Courage is Knowing What Not to Fear

               This exercise was particularly hard for me. The reason for this I believe is because it made me actually think and reflect upon my fears. To me, fear is an extremely weak emotion, but I would be a liar to say that I had no fears. When asked about our fears, most of us would say death. I feel as if this is the most ignorant response ever. We all die. That is our one destiny that is certain. It is unavoidable. Still, most think that it is the one thing that they are most afraid of for the simple fact that we are unaware of what comes next. But this exercise involves a different type of fear. Twyla Tharp, the author or the book The Creative Habit asks about our fears concerning our creative habits and endeavors.

               After a grueling thought process, I came up with one outstanding fear that I have during my creative process. I don’t have any good ideas. The ideas you have might be the most important part of whatever creative piece you are creating; be it an essay, a dance, a song, or whatever. Just because you cannot think of a brilliant idea right away does not mean one will not come to you in time. Take a break, go for a walk, listen to music; all these things are good ways to give your break a break so it can come up with better ideas later.

                I have never been a very creative person and this has disheartened me throughout the years. I was never any good at art or in writing essays. Numbers have always been my thing. To me, they are easy, they just come to me. But I have been working at becoming a better creative thinker so that I will get further in life and broaden my horizons in other aspects.

    As far as my fears go, I won’t let them hold me back.

Safari 8

Coming into school, my major was not what I had intended it to be. I asked around about how to change it, and got many different answers. Some students told me that I could go online and do it, but I was not certain that this was true. When the majors expo came around, I went to the booth of the major I wanted to switch to and asked the woman there what I should do. She was nice enough to tell me that I had to go to my department’s office. Every time I went by the office, it was closed. Taking the initiative, I emailed my departments head, Dr. Bloch, to ask him for help. He informed me that the Sociology department does not have a secretary right now which is why it has been closed. He also helped me through the process of switching my major, and was very accommodating to my schedule. I got my advisors email from him and started emailing her about meetings as well. Those I have met so far seem extremely nice, so I look forward to working with them further.

Finding My Own Creative Habit

So far in my reading of Twyla Tharp’s book I am actually enjoying it. She writes in a way to keep me entertain and interested, while still giving me useful information pertaining to my life. The examples she gives in her writing help me understand her points more clearly and they give me a new insight on some things I may not know. Although at times, she can go a little far with her examples. She uses an abundant amount of them which can be a little excessive.

                I like when she talks about her career as a dancer because that is something I can relate to. I was a dancer for mine years of my life so one of my favorite parts of the reading is when she tells her dance stories.

                This book really makes you think about your everyday life and question your daily routines and schedule. I realized reading her daily routine that I do not have one myself. I usually just got with what goes on during my day to help me plan out what I do. Thus has worked out for me thus far in my life, but I have realized that is isn't necessarily the best decision.

                Throughout the book Tharp includes exercises for her readers to do in order for them to better themselves. I enjoy these a lot because they are fun to look at and they expand your knowledge and perspective of things. I can appreciate the book so far, and look forward to continue to read it.

Buckle Down, Do Your Work

Looking at my midterm grades for this semester, I cannot say I am neither proud nor disappointed in myself. Yes, of course I could always do better, but I am passing every class and I can count that as a success for my first semester in college. As the rest of the semester comes upon us, of course I am going to try and get my grades up, but I cannot change the grades I already have, so there really is no point in getting mad about them, or beating myself up over it. In order to keep my good grades up, I plan on keeping the study habits I currently have for those classes. As for my bad grades, the classes I am doing poorly in are subjects I am not necessarily good at; therefore I need to push myself harder to improve my grade. I can try a different study habit, go to the professors’ office hours, or even get a tutor. Basically, I just need to buckle down, stop procrastinating, and make myself try a hell of a lot harder than I currently am. My grades definitely reflect the amount of time I have been putting into my work, which shows how hard I am trying. When I actually calculate out my GPA, it is a lot less than I would hope for it to be. This just shows me that for the duration of the rest of the semester, I really need to start doing my work at the higher level of standards that I know I can be at. At the end of the day, I am not going to be too distraught about my grades, but in the back of my mind I know that I can and NEED to do better from now on.

