Final assessment

            I remember the day I enrolled as a student at Southern Connecticut State University. My high school offered an opportunity for on the spot admission. I met with a representative from Southern and they either accepted me or rejected me right then and there. This decision depended on if I was the type of student that met the schools requirements. Well, as it turned out, I was the type of student that the representative from Southern thought would be a good fit for the University. That was one of the most nerve racking days of my high school career. Now here I stand, a freshman at Southern just finishing up my first semester.
       Since my arrival at Southern Connecticut State University I have had some positive experiences throughout my first semester and some negative ones as well. At first, I was unsure of what to think of the English and Inquiry classes being combined. I wasn’t sure if I was going to get along with the group of people that were in both classes. As it turned out, I have developed some great relationships with the students in these classes, that will continue now that the classes are completed. It also made me more comfortable as a public speaker because we all became very comfortable with each other and that made it easy to present in front of a group.
       Another experience that I had that was helpful but difficult for me was the Campus Safarais. With my class work from my other classes it was hard to get to all sixteen assignments on time. The Campus Safaris did help me get to know the campus better and to experience parts of the school campus that I might not have known about. Going to a SCSU football game was a lot of fun and I got to meet new people and a free foam finger!! GO OWLS!!!
       My blogs helped me in different ways. At first, I hated the idea of posting a blog to write about things that I never found important. Having to actually write them made me reflect on the importance of the topics that were assigned. Now that I am finished with my blog, I can look back and see how much I have grown and improved.
       I tried to start off using Windows Movie Maker and I gave up. It was difficult and confusing. When Jennifer presented the I MOVIE to the class, I decided to give that a try. I became really comfortable using it and I enjoyed making all three of the movies that I had to make this semester. My favorite was my negotiator movie.
       One thing I had trouble with starting college was following the syllabuses given to me by each professor. Unlike high school some teachers don’t tell you when assignments are due of ever the day of tests and quizzes. I got a wake up call the first time I was supposed to read an assignment in inquiry and I hadn’t known because I didn’t check the syllabus. The next day when the class was having a discussion on the reading and I had no idea what they were talking about, I got a wake up call. That day I took each of my syllabuses and wrote down in my planner the dates of my assignments, tests and quizzes.
       Since I’ve had a taste of college life I’ve come to find that I don’t really know who I am yet. I may present myself differently but when it comes down to it this semester I already have discovered some things that I never thought I’d be doing. Things such as being so open to new people, being able to create my own movie, and managing my time so well. I’ve changed a lot since August. Inquiry has made me a more rounded person not only in the class room but in real life too. I now listen to both sides of the story and try to look at the whole picture rather then just having my own small perspective and my own bias opinion. I know that I’m on the right path by attending Southern Connecticut State University. I feel like I’m making my mother proud being her first child to attend college. Inquiry has taught me a lot of things to steer me towards a successful future.

FINAL *i have a dream

CLICK TO WATCH MY VIDEO

success vs failure

Failures: I think my biggest failure of this semester was when I first came to Southern Connecticut. I freaked out and made myself a nervous wreck. I didn’t take tests as well as I know how to and I just completely overwhelmed myself. My high school had prepared me for college but when I got here I lost my mind, everything I was taught in the past four years had just gone out the window. I think if I wasn’t so nervous the first couple weeks I would have ended up doing a little bit better this semester.

Weakness: My number one weakness was probably the campus safaris. I’m still not finished with them and its really bothering me that I might not be able to finish them all in time. I thought it was hard to complete all of the sixteen items on the list.

Successes: My biggest success was imovie. I never thought I’d be able to use technology in such a fun way and its amazing to see what the video comes out to look like in the end. Another success that I found myself accomplishing this semester was speaking. I am much more comfortable speaking in front of my class and doing presentations. I thank my inquiry class for this because it all started when I was able to let everyone see me being silly in the first group video that we did. I look at this semester successfully as a whole because I worked hard through all the obstacles and challenges thrown my way and it all showed in the end. I am open to new things, my study habits are better and I’m learning to adapt quicker to change.

A dream with a finish line

Goals. Throughout my life I have made many goals, some I achieved and some I didn’t. A goal can also be thought upon as a dream with a finish line. I think success comes from having goals and then working to accomplish them. I’ve made some goals for myself for next semester that I plan on sticking to.

