10A: Dorm Life Video Reflection

I know I made the right choice coming to Southern. The environment here is so welcoming and there are many resources to help you become successful now and in the future for your career. Not only that, but I’ve always wanted to have the experience of moving out of my house and living on a campus, and SCSU offers great facilities to feel right at home. So, when making my Southern Spirit video for my INQ class, I chose something that I enjoy while being here; dorming/living on campus.

                Looking back at the video, I fulfilled the time requirement (6 minutes), I have a solid introduction stating my name, class and the topic I would be covering, and I addressed many solid points of my reasons for living on campus with supporting evidence. I posted a working link on my blog before the due date and my video was technologically appealing (graphically and musically.) But I feel there was one part I lacked in; interviewing. Though I did interview two people, I feel as if I could have gone more in depth with my interviews. I could possibly include a video instead of just quotes. And if I didn’t want to put a video in, I could have elaborated more on my quotes.

                Something that caught my interest and I feel, kept people interested, was the music. Though it doesn’t have to do with the topic of dorming, it was upbeat and catchy and paying attention to the video, rather than a silent film, losing the audience.

                If I were to grade myself, I would probably give myself a B. Though I addressed many topics, I could have elaborated in curtain areas, like the interviews as I’ve stated above. In general, I feel as though I could have personally took more time with the project and elaborated in multiple areas, such as the different things to do on campus, or even, what the dorm rooms included. 

9V: Critical Thinking....and More!!

Critical Thinking: I remember learning about critical thinking in my Sociology class. We learned that it means: using skilled judgment and using cognitive skills to identify, analyze and evaluate situations.

                Other words I learned this week:

Traditionalists: people that do things that come from the past (tradition)

Familism: most important thing to an individual is family

9I: INQ Meeting

                This week, I met with my INQ professor to discuss my plans for classes for next semester. We talked about what classes I have to take for my intended major and what classes are required for me to graduate. We looked at what classes I was doing well at and what ones I could do well at next semester. This was incredibly helpful for me, being a first semester freshman in college, because, though we are supposed to be independent, learning how to register is very helpful and a good way to help ease the transition from being told exactly what to do and be reminded every second, to being completely on my own. 

9B: Turning My Failures into Success

                Have you ever heard, you are who you hang out with? Well, from personal experience, I have a feeling this is true. My friends in school were never really into grades and just sort of got by in school. We were just out for a good time and never really put time aside to do work.

                But coming to college, I feel as if everyone’s goals are more similar, and I have a goal of what I want to be, and am more inclined to do well. With this said, I believe my goals have reflected greatly on my grades. I am doing so much better than I did in high school and I know it’s because I have been very focused on my school work and less on going out and hanging out with my friends.

                I’ve gotten all A’s and high B’s in all my classes which is all I've could hoped for, so for that, I am very proud of myself. Yet some grades make me very frustrated, like my INQ class I have an 89. Though that is far from a bad grade, it is one point lower than an A, which makes me think, what could I have done to get that one extra point?

                Though, with this frustration, I can channel it into my work so I can get a better grade. The things that I feel I need to do more is, stop procrastinating on my homework and maybe speak up more in class.

                Like I’ve talked about previously, with failure comes learning and growing. So like any other failure I will take that I believe I’ve been slacking at and fix it, then start to do things a new way, so I can succeed. 

9A: There Once Was a Good Critical Thinker....

               

College can be a struggle for some. You are suddenly cut off from the everyday support system of your close family and friends of back home and are stranded to learn how to live more of an individual lifestyle. Though the teachers are always willing to help, you are basically on your own for decision making. These decisions you make are really important because they are ultimately the choices that will affect your future. So with big choices, you should think of all the possible outcomes, so you can make the best choices for your future.

                Something that comes with good critical thinking is weighing your options. I suggest making a pro/con list. You come up with every good or bad thing comes with making the big decision and whichever side has more things on it, decides whether or not you do it.

                Lately, I’ve been thinking about, not just the classes I’m currently taking, but what classes I’m thinking about taking next semester. While I was looking at the classes I have to take, I was given choices. I read each course description and weighed what things I was good at so I know what class I will most likely succeed at.