The Southern Whales

While walking around campus, there are many pieces of artwork to survey. There is one particular sculpture that lies out in front of the Engleman that particularly intrigued me. I am not sure who the artist is or what the title of the piece is because the sculpture is outside with no information near it. Because I was so fascinated by this piece, I decided to find more information about it. The piece is titled “H2O: Liquid Zone” and it was designed by Mikyoung Kim. Kim is an award winning architect and also works at the Rhode Island School of Design. He has truly inspired me because I am amazed and actually kind of jealous of the amount of talent he possesses. The structure as a whole is 81 feet long, 15 feet tall, and 6 & ½ feet wide.

                I am not really an art critic, so I’m not sure what to like or not like about the piece, but one thing I do like is how different it is. I have never seen a sculpture like this, which is why it interested me so much. There is nothing really I dislike about this piece. My interpretation of it, from the information that I looked up, is of whales majestically swimming. The pieces of metal are shaped in a way so that they catch the rainfall so it trickles down different channels.

                Walking to and from class, I enjoy seeing this sculpture because it adds a piece of culture to my day. Before I researched this piece or art, I found it interesting to think about the different ideas this sculpture could represent. At first glance, I thought this piece represented leaves blowing in the wind. I’m glad I looked it up though, so I could become educated on what the meaning of the sculpture actually is. In this society not a lot of people appreciate the artwork that surrounds us so I’m grateful that I get to experience this piece every day. 

Safari 7

Number 19 on our campus safari list is about the Majors Expo that was on October 10^th in the Student Center. I attended this and found it extremely helpful. I am currently in a major I don’t plan on staying in, so this event informed me on how to change that. All the people involved were very helpful and inviting. The major I am interested in is Sociology so I went to that table and spoke to the woman there. She gave me the information I needed on changing my major and recommended what to do about transferring into that department. Fairs like these that Southern provides are helpful to me, and I plan on taking advantage of all the information they provide. 

Don't Blink

                As this semester begins to come to a close, I realize just how quickly everything goes by in college. Within the blink of an eye, your life speeds by. My advice to you, DON’T BLINK. Not literally of course, but really think about it. Stop and smell the roses, don’t take everything for granted, live your life.

                Looking back at my first semester here at Southern, I really did enjoy my time here.  I am happy with the choices and friends I made, and also the work I did. While trying to see if I met the goals I set for myself this semester, something occurred to me. I don’t care.  It may seem like an awful thing to say, but it’s the truth. I really don’t care about the goals I set for myself or the work I’ve done, which explains why maybe they didn’t get acted upon. From now on, the one goal that I will act on is to start caring. No one is here to push me to do my assignments. No one cares if I fail out. I need to start caring about my work so I can get somewhere in life. Other than my lack of concern for my academic grades, I feel as if this semester I have succeeded in other ways. I made new friends, put myself out there, and reevaluated some of my thought processes. Of course with these successes come setbacks as well. Procrastination, ADHD, bad choices, and laziness are all included. The important thing is to find a way to cope with all these diversions in order to stay on my path to success.

                For the semesters to come, it is important that I keep up with my work, but it is also equally important to me that I enjoy and live my life. Schoolwork will always be there, but you’re only young once, and tomorrow is promised to no one. You need to live it up. My advice to you? Be smart, make choices that will benefit your life, and in the words of Kenny Chesney, “Years go faster than you think, so don’t blink.”

Keep Calm and Lax On

Throughout these midterm weeks, things can get very hectic and stressful.  With all the studying and cramming going on, I have been very overworked.  In order to unwind and relax a little, I took some time after classes on Thursday to spend with my friends.  My good friend Lexi plays lacrosse and has wanted to play for quite some time now. She kept saying how she doesn’t know anyone around who knew how or wanted to play so I told her I had never played before, but I would try if she helped.  So I borrowed one of my guy friend Ben’s lacrosse stick and went to the west campus quad and went to the threw the ball around for a while. I picked it up fairly quickly and after about ten minutes, it was like I ahd been playing for years. After a little while, Lexi and I thought it would be fun to have more friends to play, so we invited a couple more friends to play.  Within a few minutes there were now seven people playing catch in the quad. Our little relaxation session escalated into a good reunion that I will possibly do again  if ever I need to unwind. Remember; Keep calm and LAX on!

                That much needed day helped me unwind a little and take my mind off the loads of work I had that week.  One simple thing like tossing the ball around, watching TV, or even just catching a friend for lunch can help you calm down so you have the ability to start studying again.  Sometimes before you can move forward, you have to allow yourself to take a step or two back.