My academic goals have two elements to them. One is to stay more organized. I am the type of person to keep everything clean and put together but once I let a couple things get out of place it seems everything comes out of place and I’m left with a mess of papers, pens and notebooks. Therefore I plan on keeping everything neat without letting anything get out of place and hopefully that helps me to stay organized. The second academic goal I have is to raise my GPA higher then it was this semester. I’m not saying that I didn’t do well this semester because I have been trying very hard but it would just be nice to know that I have the ability to strive for that and actually be able to obtain the GPA I’m looking for.

Personally my goal for next semester is to start going to the zumba and kick boxing classes that they have every night in the gym at the student center. I went to a couple in the beginning of the semester but my friends weren’t as into it as I was and they stopped going. Once they stopped I didn’t want to go alone so I stopped going. I regret that and plan to start again as soon as next semester hits.

Last but not least I have a very important social goal for myself next semester. My roomate left this semester because she was homesick. I live by myself now because she just couldn’t take being away from home. Her and I first met on move in day and we got along really well but towards the middle of the semester we started having problems. A different girl is assigned to my room next semester and I am making it a goal of mine to try really hard to get to know he and try my best to get along with her. I think I need to be more accepting of how she feels and I learned this because my roomate was not accepting with how I was feeling.

*My new roommate Shelby!

Hopefully I can accomplish my goals. I won’t stop for anything because success doesn’t just happen you have to make it happen.

this semester!

I believe my english/Inq class is very special. At the begining of the semester I don't think any of us had ever met before and yet we came together as if we've known eachother for years. We've spent countless hours doing the same assignments and working on the same papers. During Lee time we talk about things that we normally wouldn't have said if Lee wasn't asking us. I've learned a lot from each and every person in that class. I've learned to interact with different personalities and I've gotten close to some people that I wouldn't have expected to be close with. Also we all had to learn how to cope with being thrown into a real world experience for a couple of hours and that is probably one thing I will never forget. That day my class and I saw what it was like to be thrown into a succeed of fail enviornment. We shared some funny laughs and we all had butterflies in our stomachs when we weren't sure if we'd finish on time. I'm going to miss a lot about this class. I'm going to miss the people but i'm especially going to miss our talks. In that class we can be silly but at the same time we can be serious and thats what I love about it. I'm happy I had the opportunity to meet such awesome people this semester and thanks for such a fun time class! :)

`*Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today

"Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence"

It is a mystery what my life will be like after college. Of course I can plan and prepare but I will never actually know until I get there. Right now I am majoring in psychology and  minoring in criminal justice hopefully this will take me somewhere far. After college I plan to become a cop working my way up to becoming a hostage negotiator. I relalize that this will take many years and a lot of hard work. Becoming successful is one of the most important things to me. I always want to be able to be independent and to be able to support myself. Even now I feel as if I'm too old to ask my parents for money. My ideal life after college will to eventually be able to own a house on the water. I want to live somewhere warm because I honestly can't stand the cold. I plan to be married and have two kids and hopefully if i'm lucky retire early. I realize that most of the things I want in my life aren't just going to come to me. It's going to take a lot of work mixed with failure and success. Ideally the most important thing to me is to have my own family, one that is happy and healthy. I am looking forward to what the future beholds.

chomp chomp [chomp]

As I type this I am sitting next to my friend PJ. We're watching a movie and he's eating cool ranch Doritos. He has known me for three years now and he knows that one thing I hate the most is when people chew loud. Since he discovered that this was my pet peeve he has found it funny to chew loudly and he now enjoys watching me cringe from the sound. I don’t know why this bothers me so much. Maybe it’s because when I was younger my mom use to lay next to me in bed and chomp away on her crisp salad. Maybe its because I was forced to sit across the dinner table from my father as he talked to the family with a mouth full of food. Whatever it is the sound of chewing creeps me out. Of course one can not always help the crisp crunchiness of all foods such as celery. I would just highly prefer that it not be eaten around me. Now this isn’t an easy request to follow, if someone asked me not to eat in the same room as them for that reason I’d probably laugh in their face. For that purpose I have learned to cope with my problem and just hope that there are other distractions in the room to keep my ears from hearing that repulsive noise. I’ve caught myself at restaurants many of times wanting to jump across the room at someone who so rudely is chewing their food with their mouth open. Food is great but I don’t need to see it or hear it slapping around in someone else’s mouth. Now as I sit here listening to the Doritos being eaten I think I will help myself to some. Remember chew with your mouth closed kids!