                But even looking at the courses I’m taking now; every night I have the choice of doing my homework or going to hang out with friends. Though this may be a small choice, I know if I don’t do my homework that night, I will get an “F” for that grade. This lazy motivation, could cause a streak of bad grades in the future. Though this situation may seem outrageous to some, this is a possible situation and in the end, a good critical thinker has to think of everything that can possibly happen. 



link to photo:http://netdna.copyblogger.com/images/critical-thinking.jpg

Perks of Living On Campus at SCSU Midterm Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AEBA4STl5U&feature=youtu.be

8V: Mastery

Mastery:

                When you master something, you are one of the best people when you do it. You make minimal mistakes and basically are better than most, you might even be known for this talent. Some argue that you have to use something called deliberate practice, practicing for a purpose and doing it constantly and working on specific areas of mistake, for at least 10,000 hours or 10 years before you can become an expert. Yet others argue that, if you’re born with a natural talent, then you will take less time to become a master.

 Other vocab I learned this week:

• Sociobiology: human behavior best explained by evolution. The genes (strong/weak) you get from your parents/the way you look or genetics effect your life.
• Symbolic Internationalist: looks at language and gestures and movements of people and analyze them.  

Link to photo: http://www.bornfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/never-give-up-300x300.jpg

8I: Majors Expo

This past week I went to the Major Expo. Though, everyone knows that ive wanted to be a teacher forever, I wasn’t expecting that I had to pick a second major this whole time, so I am still on a hunt for something that best fits who I am. While at the expo, I took a look at various tables placed around the room. Though I still have not made a final decision on what my second major will be yet, it gives me more of an idea of what possibilities are out there and what can help me further my education into something I want to do. 

8B: My Beloved World

“Love from others, keep me going.” This was the 6 words that I chose for my memoir after reading Sonia Sotomayor’s book, “My Beloved World.” I chose these 6 words because I have faced a lot of struggles in my life and the people around me really help me get through everything. Without the support and love from my community and friends and family. I wouldn’t make it through any struggles that I face.

While reading Sonia Sotomayor’s auto biography, she had faced some may struggles in her life as well. I believe this is one of the reasons that it was a required book for freshman to read. She was faced with poverty and the stereotype of the minority yet she still succeeded in life. I think that this is supposed to show freshman that, no matter what obstacles are put upon us, in life or in college, that we can succeed and become whatever we want, if we just put in the effort and keep our hopes high.

I enjoyed reading the beginning of the book with her struggles because I could relate to everything, maybe not that exact situation, but I could relate with the feeling of being put down and at your lowest, but having to overcome it, faced with many obstacles.

Though the end of the book might have been very well written and explained her life very well, I didn’t have the same connection as I did with the beginning of the book. I couldn’t relate to many of the things she was saying, so I felt a little more disconnected and a smaller desire to read the rest of the book.  So though it could have been very well written, I felt more disconnected, so that’s why I didn’t enjoy it as much.

Link to Photo: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/01/22/arts/BOOK/BOOK-popup-v2.jpg

8A: Straight A's

             

  For my freshman inquiry class at SCSU it was mandatory for everyone to make a blog and record the event, successes and failure of our first semester freshman. Now, for most reading, my blog illustrates my stories and experiences and opinions and advice to freshman on how to survive your first year.

                This week, I’m going to look into the blogs of others. Which blogs do I believe are worthy of the title of “A+” work. What makes a blog so good is its ability to keep someone reading. This blog should constantly keep you interested and you should be able to take away some sort of lesson or information that you will intend to use in the future. Along with that, a blogger wants you to continue to come back and read theirs in the future.  As I went through the various blogs of Professor Guarino’s INQ classes, the two that stood out to me were, “An Owls Mind” by Kali (http://anowlsmind.blogspot.com/) and “Behind Closed Doors” by Gabby (http://behindddoors.blogspot.com/). In my opinion, these blogs exemplify “A+” work for many reasons.

                First, let’s start out with, “An Owls Mind” by Kali. Her blog is insightful and gives a plentiful amount of information on each of her topics. I love how she used different fonts to draw people’s attention to important aspects. But my favorite part is how she includes quotes in some of her posts that have to do with the topic. For example under failure she puts, “"Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor." (Truman Capote.) This gives people a chance to understand it through others eyes or give a topic new prospective.

                The second blog I believe shows “A+” work is, “Behind Closed Doors” by Gabby. I enjoy this blog because I think it is very informative, yet it gives a more personal aspect to it. She tries to relate to the reader with things she has faced in her life before. She also includes pictures that represent what the post is about.

                Though everyone’s blog is really great and had great aspects of their posts, the blogs I chosen were very well rounded, yet they had specific things that made them stand out. But keep blogging everyone, strive for that A+!! 