Safari 6

         On September 22^nd, I attended Southern’s Day of Service. I decided to do my campus safari post for number seventeen on this. A friend and I decided that this would be a good way to give back, get involved, and meet new people. We showed up at the student center early that day to sign up and see where we were scheduled to go. Once we got there, we were given breakfast and a free t-shirt. After that, we were sent off to work. My friend that went with me, Lexi, and I were assigned to work in a garden for the day. Over the course of the day, I had fun, met some good new friends, got a good workout, and did something good for our school. I heard that there is another day like this in the spring, so I will definitely be participating in it, and encourage everyone else to do so as well.

You cannot Fail or Succeed unless you first TRY

The definition for failure is an act that does not accomplish its intended purpose. In the book Mindset, it teaches us that we need to get over these said failures and take from them things we need to grow and form ourselves as successful people. When you hear the words failure or fail, I can assume that you automatically think of the subject negatively, I know I do. It is a subconscious reaction, which is how we were brought up in society, our fixed mindset. After you fail at something, either you give up, or you keep trying to reach the goal that you set for yourself for that task.

                Growing up, I was always taught that failure was a bad thing. My mother always wanted me to succeed and be “the best that I could be”. She never said that failure was unacceptable per say, just that I should succeed in all that I do.  In school, I learned from the other children that if I didn’t win at something, I was automatically the loser. I can honestly say that those young years shaped how I go about things today. More so in my academic work, then other things, if something is harder to me, I seem to be more hesitant to start it. This sets me back from others because it takes me much longer to complete certain tasks. In athletics, I have always been able to keep up with my competitors. When trying a new sport I always had a gung-ho attitude, and jumped right into everything. If I “failed” at a sport, it just made me want to try harder to be better than everyone else out there. I try to use this mindset with my academic and social work as well, so that I can accomplish all I set my mind to in those fields. Win or lose, you only can achieve what you TRY at.

Motivate Me

The book mindset is all about how people go about doing things, and how they get themselves to do these things. Everyone in the world has different mindsets which get them to react differently to each problem they encounter. I enjoy this book so far because it tells us that we can shape and change our mindset as we go about life. In the opening pages of the book, the author gives an incredible example to show this. She tells us about children trying to put together puzzles, and while most get discouraged and give up on the puzzle, there are some who actually enjoy the challenge. I appreciate this example because from time to time, I also like a good challenge. Even as adults, we can learn from these small children. They can teach us not to get scared off by more difficult challenges, but to embrace them as learning experiences. I can connect with these kids, as college is my puzzle. It is a new difficult thing I need to figure out, but I know that if I put my mind to it, I can complete it. Sometimes when we face a more demanding task, our fixed mindset makes us want to hide from it; our growth mindset makes us want to accomplish this tough task and learn and grow from it.

                In order to get through life, we need to figure out for ourselves what motivates us to get through those hard times and want to better ourselves. We are the only ones who can push us farther to want to do something, therefore all the weight is on our backs. When something goes array, it is no one’s fault but our own; on the other hand, when something gets done exceptionally, all the glory is ours for the taking. If we want this glory, we need to be the ones lighting the fire under our bottoms and getting moving. We are our own motivation!

Breaking the Comfort Barrier

The other day I was with two of my friends, Hannah and Lexi. Hannah works for a club in downtown New Haven. She works every Thursday and Saturday as a shot girl at a club downtown. While we were hanging out, Hannah told us that her boss had said that they needed help finding girls to help with the shots and Lexi and I volunteered. I wasn’t sure what the job was going to be like because I had never done any kind of work like this. Hannah told us to look cute and be ready to get the bus at 7:50. As we were getting ready, I was getting nervous because this was going to force me out of my comfort zone and make me talk to people I didn’t know. I’m usually not the kind of person to start a conversation with random people but I knew that it would be something that was good for me.

When we got to the club, the bartender told us what we would have to do. Basically sell 20 shots for $2 and then pay them back $30 for the tray of what we made. I figured it wouldn’t be too hard of a job because all my friends would be there to help me out. When more and more people started showing up I realized that being a shot girl wasn’t as easy as it looked. People were not as nice as I had hoped they would be and were standoffish when I walked up to them and asked if they wanted to buy shots. At the end of the night I had made my money, paid the bartender, and met a few nice people. I had gotten over my “fear” of talking to new people and I was beginning to feel more comfortable introducing myself to people I had never met or talked to.

