Final Video Project! :)

I was having a very hard time with posting the final video on blogger. It was not posting my video up at all and every time I tried it just said that there's an error. I know this time my video was converted the right way in order to watch on my blog but it was not working unfortunately. However here's a lick to access my final video project.  

-Ciarra

 

 

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=38E7768684F31EAB!467&authkey=!ANcy-rnzQD6mspc&ithint=video%2c.mp4 

12V) What Makes You Different?

                                                   

Autonomy has two different meanings. The first meaning is the state of existing or acting separately from others and secondly the power of a country, group, etc that governs itself. When I think about the word autonomy itself, I think about power. We all have the power of autonomy over our own lives and choose what we want to do. At this point in my life as a freshman college student finding my own autonomy can be difficult because it’s so new to me that extremely standing out  in a University of so many others seems to be impossible, however as long as I know what personally makes me an unique individual with autonomy is what matters. Lots of people may be alike in many ways and friendships are formed because of this however everyone has different personalities which establish our own outlook and autonomy. Therefore at the end of the day I feel that we all have autonomy because we do not all make the same choices.

Video Movie Draft - First Of Many

By watching my classmate’s video drafts it has given me a better idea of different aspects I can possibly add into my video to make it complete and set for my final grade. Editing my video will take a lot of time however it will only make it stronger and I know what I want to add into my video. I am very glad that I worked on my video draft and posted it ahead on time on to my blog in time to receive credit for it and get everyone’s opinion about it. For my midterm video I unfortunately did not get to receive any ideas that would’ve made my video better so I feel even more confident this time around. In my opinion peer review in any situation is effective I’m many ways from typos I didn’t know of and most of all it helps me comprehend what’s confusing to the audience.

I understand from my recommendations that I should be more organized with my timeline and am working on that. I have a good sense of college level thinking in my video so far and my skit is funny but I need to in cooperate more of the problem and not confuse it with commuting. Commuting takes a big part in my daily routine therefore I have to have that in my video but not emphasize it as much/break it up somehow. I will plan on keeping my music the same in my video but since I am adding onto my video I have the intention of adding more music. I had a few typos that I need to change in my video draft.  Also I want to apply at least two of more skits including me that will add onto the problems I face with school and working. In addition to working on my skits I want work on my planed interviews that can count as my solution.

14B) The End of the Semester Is Here but Not Completely

                                                                           

I am very glad that this semester is coming to an end, it has been a lot of work however my accomplishments are not all over yet. Finals are right around the corner and studying is still needed for either our final tests/projects. In my situation the only final test that I actually have to complete next week is my math final. Math is my hardest subject so I put aside times where I can pay the tutor a few visits before my final test is given. I finished my English self-evaluation that counted as my final in for course this week. I currently have two persuasive presentations coming up that count towards my final grade. Preparing for presentations is something I never did until my first semester here at Southern. It is because of my communication class that I feel prepared on my skills to present as an individual since I have learned different techniques to practice. Over this course I have seen a great improvement. However just because I have taken a course that teaches me effective ways to present, I must practice what I want to say and organize myself effectively answering what the project entails for both presentations. It’s important that we do invest a good amount of time aside to study for our finals but through my experience frying my brain or cramming will do no good in remembering what I should know for my final. I will put studying of practicing my presentations in front of my obligations of working. I like to study in the SCSU library and in my room when I am home. It is important that I take the inactive to ask my professor what the key elements are for my math final since so much was learned throughout this course. I came so far over my first semester of college and I am pleased with my grades so I want to continue the drive that I have now up to the day of my final/presentations and give it my all.

 

Video Final Draft

    

13B) Creativity Can Help

 

 

 

 

 

         I want my draft video to have a high level of creativity and the way I will try to stay creative to my audience is by making my final project totally different then my chronological order midterm video. Even though I feel that I was successful in my midterm project, there is always something I can improve on. I want the outline of my final to make scene but order videos then alternate it with pictures. I’d like my video to have enough time on each slide so that the audience can read it before transitioning over to the next. I do not want my interview videos to play back to back. Adding appropriate music into my video is essential to me since the song sets the tone of what is being read by the audience. Something creative is putting another (Youtube) video that relates or connects to my topic. It is creative to have brighter colors other than just black in the video but still making it look professional. Adding visuals, as I was stating in my previous blog is effective. I hope to be able to have percentages that are not just numbers listed on a slide but in a chart that stands out. This will be easier for the audience to remember. Transitions onto slides and effects also enhance how a video is perceived. I hope to create a video that the audience can relate to for the individuals that work and go to college. However I hope to increase my personal touch and teach a message though my final video that everyone can understand. I’d like to work on being more enthusiastic so the video is fun and interesting to watch.         

