The Art of Planning : Title Defense of our Thesis, Success!
by: Alexies Iglesia
First of all I want to thank my partners in this crime, Shane John Estrella and Michael Alfonso for giving their best and full support.
When Professor Arturo Caseñas grouped us, I know that on that time I should choose a group mates who were reliable and will follow my orders. I don't required to have a member that has a lot of knowledge, just some people who will give their full effort, and even though it will step over their capabilities they will still try their best. At that time when we're choosing our group mates, someone told our professor that if all the best student were be grouped together, how about some people that has not enough knowledge, they will fail . After hearing that I stand up and talk in front of my classmates, I said "During our first step in college we have the same knowledge in computer software and hardware. Our professors taught us the same lessons and gave the same attention. If we are all different now, It all depends on how much effort we gave. But now this is the time to do it with our own skills. we should not let the burden only strike to the leaders and make our self safe without doing our best. I know that maybe some of us might not pass because of lack of knowledge. But why don't we treat it as challenge. I believe that if we just make it a challenge and give our best to conquer it, we will all win." That was the most crucial group designation I've ever had in my whole life. It took almost 2 days for us just to decide our grouping members. But everything must be settle in its most accurate manner. Our professor decided that all 4 people who has leadership skills will have the chance to choose their two members and the rest of people who were not be chosen will make their own group.
Group selection is really crucial for me. Actually I only have 3 persons in my mind. I cant have kath and jm because they will make their own group. I cant have Johan because he is a leader and jhaemee because she is already with johan. The only 3 person I know I should get is Shane, Alvin and Jodimar. I found out that Alvin was already a leader so I cant get him while I cant choose jodimar because Alvin needs someone like him. The only person left in my mind is Shane but who is the other one? I look around the classroom, then suddenly someone is calling me, it was michael. He wanted to be at my team. I think so deep, I remember that He is not that good in programming and documentation and even public speaking, should I really let him join? Actually he is not that good on those matter but I saw something inside him. I know that he is dedicated somewhere inside him. I'll just have to pull the best from him, And as a leader I must try to change and innovate the way he think, I'm going to prove him that if he will just try his best, he is really good and beside I know that he trust me and will follow my orders, so I choose him. My Group consist of me as a leader and my members were Shane and Michael.
After the selection I talked to them. We had an informal meeting at the corridor. I told them "We will pass and that is a promise. Were going to make a system that someday we will be proud because we made it. Our goal is not to be the best but to be a team that will give our best." With all my knowledge I motivated them. I tried to insert to their mind that we our professional planner. We discussed our plan. I told them that one of our weakness is me, I don't really have that much time because I am working so I decided that I must resign. The next problem is financial problem. We are not that rich so we must prepare for any financial deficiency. I decided that everyday we must contribute 10 pesos and Shane must be treasurer and report the financial status.
We made everything according to our plan. We interviewed our client and do the documentation. We also make a strategic plan while I am programming the whole system. We tried to make other group think that we are not giving our best and just playing so it will build some confident to them. We also choose to be the second group to present on title defense. I told my team that "Why we're lucky because we are second group?... actually because were going to make the next group tremble. The only thing we need to do is to make the defense panel's eyes wide and make their jaw drop while we are talking in front. There is still bad things about being the second. The panel's mind were not that open and still cold. We need to call their attention by giving an information that will really automatically make their ear tried to point toward us and then relate those information to our thesis project and let them know why should they listen to us." Actually that psychological strategy really works. Everything we planned were exactly happened to what we expected. Actually more than that. When we tried to demolish the mindset of other group to make them think that we are not that good by just only playing, our professor was also involve. Actually we posted our picture that just playing dota to make other think that we are doing is just playing. But the problem is our professor also saw it. He called us and ask for an explanation. We'll I explained everything and promise that during the defense we are going to show that it was not really like that.since I am not fully knowledgeable about an inventory system. I downloaded a lot of inventory system just to know how everything works. I also read articles and books on how should I present my project. One of the most important book I read was the books of how Steve Jobs present. I told my team that we our going to make a system that only give 3 things to our panel, 1st is the existing problem, the solution and the advantages. We made a simple presentation using prezi. We first tried to make our panel understand and dig well to the problem so that they can see the relevance of our solution. Then we told them the solutions and the advantages.
One of the biggest problem I've encountered was my members were not good in public speaking. I tried to think a way so that they can present without holding any paper. I told them to read the whole documentation and present that to me in plane Tagalog language. Why I did that? so that they will first understand how everything works without thinking about grammar. I first be sure that they know every bit of information about the system before they try to present this in English. Shane manage it well while with Michael I have some crucial thing. He is not really good in English so that it took us so long. But during the presentation we all did and I'm so proud of them.
Before the presentation We first all think what were the possible questions of the panel. After knowing them we tried to correct and answer them. Actually every questions of our panel were all expected and were just smiling at the when the panel is questioning because we already know the answer to their question.
"What I learned from this defense is the art of planning. That whatever you do prior to a plan you made is worth as gold. :) Because everything I do and who ever I am today is a plan 4 years ago" :)
Next year is the Final Defense. And we will give our best!
thank you and congrats everyone
Below are some of the videos of preparations we did.
