Is my world really the best?

Can my perfect world actually exist? For this blog post I decided to choose Twyla Tharp’s exercise Our Perfect world, number 17 on page 135. Twyla says that her perfect world does not exist but it’s there as a goal for her and that is how I wanted to view my perfect world however I found that my perfect world is fairly unrealistic. For this exercise I found it easier to be selfish when thinking about the criteria because it’s “my world” so that’s where I started. I started by thinking about what makes me happy and what my world would look like. Her a few things I came up with; people who are going to shut down my ideas and go against my desires would not be present, if I wanted to try something new the opportunity would be available, my family and I would never have to go without the necessities,  I would have no obligations to other people only to myself and I would not have any fears. Now those are just a few of the ideas I came up with for my world. Doing this was more difficult than I planned on it being. I thought that coming up with my own world would be easy and only take a couple of minutes however I found myself contradicting my own thoughts I also found that I do actually care a lot about other people and how what I do effects them. In my world I created I am a very selfish person which I don’t like I understand the point was to create a world for me however I realized my happiness does not only rely on my wants I also want my friends, family and people around me to be happy. When I see others around me struggling and not obtaining their goals it makes me upset. If I were to somehow actually create an entire new world, these rules that I came up with would have to be flushed down the toilet and recreated with other peoples desires and needs in mind. I didn’t like just thinking about my wants and needs throughout this exercise.

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure. Bill Cosby

Once upon a time there lived a sad but beautiful girl she was always doing laundry, cooking and cleaning. Then one day her fairy god mother came, rescued her and gave her a beautiful dress which she wore to the ball where she met her prince charming. They fell in love and lived happily ever after. Now growing up we were always told stories similar to this about Cinderella and other princesses who struggle all through life but end up happily ever after however, unfortunately this is real life it isn’t a fairytale and not everyone ends up happily ever after. One of my biggest fears in not being happy in life, right now is a very crucial time in my life I am trying to decide a major which I want to continue to do for the rest of my life and how I do in college can potentially determine my future. I am very nervous I won’t make the right decision. Growing up I’ve had aspirations to be a zoologist, marine biologist, teacher, astronaut and nurse, my plans for the future have constantly been changing since I was young but I’m in college now and it is time to really decided where I want to go in life and what is going to make me happy.  I originally entered college with the hopes to be a nurse preferably in pediatrics however after being here for a semester I’ve started to question that. I’ve been working with children as a student intern at elementary schools, camp counselor and a special needs Para for a few years now and up until last year I wanted to be a teacher. Being away from the children has made me miss the feeling I get from working with them, I’ve started to realize that being with children and helping them grow as a person is part of what makes me happy. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ve made the wrong decision in pursuing nursing instead of education. This has started to make me wonder what else I have made the wrong decision in. I am so afraid that I won’t be happy later on in life because of the decisions I’m making now. I see so many adults who are working in jobs they really don’t like and who are just going through the motions of life and aren’t making the most of it. When I’m older I want to be happy with myself and my life. I am afraid of being unhappy.

 

 

Staying Inshape at SCSU

Today I decided to take a stroll down to the fitness center. Our fitness center here at Southern has a wide range of machines from ellipticals and treadmills to many different weight machines. The initial fee for the semester was 60 dollars however as of October 15^th the price was reduced to 35 dollars. The gym is an easy and convenient way for students to stay in or get in shape.

Our gym has many different classes taught by other students and faculty. Some of these classes include kick boxing, yoga and aerobics. All classes are taught in the gym’s very nice class room. Almost all of the staff and teachers are extremely nice and helpful.

There are a couple of rules you must follow in order to be a member. No “street clothes” are allowed, no undergarments are allowed to be exposed, all must wear gym sneakers and no tight tee shirts or work out clothing. As well it is recommended that a lock is brought to keep your wallets and jackets safe inside of the provided lockers because theft does occur.

My only complaint that I have about our gym is that it cost students each semester to be a member. I understand that money needs to be made to pay the staff, however I don’t agree that the students should be charged. We all pay a great deal of money to attend this school and I think it is a bit much to charge us to go to the gym and stay healthy on top of the other expenses we have to pay. Over all our schools gym offers a great number of classes taught by friendly staff, provide us multiple machines and a great safe place to work out and stay fit.