INQ Project

This is the intro to my project. The next step is recording myself explaining what exactly a negotiator is. Then recording something like a law and order part of an episode type of thing. I know it's not a lot of footage yet but i'm getting there! Any feedback will be great :)



WATCH ME

love basketball & leadership

Leadership. This is a term that my father has taught his five children to strive for and a definition that he has demonstrated. Growing up and still today my dad has taken over the Overlook Sports Association and turned it into a place where kids can get away from all their problems and just play baseball. A couple of years ago my dad was running the Police Academy League of Basketball and was coaching girls youth age 10u. He realized with working and keeping up with winter baseball training for his other teams that it was just too much. He asked me if I’d take over the girl’s basketball team for him and with all of the hard work he does I couldn’t say no. My dad coached me when I was younger and I had gone to a couple of practices with his new team so I was pretty confident in running the practice without him. I have coached the girls for two years now. I believe even though they are young I’ve taught them teamwork and dedication. Whenever they’ve lost a game they respectfully shake the other teams hand. I’ve never felt so responsible over anything before. Those girls mean so much to me and its crazy to see how much they’ve learned and how many bad habits they’ve dropped. I’m sad to say that now that I’m in college and don’t have my car I can’t coach them this year so as of right now there is no team. Being able to teach younger girls coordination, respect and responsibility means a lot to me and to the parents of the girls I coached. Next year when I have my car I hope I can get the same group of girls back together but if not I know that I have left a little bit of me in all of them. 

Marissa and our situation

   “Make new friends but keep the old one is silver and the other is gold.”

 This semester I’ve overcome many different obstacles but there is one situation I found particularly challenging. In January of 2009 I became really close with a girl who I had been in school with for 2 years at the time. I invited her to my 17^th birthday party and ever since that day we became inseparable.  She didn’t have her license or a car so whenever I needed a friend to tag along with me she was always there. When I was upset about anything or mad at my parents I would just drive to her house and watch endless episodes of Law and Order SVU. People began to look at Marissa and I as more than just friends; they looked at us as sisters and knew that if I was going somewhere that she would be right beside me. When she got accepted into Uconn and I didn’t, we knew that at the end of the summer we would be saying goodbye. The time came for that day and when it arrived come to my surprise it wasn’t as sad as I thought it was going to be. This is because we knew deep down we would never lose touch, we’d call everyday and see each other as much as we could. The first week of school, Marissa and I talked religiously every day. She told me that she felt like this school was just too big and she wasn’t making that many friends. This is mainly because we come from a very small school where everyone knows everyone and its very easy to meet and associate with people. Hearing this news from Marissa broke my heart. I knew it was only the first week but I never thought Marissa, the friendliest and nicest person I know would have the problem of making friends. On the other hand, I wasn’t so sure that I belonged where I was either. I wasn’t missing home but I was missing my friends. After a week of keeping to myself, a week of being shy and reserved I decided I needed to put myself out there. I refused to sit in my dorm room and I nervously put myself out there.  Marissa and I stopped talking every single day. We learned through our on strengths and weaknesses that its ok to make new friends because no one person could replace our friendship. For me the biggest obstacle this semester was leaving my old friends and putting my trust in other people to make new ones. I’ll never let go of my old friends as a matter of fact i'm sitting with Marissa right now as I write this blog. I’m happy to have opened up and made new friends.

                                           

Grade Inflation

After class on Tuesday I heard many different perspectives on the subject of grade inflation. Even though both the arguments have valid points I am still sticking to my grounds. Grade inflation is wrong. Students should work for the grades they earn. If teachers raise their grade then it is not the grade they earned. If teachers make a syllabus at the beginning of the year then they should stick to it no questions asked. I know a lot of students that work hard to keep an A. They follow the syllabus to the T and make sure every ounce of effort they have is put into the class. Then there are students who still put in effort just not as much and grade inflation helps them to wind up with the same grade? How is that even remotely right? It’s not.
One of my fellow classmates Shelby talked about how she was terrible at math. She failed a lot of the tests but still tried hard. Shelby went to the teacher after school and made sure he knew she was trying. By the end of the quarter he wound up raising her grade from a 40 to an 80. That is not fair for the people who worked for the B.
It is understandable that teachers want to help their students have a better future. Life is hard and the economy is terrible. Teachers are supposed to be preparing there students for the real world and by raising there grade that is just not helping.

home sweet home

I know people are finding all different places to study. For me the coolest and best place is my dorm. My roomate and I haven't really been getting along lately so she spends most of her time out of the room. This is when I use my time to study. I can leave my tv or radio on, which she doesnt like. I'm much better at studying when theres more distractions which some people may find odd. When the room is completely silent is when I normally can't concentrate. My mind just goes off into another world and I start thinking about things that are completely irrelevant instead of my homework that is due the next day. My dorm to me is just like my room at home, where i've spent the past 10 years of my life studying and achieving good grades. I know most are coming up with creative places to study but for me this is where I find peace. In my dorm. Also I'm not forced to sit at a desk, I can lay on my bed relaxed on my comfy pillows without and disturbance. Also, my room is much more convenient  if i had some last minute studying to do, such as between classes. Overall I study best when i'm comfortable and get better grades when I have distractions around me. Therefore my dorm is the perfect place to study and i will continue to use this as a resource for this and next semester.

