Socials!

5i)   This week I got involved at SCSU at my floor social! The 6th floor of Farnham had a social with pizza and nails. I enjoyed this because it is always a good thing to be close to the people you generally see often and it gave me a chance to speak to some of the people I don’t usually get a chance to talk to due to different schedules. 

During our social, we also had the move, A Walk To Remember being screened. That is one of my absolute favorites movies of all time. It was a lot of fun to sit around and talk with the girls on my floor but it was also very relaxing because some people even brought their homework out. Also, the pizza was delicious. :)

What Exactly is an Agency Anyway?!

5v) The word “agency” was very unclear to me until I researched it. My old understanding of the word is that an agency could be an organization and I thought of the word “agent”. Now I understand that it is a business that provides a particular service. There can be many different types of agencies, for example there can be a government agency or an administrative agency. 

I wonder, can our writing center be a form of an agency? It is almost like a business and it provides a learning service! Now that I am a lot more familiar with the word I can use it regularly.

Other Words that I have thought about lately are the words “potential” and “skill”. In college, everyone has the potential to do well, and with potential, everyone has some skill. Whether that skill is being social or doing well in the classroom, everyone needs to be able to understand that those skills are worthless if they do not exceed their potential. 

Studying 101

5b) Do you have one specific way set in stone for something? If you do, think about it and then ask yourself if there are other possibilities. For me, the way I study is set in stone. I usually will make flashcards and reread the book for the necessary class. I decided that some classes are very different than how they are in high school, therefore, you have to update and improve some of your studying methods. 

For example, my history class is a lecture hall. It is so different than a high school class because you have no relationship with the instructor of the course and it is not one on one work so you must rely on yourself to stay motivated. I decided that I must alternate the way I prepare and study for exams because exams are 80% of my grade and I only have a few, so they are extremely important. Rereading the chapter would not cover all the information so I decided to even retake my notes.

This was not a major change for me, but I am not one who enjoys change so it was difficult for me to study differently. I could not just brief some of my notes and read the chapter because the exam was on eight different chapters, with a lot of information including names, events, and dates. I had to physically and mentally stay focused because I have never studied so intensely. Usually I will start to study a couple of days before an exam, but for this specific history exam I started preparing two weeks in advance because the syllabus gave me the date of the test.

Overall, I am not impressed with my grade. I received a 77 on the exam and while I was going into the test, I thought I was going to ace it because of all my hard work, time, and effort that I put into studying. I noticed the test had a lot of detail so next time I need to study even more intensely and analyze everything. 

Road to Success

5a) These past four weeks at Southern have been so different than I had expected them to be. I know it was going to be a lot of time, a lot of effort, and most importantly, a ton of hard work, but I did not know I was going to start intellectually thinking around the clock. On my own time, I have discovered I am relating things I see outside of my classes back to my school work and my education. For example, I noticed my friends saying they will get the dessert at Conn Hall, only if they go 10x harder at the gym. Guess what? I related that back to extrinsic motivation.

I think it is really awesome that I am relating things and connecting my life with my education. It makes it that much more interesting and that much easier for me to learn because I enjoy learning. I also like how my Media class ties with my History class. In Media we discuss the past and some of those topics relate back to my History course which makes me feel like I’m educated. I feel like all the hard work I’ve been trying to put into my studies is finally paying off.

Of course, success must come with failure and yes, I’ve felt like I have failed at some things here and there. I noticed that I cannot procrastinate, at all. Once I receive an assignment or if I know or any assignments ahead, I should do it then, and there to get it done. Not that I should rush, but that I should start things early. It is so much less stressful to start work early because then you are not counting down the days, hours, or minutes until you must complete that specific assignment. I like feeling on top of the game.

Everyone wants to do well and achieve the roll of making the Dean’s List, and yes that is definitely one of my goals but right now I want to focus on the smaller things that I need to accomplish so I can make the Dean’s List because everything takes work and everything needs a plan. I plan to use a method I read from the article, “The Straight-A Method,” and it accompany’s hard work with effort but a controlled schedule. 

  Step 1: Capture, organize, review

  Step 2: Control your schedule

  Step 3: Plan- be specific with your schedule

  Step 4: Evolve, the Darwinian Approach can be applied               

Those simple steps may lead me to be in a place that I dream of. I know I have to break my workload up and set up a schedule so I am not overwhelmed or stressed out beyond-belief. I cannot wait to see what I can accomplish this semester as a student and I cannot wait to see my achievements.

