Campus Safari #4

              

    For this week’s campus safari I decided to go to a “This I believe” event. Last Thursday night, Dan Gediman the co-producer of the book came to Southern Connecticut State University’s Lyman Center to discuss the history of the book. He told us all about years ago when people from the war started writing this I believe papers, and how it progressed on from there. He discussed some of the stories in the book and the history behind them. At the end we were allowed to go up and ask him a question and then receive a free t-shirt. I decided to go up to the microphone and ask him “How do you go about choosing “This I believe” essays to put into your book?” He answered by telling me that he loves all of them and is amazed by how many people submit their own. What happens is his staff reads through them all and the ones that really stick out get put into a pile and from then papers in that pile get picked till they find the ones to publish. After the event we could meet him and he signed our books and no, I did not end u getting my free t-shirt.:(  Before i end this blog post, I want to share one of the this I believe story's he shared because I found it to be so inspirational to college students. It was about a girl who loved to garden. In a few years she would have to leave for school but her parents wanted her to always be a lawyer. She didn't want to give up gardening because she had such a passion for it but she did not want to dissapoint her parents as well. She had to make the decision that I feel every college student must make and that is do you live your dream or do you live the dream your parent's want you to have? I have found myself in this position time and time again, and I feel that every college student has been in this place at some point. He did not tell us the end of the story but what he did tells was that millions of people wrote back to him begging for him to tell the little girl to be a gardener and live her dream. Below are some of the pictures I took from the event:

Gabby’s Video Project!

For this week’s assignment we are to make a video presentation by exploring answers to our questions from multiple perspectives. We are to come up with a question and see different opinions on it that will provide some context to create our video around. Once we have gathered all our information we can find closure by looking at everyone’s different perspectives on the topic and finally by summarizing what we have learned from all of this. To begin, I have come up with a few questions I am debating on basing my project around. They are:

• ·         Whether you are a commuter or you live on campus, how does that affect your life here at Southern? Do you find some difficulties with either?
• ·         How do you manage your time here at Southern? Do you find that you are getting all your work done and having no problem or that you do not have enough time for everything? How have you learned to better manage your time or are planning to better manage it? How has the transition from high school to college
• ·         How do you get involved with activities here at Southern? If you are a commuter, do you find that it is more of a struggle to become involved or is it easier? If you live on campus, do you find yourself very engaged or do you tend to be shyer?
• Have you declared a major yet? If you have how did you know it was the right choice for you? If you have not yet, do you feel pressured that you have to decide soon? Why do you think declaring a major can cause a lot of concern with students? Do you have advice to help guide students into picking a major? Do you sometimes feel that students must either pick what their parent’s and society wants or what they want?Do you find that at this age its challenging to find a major that you can see yourself pursuing thirty years from now? 

These questions are important to first-year students because they are experiencing college for the first time and it is a big transition. Their first year experience will help them through the rest of their college career because they will learn what and what not to do, what works best for them, and how to grow from their past. By using the questions above, I plan on creating a video where I am the interviewer and I will interview different students and professors to get their insight on one of these questions. I plan on asking freshmen and upperclassmen to get both opinions. I will then put each interview into one video where everyone can see the different views on the question I will be asking.

Failure is the Key to Success

For last week’s assignment, we were to create a schedule for one week and write down what we did throughout the day. We were to record the times in a schedule as to observe how we were spending our time.Some things that were recurring in my schedule were times I spent going to classes, sleeping, doing my homework, and going out with friends. I found that I spent about 19 hours a week going to classes, and I took about a few hours every night to work on homework. I went out with friends a lot and that when I took all of this and put it into a day it resulted in not getting enough sleep. I realized that I need to cut back on some things to get a better nights sleep to get me through the next day. This schedule helped to better manage my time so I can continue to be a successful student while still enjoying my time here. My schedule on Monday was as follows:
8:00-9:00am Woke up, got dressed and went to the library
9:00-10:00am Studied for math quiz
10:10-11:00am Bio class
11:00am-12:00pm Math class
12:10pm-2:00pm Botany Lab
3:00pm-4:00pm Worked on homework
4:45pm-6:00pm CSC class
6:00pm-8:00pm Worked on homework again
8:00pm-8:30pm dinner
8:30pm-9:30 Hung out with friends
9:30pm-12:00am Shower and study for Anthro quiz and blog

