The top takeaway from this course is having a basic understanding of the research method – participant observation. Different from the structured observation, the participant observation requires observers to get involved in the process and make judgement and evaluation as objective as possible. In my perspective, it is truly difficult to be fair and objective when I am trying to make a personal judgement. The solution to this problem is to design the mystery shopping form in an objective way. Most questions in the shopping form should be ‘yes or no’ questions and nothing about the feelings of the observers.
On top of that, I grew my communication skill and the teamwork ability during the whole trip and the teamwork after the trip. I used to be shy to speak with native speakers. However, totally immersed in an environment that was full of the language of English, I found myself gradually getting comfortable with the trip going on. I dared to speak and have mutual interactions with other travel mates. In addition, I learned to conquer the challenge together with my teammates and simultaneously finish my task independently.
Since this course was something about studying abroad, I also picked up things that I could not get from regular classes. For example, I developed my ability to adapt to a new and unfamiliar environment. The life in Cuba was totally different from that in China and even that in the United States. The cultural shock the country brought to me was huge but do help me challenge myself and have a better understanding of the world, which is priceless treasure to my growth.
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