 

 

 

 

Video Making Improvements!

For my final project I choose to present on being a full time student as Southern Connecticut State University and working. I personally feel it is very important to work for your own money while still focusing a great amount of time on furthering education. I am currently working two jobs. The balance of college and work can be extremely hard at times however it is not impossible and there are many people who do this. I want to focus on positive attitudes with not giving up when times are on overload with college work, when I have other priorities in your own life. What I am planning in doing video draft is interviewing my aunt Jennifer because she is a role model of mine that I look up to. She is a prime example of someone who has kids, a full time job and also goes to Central Connecticut State University full time. A level of high college thinking involves statistics, charts, and creditable sources. For my references or sources I want to add in a quote or fact that was in at least one of the articles we have read over the course. I also want to search visuals that will support or inform the audience of something they wouldn’t know. Most of all I want to start recording my video bit by bit and gather my information as soon as possible. Procrastination was my struggle for our previous midterm assignment so now that I know what I should work on and include, I think I will do better than my first time working with windows media player. I am still thinking about other areas where I can improve from my previous video and include for my final. I am more confident in myself for creating a stronger video outline. Working on windows media player at first was not very fun with the experience I had. However, after working on it the second time I enjoyed putting all the clips together. I look forward to putting the video together and hope technology is on my side this time around.

13V) Purpose

 Purpose is the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. We as individuals all have a purpose of existence. For example, some people have their purpose of existence come easy for them, and they know exactly what they want to do with their lives and simply what they select to do with their lives make them happy. Another example of this can be choosing what will make someone glad after graduating. I’ve realized that many people after graduation either want to join the army or some kind of institute or college. Both of these examples of the army compared to college play a different role in society. The only thing that should matter is how much it will make you happy to do what you love to do. However someone else may not know what they want to do or what they want to be, or even who they are. Finding your purpose of living can be difficult in a world that is always evolving. In college it is important to find your purpose and what personally fits you the best. Ultimately finding purpose is being able to tell what makes you happy out of all things. Hopefully we should love the purpose of existence in our everyday lives because we all make impacts on another.    

 

12A) The Importance of Liberal Arts

 

Liberal arts is the study of academic subjects such as literature, philosophy, mathematics, and social and physical sciences as distinct from professional and technical subjects. When you think about the word "Liberal" Itself is the total opposite of conservative and  in this context of use is related to only academics. The value of liberal arts is valued in society today. In the article, "Liberal Arts Education and the "know nothing" Bandwagon." A UNC student states her concern on how she feels offended by Governor Pat McCroy for blasting liberal arts higher education. She is a social science major at UNC and there are many other majors that classify under the liberal arts degree. Many people value their major and how liberal arts is special to them. Reading this article I was able to understand how offended she became supporting a democrat that does not support what she lives because she likes liberal arts and its obvious he is against it.  

12B) INQ Question - Higher Education Is Important

1)    In the article “What is college for” by Gary Gutting he states “our support of higher education only makes sense if we regard this intellectual culture as essential to our society”. Do you believe that this statement is important, why or why not? Does this apply to you as an individual?  

In the article “What is college for,” the author uses a very persuasive tone in this article. He does value that college is important to our society however according to the statistics shown about college graduates it does vary from person to person. Overall for the statistics shown 86% of graduates from a four year university think that college has been a good investment. Something that stood out to me was when he explained that “students only spend as much time as they need to get what they see as an “acceptable grade”. I absolutely feel that the author is right. In college everything changes so quickly, that many people just try to get by even when they may not understand something completely. The purpose of what Gary Gutting is clarifying to his readers is that we should enroll in college with the intentions of achieving success in our studies by knowing what we are doing. The whole purpose of college is that you can graduate and find a job that will support you and a possible family. We should take a lot out of every course that we are placed in even if we don’t think it will benefit us in the future. He understands that many colleges are very expensive, so to support your investment by going to college you should make decisions that will help you grow intellectually. We should not only strive to pass each of our courses but actually apply what you have learned in other areas of your college career, daily lives, or work environment. In addition to this idea, I feel that this statement is important to me because I do believe going to college is essential in today’s society. As stated in the “Liberal Arts and the Workplace,” “The rush for degrees has surely has been”…it is apparent that many people strive for a degree as much as you may.     