SCSU art sacavenger hunt

This past week I wondered around campus looking for sculptures and paintings until on caught my eyes. I looked in a couple different buildings and I also took a look outside. Although I saw a couple none of them really brought me in. I didn’t find that great of a selection as well. However after a little while I found a painting done by Maryellen Considine-Woolley who I later found out after reading that she is an alumni of SCSU.

Maryellen received her BS and MS degrees from southern, she studied at a few different colleges as ell including Paier College Of Art, The school of Visual Arts and The Art Concentration in painting from Columbia University. She is also presently affiliated with SCSU as an art instructor for more than thirty years.

I was drawn to this piece because of the bright colors as well as although they were three separate paintings they all flowed together. I was not sure what message or time she was trying to get across at first glance, often times trees symbolize strength and flowers beauty however the last picture reminded me of an eyeball I wasn’t exactly sure what to make of it. I assumed the artist was trying to depict a time when she saw beauty and strength within someone or a culture. I really enjoyed this pictures the colors and the technique in which they were created were all lovely.

After reading the small plaque next to the display I found out that Maryellen was the creator and that this was a depiction of her experience one morning while walking through the Miramar section of Havana Cuba. She painted the large trees and flowers she was surrounded in. She believes them to be an example of the valor, tenacity, and generosity of the spirits of the people she encounter. I believe she did a wonderful job of showing this. I very much enjoyed looking at her paintings and I would definitely like to see more.

 

 

 

Time to step up my game

As the middle of my first semester came I had been starting to get lazy. My homework was starting to slip and my effort was declining. This shows in my midterm grades. My gpa is not as high as I would like it to be and there is definitely room for improvement.

Getting used to the new college grading scale is something I don’t exactly understand however I need to deal with it. In multiple classes that I take my midterm grade was based off of one test or one assignment. It’s difficult for me to agree with that because if you misunderstood the work or got a bad grade on that single assignment then your entire grade for that class is also going to be bad. This is something very different from high school. Normally there are multiple homework assignments and tests throughout the semester.

College has been a good experience for me so far. My organization has gotten better, my work ethics have improved and I’ve met great people however if I want to get my grades up to where I’d like them I really need to crack down, stop being so lazy and get my work done and in on time.

There is a class or two I know I have been struggling in and my grade definitely reflects that. To improve those grades I need to schedule meetings with my teachers to get some extra help. Overall my grades we not awful for my first half of the semester in college but they are not nearly as high as I’d like them to be.

 

Gym time equals fun time

                Living in the same room as two other people and being neighbors with friends can sometimes be a challenge to find peace. There is always something going on whether it be studying, family dinners, ice cream runs or sushi nights, I’m always having fun with them. My friends are a great distraction for me from my studies with them there is never a dull moment. So when this post was assigned I knew it would be no problem to find something fun to do. But I wanted to find something that was fun for me but I haven’t done in a while. I used to go to the gym a lot before coming to southern it was always a great way for me to have fun while doing something productive.

Now to many people the gym doesn’t sound like fun, it sounds like a lot of work. But to me behind all the sweat and burning in my muscles I’m happy. Being at the gym for me is fun. There is always music going either in my headphones or over the speakers and it is a great place for me to reflect. Even when I’ve had a bad day going to the gym helps because I know I am being productive, therefore I become happy.

Also going to the gym with my friends is always fun. Mondays and Wednesdays my roommates and I go to the gym we joke about our teachers and school work. It’s nice to unwind and put the troubles of the day behind us. Although many people don’t find the gym fun, I do. It’s a great way to stay or get in shape and it can be a good bonding experience if you go with friends or roommates because you’re all working together.

A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions. By Oliver Windell Holmes Jr.

These past few weeks here at southern have been interesting to say the least. Learning to manage my time and get my work done while still having a social life has not been the easiest. There have been times that I have missed out on activities with my friends and there have also been times I postponed my homework and then ran out of time before being able to complete it. Learning to live with two other girls has also been a challenge but there are positives that have come from it. Over the past couple weeks college has tested me in many different categories and some of them came natural and some of them I am still trying to figure out.  