Worth the While

4V) Delayed gratification can just be another word for “willpower” or “self-control”, except that, with delayed gratification you are receiving a reward that does not follow immediately after. The part about delayed gratification is resisting the temptations. Many say that it is worth the wait though because in the end you feel beyond accomplished.

I’ve always known about the concept about delayed gratification but I have not always thought of it to be better because, sometimes, don’t you just want the reward immediately?! I know I definitely love immediate rewards, and I’m sure many people agree, but after thinking long and hard I really think delayed gratification is good for people. It not only teaches people willpower, but it also teaches people to keep going and to stay motivated for something that they want to accomplish.

It’s always nice to learn more and become more educated which is why I’m happy that I leaned two more words this week! I learned all about ego depletion from the articles we read, as well as the word semiotics, from my media class.

ego depletion- refers to the idea that self-control or willpower draw upon a limited pool of mental resources that can be used up

semiotics- the theory and study of signs and symbols

These two words relate to me because almost everyday I feel depleted of my energy but I keep pushing until I get my work done and semiotics is all around us! Signs and symbols make connections in our brain everyday and most of the time we don’t even realize it!

Football, Football, Football

4I) I attended the SCSU football game last Saturday! It was an amazing event and an amazing experience. I really enjoyed the tailgate before the football game because everyone was united and then walked to the stands together.

My high school, Masuk, was very big into sports and school spirit so it was almost a reminder of home for me. I was told myself that I needed to go to a college that was big into sports and school spirit because that was a huge part of my memories of high school. At Masuk we even had a group called the “red army” that would gather in the stands and cheer at every sporting event. It was comforting to see this at Southern because I did not feel so lost while being at a new place with new friends and a new home. 

Training the Brain!

4b)

 How can people train their brains to govern self control?

In this week’s readings I read and learned a lot about how people use self control. Self control is eventually seen as a “muscle” because your brain is trained in the long scheme of the on going process. 

I’m curious how self control becomes a muscle. How can one train their brain to govern that? For me, I try to eat healthy for most of my meals and it is very hard. Especially, here at school and with Conn Hall because there are so many different choices and there is the wonderful dessert table that tempts me EVERYTIME I walk by. It is so hard to resist when my friends go to get dessert because I know I want it but I do not usually let myself and that’s my brain using self control.

Temptation is a huge aspect that is the baseline for how people control themselves. A way to approach governing self control can be by rewarding yourself, a form of extrinsic motivation. Maybe you can tell yourself, I will be able to get that dessert if I do my homework or if I go to the gym. I think self control goes hand in hand with motivation. You need to motivate yourself to maintain that self control that everyone works so hard to achieve. Your brain needs to form a routine because after a while your body will not crave the desired object anymore.

Another way to teach the brain to govern self control could be by replacing the desired object with something else. You can train your brain to find an alternate source. In the article, “Resistance Training For Your Willpower Muscles” I found the quote “out of sight, out of mind” and that applies to self control. If the thought or the object is not directly in front of you, it is much easier to deny the temptation. 

Self control is a long process but everyone has some form of self control, it differs how much each person has though. It is different from person to person because it depends on how willing a person is to stay committed and motivated to their goal. 

My Journey

4a.) Gratification- is the pleasurable emotional reaction of happiness in response to a fulfillment of a desire or goal

What’s worth waiting for? Why should we wait? Is the gratification in the end worth it?

  I think there are many things in life that are worth waiting for. I’ve heard, “in life the greatest opportunities take time” and I’d like to believe that is true. So far, in my experiences, I agree, I agree that the best things in life take time. 

        Looking away from school and studies, in my past I met my best friend. My freshmen year of high school I met my friend, Chris. We instantly clicked, talked daily, and not only talked, but talked about everything that we possibly could have. A year after all that nonstop talking, we grew such a strong relationship and I still remember to this day, he asked me to his senior prom. I was the happiest girl and I was so happy I did not rush into anything.

        Time is the most important key to life. Life and all the good things that come with it, are worth the wait. And, that is just one example of how time works in its funny, exhilarating ways.