Link to Photo: http://w4wn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/A+reportcardsmall.jpg

7V: Failure

                 When I think of failure, I think of losing. I think of having the chance at success but somehow it slipped away from you. Though, luckily, just because you fail once at something, doesn’t mean it’s over. You can keep trying till you succeed and learn from your previous failures.

                Some other vocab words that came into my life this week were discipline and achievement. Discipline, in the context I learned it in, refers to the amount of will power and strength you put on yourself to do something, whether you like it or not. And achievement is made up of two things, talent plus preparation. When you put your full effort into something you will have, hopefully, both the achievement of self-satisfaction and achievement of whatever the task was.

7I: The Teacher

                I have wanted to be a teacher forever. When I was younger I would play teacher with my best friend, Shaina and my little sister, Melissa. I always was in charge. I had to be the teacher. I would make little assignments and give out homework that they had to do before we played school next time.

                When the idea of college came up when I got into high school, there was nothing more I wanted to be. So naturally, you may guess, my major is Elementary Ed.

                This week I had to attend a meeting for people who will apply to the teaching program. Listening to it, there were a lot of requirements I didn’t know about. I have to keep a GPA above 2.7, I have to pass curtain exams and pass the application selection process. This all seems like a lot in my head and there is a part of me that is scared, but I know if I strive I will eventually get what I want and become what I’ve always wanted to be.

7B: Changing it up!!

                Back in high school, I didn’t have to go out of my way to see my friends because they are all under the same building. I would see them walking through the hall or sit with them during lunch. I would occasionally hang out with them at parties or during after school activities but it wasn’t a necessity to see them outside school because you saw them there so much.

                The thing I would have to say I’m struggling the most with is social time or time for myself. I realize I spend most days and nights in my room constantly doing my homework. Though it is a good habit to get into, I miss constantly having friends around me. And though some eager college students may be the exact opposite, I am really committed to my school work, especially during the week, because I want to do better than I did in high school. But, though I might be doing better academically, I’m struggling with meeting new people and relaxing a little more. Is being really social imperative to the college life?

                Yet I constantly find myself in my room doing work, I miss hanging out with my friends all the time. I haven’t specifically made time for the friends I have here because I’m always doing work. Yet, thinking about it, if I’m not happy and surrounded with positive supportive friends, I might wind up, overall, disliking the experience of college and not wanting to be here in general

                So this week I decided to change it up. I got most of my homework done early enough so I can text my friends and meet them for lunch, or go hang out with them in a dorm, or even go down town. I need to realize that school is important but having social time to relax and get to know more people on campus is too.

Gotta love the roommie love :)

7A: The Beginning of Your Success Story

Growing up, we are encouraged to use all of our effort to succeed, and with success comes the rewards. When we play sports and win the championships, even as children, you get the bigger trophy. In school, if you get the better grades, you get a high GPA and have the better possibility of getting into the college of your choice. Our parents would push us towards success. Most know the feeling of receiving a bad grade on a report card and have your parents take away your cell phone, friend privileges or, in our younger years, our Gameboy or TV time. These punishments would push us to do better in the future so we would never have to be punished again.

Then again, if we hadn’t received that failure and punishment, we wouldn’t have ended up working so much harder to get those privileges we had lost in the first place back. “Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement,” as said by C.S. Lewis. No one likes the feeling of failure, whether you hide it or not. When you fail at something, most will try to fix it so you and everyone around you will turn the disappointment into more of praise.

So does this mean that failure is good? Should we be praised for failing or harshly punished…or neither? Though I believe incentives can help spark success I don’t believe they should be used as a permanent; people should automatically be expected to put their very best work into something. And when a child is younger or even an adolescent and they do fail, maybe punishment or the retrieving of a treasured item can spark success.

But thinking about it, when you have truly failed, you are at your lowest of low and it cannot get worse. So the only thing left to do is just get up, brush yourself off, and try again, and no amount of yelling and/or punishing will change the fact that you messed up. You now have something to base your success on and know what doesn’t work for you and just try again. Failure isn’t the end, it’s the beginning of your success story.

Link to Photo:http://danblackonleadership.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Success1.jpg

Link to quote:  http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_failure.html#73DrWDO2TT1YSyl7.99

6V: Persistence

                When I think about persistence I think about constantly working toward something no matter how difficult it is or how many times you fail. Though something may be difficult you have to push through and keep trying, that is persistence.

                A few other words I came across in classes this week was conflict. Though conflict is constantly viewed as a bad thing, if you don’t stand up for what you believe in, there is no progress that can be made, and who knows, people may have the same problems you do. This view of it is a new way I hadn’t looked at it before but I make a lot of sense.