Present, Past and Future.

A class that I feel most intellectualy stimulated in is psychology. Psychology is my major but I never thought I would be this interested in a class. I look up to my Professor as a role model and I like how he always has a different perspective on certain things. When we have discussions in class he tells us that we most likely will never have this conversation again. He says it's sad that people don't talk about things that are most important like why we are the way we are and what makes us react to things the way we do. When he speaks I understand him and that must be the reason I feel so intellectually stimulated. Psychology is the study of mind and behavior. I've always been good at reading people. I don't judge but I find it fascinating to try to know a person before I actually do. It's almost like a game. In Professor Fontaines class he did a very interesting exercise that made me feel different. I can't explain the feeling I had and maybe it was because I connected his lesson to my life but the feeling was indescribable. He did an exercise that showed how you get to your futue but the present is always with you and one day you'll look back and your present will also be your past. A lot of students didn't understand this concept but to me it was as clear as day. I never thought about it like that, your present is always with you. I am the present.

Enter at your own risk

Nightmares. I've been having nightmares ever since I left the trail of terror last weekend. Goblins, monsters, ghosts, clowns, mummies, the living of the dead all attended. As I waited in line all I kept saying was that I knew I shouldn't have come. I love halloween, the part where people can dress up to be different, I like the pumpkins and the individuality. What I don't like is to be scared, some people find that funny but i am not one of them. My friends convinced me to go, I've always strayed away from things like that, haunted hay rides, fright nights but I figured i'd give it a try. I payed $20 at a ticket booth that said enter at your own risk hoping I wouldn't regret it. After waiting in the hour and a half line we entered. Squeezing my best friends arm off we both walked in not knowing what to expect. A couple minutes into it we were attacked by clowns with blood all over their faces. They thought it was funny we were scared so they kept antagonizing us. As we got farther down the trail the people behind us got quite a laugh out of our screaming and eventually running looking for the exit. When it was over my friends and I laughed at how we must of looked when we were reacting to everything around us. It didn't take away from the fact i'm still having nightmares though! I'm happy I tried something new and got to spend quality time with my friends.

Set your goals high and don't stop until you get there

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal" -Hannah More

I am very happy with my midterm grades this semester. I wasn't sure what to expect and got butterflies before each test. I studied hard for each one but I felt I was over thinking and stressing myself out way to much. I wound up with all A's and one B. I went to a presentation in my hall on how to manage stress and how to manage time wisely during exam weeks. It really helped me. It was fun and refreshing. They gave us stress reliever balls and goodie bags with smart food in them.

I'm very hard on myself and I push myself to do the best I can. Everyone knows it's hard to make sacrifices and prioritize, making school work come before everything else. My goals for next semester is to attend every class no matter what the circumstance and hand in every assignment on time. I haven't missed TOO many classes this semester but my goal for the rest of it is to not miss one. My next goal is to try to calm down ad relax. Make some me time because I feel like I spend a lot of my time making other people happy. My goals are set and i plan on reaching them. Heres a link to a very inspiring song.

I KNOW I CAN*  

Grade Me

Different students have many different preferences. Some people are good at math and some are better at reading or writing. In my opinion it is hard to get a grade in something you are not interested in. Learning a subject one is not fond of may take away from the amount of work a student puts in to that class. Now onto the matter of grading. I believe just like some others that if a student attends every class, reads the readins and hands in assignments on time then they deserve a B. If I did all of that stuff and got a C I would be pretty upset. It's not easy to hand in every single assignment on time or go to every single class. Of course things do come up. My 2nd blog is late today because a member of my family passed away yesterday which was when i was planning on submitting this. My whole family is at my house today but this is helping me take my mind off things. As I was saying each grade depends upon the teacher. I can put as much work as I can into my math class and get an A+ but then I could put just as much work into my english class and get a B-. Normally a teacher will set his or her standards at the begining of the semester in their syllabus. It is up to the student to follow it and if they do I believe they deserve a good grade.

I found a video on youtube that shows how to get a good grade. Take a look.
HOW TO GET A GOOD GRADE

Inquiry Midterm Project.

here is a form of cyber bullying

this is an example of facebook affecting a students grades

Don't text and drive!

