The Value of What I Learned: Part II

In this post, I would like to talk about the other most important value I gained through this course. I learned that anyone could get a patent. At the start of this course, the idea of filing for a patent was so foreign to me that I was actually intimidated by the thought of it. I took the course in hopes that I would be taught some loopholes on how to be successful in getting a patent, but as it turns out it's a lot easier than expected.

In my mind, I used to save the patent space for the geniuses - for the truly creative and original. From a TED Talk by Kirby Ferguson, everything in life is a remix. Nothing is really original. We build off of other ideas, and this is how we are able to see great technologies evolve into even greater creations. Creativity, in a way, is being able to take something and put your own spin on it - to be able to see how to improve it, even if the improvement is minor. 

My dad has several patents under his name, and before this course I thought that would be impossible for me to achieve. After especially seeing all of those ridiculous patents that were approved, I have more trust and faith in my ability to successfully file for a patent if I wished to do so someday. I like to transfer this confidence to other aspects of my life as well - if I thought this, a not so intimidating process in reality, was scary and unattainable, what else in my life am I overthinking? This course has taught me to reevaluate the confidence I have in my own abilities by equipping me with the necessary knowledge to file for a patent.

Thank you so much for a wonderful semester. I hope to stay in touch with the many of you and with our dearest Professor Tal Lavian.