6I: Quiet!!

                Living on campus can be a great experience. You get to meet new people and go out to new places. You might have some new experiences, good and bad but all this, I believe make you grow more independent.

                Yet things change as well. We all know the feeling of having our parents nag us to “stop watching TV” or “Get off the Xbox.” But if you live on campus like I do, it can be hard because I don’t have anyone yelling at me not to get distracted. My friends all live within walking distance and I can see them whenever I want, or they can come into my room and see me. But this week I decided to find another place to do my homework while my roommate had some friends in the room. I found, just by going to the common room, I got more work done because I didn’t know anyone in there and it was a much more peaceful environment. So, though, I had no one nagging me to do my work, just by leaving my phone in my room and doing my work in a quiet room, I got more work done than usual.

6B: One Step at a Time

                In this first month of school, we have learned concepts that have taught us how to essentially survive our freshman year. But we have also learned the ways to succeed our first year. We will face so many new problems and struggles this year because, so many of us are under a brand new environment with no one to tell us, or no one to really help us through this, because everyone around us is new at this. So every article we reading are helping us make it through the first year successfully

                This week’s article was no different. We read “Angela Duckworth and the Research on ‘Grit’ by Emily Hanford” article (http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/tomorrows-college/grit/angela-duckworth-grit.html) about grit, or the ability to ultimately overcome and finish large, challenging tasks. People with the motivation to complete the tasks at hand no matter how tough, have the most grit. This could directly relate with the motivation articles we read some time ago. You need to focus on something that is important to you, or your overall goals of why you want to finish college and set your mind to making and completing them through small easy steps.

                One thing that stood out to me in this week’s reading, though, was, “the grittiest students—not the smartest ones—had the highest GPAs.” In other words, you don’t have to be naturally smart to be smart in school. If you work towards your goals and have a high motivation, you have the ability to succeed, you just have to work towards it. 

Photo Link: http://theyoungmarketerdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/grit-over-gift.jpg

6A: Newtown Strong

             

I have faced many challenges throughout my life that have forced me to become stronger, or change my ways in order to overcome. At one point, in most everyone’s life, they have struggled with something that knocked them out of their normal routine and challenged them which could have caused change or reevaluation. Whether you were the weird one throughout your school years or the quiet one. Maybe you were a little out spoken or maybe you just stood out from the rest. Either way, those events have the ability to drastically change you, or mold you into who you are now. 

                My struggle happened fast and without warning on December 14, 2012. I was in personal finance at around 9:30am. We were watching some video on identity thieves. I remember constantly hearing sirens buzz by my school, so naturally I’m curious, thinking there may have been a bad accident or a local business robbery. Not too long after the Principal comes over the speakers saying that we are put into lock down. Everyone silently goes to the side of the room and sits on the floor. It only takes moments before the text messages start rolling in from different cell phones; there was a shooting in my town at the elementary school a mile down the road, Sandy Hook. While everyone start to try to gather more information, I sit in the corner with a thousand thoughts racing through my mind. I had went there for five years, the children I babysit for every week for the past three years were there. I was in a panic, people were constantly coming up to me in my class (people I had never spoken to) and asking me if I was okay and offering their comfort.

                Later I would find out that the children I babysit for were alright but children who live all around me had lost their lives. Not a day goes by, still, that I don’t think about that day or everything that happened after. And even after that day, I would face the challenge of finding my new normal. I struggle with the ability of feeling safe.

                One thing that helped me cope was the feeling of community all around me. Everyone in school was nice to everyone. If someone looked upset, they would receive hugs and comfort from dozens of people from whom they might not have even known. I loved how everyone was so friendly to everyone, which was definitely a huge step in the direction of healing.

                Along with this and the months following, I never knew how to give back to my community, such as so many had. This caused me to isolate myself and my feelings in the beginning. But I eventually got participate in numerous charity musical events, where I get to work with professionals and use my passion to let out my emotions and give back happiness to my community. Along with that my college scholarship that paid for a large portion of my first year tuition, was a We Are Newtown remembrance scholarship. Though this tragedy had to happen, I have received so much from it which had eased the pain and caused me to grow.

                Though I still struggle with some issues resulting from that day, I do realize that those events and the ones following have changed me. I have become more independent and out spoken then I once was. I know how to stand up for myself and my beliefs. Though I not be happy with the way I had to discover these new things about myself. I am happy with the person I have become today.

Charity Show I participated in this summer: Seussical The Musical