The interviewing process for this project was nerve racking. My class and I had to interview teachers, C.Cs and friends questions on a topic that we had chosen. I chose the dangers of technology. My first stop was the computer lab on the 4th floor of the library. I had found 2 people I thought would fit the job to be interviewed and yet they refused to go on camera. Nevertheless I found two new teachers who worked there way into my video just fine. This is the longest i've ever worked on a project in my life and i'm hoping everyone enjoys. What is your opinion on technology? Maybe your opinions will change after you watch my video. ENJOY!

WATCH ME

Must Be The Money

Growing up my parents and everyone else around me would use the term "poor college student." I figured that would never be me, I'd just save up all my money and be a "rich college student." Now that I am actually here, that is no longer the case. I worked all summer and bought myself a lap top which I feel is a necessity to have. My bank account quickly went from being full to being quite empty. I was happy with my purchase up until I wanted to go out and realized it was almost impossible with out some form of money. My parents and I both have loans and are already paying a lot for me to go to this school so you can only imagine their response when I ask for "going out money." So I now have the title in which i'd never thought i'd take, I am a "poor college student." This term and new name that I have been given does not satisfy me what so ever. Therefore I decided to take action. I know it's too late to get a job on campus, its practically impossible. I still applied online for next semester though. The other day I walked to Dunkin Donuts down the street and applied there. I got an interview and i'm so nervous/excited. I hope all goes well and I get the job! Wish me luck!

A new addition!

I think Lee is really great. She brings a new taste to the class. At first I wondered why she was coming into our class so late in the semester and plus we were doing fine without her. As she started telling us about her life I realized that she was a really cool person. She relates to us and shes not afraid to admit her mistakes.
The first day she came in she told us we didn't have to listen and if we wanted we could just leave, I couldnt do that. Something just told me to stay and i'm glad I did. I saw Lee today in Chase Hall. I stopped and we had a conversation. She makes me feel really comfortable and if I ever need someone to talk to she puts it out there that my class and I can always count on her. Lee suggested we write a bucket list of all the things we want to do before we die. As I thought about it I realized how long my list was and what little time I have. I like how Lee makes us think about stuff like that. The other day she asked us to write an "I am" poem. Thats another activity that caught my interest because in reality I don't know who I am yet. I'm excited to see what else Lee has in store for my class. I'm really happy to have met her!

We were supposed to participate in the free hugs campaign but it turned out we weren't allowed to. When Lee told us about it she played this video. I love it. I think everyone should watch it and I hope it puts a smile on everyones face like it does for me.

WANT TO SMILE? :)

this is what I want.

I was sitting at the dinner table with my family a month before I packed my bags and left for Southern Connecticut State University. My dad asked me why I chose psychology for a major. I told him I wanted to be a negotiator. He shook his head at me and told me thats not what I want and that it most likely will never happen. Hes wrong. Thats exactly what I want and to be honest have always wanted since I was little. A negotiator is someone who saves people being held hostage even if they're up at gun point. To do this you must have a four year degree in psychology and you must be a cop first.

I've always loved rushes, I thrive off adrenaline. I've always loved bungee jumping, wind surfing and rollercoasters. Don't get me wrong I know that it doesnt compare to being held up at gun point but I also have another quality which pulls me closer to wanting to become a negotiator. I read people really well. When someone does something I try and figure out why they do it. To me, there is a reason for everything, theres a reason I ate what I ate for dinner and theres a reason im writing this blog.

My friends come to me a lot with their problems. They know how I am, how i am always trying to figure things out and read people. A lot of the time when i'm in class I will watch what people are saying and their body language just trying to figure them out. Psychology is the study and science of human behavior and that is what I am intersted in. My dad has always tried to protect me which is why he doesn't want me to give this a shot. I'm not going to let anything or anyone get in the way of this. This is what I want.

B L O G G I NG

There are all different types of blogs on the internet. A good blog will be informative and interesting. If the blogger doesnt like what they have to write about then their finished post will probably not be anything worth reading. Personally my favorite blogs are written with emphasis and personality, so much that when reading you can almost hear the writer talking. One of the bloggers in my class writes this way. DJs Blog is filled with his opinions. He makes it funny and personal by calling himself captain DJ.

Also good blogs catch attention. The title has to be creative. There has to be a main subject and the reader has to be able to know what the blogger is talking about. Also good blogs include pictures and links. If I clicked on a blog with no pictures and a whole bunch of paragraphs I probably wouldn't read it. A good blog has consistency. If one week I have a post that I didnt feel like writing and the next week I wrote away, thats not being consistent. Themes make blogs intesresting too along with color schemes. The better it looks the more views a blog might have.