12V) Interdisciplinary Perspectives

Interdisciplinary Perspectives: Is the combining of two or more academic, artistic, or scientific disciplines. Normally interdisciplinary is thought of as combining two or more academic subjects or fields of study. Perspectives are a mental view or outlook, the way you see something. When you put these two words together what comes to mind is what we talked about in class. I learned that the word disciplines itself means that you are well rounded in such subjects as literature, art, music, sociology and the list goes on. Therefore interdisciplinary perspectives are about having a good outlook on a wide range of disciples also known as (field of study). For example, if you’re outlook on math is that you are never going to get better at it, then that is most likely that’s how you will remain. However if you set goals to improve yourself then I believe you will prosper in your studies. So a positive outlook about something that you are not that good with, can change your whole perspective if you set your mind to it. You will become better at what-ever it is that you fall short on. A quote that relates to what I am writing about is “If there’s a will there’s a way”.

11B) Good Questions is a perfect start in college

 

1)    In the article “Creativity, Education and the gift of stress” What does “Sweet spot” or “sweet zone” represent?

The author Michael Jinkins states that psychologists recognized creative sweet spot or sweet zone somewhere on the continuum between a complete lack of stress and disability of stress. Theological seminary Michael Jinkins, explains that Majority of people need the variety of inputs life brings, including experiences of dissonance and difficulty and strain, in order to achieve some level of creative output. This "sweet zone," because it is broader than a single point on the continuum, varies from one person to another. For any particular person, it may also vary from one situation and activity to another. For example this may apply for individuals in college because if they are having a hard time in a subject they might reach the point where they’re only option is either to seek help or to fail for the semester. They have already reached the point where they have been stressed over what they are lacking and it is obvious that they need help for the subject from either the professor or one of their classmates. Taking this action and asking for help can be a part of creativity for them if they’ve never had an experience that they had to seek to find the resources they need. 

 

2) How does the creative industry hold people of creative nature ransom to their own self-image?

 

People of creative nature are held ransom because of fear of not being creative enough to please everyone.  Most jobs lack creativity.  People learn to live without the need to be creative. So for jobs that require creativity, there’s is a lot more pressure on these creative people. These people become less willing to put their ideas out there because they don't want to be criticized or rejected.  The pressure of coming up with the best idea keeps creative people from coming up with an already great idea. I found it interesting that the author states everything has become a split second decision which is very true for today’s world. The author in the article that is not identified emphasizes that creativity is lacked in a job environment.  

 

3)      The author states in the article “The Joy of Boredom” that "if you think of boredom as the prelude to creativity and loneliness the prelude to engagement of the imagination, they are good things." Explain some of the things that apply to you as an individual that brings the best out of you. Simply put, do you feel that being bored has times where you express yourself in constructive ways? Do you agree with the Carolyn Johnson about this issue of boredom? 

           When I meditate about what I do when I am bored it would be to mostly check my phone, go on twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. I feel that when we are bored we certainly consume our time with our mobile devices as what is identified in the article. The article also states that we have a fear of being disconnected and when we are, our only option is to be bored. This article is very relatable and I agree completely with what the text is proving because I find myself to be one of those people who hate to be disconnected and if I do not have my phone it’s a crisis. However there are times where I do construct myself in positive ways and not just negative. One example of this would be to pick up a book, or review over notes and do homework. When there’s nothing else to do because I’m bored, even if it’s not a large amount of time at once, I find myself working on school work. This is a great technique in college since there is so much work given all at once the smartest thing to do is start it little by little! The times where I can be using my personal device, I’m consuming with more studying.

 

 

4)      In the article by Jonan Leher,“How To Cultivate Eureka Moments,” the author emphasizes that group interaction appears to pay a key role in innovation. What do you think?