Creating my own schedule has been one of the most difficult things I’ve faced since coming southern. Prior to college my days were always pretty much the same; I had school, then I went to work, then I went home to do my homework and then I normally hung out with friends. Now I have to learn to manage my time better because unlike high school where my days were always the same, here in college each day my schedule is different from the day before it. I have to manage my time between; class, sleep, homework, eating and maintaining a social life. It was very complicated at first but after a couple of weeks I found that staying organized and planning specific times for me to do my homework and studying helped me keep track of my assignments and still have time to do everything else. For me if I am not organized then my work doesn’t get done and I fall behind quite quickly.

College has not only tested me academically but it has also tested me personally. Living in a triple dorm has not been the easiest thing in the world. Trying to share a 10ft by 10ft space with two other girls has brought up many issues. Each one of us has our own style and our own way of living that in some aspect of another has conflicted with one another. With this being said sharing a room has pushed me to be more open with other girls and understand that everyone is not the same and just because I like to keep my side of the room neat does not mean they do and just because two of us want to go out on a Thursday night does not mean all three of us have to. Learning to coexist with other people is just a part of growing up and although it may not be easy it is necessary.

 College is a territory in which I am still becoming familiar with. It has posed all sorts of new questions and new ideas. It is here I that have been confronted with the reality that I am growing up. Although I am still getting used to college I am very happy I came and this first half of the first semester has taught me so much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCSU Clean Up Day

Two weekends ago I participated in the Southern Connecticut State University day of service with the Omega Zeta Pi sorority. It was an amazing experience, I got to meet so many new people and I was able to help clean up New Haven. The group I was with was sent to clean up a couple of parks I enjoyed cleaning the parks because it felt good to clean up for the kids. While we were at one of the parks there was a peewee football game going on and the kids took the time to come thank us. As well one of the mothers came over and gave us all little waters because we were thirsty. I really enjoyed seeing how grateful everyone was and I would love to do it again.

 

***** my phone deleted all of my pics but hopefully I can get them back and I will put one up of me!******

Stepping out of the box

I am a fairly outgoing person, I love to talk, I love meeting new people and trying new things however a couple of weeks ago I decided to give Greek life a try which is something I’ve never done before. A friend of mine invited me to a rush event for one of the sororities here at Southern Ct State University. I wasn’t really sure about going because it wasn’t anything I had ever seen myself doing but after a little thought I decided to give it a shot and in the end I turned out to really like it.

That nights rush event was a ton of fun. We played a capture the flag game against one of the fraternities here a SCSU. I had a great time, it was a lot of fun meeting the girls and some of the guys, it was also a plug to kick the boys butts. I didn’t feel pressured into anything it was a very welcoming and fun community.  All of the girls were so much fun, the sister of the sorority and the other girls rushing. I was very glad I went.

I had so much fun I didn’t stop with the capture the flag game I continued to go to some of the other events and I got to know a lot of people I didn’t know before.  We played a couple more games including kick ball which was a lot of fun although we didn’t win.

I think being a freshman here a southern brings so many new opportunities to try new things, they have many different clubs and organizations, there is something for everyone. It’s so important to expand our minds at this stage in our lives because this is the time when we are experimenting and becoming an individual. It’s also important to step outside of our comfort zones because who knows what you will end up liking and who you will en d up meeting.

 

 

Lights, Camera, Action!

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Taylor Spielburg

Although I am no Steven Spielberg I think I did an okay job on my first video project. It was a little complicated at first and I won’t lie I was a bit overwhelmed but I am happy with the way it has turned out. Going into this project I thought finding people to interview was going to be the easiest part but I was very wrong. I thought making the movie was going to be super difficult but I was also wrong.