It was hard to choose my favorite blog after I looked at each one but I finally made my decision. My favorite blog is Alexis blog. I love how she starts off some of her blogs with quotes. Each post seems to be well written and informative. My favorite post of hers was Petrone in your heart. You could tell she was passionate about what she was writing. Also I love her titles, the way she starts them with her last name. All in all a good blog needs three things, an opinion, visuals and creativity.

technology

For my project I chose Technology. It has become such an uprising epidemic in our world and is constantly changing. It took me a while to pick an inquiry question but I chose one that I find interest in. My question is; What would happen raising a child with no technology in a technologically advanced world?

It’s going to be hard for me to interview people I don’t know. I am at a family party right now and I brought up the topic as we all sat down to the dinner table. I asked them the question and they all started laughing. As they thought about it each one made a comment that had something in common. They thought the child would have a lot of anxiety. They said that if their children were to not have technology it would be depriving them to basically access the world. They said that it was different in their age because cell phones were just coming out and every one in fifteen people had a computer in their home.

I know for a fact that I will be interviewing my psychology professor. He has a different outlook on life and I am interested in hearing what he has to say. I’ve been preparing some questions for him. I am also thinking about visiting the children development center. I’m sure they know a lot about the effects of technology on children.

For my professor:

Did you grow up with technology in your home?

Do you think you would be different today if you grew up as a child in 2010?

Those are just some ideas. This to me is a challenging project since I’m not used to video taping people I don’t know. I’m sure everything will work out for the better though!

A Suprising Connection

I’ve attended a few events here at the University but there is one in particular that sticks out in my mind. Throughout my high school career I was dedicated to the Holy Cross swim team in the fall and softball team in the spring. Since swimming took up most of my time I would miss all of the other sports games. When I got the chance I would attend the football games which all my friends went to on a weekly basis. I would be so excited when the schedule said I had a meet on Tuesday instead of Friday. That meant Frankie’s hot dogs and hot chocolate on a crisp fall night watching the HC Crusaders under the lights hopefully scoring to victory. When I got to Southern and was invited to go to the soccer game with my new friends I realized that I hadn’t been to one since I was eight years old and I was playing on the field myself. Being on a soccer team was short lived for me when every time someone would run at me I’d either freeze and get kicked in the shins or I would just leave the ball and run the opposite direction in fright. Going to the soccer game at SCSU was a new experience for me and I made a connection that I never thought I’d tell anyone about. As I watched the game I began to think about Outcasts United. How everyone on the soccer team at Southern all came from different states and towns and how the rival team probably didn’t know anything about Southerns players. They might know the positions faces and names of some of our players but how many really know them for who they are? That goes both ways, our team doesn’t know what the other has been through, the struggles, fights or strengths. I had fun at the soccer game, I myself met two new friends and enjoyed watching our team battle for victory.

Here is a link to catch up on our soccer teams quest to accomplishment! Go Owls!

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.” ~ Albert Einstein

Time is precious. It’s the easiest thing to throw away and use and unfortunately most people take it for granted. I however think of time as a gift and have learned to manage it. As a matter of fact if I didn’t manage my time I wouldn’t be doing as well as I am in school. I would rather download songs or watch television but along with time management comes prioritizing. Once my priorities are straight I am able to plan my week. Breakfast, class, lunch, homework, gym, dinner, shower, friends and sleep is my routine on a normal week. Sometimes I have so much homework that I need to cut out the exercise for the day. I remember for orientation our community coordinators acted out skits and the main theme in a bunch of them was time management. One in particular sticks out in my head. There were three students who like many of the people in this school, loved to party. They all went out together every night but there was one difference. While the other two were getting breakfast and hanging out in the morning their other friend was getting his school work and studying done. By the end of the semester the two who were just hanging out in the morning came out with a terrible grade point average and the one who would get his work done came out with a great grade point average. The moral of the story was that you can still go out and have fun with friends as long as your time is managed and work is done. I think I’m doing pretty well with the way I’ve been managing my time. Hopefully I continue to make the right choices now that I’m learning the ins and outs of this college experience.

Personal Blog Preference!

Searching through the internet I found it a little challenging to pick out only two blogs I like. There are so many! I think the best choice I made was the one on Kim Kardashian. She updates it herself and gives advice on fashion, boys and many other things. She puts videos and pictures up of herself and in my opinion her life is very interesting and worth following.