In the article the author uses examples to support his claim like Steve Jobs, makes a strong case in urban cities, He even quotes a theoretical physicist, Geoffrey West, who says he has found data that certifies Jacobs’s theories.  “What the numbers clearly show, and what she was clever enough to anticipate,” Mr. West says, “is that when people come together, they become much more productive per capita.”  One study by Mr. West and another physicist, Luís Bettencourt, Mr. Lehrer writes, suggests that “a person living in a metropolis of one million should generate, on average, about 15 percent more patents and make 15 percent more money than a person living in a city of 500,000.” This statement is very interesting and shocking to me.  I do believe that the authors claim is valid because the statistics that are given and also for example I’ve noticed when visiting New York I see thousands of faces when walking the streets however very few actually take time to start a conversation. Majority of people are too caught up in their daily lives to consider group interaction or even think about it benefiting them. Another example is in my Professional Presentations class. We were put into groups to persuade an audience. Since there are five of us supporting our claim and backing up our reasons, it makes us stronger as a group then just one individual. A great amount of the presentation was getting to know each other and being able to work together and find convenient times too. Working well in groups is very important as we continue our college journey.  

 

 

 

 

 

11V) Innovation

Innovation is the act of doing something new that no one has attempted or thought about before. When I think of the word Innovation, two words come to mind which is standing out. The act of innovation allows you to stand out from whatever the rest of the crowd is doing and create your own path of something new. Innovation is the foundation that you make for yourself. I hope that we all have a drive of innovation in ourselves to not be like the rest of crowd and make a difference in not only our lives but others as well.  

 

 

9V) Critical Thinking

I’ve mistaken the vocabulary word for the week so I am doing the vocabulary word that was assigned the previous week which was critical thinking. Critical thinking is a way of deciding whether a statement is true or false. Critical thinking is a process that leads to skills that can be gained and used. Critical thinking is a technique by which one can come about reasoned conclusions based on the reasoned process of critical thinking. If we think about the word, “critical thinking” we actually do use it in our everyday lives. Our minds are constantly wondering to find correct answers, not just in school but also in our daily lives. This may take more time than usual depending on the situation, critical thinking can be time consuming since the answers are not chosen freely but actually thought deeply about and in some cases there is evidence behind the assertion made.    

Mid Term Project - The Impact of UAP

10B) My Creative Drive

 

 

         We are all very creative in various ways from when we were a child to now adults. As I grew up one way that I was able to express myself creatively was through drumming. I loved how I was able to explore all different rudiments and songs but most of all what makes drummers unique is how much they are able to be creative and just make all sorts of beats that come for their head. In my high school the percussion section did not have a drum teacher like most since we were not a competing band like most are. I played the snare drum for marching band all four years. My senior year was when the transition was made to competing because we had a new band teacher. This impact of not having a drum teacher for three years of high school did shape the percussion section to be creative because we were able to play whatever we wanted as long as we were all together as one as the O.H Platt drumline. I absolutely loved this when playing the drums because if something comes to our head we address our idea to the rest of the group to get their input. Lots of the times we played beats that got the crowd going that were all improvised and not written down on music paper. We would practice these beats together of course when it was practice time and then play the beats in the stands. I am able to hear a beat in my head a few times and memorize the rhythm. So music is always where I am able to express creativity from a young age. When something pops into my head like a trick with the sticks I’ll be sure to try it out! Practicing is where I am able to make as many mistakes as I need to make it sound like it should or have my sticking be the right way. Being the drumline section leader my junior and senior year allowed me to come up with all different creative ways to stand out compared to the other band we would play against during football games. I didn’t want only myself to stand out but the whole drumline section too and each of the drummers loved what they did. Even though I no longer play in a marching band I know that when I pick up my sticks something new will come to mind and I’ll have a fun time playing beats. I hope to join the SCSU drumline while I still am currently enrolled because it would be a great opportunity for me to enjoy what I love doing.

 

Technology Is Not Always Made To Be Easy

I choose to do my midterm project on the UAP because I have learned a lot from over the summer that has positively affected my experience here at Southern. Even though I did not expect the program to be as hard as it was I now understand the whole process did open my eyes to how college runs. I am very thankful that I did have this opportunity over the summer to become well prepared for the challenges that college may bring. I would not be a student at SCSU if it was not for this program. Above all applying dedication and hard work is what got me into Southern. Therefore I know I’m a college student that has to try extra hard in some areas to keep my grades up. The program helped me improve in such areas as my writing, college success, math, and reading. I took something important from each of the classes taught in the summer that carried over to my success in the fall.

