Author: Skand

My bag contains all the stuff I could possibly need throughout each day. I have my custom Emory-engraved Owala bottle, which has a capacity of 1.3L of water. This keeps me hydrated. I carry a pencil pouch with a few pens, a Kuru Toga mechanical pencil, and highlighters with which I can add a touch of color to my notes. I also like to carry a few high-protein snacks such as Quest chips, protein shakes, and a few Slim Jims. Atlanta weather can be unpredictable, so I like to have an umbrella on me at all times. I also have my prescription sunglasses, which have my eye power in them. These are really cool as I can magnetically snap on the blue shades or the grey ones depending on what I am wearing. I also like to keep a mini diary and my Sony XM5 headphones on me; they have the best noise canceling I have seen in a pair of wireless headphones. Lastly, I carry my laptop, a high-capacity 25,000 mAh power bank with its cable, and a copy of my passport and F-1 visa (which I am required to have on me at all times by law).

When I began the assignment, I struggled to imagine how to tell a complete story in only three panels. Eventually, I realized I could capture the mindset of people who expect instant results — something I once related to deeply. My comic shows a man frustrated that a brief effort didn’t immediately transform his body. This mirrors how I used to feel when I was far more overweight and impatient for visible change.I have now learnt that real progress comes from consistency , over a long period of time.

I was sitting at my desk in my dorm , when I noticed my skull pen-stand . I decided I wanted to use it in the assignment and so I took a pic of it , but I didnt know what to combine it with. I spent some time pondering while doomscrolling when it struck me; I could use a picture of a phone!
I had spent most of the covid years being chronically online and I would always feel dead and numb inside at the end of each day. this picture aims to portray that feeling I used a picture of a phone from Flickr , as I couldnt take one of my phone using my phone .

sk4

I chose to convert my FIN201 class’s notes because we studied an interesting topic, quotas. Converting my normal notes into visual notes was a new experience for me, and I have to say, it did help me solidify the concepts in my head. As I tried to come up with ideas for visuals I could use, I realised that I had some questions regarding the topic which would not have arisen had I not thought about the concepts visually. Overall, I found the prospect of visual note-taking quite intriguing and enjoyable yet time-consuming, as well. here is a link to the original assignment

I saw that this assignment was due 1 day before the due date , and was quite worried at first. I had never made something like this before , and I spent the day wondering what I could make, when randomly, while spinning my pen around my fingers during my business class, I had a eureka moment.
Growing up , I would go to sleep fidgeting with a pen and imagining new worlds and scenarios in which the pen would represent rockets and missiles .  I decided to return to that memory and sketch one of those scenarios. In my drawing, the pen becomes a rocket lifting off from Earth, taking me back to a time when the possibilities were infinite and nothing was out of the realm of reality.

Sketch 2: Sunday Sketches

My avatar is a collage that brings together the people and things that define me.. I have included pictures of some of the people I am really close to, including my family and friends. these are my comfort people. I have also included two symbols of a personal journey; Diet Coke and a gym picture. I grew up obese but started working out last year and have since lost around 20 pounds. this could not be possible without the gym , and surprisingly , diet sodas. all images in this picture are my own .I have used pixlr to edit the avatar