                                                      http://kimkardashian.celebuzz.com/

A little less then a year ago a rapper that I am very fond of was sent to jail. His time to be served was set for a year but it was said because of his good behavior he would be getting out sooner. The blog I chose speaks about how Lil Wayne still loves his fans and how even though he is not allowed internet access he is writing hand written letters which are being transcribed onto the internet. This blog isn’t a visual one its more informative. The point is to let fans know that Lil Wayne still appreciates our support which is why he is having a concert the day he gets out of jail.

                                      http://www.spin.com/articles/lil-wayne-starts-blog-prison

These two blogs that I have chosen are completely different. Kim’s blog has much more information. It gives her biography and tells me so much about her. I love how she tries to give advice and her television show Keeping Up With the Kardashians shows that she has feelings and problems just like normal people in every day life. Lil Waynes blog does not have any videos or biographies but it is good to know that he is still giving back to his fans in any way he can. 

Outcast United

I started reading Outcast United by Warren St. John the night I received the book at orientation this summer.  Normally when I’m interested in a book it takes me about two weeks at most to read it. This book took me all summer. After I read the first thirty pages at orientation I could tell that it just wasn’t my kind of book. Therefore I devised a plan to read five pages every morning when I woke up until I finished it. Time management I felt was going to be the key to success in getting this book finished. With my long summer nights, I found it difficult to follow my initial plan to read every morning when I awoke.  Eventually, despite procrastinating, I was able to finish the book after what felt like a lifetime. Although overall I did not care for the book, I did like how it demonstrated diversity and the ability to overcome cultural differences. Despite each member of the team coming from different backgrounds with different customs, they were able to all come together and form one united team. This theme shows how one common interest can override numerous differences. I found that this theme relates to Southern and its diverse student body. There are many students of different races, religions, and even different political views yet we all manage to come together and form one school. Although in the end the Fugees did not win, they gained something more and learned to respect others who may differ from them, just as students at Southern do. Though I didn’t enjoy reading this book, I found that I could relate to its message.

you'll never become old and wise if you aren't young and crazy

     This journey in which we call "life" contains many people. Some people turn out to be pretty insignificant and others you meet will leave everlasting footprints on your heart. These experiences, no matter who you are, will teach you, touch you, and at some point it will leave you. People need to stop shoving time into their desk drawers like it's something they can recycle and get back.

     I would suggest to never look at "the glass" half empty, but rather to see it as half full, appreciate it for what you have left and what you have overcome. Above all though, surround yourself with people who make you happy. The best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly who you really are, no matter what. You deserve to be with somebody who makes you happy, somebody who doesn't complicate your life, somebody who won't hurt you.

     Live, laugh, love, be inspired, dream BIG, accomplish goals and be a good person no matter the circumstance. If life was perfect and ser-real, there would be no erasers, or kissing and making up. My motto is that along with a sense of humor, kindness can change the world.

     Life will leave us not only with beautiful moments but it will unfortunately also leave us with a few scars. The most important thing in life is to find yourself, know who you are at all times, and stand by that for the rest of your life. Mistakes lead to scars for a reason though, our old wounds teach us something. They remind us where we've been and what we've been through. They teach us lessons about what to avoid in the future. People say you should learn from your mistakes so you don’t wind up repeating them. That’s not always the way it is though, is it? Some things we just have to learn over and over and over again. That's the only way we grow as people though, through our mistakes. Keep in mind imperfection is truly the beauty in a person; it's what makes them who they are.

Cherish every scar, every flaw, every freckle, and every beauty mark. All these trademarks bring me to a word that I have been questioning the meaning of lately. Fate. What a word, what a thing to experience, something you don’t need to rush because the best things in life are worth the precious wait. In the meantime though, make someone's day with a smile, with a hug, whatever it may be. Want to make my day? Hold my hand and have a real conversation with me, tell me something you trust only a select few with. Tell me what you really think of me, not what you want to think. Give me a chance. All in all, I believe that what's meant to be will always find its way. Think of it as no regrets, just lessons learned. Strive to be unique, to be one of those people you don’t meet every day, make a difference.

Does Practice Really Make Perfect?