Safari 5

        The Campus Safari blog I chose to do for this week was #9. I went to the involvement fair on Wednesday September 9^th to see what types of clubs I could join. One club I was interested in was Habitat for Humanity. I was primarily interested in this club because one of my cousins was involved in it when he was in college. He always told me about the people he helped, and the places he traveled to, including Haiti. I want to help people like he did. A friend and I joined the War Veterans club as well. The reason I joined this club is because I have many friends and a few family members in the service. Since they are doing so much for me by serving our country, I feel that it is the least I can do to give back to them. The Involvement fair was extremely helpful to me so I can get more involved at school. Now I can meet new people at school while at the same time helping others.

Safari 4

This week for my campus safari, I did #1 on professors’ office hours. The times that some teachers have set up for their office hours, can be extremely conflicting with students’ schedules. If you talk to your teachers though, they can be very lenient and helpful to getting you the information that you need. This was very true with my History professor.  Since I have classes during the majority of her office hours, I had to figure out a way to get in touch with her. After class one day I stayed after to ask her some questions. I asked her what her midterm and final was like and since I have a different book, if that would work for this class. She explained how her exams are essay based, and that I could make do with the book I have, but to try and see if the bookstore has the correct one. She was very accommodating and eager to help me. Professor Maravel’s office hours are as follows in Engleman Hall room C 207B:

• Monday and Wednesday: 11:10-12:00
• Friday: 1:10-4:30

Blog: Eating Right

I am surveying people on how they eat on campus; if it is healthy or just junk food. I want to determine how many of my peers eat properly and healthy. Also I want help inform next year’s freshman class how to eat the right way and not eat all junk and fatty foods. Eating properly is very important piece to staying fit, healthy, and to live long as possible. If you’re an athlete, it tends to be much easier to stay healthy and in shape, but for those of us who are not, it can be extremely difficult to stay on a healthy diet.

The questions that I have prepared to ask my fellow students are as follow: Where do you usually go to get food on campus? What meal plan would you recommend an incoming student? Where do you go to get food off campus? Which delivery restaurant do you usually order from and what do you order?

These questions will positively affect first-year in numerous ways. First off they will not have to worry about the mythical freshman fifteen.  Yes, a lot of freshmen gain wait but that is because they choose to eat unhealthy. If they choose to eat right and exercise you will not gain weight; you might even loose a few pounds.  Being healthy is all about your mindset. The only way you’re going to be healthy is if you chose to be. The questions can also advise them where to eat and where not to.  They can see where most people eat and figure that those are the places with the good food. The places where the students say the food is not good or terrible will be the places the first-year students won’t go.  This video will inform those who have no idea how to eat right and hopefully be helpful to keep them healthy.

Making Your Schedule Fit You

While going over my schedule for last week, I realized the ratio of the time I spend doing homework to the time spent socializing is not at all what it should be. Keeping in mind this week I didn’t have nearly as much homework I have had in the past weeks. Thinking about it now, I should probably get more sleep seeing as I rarely get enough. Maybe this will give me more energy and motivation to do what I need to get done. The majority of my time not in class is spent either with my friends, eating or sleeping.

One of the problems I have to deal with is having ADHD. It makes it extremely difficult to sit down and concentrate on my homework.  I noticed throughout this week, every time I started my homework, I would find something else to do like watching TV, or going and hanging out with my friends. My mom saw this problem too and so she brought me to a doctor in order to help me. I was prescribed medicine that should help me concentrate more. I am working on getting past this though; because there is no way that I’m letting this affect my grades.

In order to make sure I get done all I have to do for the week, I keep a small notebook in my backpack to write down things I have to do and homework that was assigned in class and when that is due.  After every day I read the notebook and write the very important things on my white bored in my room so every time I look at it I will see what needs to be done and by when. I will set a side every day a certain time to do homework and study for exams. I will not go out with friends or go to any events on campus until my work for each night is completely finished to the best of my ability. 

Safari 3

The Campus Safari blog I chose to do was number five. I attended the football game last Saturday versus St. Augustine’s University. I went because one of my close friends is the punter/kicker on the team and I wanted to watch him play. During my high school years I always went to our football games to watch my friends play and football has always been my favorite sport to watch so I decided it would be a fun thing to do with my friends. The game started out good with our team scoring two unanswered touchdowns, but after that we got shut out. The final score ended up being 30-14 in favor of St. Augustine. It was a good game overall though, and I encourage everyone to go out to support our team and show some owl pride.

