As you may or may not know, I was not afforded (nor was prepared) the opportunity to attend college when I was younger. So, during Covid, I took the opportunity to accomplish that goal. I was on a mission to get my classes done as quickly and efficiently as possible. So when I saw the class Effective Listening, I thought it would be an easy class. After all, I was a pretty good listener. Boy was I wrong! This class was so hard, but yet so rewarding. This class taught me several crucial aspects of effective listening. First, it emphasized the importance of being present in a conversation. Second, it highlighted the need to listen for a deep understanding of the speaker’s message, both verbally and non-verbally. Third, it stressed the significance of listening with compassion and empathy. Moreover, the class taught me to approach listening with intentionality. Demonstrating active listening through body language and short responses became a key takeaway. So many times, we listen only to voice our opinions, come up with a rebuttal, or to pretend we are listening but really not interested (which is usually obvious to the speaker/talker).  Sometimes we get angry or insulted by