I started out this project by making a check list of what I needed to do because I knew if I didn’t have it all written in front of me I definitely would forget parts of it. I made deadlines for each task that needed to be done and for the most part I was able to stick to it. For me the three hardest tasks were one, making it informative yet interesting, two finding staff/faculty willing to be interviewed and three, picking a song. I feel that for the most part I was able to overcome my obstacles, the video is informative and hopefully isn’t too boring for most people and although it took a while to decide on a song I think the one I chose was good. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get two staff/faculty members to interview I was however able to get one of the cafeteria workers to talk to me for a little. I asked him he thought no one wanted to talk to me and he said he thinks it was because of the topic. He said that because healthy eating and school cafeteria foods are such a controversial thing that most people don’t want to get involved. I guess I understand that and now looking back I probably should have planned ahead of time and left myself extra time to find more interviewies.

Using Windows Movie Maker was actually much easier than I expected! I enjoyed getting to know the program however there were a few things I still don’t understand so I wasn’t able to do as much as I would have liked to but I am happy with the way my video came out.

                                                                  

 

 

***** The link to my video won’t work so I will try to post it separate and hope for the best!*****

Sleep Eat Play

Sleep, go to class, eat, hang out with friends, sleep, go to class, eat, hang out with friends. That seems to be the basic overall pattern of my life as a college student. However I’ve become pretty good at splitting my time up fairly amongst the four pretty well, now I’m no professional and there are areas for improvement but so far it is working pretty well for me.

Now, when I’m not sleeping or eating during the day I’m almost always doing my homework. Often times I take a nap after my first two classes which end at 9am on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays after my nap I normally eat and do homework which for me works best because if I’m tired while doing homework I mind as have had a 10 year old do it. Looking back at my data this week I spent about 60 hours sleeping and 30 hours in class or doing homework. I also found that I tend to do more homework on Mondays and Friday’s this is probably due to the fact I only have two classes during the day and both are over by 9am, leaving me a lot of free time.

My nights mostly consist of my friends. My friends are a huge part of me and without them I would probably go insane, so for me it is important that I make time for them. Sometimes we go out and sometimes we just stay in and watch movies. I spent approximately 48 hours with them this past week including the weekend when I went home. Although I do spend a lot of time with my family and friends I am almost always able to get my work done and in on time.

Although my system has worked for me so far there are a couple of things I can definitely work on.  One not spending so much time sleeping during the day, I need to start getting to bed earlier so I am more awake during the day. Next I need to figure out time during every day to do enough homework where I won’t have to do so much on Monday’s and Friday’s. Last I would like to try and not go home so much on the weekends but that is definitely going to be a struggle. Although we are only a month into school my system I have works pretty well for me and I am happy to say there are only a few things I need to tweak.

So many clubs my head is spinning

For my safari this past week I decided to take a look around the club fair and I’m very glad I did. Sothern is a very diverse group of people and it shows through in the different clubs, there was a drill team, army club, sororities and fraternities, math clubs and education clubs. Everyone was so welcoming and friendly. Me being so friendly I stopped to talk to a great deal of the tables and one of the tables I stopped at was the NAACP table, now at the time I didn’t realize it I was just talking to the ladies behind the booth about the outcome and the variety of tables I started to ask her what their organization was and if it was diverse like the others, they started to giggle so I looked down and realized what table I was in front of. I began to laugh and walk away partially because of embracement and partially because I smelled the food. After lunch I found the isle with all of the sororities and fraternities including the one I’ve been rushing. Overall it was a great day, it was really nice to see all of the different ground and talk to so many different people. Southern really has a great community and I’m very lucky to be going here.

An A+ is more than just effort

After reading through tons of blogs it is clear not me that I definitely need to redo my home page mine seems so boring in comparison to most. I loved reading everyone’s blogs they were all so well written and interesting. I think I enjoyed looking at the titles of the posts the most. It was interesting to see how people pulled the readers in, it was also a good insight into the creativity of the writers. Out of all the blogs there were a bunch I loved but only a few stood out.

Although I don’t know much about grading a blog I feel that the blog titled Next Generation deserves an A+ it is beautifully written and the pictures are a great touch. The way she makes her sentences flow seem effortless. All of the posts are interesting but I especially liked the post about her hardship in life titled One word: Optimism. I enjoyed reading this one because I felt a great sense of compassion it takes a very strong person to not only deal with the death of a close family member but also act as a fill in parent. One of my other favorite pieces she wrote was the post about the club fair, it had a sense of humor in it when she said “they didn’t have to ask me twice to put my name down” taking about the photography booth and it didn’t feel like she was just blabbing on about nonsense it felt like she was having a conversation with me.