                Time management is something every college student will learn on their own. The students are the ones who now decide when to go to class, when to do their homework, and how much time they should spend with friends. In my opinion one of the best ways to learn time management for yourself is to look at all the mistakes you have made so far. For me personally, that would be how I have not left myself enough time to do my homework which resulted in me not getting enough sleep. So now I have tried to leave myself more time to do my homework. These mistakes teach you what and what not to do, and all you can do is learn from them.  So by making mistakes with your time management you can then see how you can change things so that will not happen again.

Campus Safari #3

       For this week’s campus safari, I decided to attend the Student Involvement Fair on September 19.  Overall, I found the fair to be very interesting because I got to see many of the clubs Southern has to offer. There were some I saw at freshmen orientation, but I also saw new ones that looked fascinating as well. I ended up signing up for a club and am excited to go to our first meeting next week where I can meet people with the same interests. I was a little disappointed though because I was expecting to see more dance clubs which I wanted to join.

Everyone Gets an A

For this week’s blog assignment, we were instructed to read through all the blogs and decide which one deserved an A. I personally thought that many of the blogs I saw were very good but some just stuck with me and caught my attention. One of those blogs was called “Boston Girl takes on Southern.” What really stuck out to me was how personal her blog was.  She talked about many things that were personal to her and I agree, that when you blog you must take on a more personal manner rather than a formal one.  She has a blog post called “My blogging style…hopefully,” where she really let down her barrier and showed her readers what she was really feeling about this whole blogging assignment.

                Another blog that caught my attention was called “Happiness always sneaks in a door you did not think was open.” Before even reading her posts the title of the blog was what caught my attention from the start. It made you interested into what she had to say, and it also gave out a positive feeling about it. After reading through her posts, I found one that I could relate to. She said in her post “How to benefit yourself for a better future,” that during lectures she needs to write more of what the professor is saying rather than the notes. I found that relatable because I do the same thing and need to change my note taking skills. I think that her blog deserves an A because it is not only relatable but has many great tips for freshmen to use.

                Overall, everyone had an excellent blog and you can tell how hard everyone has been working on them. It is hard to say which ones deserve an A but the two I wrote about above were the two that stuck out to me the most. They not only provided useful information, but they were relatable and gave me tips on how to better improve my blog in the future as well.

                

Colleges Do's and Dont's

              

            They say high school prepares you for College, but from what I have seen; not at all. You can ask people about their experiences at a college or even google it, but the only way to really know what it is like is when you experience it for yourself.

 I have just started college a few weeks ago, and I have learned so much that I could write my very own personal college tips book for teens.  One tip in particular I would like to share is 1. When your assigned homework do it as soon as possible. The worst thing is to have so much work to do for the next day that you cannot keep track of it all.  It is better to stay organized so you can stay on track. To help with this you could do what I did and buy yourself a planner. This has helped me so much because it keeps me on track so I do not fall behind and not miss any assignments. This tip has also provided me with more sleep hours so I can be awake and alert during my classes. I have seen that many college students cram the night before and the next day they are basically falling asleep in class which is not good.

This leads to tip 2. Know how to manage your time. When I first came here a few weeks ago I was given so much freedom that I was not expecting. It made me see that from now on I am the one who chooses when to do this and that, when to wake up, when to eat, and when to have fun.  If you don’t manage your time wisely, you can start to miss out on all of these things.  Once you manage out when to complete your work, you will find time between your day to partake in clubs or go to events. You will have free time during your day to have to yourself and spend however you wish to.

