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.