I feel that overall I did put together a decent midterm project for my first time using windows media player. I unfortunately did not have the best experience with technology in finalizing my midterm project in time because of my computer crash. Because of my computer crash I had to start brand new by organizing all my clips since my computer had to be wiped out. If there was something I would change about my project would have been to complete it in time and also interview more people. After my computer crashing and working on putting my project together one last time, I  wanted to post the video as soon as possible since I’m already far behind. I thank Professor Guarino for understanding my issue. My video goes in chronological order so it’s an easy story line to follow and is a little over five minutes. I interviewed two coordinators affiliated with the UAP program. I think that my project is informative and hopefully catches the audience’s attention also. Many of my classmates aren’t aware of this program and to explain about it would be through academics and how they help in all different ways to make Southern a place where we want to stay because I have this extra support. My video has pictures included from over the summer. I can hear all voices clearly in this video and tried to make the graphics professional. If I could revise my project I would focus more on the interviews however I enjoyed how they both went.  I am working to post my video up this weekend.

10V) Vocabulary

Creativity to me personally means to be a creator of your own ideas and putting them to action. Creativity can take place through many different ways ex. art, learning something new, taking risks, music and many more. We are all creative in our own ways and may just be directed inwards and not something everyone realizes however we all have our own values and ideas to everyday life, which makes us creative.  

8B) The Hero Sonia Sotomayor

I think "My beloved world", was chosen to be the common read for our class because Sonia Sotomayor demonstrates that anything is possible through her testimony. She was able to overcome many challenges in her life from a very young age. Her life was diffidently a journey from growing up with little to no money to being diagnosed with diabetes, giving herself insulin injections. Growing up was also tough with the fact that her mom and her did not have the best relationship but somehow with her strength and talent she made it very far. Even with a broken language of English she was able to adapt and not give up on herself or dreams. From a young age she was interested in becoming a judge, and graduating from Yale Law School she soon perused her goal. When she became a judge in 1992 everything went uphill from her then. She soon became the first Latina Supreme court justice in U.S history in 2009. Her memoir is very inspiring to me and encouraging in many different ways. I feel that first year students can get a lot out of this story because when we have a tough day and think it’s the end of the word we can think about Sonia and what she went through to get where she is now. As human beings we sometimes over exaggerate on the most little things, we are quick to become angry, and at times are not thankful when we really should be. Sonia demonstrates through this quote "Although I grew up in very modest and challenging circumstances, I consider my life to be immeasurably rich." This calls to say that at the times were we “think” we have it really bad either at school, work, personally, at home, financially, etc. We may not, we should always focus on what lies ahead of us and not focus on negativity because it brings us down. This does apply to any college student because she worked incredibly hard towards her one goal that opened many opportunities for her. This gives us a sense to never give up on our dreams when situations become hard. She is a reliable source that anything is possible. Sonia is amazing at what she does or she would not have the title she has. I’m pleased that she is the common read for our class. We can all take something out of "My Beloved World" and relate it to ourselves in at least one way.  

W8) Vocabulary Mastery

Mastery:

When I think about mastery I think about hard work and dedication to something that you love doing with a passion. With true dedication to working with something you simply enjoy doing. This may be a subject here at southern, a career, instrument, computers, etc. There are many different things that an individual can master. Mastery is something that can be built with experience in the field that is studied you cannot become a mater at anything overnight. When you have become a master at something there is little to no mistakes that you make. Mastery can be considered very hard but it is reachable. Each and every one of us should aim to achieve at least one thing in our lives that we would like to become a master at.

8A) Ways of enhancement for myself

One video midterm assignment that I enjoyed watching was the Brown eyed girl. Her video had a lot of facts in it that I never knew. I really liked how she set up her blog. The whole blog in fact is creative and I haven’t seen anything like hers. I also adored how different the setup is with all the different columns, there is a lot of detail to her blog in general which shows that she put time and effort into each one of her weekly blogs. Each of her postings is a good length. I like how you have to click the picture or words for the blog to appear larger. I would like to learn how she set up her blog because it does stand out from the others. Her blog was so detailed and striking to the eye that there is no way that I could’ve read something from one of her posts and forget. I believe “The Brown Eyed Girl” would receive an A or better on most of her blogs. 