Campus Safari#2

           For this week’s campus safari, I choose to do #3 on the list which was “Go to the Health Center and get some information on a common health problem faced by college students.” I found the Health Center very easy to find as it was a three minute walk from my dorm. Once there, the Health Center hs the atmosphere of a regular Dr.’s office. The professional staff is ready at any moment to assist you with any medical needs or concerns you are having. But just be aware, you must make an appointment beforehand. While I was there, I picked up a few pamphlets of common health problems faced by college students. They were titled as “Victory At The Vending Machine,” “Eating disorders,” “Eating 101: The Baics of Good Nutrition,” and “Get The Whole Story, Discovering The Power Of Whole Foods.” A common health problem college students face deals with their health and what they are or are not putting into their bodies. Good nutrition is important to maintain as a college student. If anyone has any concerns or questions the link to the Health Center is https://www.southernct.edu/healthservices/ and it is located on Wintergreen Ave. 

                                              Live Everyday like it is your Last

              Everyone experiences something tragic and difficult in their lives and it is inevitable. What is not inevitable though is how this event will change you forever. Here is my story that changed my life around forever. Most recently, I experienced the most tragic thing I have ever been faced with. I have known my boyfriend Will for over three years now, and I have always been very close with his family. His mom was like a second mom to me. We would text and talk all the time and she was always there to give me advice. I loved her so much, words cannot even describe it. On September 1 she was rushed to the hospital because she had a stroke. After cat scans the Dr.’s discovered a blood clot in her brain and blood in her head. She had immediate surgery and was given medicine to numb the pain. The Dr.’s told his family that when she wakes up she may be paralyzed on her left side because that side of her brain is pushing against the right.  In a day or two things went from bad to tragic. The Dr.’s then informed his family that if she wakes up she will be a vegetable. But she never woke up. Sheree passed away on September 6. It was the most devastating thing I have ever been faced with. She was only 56 and so young. I wanted to scream because of how unfair this was but instead I had my fair share of breakdowns all week. She was the nicest woman I have ever met and the healthiest but yet she had to be taken away from us. All I could do was be there for my boyfriend and his family. The only explanation we could come up with for this tragic event was that God needed another angel in heaven.

                What hit me the most about all of this was how fast it happened. On Friday I was saying see you soon to her, never in a million years would I have thought that would be the last time. What I have learned from all of this is to never take anything for granted and to always live everyday like it is your last. Never again will I wake up and not appreciate the life God has given me. This made me realize that we do not really appreciate our lives to the fullest, and I want to change that. I want to start off by applying this to my life here at college. I want to wake up every day and work as hard as I can so later on in life I can accomplish great things in life, and I know Mrs. Doggett will be proud of me.

Be an Individual

 “How to Become a Deep Thinker at College,” was an article we were assigned to read last week in Inquiry-101. It was about how to succeed, “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.” Some simple steps the author provided in this article were:

1.       Choose a mixture of courses that all seem interesting to you

2.       Calculate the number of hours per week you will need to handle for the workload for these courses

3.       Double this total, keep this number of hours free in your schedule

4.       If one of your goals is to become a deeper more nuanced thinker, then you need time- lots of time.

I agree with the author, I believe until a college student knows exactly what they want to pursue in life they should take a mixture of classes that interest them. Who knows, maybe they will find a subject they have never found interesting before and pursue that. It is also good to always keep an open mind and be open to anything. With that, I also agree that students must manage their time wisely. It is never good to fall behind in homework with college. With all these ideas in mind, this article relates to a class discussion last week regarding “agency.” In case you do not remember or know, agency is the capacity of people to make choices. It is making beneficial choices for you. Agency and the steps of becoming a deeper thinker are basically the same idea. They both involve helping your own self to become better. By taking many diverse classes it helps you to see a broad range of topics that will inform you with different interesting things and may pique your interest. By managing your time so you can complete all of your homework is helping you to make beneficial choices for yourself. Agency and deep thinking go hand in hand. If you have both of those in college then you will succeed no doubt.

