Madeline Krajewski
This week consisted of a flurry of excitement, curiosity, and bewildered. I hadn’t heard of steganography prior to now, and my Capstone assignment excites me. I adore cryptography and had never considered image-related ‘cryptography’ as something which could exist. I want to realize my project to its fullest extent yet feel underprepared to tackle such a large, impressive project. Through conversation, I realized everyone feels similarly. I’ve realized a few things:
- Previous Capstone students likely felt the same way, which encourages me
- This semester will be full of learning and succeeding
- Organization will be crucial to my success
This mixed bag of lessons brings relief. It reassured me that seniors before me survived Capstone and created incredible projects. However, I’m a bit concerned; I overcomplicate things for myself frequently, and I will need to find a way to overcome this challenge this semester. Being a perfectionist is difficult.
Despite this hurdle, I adore my project. It feels full of potential, and I want to make the best version of it I possibly can. This is the sort of project I love to do in my free time, and to receive this project relieved a great deal of anxiety I had over break. Intrinsic motivation strengthens resolve and discipline, whereas extrinsic motivation usually stems from fear of repercussions. I worried I might receive a project I hated, which would make the semester incredibly tough. What a relief!
I feel as though a current pulls at my feet, urging me forward into the tide. Will I sink or swim? I suppose I won’t know until the end of the semester. The best thing I can do right now is focus on individual parts of the puzzle and gradually watch my project come to life. Small steps lead to success.