arrived
at the university, I noticed that all the students were assembling in the big hall next to the cafeteria. 

I knew what I had to do: go up to people and try to at least start a conversation. Back then, I did not
know anybody, so I wanted to try and make friends. That was easier said than done. I am naturally a
shy and timid person when it comes to making friends or even simply approaching people I did not
know and starting a conversation. I was just not confident in my social skills. This time, however, I
decided that I needed to change. Studying International Business was a fresh start for me, and so I
did not want to let my shyness stop me from meeting new people and pursuing new opportunities
and relationships.  

And so, I went up to people, introduced myself, and tried to find common ground to start a
conversation, but did so without invading anybody’s privacy as well. I will admit I might have been a
bit awkward at times, but I did put in a lot of effort. 

The results varied: some people were just not interested, or we could not find any common ground,
which is completely normal. I cannot be friends with absolutely everybody. On the other hand,
though, I did have a genuinely enjoyable time with a couple of other students. We were getting along
very well, hung out together for the next couple of days of boarding, and went to a party together.
After we were assigned to project groups in different classes, we eventually lost touch with each
other.  

Despite that, I was happy, because I achieved my goals, and I found the courage to try something
new. In the following weeks, I continued socializing with others and it positively affected my
university life, since I was able to share my struggles with others and in turn, help them with their
problems or exchange information about deadlines and assessments. I learned that I should always
have the courage and confidence to form relationships. I also realized that even if you lose contact
with someone, that does not make the time you spent together any less meaningful.