 

 

My First Campus Safari

For my first campus safari blog I decided to try out #6. The objective of this one was to go to Southern’s radio station and get a list of all their shows, and to write down five I would like to listen to. Unfortunately when I went onto their website, http://radio.southernct.edu/ I found it very confusing. The website was not only hard to navigate around with, but it was missing many things.  All I was able to conjure up was a list of songs being played on October 8^th. To give my own opinion, I would suggest that the students in charge of the radio fix their website soon to make it more appealing. They should also inform the public of what shows will be playing and when. The playlist for October 8^th is listed below.

 Play list for October 8th was as follows

Big Old Eyes - Big Old Eyes

We are the Sleepyheads - Belle and Sebastian

Australia - The Shins

Passat Dream - Pavement

Death to Los Campesinos! - Los Campesinos!

Sugar Cube - Yo la Tengo

Major Label Debut (Fast) - Broken Social Scene

Making me Sick - Bash and Pop

It Returns - The Greenhornes

You Blog, I blog, We all blog

Blogs can be set up in so many diverse and interesting ways, and it happens that some are more appealing than others. I decided to try googling things that I liked and add “blog” to the end of it to see what kinds of blogs would interest me. I googled “dancer’s blog” and I was brought to a blog all about dance naturally. I liked how it had many pictures of dancers but I found that I disliked the lack of communication. All the blog really was, was picture after picture. There was nowhere to comment on these pictures or even a description underneath them.  I found that to be a major disappointment because it would have been interesting to see what performances these pictures were from. So an overview of this blog (http://thedancersblog.tumblr.com/) I liked how the pictures related to the theme of dancing but disliked the communication throughout the blog.

      Another blog I looked at was “Productive Flourishing.”( http://www.productiveflourishing.com/) Immediately I found I liked it because right when I clicked onto the page the owner of the blog had an “about me” section. I like when blogs are more personal like that, and the blogger will tell you about themselves. I find it interesting to see where the blogger comes from and what motivated them to write about this blog. I also liked the interesting title used. I found that when a blog has an interesting title that is what will grab the reader’s attention first.  Overall I found this blog to be interesting but I did find things I disliked with it. I found this blog was confusing to navigate. I could not find where the blog posts are or where people commented.

                From observing the likes and dislikes of these blogs, it made it easier for me to set up my blog. I gave my blog and interesting title “The Good Life,” and I am making sure to incorporate many pictures. My goal by the end of this semester is to blog about my freshmen experience here at Southern. I want the people who read my blog to in a way take this journey with me as they read all the things I’m experiencing.

 

 

 

College in a Nutshell

 

College is a place where teenagers enter the world of adulthood. It is the time when they must no longer depend on their mothers to wake them up in the morning or to pack them a lunch to make sure they eat. They are now in control of managing their individual time. College students are provided with more freedom then they could have imagined, and with all that comes responsibility. Some students will make the right choices while others will fall through the cracks. There will be many times throughout our college experience where we will be given a choice and some might or might not make the right decision. I believe this is what going to college accomplishes. We as students learn how to be responsible on our own, and how to manage our time. I also believe that going to college helps us become individuals. This is the place where we choose who we want to be and this decision will affect us for the rest of our lives.

                In college I believe everyone accomplishes different goals. Whether they are academically or socially, we all accomplish something. Some students break out of their shell and become more engaged in activities while some will set their goals high and continue on to graduate school. We all set different goals and whether we choose to accomplish them is our own decision. A goal I have set for myself is to become active in many activities here. I have always been seen as the quiet shy girl (I am anything but shy) and I want that to change. My goal is to still maintain a high gpa and to get good grades but to also break free of my quit personality I put out. I always set my goals high so if I reach them I know I accomplished that and more.  Along with social goals, I also want to accomplish academic goals. My goal for this semester is to maintain all my grades for my classes in the B to A+ range. From my first impression of my college classes last Wednesday I saw that I am going to have to manage my time better and once I do that and have time to do my homework then I can accomplish my academic goals.