Blog Life

        For this week’s blogging assignment, we were instructed to peruse through some other students’ blogs to see what they were all about. While going through each individual’s blog, there are several that stand out in my mind. These blogs have certain characteristics that make them pop out to me. The layouts of those blogs are intriguing and compelling which makes me want to read more and keep exploring their blogs to see what they have to offer. The layouts of some blogs come in styles that I am not even aware how to do. The information and writing in each blog was beyond exceptional.

        One blog that really caught my attention was called “College Living”. I originally clicked on this blog because we all, as freshmen, are new to living the college life. Once I clicked on this blog, I was truly amazed, to say the least. Her layout was one that I have never seen before. The fact that she spent so much time figuring all this out says a lot about what type of student she is. I honestly applaud her for the time and effort she clearly put into this work.

        All of the other blogs were respectable as well. It is clear that everyone has put some thought into these blogs. Everyone has done a respectable job putting their blogs together. When I originally got the first assignment to start a blog, I looked up some pointers online. These sites and tips helped clarify to me what a good blog should look like. It should captivate and enthrall its readers so they want to read more and keep coming back to that blog. It should also be informational, without being boring. All in all, I think everyone did a good job on their blogs and deserves an A.

Don't Stress the Small Stuff

Being that it is now several weeks into my first semester as a college student, it is fair to say that I am beginning to learn the ropes around here. Everyone around me has been extremely helpful, which has made the transition into college living that much easier to deal with. Most of the tips and helpful hints I have been getting are extremely helpful, while others would possibly have me make the wrong decisions. For the most part though, those around me are only there to help me better myself seeing as they were once in my shoes as well.

The community coordinators, resident advisors, other students, and especially teachers are the ones that I have been going to for guidance and advice when I am lost, or just simply need someone to talk to. Most of these people have merely given me the advice to relax and not stress out over the simplest of things. I would say this is my most significant piece of advice that I have been given thus far. Having this information always in the back of my head, I do my best to keep on top of everything. If I can, I try and do my homework assignments prior to their due date in order to make sure they are done properly and to the best of my abilities. This isn’t always the case all of the time though. Sometimes I slip up and forget I have homework, and then end up having to rush through it. This in turn makes the quality of my work come out to less than average. In order to stay on top of things, I plan on making a day-to-day schedule of all the things I need to do so I do not fall behind on my work, and can live up to my abilities, and the high standards I have set for myself. This semester, and those from now on, I will promise myself and those around me that I will not fall through the cracks like other students around me.

Safari 2

Today I went to the New Student Convocation and the Annual New Student Induction Ceremony, so I decided to do the safari assignment number twelve. It was at the Lyman Center on Wednesday, September 10th at one pm. There were a wide array of speakers such as students like myself and even the president of the university, Dr. Mary A Papazian. We heard about new renovations happening at the university including the library and the new student lab. We also heard from students the goal we set for ourselves as the class of 2016. Erin McGuckin, the president of the student government association told us about the tradition of the torch. Overall, this was an enlightening experience and I am glad I came to sit in on it.

Multitasking: Caring or Cruel?

When I read the article “Debunking the Myth of Multitasking” it made me realize that I was guilty of multitasking. The article stated that multitasking can harm how we do on the tasks we are trying to accomplish. It also goes on to show how when we multitask, it reduces our efficiency level on the tasks we are working on completing. The tip it gives us is to shut down our email, turn off the computers and televisions, and turn off the ringers on our cell phones while we are working on something else so we don’t get distracted. This way, all our attention is on that one task, and it gets done the way it should. This makes sense because when you are trying to concentrate on one thing and there are a million other things going on around you distracting you, you lose all focus on what you were trying to do in the first place.

“Juggling two tasks by refocusing your attention back and forth between them, and losing time and progress in the switch.” In the article, Dave Crenshaw explains that switch tasking can be just as harmful as multitasking. Not only do you lose your focus on those tasks, but you lose crucial time that you could be spending on other responsibilities. You could use this time to thoroughly do the task you wanted to finish in the first place, but this time do it in an organized and well sought out manner.

Looking at my study habits, it is probably not a good thing the amount of multitasking I do. Before reading this article, I thought I was getting so much more done because I was doing so many things at once; never once realizing the quality of my work was depleting since I wasn’t devoting all my time to that one duty. After reading this article, I will definitely think twice next time I go to multitask.