Everyone has done a great job with their blogs. So many have their own personalities and they are all very interesting.   It is easy to tell that most people have put in a lot of time and effort into these assignments. Over all I feel that Venice definitely deserves an A+ for her blog. She made it fun, relatable, all of her posts are written very well and most of all I highly enjoyed reading it!

Something like Hogwarts

I’ve always wanted to go to Hogwarts. Not only to fly on brooms and help Harry take down Lord Voldemort but to feel appreciated the way the students there seem to be. Yesterday at the New Student Convocation I felt a similar feeling. Maybe it was because everyone on stage was dressed in robes and silly hats or maybe it was the torch of knowledge lighting but there was a sense of community and welcoming in the room. It was nice to be able to see all of the schools head professors and leader in once place welcoming us. Although it wasn’t Hogwarts it was a still a good experience and I enjoyed almost all of it. 

Being organized is just the begining

Over the past three weeks I’ve been fed information about the importance of staying on top of my work, making a schedule, sticking to it and how to take good notes. But for me by far the most important thing I’ve learned over the past couple of weeks is to stay organized. For me organization is the key, without being organized I easily lose track of my work and end up forgetting to do assignments which really isn’t good.

Part of being well organized is having good notes and a good understanding of what you’ve taken notes on. This is something we’ve talked a lot about this past week. Note taking has always been a struggle for me, I haven’t know exactly what to write down, what to forget and what to get out of the reading or discussion. But after the discussion in INQ last week I think I have a much better understanding of what I’m supposed to be doing when I take notes. I have started to take notes the way that is taught at Cornell. I feel this has already started to help. I’ve tried it in my wellness class which I’ve been struggling and in my philosophy class and so far I feel I’ve been getting a better understanding of the work and discussions.

Not everyone learns the same and not everything that is important to help me study and succeed is the same for everyone else. However I think the basic principles are the same, work hard, stay focused and find what works for you. Staying organized is key to keeping track of your work however the levels of organization may vary  and for me, I need to be very organized and take very good notes otherwise my in class work is pointless and I forget everything. Hopefully my new note taking skills and my organization will help me stay on track and keep my grades up.

Better off without you

My story is one I think many have but may be too scared or embarrassed to share. Growing up my mother was a single mother and my father was not in the picture, in fact I didn’t have clue who he was. When I was six I met him for the first time but our relationship was flimsy for a few years and then out of the blue he decided he didn’t want to be a father and walked out of my life. At the time I was heartbroken, I was 13 and afraid I had done something wrong. Was I weird? Am I not good enough? What will I do without a father? But now that it has been five almost six years I know the answers, yes I am weird and I’m very proud of it! No I’m not good enough for him because I’m too good for him! And live my life to the fullest with the family who does care.

Graduation day was one of the proudest of my life. After walking across the stage and throwing my hat I ran to my mother and whispered “I did it without him” she smiled back and said “yes you did”.  I was tempted to dig up my father’s number and send him a picture of me with my diploma however I thought that would be a little over the top so I refrained.

Graduation day was the day I realized that you don’t need people who put you down in your life. As long as you have a strong support system, it could be a total of three people but as long as you have them you will make it. As well after being depressed for months after my father left I realized that dwelling on the past will get me nowhere, the only way to move on is to not worry about what I could have done but what I can do now. Those are the two main things I plan on carrying with me throughout college. Without my father leaving I don’t think I would be the person I am today and I love who I am and I love my family and as bad as it sounds I am thankful every day that he left because without that happening I would not be who I am today.

I dont think we're in high school anymore

In my one and a half weeks of college I have learned many simple things, like which dorms are have the most fun, what teachers to watch out for and when to go to Dunkin Donuts but I have also learned things that are a little more valuable. I’ve learned that teachers aren’t really the ones who teach you in college, what we called hard work in high school is an easy day in college. But most importantly I’ve learned that college is nothing like high school.