            The other blog that I liked was “An owls mind”. Her blog background went along with her overall title because it looked exactly like owl feathers on the right and left of the page. I liked this blog because the images that she has posted caught my attention when scrolling down. Because of this responsiveness, I started to read what was posted by her. I realized that we do have some of the same point of views. I am not a big fan of my math class teacher. Even though it is not because of the language barrier between us both, my situation is that I am not learning much from her as a professor. My situation is different considering that I do not take a math class at Southern but at a Community college. However the both of us are simply not learning much in the class from a teacher that we can’t seem to understand. I am not as motivated to study as much as I do for my subjects at southern. With the fact that math is my hardest subject to understand I should be studying the topic even more. She had  a great connection by a positive influence she has to get her work done with help from her boyfriend. I can also relate to this because I have someone help me in math when I do not understand the problem which would be my mother’s fiancé. He is very good with money and works with it each day of his career. Overall the way that she was able to connect a negative situation and find a resource I believe deserves a good grade. Her blog was well written and I liked the images she had in the blog. Since I was able to connect with her blog is the reason why I like it as much as I do.  

Vocabulary week seven

Failure- Failure is a commonly used word that may be used for many different reasons, here’s some examples.

1. The condition or fact of not achieving the desired end or ends: the failure of an experiment.

2. One that fails: a failure at one's career.

3. The condition or fact of being insufficient or falling short: a crop failure.

4. A cessation of proper functioning or performance: a power failure.

5. Nonperformance of what is requested or expected; omission: failure to report a change of address.

6. The act or fact of failing to pass a course, test, or assignment.

7. A decline in strength or effectiveness.

8. The act or fact of becoming bankrupt or insolvent.

Finding Myself In College

One aspect that I am failing in would be my methods of studying. In the past I normally studied for long periods of time, actually it did work out for me at that time. I used to study what was not necessary, which had my brain on overload because when I went to take a quiz or test, there was so much on my mind at once that I would forget it all.  However now that I am in college and work it is a whole different ball game. I realized earlier this week that I should change and relook at study habits because I know I can broaden my knowledge with different techniques. I no longer have the time to study for subjects as long as I did when in high school because of different priorities that I now have in college. I noticed that I do the same kind of studying for each of my classes which makes it extremely repetitive and boring for me. Overall each time I want to study I stray from doing so simply because I don’t want to be bored to death. This is the incorrect way for me to look at studying; I should find other techniques that do not make me stress out about studying. I know it needs to get done one way or another in order to succeed and not fail. This week I studied for my quiz in media in a different way then I routinely have done. I studied with my friend and I was not bored, stressed or even tired about studying. On this Media quiz I feel like I did well so I believe my new of studying skill will and have benefited me. I don’t always have to isolate myself from other people when I do study and in fact the other person may be keeping me on focused.  I learned that now I am in college I realize I  did not fail in high school with my study habits but now I have to adapt to the changes of a stage in life that I am in. Therefore I believe failure only leads to change. I hope over time failure is looked at as a motivation to be better and not a bad thing.  

Is Failure A Decision?

I feel that as children are growing up depending on how they were raised by their parents, has a lot to do with if failing is acceptable to them. Siblings and family background has a huge impact on an adolescent because if their family is extremely serious when it comes to failing at anything, chances are they are not raised that failing is acceptable. Personally to me I feel that failing is important to your achievement to grow. Furthering your knowledge in many cases can be hard and at times you do fail but that is not a bad thing at all, you should practice on what can be improved for next time and learn from your experiences. Somehow kids are taught that the best way is to win, win, win! But in reality life is not always easy, so being able to cope with failure is necessary. Even if you do try your best at something unfortunately you can still fail at it. In sports I think that individuals should not want to fail but strive to win however to loose and beat them-selves over it I do disagree with. In general I feel that school should be a place where failing is acceptable because no matter how good you are at a subject you will most likely fail at it a quiz or test at least once. I don’t know who came up with this metaphor but I have heard “Failure is not a option.” I believe that failure can be an option if you really are not applying yourself to the best of your ability. For example, someone can be lazy and want a positive outcome but in college and in life it does not work that way. You really need to apply a great amount of time on each subject weather you like it or not. The whole point is you can be successful in school/college even if you do fail on a quiz or test you would then try even harder the time not to fail. Just because you fail at one subject also doesn’t mean that you are a failure. In the case of them applying themselves to the subject, and still failing may just be that the subject learned is not for the individual in general. Many (Not all people) apply motivation to a course they are in and may never understand the topic that well for different scenarios however they may love the topic and just not how the professor communicates it or grades. In society I feel it is hard for people to look at failing acceptable but I feel the only way that you achieve better results for yourself would be by improvement, so if you don’t do too well on one thing, don’t think it’s the end of the word. Just find where you lacked and how you can improve yourself for the next time! The greatest thing to do is have the courage to further excel and not give up on the challenge that you are facing. One of the quotes that I liked from this week’s reading was outliners – “The amount of practice necessary for exceptional performance is so extensive that people on top need help.” I really loved this quote because someone can’t be perfect at everything, everyone has their own flaws and it’s just to say that every now and then failing is necessary for self-improvement.

