I learned that running a roadshow requires the ability to think on your feet and a great deal of teamwork. Having these two factors proved to be essential especially during the unexpected congested period of the roadshow. Being able to think on our feet was evident when everyone in the group automatically brought a group of students to the poster station when there were too many people at the activities station. This was not planned as we did not foresee having a few large groups of people at our booth at once. In addition, teamwork was apparent when everyone took the initiative to talk to different groups of students instead of waiting for someone else to do it. This helped to ensure that our roadshow ran as smoothly as possible and that we achieve our goals.

When I was implementing the roadshow, I also learned that I place too much importance on my appearance. On the day of the roadshow, I had an acne breakout on my forehead which caused me to be worried about what others might think of it. Though my friends reassured me that my fringe was covering the breakout, I still felt anxious throughout the roadshow. This is due to thoughts that people would be disgusted or think that I am hideous, filled my head.  Due to the anxiousness, there are times where I forget to share some of the information I needed to. For example, for some batches of students, I remembered to explain what VR is while for other batches, I left out that information. This could have happened because anxiety hinders the process of recalling information from our memory (Owens, Stevenson, Hadwin, & Norgate, 2012).

This learning also matters because being overly worried about my appearance can cause me to be anxious which affects my functioning. Using the earlier example, due to being anxious over my appearance, I miss out crucial information that could have reduced the effectiveness of our roadshow. This is because not explaining a jargon like VR means that students who are new to the concept of VR are unlikely to understand what we are explaining. This is supported by a study which reported that using a jargon-free explanation when introducing new concepts, increases student’s ability to articulate their understanding of the concepts (McDonnell, Barker, & Wieman, 2016).

Being aware of how much emphasis I place on my appearance and how it affects me, is the first step towards changing this personal weakness. Besides being aware, I should make it a habit to think more positively. For instance, instead of worrying that other people might think that I am ugly, I should tell myself that I am beautiful in my own way. A study reviewing effects positive thinking stated that thinking positively benefits us in many areas, including the ability to deal with stressors more effectively (Naseem, & Khalid, 2010).