As I think about my future, I think about my degree. A degree cannot be completed quickly, many degrees take two years, four years, six years, and even eight years. It all differs, but, in the end, is it worth it right? All the hard work, all the time and effort, all the all-nighters while cramming for an exam to get the perfect score, will it make the wait worth it? Many people question that. I believe it is worth it. I am dedicated to my studies and my degree because I want to be a successful, independent person. I want the gratification of finishing college, because I know how amazing it felt when I received the gratification of completing high school.

As an American society, people think they are entitled to success, as if it should not have to be earned. It all starts at a young age and yes, this may be because of technology. With the use of cell phones, the internet, and television, things come instantly. If we need information, we use the click of a button, and, there it is, the desired information is right in front of us. Instant gratification is valued in these matters. I know, for me, I want to accomplish something, I want the delayed gratification because in the end it makes the hard work and effort all worth it. 

       Waiting can be correlated with self-control. For example, the Marshmellow Experiment tested a child’s control on waiting for a marshmellow and if the child did wait the 15 minutes, they were rewarded with a second. It seems so simple and so appealing but some children decided that the wait was worth it. Self-control came into the picture because they had to resist the marshmellow, especially because it was right in front of them. In the article, “Resistance Training For Your Willpower Muscles, the theory, “out of sight, out of mind” was a technique some children would use to resist the temptation. Many children would cover their faces in order to distract themselves. Self-control is exercised in the mind even at such a young age. 

       Gratification is important to me. I still remember my freshman year of high school as I watched the varsity girls soccer team enjoy their senior night. I remember envying them, but I told myself, that would be me in some time and before I know it, I was able to enjoy my own senior night. Looking back, the wait was worth it. It was something that I always looked forward to and it was everything I wished that it could be.

Getting Back

3I.) Clubs are such an important part to the social community and aspect of college because it’s a way to meet people that you would not normally see on campus. I like to explore new things and new people that I an unfamiliar with. A club that I would like to join would be the intramural soccer club because originally in college, my goal was to play college soccer. I even had a couple of scholarships waiting for me when I hit the day of graduation, but I ultimately turned them down due to the last two years of my bad high school soccer days. 

Thinking back to my soccer days, those were the happiest days of my life. I am such an athletic outgoing person and soccer was a great way for me to relieve my stress and still get the desired workout. Soccer came so naturally to me and I would love to just get back into the flow of playing the game because it made me happy. 

 

There is not another feeling in the world better than being on the soccer field, having your friends and family in the stands cheering you on and your teammates all routing for the best. It is something that I want back in my life, especially my college experience. 

Motivation? What really is "motivation" ??

3v.)     What is motivation exactly? How do we apply motivation to our everyday lives and why do we want to motivate ourselves?

I’ve been thinking lately about what motivation really is, by the dictionary definition and as my own definition. By the dictionary, Motivation is a psychological feature that arouses an organism to act towards a desired goal and elicits, controls, and sustains certain goal-directed behaviors. To me, motivation is something that you can create yourself, inside your own mind or it can be developed through an outside source, but the general goal of motivation is to better the self. 

During our readings and articles I’ve learned so much more than I thought I would about motivation, the term is not as simple as you’d like to think. There is so much meaning behind the word. I learned about fixed mindsets, growth mindsets, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, as well as Carol Dweck’s personal beliefs and encounters with motivation. Motivation is the key to becoming a better person and we see motivation all around us. Motivation is deep within each and every person, you just have to push yourself to want it enough.

What does idiosyncratic mean? Is that even a word? I learned from the readings that idiosyncratic is a structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group. In other terms, it is unique to an individual or to a group. 

Who doesn't like to read?

3b.) “Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.” I enjoy reading. I absolutely love to read and I do not need to “make time” to read. I read every night before I go to bed because it relaxes my mind but in another way it also gets my mind working. 

     Reading is healthy for the mind because it introduces the correct forms of grammar, speech, and it introduces words that I was previously unfamiliar with. I will read just about anything, I surprisingly like getting assigned the articles because they interest me, I like learning new things. I enjoy reading books for my own source of pleasure, as well as my history book, (weird I know) but reading helps me focus. 