Everything Happens for a Reason

During a person's lifetime, everyone experiences difficulties that they need to work through and overcome. It is how we choose to cope with them that makes us who we are. When I was little, one of my uncles had died a week before my eighth birthday. My parents spent a great deal of time deciding whether or not to tell me, and if they did, how they were going to do it. After quite some time, they decided that this was something they could not keep from me, seeing how close I was to him and that I kept asking about him. When they did finally decide to tell me, I didn’t quite know how to take it or what to think. Although I was so young, I feel as if I dealt with the loss better than other children my age, because I had dealt with many other hardships growing up.

I feel as if going through this experience can help me make it through college easier in many ways. One of those being that any difficulty I have went through from that point on has been a minor speed bump in my life. If I went through something that made me upset or angry I just stopped and thought about how things could be much worse and that I was still lucky to see another day. Another way that it can help me is that now I have a guardian angel looking down on me. He makes sure that I am safe and make smart decisions.

I would be lying if I said it didn’t bother me to go through that loss, but I can say that standing here today, I am a stronger person and I am able to overcome many other difficulties because of this. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about him and how much he meant to me. I wish he could be here every day with me experiencing all the things I am, but I know that this cannot happen, and I have accepted that. I know he is happier and healthier now, and that is all I can wish for. All I know is that everything happens for a reason.

Safari 1

For my campus safari blog, I chose to do choice number seven. Throughout high school, I was always on a sports team keeping myself active and in shape. Coming into college I am not playing any sports, so I am trying to find a way to keep fit. A friend and I went into the fitness center to see what it was all about and to gather information regarding the hours and how to sign up. The hours of the fitness center are as follows:

MONDAY- THURSDAY: 7am-10pm

FRIDAY: 7am-8pm

SATURDAY:  9:30am-4:30pm

SUNDAY: 2pm-7pm

To join the fitness center you can either walk in and pay through your hoot loot, or go on their website and join. It costs $60 to join for one semester, and $120 for both semesters. The fitness center is definitely something I want to invest in and start using daily and I would definitely recommend it to other students.

My New Life as a Blogger

Before coming to this course, I had no clue what a blog was. I thought blogging was silly and for people with nothing to do in their lives. Then, after getting this assignment and realizing my ignorance, I started doing some research. I looked up several blogs because I had no idea what I had to do as a blogger. I was extremely unaware of what I was supposed to be blogging about, when I had to blog, or even why I was even blogging in the first place. All the different blogs completely overwhelmed me and I had no idea where to start.

I have yet to find my inner blogger, and I am still doing research as to help myself find it. Whilst looking everything up, I am realizing how many different types of blogs there are out there. There are so many different topics being discussed and a wide array of styles to write the bogs. Hopefully one day either during or after this course I will be half as good a blogger as others out there. Starting off new as a blogger, I feel as my blogs are adequate at best. Basically, I am just trying to think of things to post that people will actually want to read. I want to open my page and see that people are actually reading what I’m writing and possibly even thinking the same thing. The hardest thing for me at least is to come up with substantial information for other students like myself, just starting out as bloggers as well. Maybe one day I will have the blog that people tell their friends about because it is so inspirational. But for now, I will have to settle for decent until I can truly learn the ropes of it all. My goal is to learn how to make my blog appealing to the eye and not just a plain everyday site. I am going to continue to work on my blogs until they get to be exceptional. Until then, keep on keeping on. ;)

New beginnings of the college lifestyle

Within the first few weeks of college, I have been asked several times what college life meant to me. In my opinion, college isn’t just for furthering my education in pursuit of a degree. I believe that during my college years, this is where I will be making new friends and starting different relationships. The life lessons I learn during these years I will be able to take with me and apply to my life outside of school. With problem solving, involving myself, and just putting myself out there for new people, I am bettering myself every day.

               When I first came to orientation I was truly overwhelmed to say the least. With all the unfamiliar faces, and new areas surrounding me, I felt completely lost. I was extremely lucky to have some friends from my hometown with me as a “security blanket” per say. Thankfully though, my orientation advisors were extremely helpful and welcoming. But in order to make myself feel more comfortable, I did what I do best, just was myself. I started talking to people around me and getting involved in the activities going on.

                Naturally I set goals for myself for this college school year. Academically, I want to stay on top of things and not fall behind or procrastinate on my work and assignments.  But on a social level, I want to go out and meet many new people. My one rule for this college semester is to not be afraid of going up to people and introducing myself. I feel as long as I do this one thing, that I will make life long connections and meet people I will never forget. I am hoping that I can make these college years the best years of my life.