E-FOLIO MEMOIRS

OBJECTIVE: Congratulations, YOU’RE DONE WITH THE FREAKING SENIOR PROJECT! Summarize your Senior Project
experience by reflecting on your entire process and writing a memoir on your journey.

You will be graded on the following requirements:

■ What were the best and worst parts of the Senior Project/Senior Seminar?

The best part for me was adopting a new skill. Learning to play the guitar was difficult, but fun because it gave me
the ability to play songs I enjoy. And I love music, so it’s always cool to expand my knowledge of music and the
many forms it takes. The worst parts of this process were the aspects outside of completing the project itself,
such as creating the presentation and the e-folio.

■ List three things you now know after completing your Senior Project.
1. I know how to play the electric guitar

2. I learned self-discipline through keeping a steady practice schedule

3. I learned how to persevere when things weren’t going as smoothly as I hoped

■ Which aspect of the Senior Project/Senior Seminar stretched you the most? How did you feel about and react to
this challenge?

The aspect that stretched me the most was practicing every day on my own. I have never been good at
consistency and tend to procrastinate when I don’t want to do something. However, I knew from my past
experience of taking piano lessons that if I wanted to be good at playing the guitar I would need to put in time
outside of lessons. I made it my goal to practice every day for thirty minutes and I would set a timer on my phone
to keep myself from quitting early. In addition, I kept my guitar and amp in my room, so I would see it and be
reminded every day after school that I needed to get my half-hour of practice done.

■ How has the Senior Project/Senior Seminar changed you (skills, attitudes, work habits, capabilities, confidence,
poise, presentation, etc.)?

Not only do I now know how to play another instrument, but I have strengthened my skills of patience and
self-discipline, and I’ve learned the value of putting time and effort into things, greatly improving my overall work
ethic and motivation.

■ Has this experience influenced your future plans?

I definitely want to continue to play guitar after graduation, and might even continue taking lessons during the
summer. It hasn’t influenced my career or education plans, but it’s definitely something I want to keep doing as a
hobby.
■ What would you do differently if you had to do the whole Senior Project/Senior Seminar process again?

If I were to do the senior project again, I would start it earlier on. Although I’ve learned a lot in the last six months
of lessons, it would have been nice to have started at the beginning of the summer and had an extra few months
to improve my guitar skills.

■ What advice do you have for next year’s seniors?

Do something that you’re actually passionate about. If your entire goal is to get the project over with, and you
choose something you don’t care about, it won’t be fulfilling and you won’t take much away from it. By choosing
something you enjoy, it will feel less like a graduation requirement and more like a passion project.

■ What grade would you give yourself for your Senior Project and what justification do you have for that grade?

I would give myself an A. I’ve put six months of effort into this project and went from not knowing anything about
guitar to possessing the ability to play full rock songs by heart. I also improved my work ethic and kept up a
pretty consistent practice schedule, besides the occasional times where I was too busy to practice, and simply
didn’t have time in my schedule. My overall goal was to be able to learn full-length songs on guitar, and I’ve done
that many times now.