Going from an hour of homework a night to 4 to 5 hours of homework a night is plain bonkers. My old style of note taking and studying is basically useless here in college. Yeah, it was a good preparation however it’s nothing like the amount of notes and type of notes I now have to take. I was always taught on the “first level” of leaning and note taking which was just comprehension and memory. However now we’re on the “second level” and we need to worry more about forming opinions and obtain a deeper understanding. But what does that even mean? Who knows, I guess it’s up to everyone to decide how much effort they put in and what they want to get out of it. But one thing that for sure is that the way I study and learn needs to have some serious changes!

In the article Debunking the Myth of Multitasking the author very clearly states that multitasking it not acceptable. He says “juggling everything at once gets you nowhere.” This is very different than what I’ve done. Multitasking has been a part of my life since I can remember but that needs to change. Multitasking can make it harder to complete tasks and often times the work is not done thoroughly. If I want to maintain a good grade and actually understand my work multitasking needs to be cut down if not taken out of my everyday life.

Safari Sunday

Here at SCSU the Community Coordinator’s or more commonly called CC’s are greatly loved. They are some of the most useful and kindest people here on campus. There are two CC’s per floor on every building. Becoming a CC is fairly easy, you have to fill out an online form with your basic information then go to group meetings where you take part in different actives to help you learn how to handle and react in certain situations you may run into. After that you have an individual interview in which you talk about why you want to become a CC.  Some of the responsibilities of a CC include making the residents comfortable, one night required duty a week as well as three weekend duty nights per semester. There are also weekly meetings that they have to attend. Over all being a CC seems to be fairly rewarding, one of my CC’s Courtney Scarpa says “I do enjoy being a CC! It’s a lot of fun and you get to meet a lot of new people. There are also a lot of perks, like not having to sign guest in or out, having your own room, a big be and a sense of authority.” Both of my CC’s Courtney and Chanel have been such a big help my first couple of weeks here whether I’ve needed help with my computer or just needed someone to talk to they’ve been nothing but nice. Everyone else I’ve talked to have had nothing but nice things to say about their CC’s too. From my perspective being a CC here at southern is a pretty good job.

Me? A blogger? Who knew!

I’ll admit since I’m new to this whole blogging thing, I’ve spent the last couple of days scouring the internet looking at different blogging websites trying to get an idea of what I want my blog to be like. I’ve seen blogs with pictures on every inch of the screen and blogs with bright colors (which although pretty I find to be slightly distracting). Also I’ve encountered some very boring blogs, no colors, no pictures basically no personality.  I’ve come to the conclusion I want mine to be simple yet fun.

                Since this is my first blog I would like to keep it kind of simple. However I also want to experiment, I’d like to try putting up videos and pictures. I don’t want my color scheme to be too distracting, or maybe I do because I’m not the most confident in my writing ability, but I definitely want it to be enjoyable.

I’m hoping to eventually start a different blog maybe one a little more personal than this. Since this blog will be mostly dedicated to school assignments I’m hoping it won’t be too boring. While reading some of the other blogs I realized that the very formal didn’t seem to keep my interest. I enjoyed reading the blogs that made it seem like the author was actually talking to me. It made me interested in what they had to say. I want my blog to be like that. Although it’s a school blog I’d still like it to be relatable and somewhat fun, something other students wouldn’t mind reading.  

Overall I want my blog to be fun, enjoyable and interesting like me. Isn’t that what a blog is all about? On top of school work I’d like for this to be a place for experimenting and stepping outside my comfort zone something I often have trouble doing. Wish me luck!

The next chapter

Not only is college a new chapter it is also a new beginning for me. New school, new town new people and new opportunities. It is a chance for me to make something of myself. In high school I was not as involved as I could have been and I barley tried in school just to maintain that B average. While I’m here at SCSU I want to change that. I want to get involved in more than one group and I want to try my hardest with my school work. In my family most have gone to college right out of high school but they have dropped out soon after beginning. I don’t want that to be me, I want to graduate and make something of myself. Walking into the building on the first day of orientation was just the first page of the next chapter.