Different Perspectives Of Thinking

 

 

 

 

 

 

The concepts that we have learned in the past weeks of this semester compared to what we have learned the six week are not exactly alike because the past weeks articles assigned were critical thinking. Some examples are in the image above as to what we as the listeners are trained to do. To think, analyze, synthesis, make connections, etc. For many of our class discussions we are able to come up with different conclusions to positions in readings or videos, therefore at times we do not all agree. This week literal thinking came into mind instead of critical thinking where more than one answer still is important. Whereas literal thinking the choices are very narrow. Literal thinking involves solving problems through an indirect and creative approach, using reasoning that is not always obvious and involving ideas that may not be available by using only traditional step by step logic. Literal thinking includes reporting, summarizing the information, and lastly to define. In conclusion liberal thinking will come up with an exact answer either being right or wrong. The article that I found interesting this week was “Angela Duckworth and the research on “Grit”, luck and money which was a very straight forward article that is a liberal read. One part about the article that caught my attention was when I read about “First generation college students”, because I am a first generation college student in my family. This quote stated “When first-generation students come up against obstacles in college, they have no one in their families to turn to for help, says Villanueva. College-educated families provide their students with support that many students and families may not even be aware of, but it's a powerful force that helps propel students through college. Villanueva says first-generation students are at a disadvantage.” This proclamation is something that I do not agree with because I have a very encouraging family that does support me greatly. My mom and grandma both encourage me, are concerned with my college life, and I feel can come to them for any kind of help. If my mom does not know the correct way to support me academically (so far she has in every way I’ve questioned) she knows that there are also resources on campus so in reality that is something that is out of her control. No college student has their parents holding their hands throughout the four years or more. It is my responsibility to find resources that will work for me. Parents only have a small percentage of an influence on their children by the time they are in college. I feel if you really want a degree then you will achieve that degree with hard work but family does not have the biggest influence on your success as a college student in general. So I do not agree in what the quote states for many reasons. When this quote was mentioned also Not only do first-generation students lack the kind of family support that can help them overcome obstacles in college, they also tend to face more obstacles than higher-income students from college-educated families, according to Villanueva and her colleagues at YES Prep. They may have trouble with money or financial aid paperwork. A lot of the students have to work while going to school…Many live at home and have family obligations…Research shows all of these things make going to college harder and increase the chances a student will quit. My INQ question to this is, How does this statistic only pertain to “first generation college students” and why? There are college students that may have dropped out of higher education for the same reasons listed above that are not first generation college students. What is the difference in comparison to not first generation college student drop out rates?

In a previous article “the indispensable importance of setting goals in college”, By Dennis Congos. Personally this article is beneficial because I received a different perspective about setting college goals as well as how setting goals are underestimated. I liked the quote, “The ability to set and achieve goals in college is so important that without it, it's difficult, perhaps impossible, to feel motivated to learn what's necessary to succeed or excel.”  I simply want to exceed and excel in college therefore I’m applying this quote to my everyday life, by working my best at being persistent in my school work even at tough times.   