     The article that I chose to read was called 10,000 hours for Success. It is said that practice makes perfect. In my opinion practice may not make perfect but it will most definitely help you in whatever you’re trying to achieve. As I read I started to question my point of view on the subject. The article stated that if you work really hard at something and spend a lot of time practicing then you will be good at it. Putting some thought into that I don’t really know if that is true. If one is not born with the talent, capacity and gifts then how far can practice get them? For example, My brother Zachary is an awesome baseball player. He started pitching and subbing in at first base for our high school varsity baseball team during his freshman year. My father has put my brother through multiple programs for endurance and speed but no matter how hard Zach tries he can not run fast. Everyday for hours he practices sprinting, jogging and other techniques used to get his speed up and my family and I have come to the conclusion that he will never be fast. That doesn’t mean he has given up but I don’t understand if practice can make you perfect this rule just doesn’t apply to my brother. To answer my own question I’ve come to realize that not everyone can excel in everything, sure they can get better but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will be good enough. A basketball player coming in at five feet to a division one school may be a really good player and teammate. He could spend hours at a time practicing and jumping but no matter how hard he tries or how high he jumps he will most likely not be able to keep up with the other players.


    How does this article apply to me? Is practicing important? Yes practice will always make you better. By exercising one will get more toned and by repetition one can memorize. I swam for my high school swim team. By the end of the four years I had dropped ten seconds off my time which is really good. That didn’t happen from me skipping practices and blowing off the diet. It was obviously practice that made me better. However if I was born with smaller feet and a shorter body would that have happened that way? I don’t think so. In conclusion I feel as if yes, practice will always help but if one is not born with the necessary skills or if they are not supplied with the necessary materials for that particular craft then they probably shouldn’t make it a profession.

Home Away from Home

   
     Growing up I always thought I’d go far when that time came for college. As a matter of fact I thought that up until about a year ago. Always arguing with both my brothers, my three sisters and my parents I felt I needed to escape. “One day you will all miss me! I’m going to college and never coming back!” I’d say. I imagined going somewhere warm since I am not a fan of cold weather. Somewhere beautiful, tropical and most important distant. That fantasy slowly drifted from me when I was forced to come back to reality and face the cost of an education instate and an education out of state. After visiting various schools and figuring out the budget Southern seemed to be the best choice.

     I've spent two weeks in college and I’ve become conscious of what my greatest challenge is. My greatest obstacle is not the work load, the walking to classes, or the balancing of social life and school. The real challenge is living so close to home. I personally feel that as an incoming freshman I need to be thrown into a big place that I am not familiar with. I need to depend on myself and my instincts using everything I’ve learned in the past eighteen years of my life. However my parents don’t feel that way. My parents think that because I chose a college so close to them that they can come visit more frequently and come pick me up more frequently then they would if I had went farther away.

     I feel as if I need time away from what I know. I need space to make my own mistakes. Having the choice to go home every weekend is hard. It is difficult for me to stay here with new people rather then go home to my friends who know and love me. It is difficult for me to hear my parents response to me saying I wont becoming home to see them this weekend. They are taking my time away from home personally but at the same time they’re realizing they were once young and felt the same way.

I know that sooner or later everything is going to pan out. I am my parents first child to go to college. I’m going to prove to everyone that I’m going to be ok on my own. I have morals and standards for myself. I’ve spread my wings and I’m ready to fly.
 

Heres to new beginings !

     College for me is much more then an education. It is a place for questions and answers. It is a place of new beginnings and hope for a successful future. It is a place for me to meet new people that will hopefully transcend into life long relationships. Going to college is an experience that not everyone gets the chance to have and I know that I am lucky to have been granted this opportunity.


     Academically as a college student I know that I must stay on top of my work. I’ve had a week of classes so far and I think I’ve gotten a small taste of what the work is like here. I’ve decided that no matter what, school is always going to come first. I am dedicated to getting good grades and looking forward to learning.

     Socially as a college student I walked onto campus knowing no more then five people. Since I’ve been here I have already started making new friends. I’ve noticed that every relationship forming is different. I’ve found friends to do school work with, friends to go out with and friends to hang out in the dorm with. Most people here are from Connecticut but the school is so diverse. I have never had or even met so many people from different backgrounds striving for the same goal, an education, a better future and a happier life.

     I chose Southern because I walked on campus and fell in love. As I looked around and saw all of the students working, eating and talking to each other I knew I belonged there. I looked at other schools after I visited SCSU but no other campus felt right. Ever since I was young I would say that I wasn’t staying in Connecticut for college but Southern made me change my mind.

     I have set standards for myself and have many goals to accomplish throughout this college experience. First It is to keep at least a B average in every class. Any lower then that is unacceptable. I want to remain a psychology major and get involved on campus. I’m even looking into joining the Greek life. My number one goal is to stay on a good path. Many students get side tracked and peer pressured but I know better. I know the difference between right and wrong and I know that I will do anything it takes to do good in school and graduate.