     When I’m reading I feel like I can drown everything else out even if I’m in a loud room, but let’s say if I were to write in essay, my mind would not flow the way it does when I’m reading because I mentally cannot think. I need silence while I’m writing an essay or studying for a huge test. It is strange how reading can be so relaxing to me, meanwhile, it is also a form of learning. I can apply this to my college experience because whenever I am assigned something to read, it actually does not bother me. It is simple and I like it. Reading was a perfect choice for this specific blog because I already am applying it to my college education and future. Reading is a tool that you will never let go to waste because you read things a million times a day. You read signs to get places, you read texts messages from your family or friends, you read labels and store hours, reading is everywhere and it cannot be ignored. 

Your BFF or Your Worst Enemy

3a.)  “There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so” the quote by Shakespeare, in my eyes is saying that the mindset of a person can alter an activity, assignment, or memory with the mind. A person’s mind can be mentally stuck on a certain view or opinion, or a person can be open to new ideas and learning experiences. Intrinsic motivation can be applied to the above quote because a person needs to self motivate themselves, or vice versa. Thinking can be good, when the personally internally motivates themselves. The mind needs to want to learn and want to understand to better themselves and better their mind. For some people, that intrinsic motivation just may not be there.
         
         A person may not be able to motivate themselves, they may need a support system. This is where extrinsic motivation comes into play. Extrinsic motivation is motivation from an outside source. You can tell a student to read a book, and if the student understands the book that they read, you will reward them. That is an example of extrinsic m

otivation, because the student is being motivated by an outside force to get something done. The quote is applied to extrinsic motivation as well as intrinsic motivation because extrinsic motivation can also be good and useful, until it’s not enough to motivate the specific person anymore. This can also can compared with a fixed mindset. 

        A fixed mindset is when a person believes they were not born with that inside motivation, that they cannot physically or mentally be productive to a certain subject. A person may say, “I’m just not good at math and I never will be.” That is an example of a fixed mindset because the person feels stuck, they feel like that are not capable of learning something new. Growth mindset, is the complete opposite of a fixed mindset. 

        A person with a growth mindset is open and ready to receive new challenges. Someone with a growth mindset would have that intrinsic motivation to push themselves to try something new, like taking a class they’ve never really had an interest in before. The person would want to excel on that topic and become more intelligent. So the quote above by Shakespeare to me, means a person’s mind can either be their best friend or their worst enemy.

I Love Ice Cream!

2I) Thursday after class, I attended the “Ice Cream Social” with two other classmates. I went with Brianna and Kelly and had a great time! It was a lot of fun to interact with the other students here at Southern. It almost reminded me a little bit of high school to see everyone rallying together and talking over something so simple. People met one another as we all waited in line! It was a beautiful day, it was the perfect temperature and the ice cream made it even better! I love ice cream and it was an excuse to eat it! I enjoyed going and definitely would attend another one of Southern’s events. 

New Year, New Me

2b) I have realized so far that college is a completely different atmosphere than what I was used to in high school. In high school, I got my work

done but I did not always put my best efforts into my work. I would go through the day looking at the clock, or checking the messages I had on my phone, not to seem like I did not care about the work I was assigned but I just didn’t have the mindset that I have now for college. I now want to change my ways, I do not want to be the student to wait until the last minute to get things done, and I definitely do not want to be the classmate to check their phone during class. I plan to stay on top of things. I want to become more involved in my classes and try to stay focused. With me, I get very bored VERY easily, and it is really hard for me to stay alert. I get distracted way too easily so my goal now for college is to sit down and push through my work. I want to participate more in discussions so I can see if that will help me maintain my focus throughout the class period. It is already hard for me to stay focused, even when doing these blogs. I want to be brutally honest, I sat down and tried to do the blogs right after I attended the ice cream social on Thursday, but I could not stay focused, I even went to the library. So here I am now, after staring at my blank computer screen for two hours, finally pushing through my work. It isn’t that I do not want to do my work, it is extremely difficult for me to get started though. My goal is to be a productive, alert, and achieved student. I want to accomplish things I never thought I could’ve. I tried this new “me” in my comparative politics class, the professor assigned us to present a topic about politics, and I did. I wanted to participate and I felt good about myself after. I did not feel like the shy student that I normally am. I hope to continue this new perspective and get the grades I want to see, preferably, all A’s.