Our vocabulary word for week six was persistence: 

      1. Quality of persisting: the quality of continuing steadily despite problems or difficulties

2.      Act of persisting: the action of somebody who persists with something.

3.      Long continuance of something: continuance of an effect after its cause has ceased or been removed.

 

 

My Summer Upon Completion Of Graduation

One significant challenge that I have faced in my life of nineteen years that I’ll never forget was the University Access Program. The five weeks of this summer program at Southern CT was honestly the hardest achievement that I ever completed. I was stressed out physically and emotionally with taking on the responsibilities of a “real college student” for the start of my summer in June (just graduating from my high school a week before). What was really hard for me to overcome this challenge was adjusting to living conditions of living on campus with all of the rules the program held. I took five classes which were reading, English, math, and a college success class all of the classes were TONS of work. I felt overwhelmed because in order to go to Southern in the fall I had to pass each of the classes with a c+ or better. Another reason about the program that I struggled with was I had no personal escape. Examples of my personal escape would be working out, listening to music, and being alone when I need to be.

On the positive side of the program we had peer mentors that helped us throughout the program twenty four hours with day time mentors and our night time mentors. We were able to talk to them or ask for help if we didn’t understand an assignment. We also had a math tutor and an English tutor. Both of these resources from the UAP were much help to me. This UAP program did teach me in many ways to be persistent in my studies because I was put into these hard mock classrooms where I wanted to prove to myself that I am capable of being a successful college student at a university level. I was tested in all kinds of ways throughout this program. If we did not choose to do the work, or had behavioral issues, didn’t show up to class, or any other issue regarding to the contract we all signed we were kicked out. Even with all of the distractions at times I successfully was able to pass the program by trying my hardest in all the subjects, using the resources given, doing all my homework, and lots of studying. Strategies that I learned were to stay focused even when others were not, time management, prioritizing. Over all working through this challenge was really difficult for me and at times I did want to give up. However I knew I could get through it by trying my hardest and that’s exactly what I did.  I am proud to say that I was persistent in my work effort over the summer and I am using the study habits I learned over the summer and applying that to my courses now in the fall. This experience of being in The UAP program gave me the knowledge and the insight to understand how college can be overall. I was in the program for a reason and I know it’s because I needed that preparation. I was and still am very glad that I chose to be in the UAP program now I know more people on campus who are my friends from the summer program, I feel more prepared for what college will bring me and strategies that I learned will benefit me now in numerous of ways socially and academically. I learned that I can do all everything I set my mind to as long as I’m focused on one outcome which is to have my studies come first and keep earning my degree in mind.

Agency Prosectives In Mind

I feel that the word agency does relate to what we are learning in INQ because the definition that I get out of this word in this context according to the quotes above is that agency is basically used as a mental process, which is a cognitive activity; a process that creates the process of thinking. This word relates to me taking this course this semester because the skills that we learn in this class by the reading assignments are in reality a “college success class”. I have been thinking since the beginning of the semester of how this class will help me improve in my other classes I’m enrolled in this semester. I have the mental process of agency that I can pass this course as long as I am thinking critically. Critical thinking brings me to the topic of agency. Agency can be used as an inspiring term like motivation, which I am learning to take on in different ways then I did in high school because it takes a lot more agency to get all my homework done! In high school I hadn’t spent much time doing homework, but in college you learn to become an independent thinker and most of the work needs to be done individually. This would be at least 15-20 hours of homework or more on reading, projects, writing, etc. Agency for homework is needed and is honestly the key to college survival. If reading assignments are not completed on time, falling behind does take a lot more energy to catch back up to where you are supposed to be. So I try to stay on top of what is assigned for each day. I’ve learned about myself that I am a procrastinator but that I am working on it and becoming better. Time management is also another technique that is explored in college and filling out that time chart earlier this week gave us an estimate about where our time is used as our agency. I found this meaningful to me because in the future I can remember how much time is spent towards my priorities compared to my options. Being in college is a place where agency should always be used in order to succeed. The picture that is posted above, in pink in white and yellow lettering is realistic and relates to agency since work in college is a choice. No one is making us get all of our work done, or even showing up to class if we individually don’t want too. Therefore the more time we spend on our school studies simply the better outcome we will receive with our grades. This quote can be stretched out to many other horizons such as sports, clubs, work, etc. Even if something does come very easy to you, it does not mean to slack off, but to still complete what is expected from you in the position you hold. Ex. “Student”, “Manager”, Coworker, “Supervisor.” All the agency that is put into doing something you love, or not so much on the other hand, will be the result of your effort of the subject in total.