Hi beautiful people!
I am Georgia Woods and here is a pic of me for reference in this weird online learning world. (Please note this is the only selfie I could find on my computer…not at all put together during remote learning) 😂
I am in my 3rd and final year studying a Bachelor of Communications and Media, Majoring in Marketing & Advertising and Minoring in PR. What a crazy ride it has been!
I moved to Wollongong in 2019 from a small rural town to start uni. My degree started off as a double degree in BCM and Creative Arts (Theatre), however after one semester I dropped the Creative Arts to focus my energy on BCM. Reflecting back on my journey through uni, it is insane to think most of my degree has been in remote learning.
When asked to write about a skill we have, personally I struggled to think of one. I will be honest, I even googled a list of skills to spark some inspiration. Pathetic I know.
The fact that I have almost made it through my whole degree with the help of zoom is a skill on its own!
The How and Why Of a Skill I Have Learned
When thinking of a skill, usually our mind wanders to something really extravagant, like doing 10 backflips!
Well I know I’m not capable of 10 backflips… which then got me thinking, we are always capable of more than we think even if it is not really obvious!
For a large part of my growing up I danced. I started around age 5 doing a jazz class to perform at the end of year concert, and gradually I picked up a few more classes along the way including ballet, hiphop, modern, contemporary and a tiny bit of tap. I wouldn’t say dancing is a skill, i consider it more a combination of many skills linked together to become dancing. I continued dancing until 18 and then I started to do the teaching side of it.
Looking back on my dancing days, I was never the most flexible, strongest and confident dancer in the classroom, but being involved in dance classes has engrained many life skills into me that can translate across industries
Communication – dancing requires you to think outside the box to communicate a message and convey emotions through movement.
Dedication – Having weekly classes to attend on top of school required dedication. In year 11 & 12 I completed my HSC combining academics with performing arts. Not only did I have to complete my assignments and study, but I was doing 20+ hours of dance a week, requiring dedication in order to accomplish both.
Persistence – Dancers must be persistent to execute a dance to perfection. Many hours of rehearsals and failing until you succeed required persistence.
Resilience – Keeping the body moving and healthy also boosted my overall resilience by keeping my mind and body healthy.
Accountability – Dancing as part of a competition team, 100% effort was required and you were expected to always turn up to class and practice. Holding yourself accountable was crucial, you knew if you didn’t turn up you were letting your team down.
Creativity – Dancing has been a creative outlet for me, whether it was taking a class or choreographing a dance to teach someone.
Cooperation – Dancing in a group boosted my levels of cooperation as it taught be how to be patient and respect those around me to achieve a specific outcome. Working in a group of people of different ages, abilities and backgrounds requires high levels of cooperation.
Attention to Detail – When learning new routines, attention to detail was necessary to execute that clean performance all dancers strive to achieve.
Thinking of all the skills I have learned from just growing up dancing has made me think that the next time I try downplay any hobby or experience I have had, I need to remind myself of the many skills I have gained within that hobby which I can utilise to succeed in the future of work!
Georgia Woods 