Deeper Thinking

2a) This week’s readings were very useful for me as a new college student because the readings included a lot of information on college advice and provided articles that made my mind think deeper. Some of the tips that I will put in use IMMEDIATELY, will be the that in order to work hard, you must work smart. You cannot mentally or physically work hard without working smart, and taking that to a further level, you must become a critical thinker. I learned that in order to become a critical thinker, it is important to go above and beyond the usual ‘norm’ because you will not excel in life if you do everything basic. The article,How to Become a Deeper Thinker at College, by Cal Newport, has information useful to every student. Newport describes that you should take courses that will keep your interest, he suggests calculating the hours per week that you should set aside to study and do homework, and then doubling those hours so you can figure out how much free time you have. Newport says that you can’t be a deep thinker if you do not give yourself the proper amount of time to think. “The students who make great mental leaps, and really become more sophisticated thinkers, are those who have more than enough time to think about, work on, grapple with, and revel in their coursework.” The quote from the article really caught my attention because it’s very true, if you try to rush through your work to just get it done, it will not be your best work. The mind needs time to think and it needs time to sort through things to create a wonderful outcome. A college student needs good time management to get their work done in a timely fashion, and also needs enough time to make all of their work A work. 

INQUIRY!

V.) Inquiry is an act of asking for information. For example, the inquiry course that we are all taking right now. In the inquiry course we have talked about the differences between high school and college, the hours spent on work, proper time management, and the specific amount of effort needed to do well. So far I can also say an inquiry can also can a learning experience, because of all the new information being provided. My learning experience in the inquiry course would definitely be the blogging. It is all new to me but I appreciate it because it’s expanding the way I work. I never really enjoyed using the internet for any sort of school related work because sometimes it can be confusing and things can get lost but the blogging is almost relaxing.

1I, Study Spot

A good place on campus that I found I enjoy studying, doing homework, or just relaxing alone is downstairs in the lobby of my building; Farnha
m Hall. I like to sit in the corner near the couches away from the desks and chairs because it is away from everyone. Not that I do not like being around my roommate or the girls on my floor, but sometimes I need time to think alone so I can get my work done quickly without any distractions. It is very simple to get here, you walk directly towards where all the campus dorms are, and it is the first building closest to Conn Hall.

Personal Blogging Style!

1B.) Blogging is very different for me, in high school blogging was never an option, even in the AP classes. I am not used to blogging or having other students look at the my own personal thoughts and writings. I am very unfamiliar with the blogging process and how it works so I hope to soon become a decent blogger! I hope that blogging will make me a more open speaker and closer with my class. As I went through some of my classmates blog, I discovered it was very interesting to see their views on what they want in college and what they are intending on getting out of attending Southern. Despite the work part, I also enjoyed seeing how some of my classmates created their blogs to make their pages their own, personal blogs. That kind of shows the other bloggers the students style and taste, which was great to see. The only disadvantage that I see from blogging is being nervous of others judging your work and thoughts, that should not be on my mind as a student, but unfortunately it is because I am so unfamiliar with the concept of blogging. At first, I did not really like the idea of blogging but now I’m getting the hang of it and appreciate the assignment! As a new blogger I would really like to open up and express myself as a student. I came to college for new experiences and I am getting new experiences during the classroom, for homework, and in my social aspect. It has been great so far! I will make this blog useful to myself because it is almost like a diary, it is a way to express information that has been happening and it is a way to stay interactive with others and the professor. I will make this useful to others too because students will be able to see my opinions and ideas.

Blog A

As a college student, I would like to become open to many new aspects of life. College is a whole different world than the high school world, you are completely on your own, with no one to tell you what needs to be done in order to be successful. College is a place for new experiences, as well as a place that you need to bring your learned skills from high school, and it is a place for motivation. Motivation that is needed to do well and get the grades that make you smile, and your family proud. Going to college is very exciting for me, and I plan to make a great experience of it for the time that I am here. I plan to work and study very hard to get high grades and maintain those grades. College means getting a good, well-paying job, after getting the wonderful education I expect to receive. I personally did not attend the SCSU orientation because at that point in time I had other college plans, but from looking at the website and the syllabi needed for my other classes, I think Southern will give me a well deserved education. I know college will take a lot more effort than high school did, and it will need time management, but I plan on working very hard during my college career. So far, I feel drained from all the work I’ve been given and all the work that I have already completed, but I know the strain on my brain is well worth it because I am accomplishing everything that needs to be done. Here at Southern I am excited to meet new people and see how my professors will teach every student, I am excited to see how my lecture class goes, and I cannot wait to see my grades after this first semester.