Final Video

Goals for next semester!

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

The first semester of college career has flown by and I have learned the secrets of the survival of the college life.  Even though this semester I have gone through a lot personally, I have done a very good job balancing my whole life and the college life. For next semester, I have many goals that I have set for myself and I believe that I can accomplish them.

One personal goal that I have set for myself I have already crossed off my list. I have adjusted to the college life surprisingly well. I have learned how to live with a roommate, live in a cubicle of a dorm room, and how to survive with my work. However, I have been through hell and back in the past year and a half and I have realized that I need to do something for myself. I have realized for next semester I am going to move back home and become a commuter at Southern. A lot of people didn’t like my decision, aka my roommate, but I know that this will be the best situation for myself. So the goal of making myself happier is going to have a very well result.

Another goal that I have set for myself is getting on the Deans list. I am really trying hard on my academics this year. I have learned how to balance my time really well so I will not be overwhelmed with what I have on my plate. I know I set a high standard for myself, but I believe that I can do it if I try my best. 

Strengths and Weakness of this semester!

This semester I feel like I have been on a rollercoaster! For myself, the big transitioning process was really hard for me. I’m not sure why, but it really was.  However, along the bumpy road I had some strengths and weakness that have taught myself personal lessons.

One weakness that I have experienced in my first semester of Southern really taught me sleep is very important. The first week of school I really worried about my social aspect of life instead of putting my school ahead. I always did that in high school most of the time and I still got good grades. Well, that didn’t really work out for me this time.

For some reason, I felt this pressure that I had to make a lot of friends so I will have people to hangout with that like the same things I do. I really was trying to go out of my way and talk to people and go out with different groups to spread my wings. That was good and all but I really stayed out way too late when I had and eight o’clock class with three of them back to back. Well, that didn’t stop me at all. I went out with a big huge group of girls and we all went downtown and didn’t get back to one am.

That morning I had my first math quiz and I totally blanked on all the questions because I was so tired and out of it. The result of this quiz was very poor. On the bright side, my whole class did very poorly also so we had a retake thank god. I really learned from that mistake to take school more seriously.

However, a strength that I have learned to take upon this semester is time management skills.  As you can see from my past experiences, time management skills was very important for myself to be a successful student. I have become more of a responsible student and put my work in front of my social life. I made a calendar to make myself balance my time so I am not overwhelmed down the road with my work.

Final Self Assessment

Madison D’Amora

INQ Final Self-Assessment Assignment

12/1/10

          “This INQ section challenges students to immerse themselves in the college experience: juggle multiple tasks, be problem solvers, ask questions, take risks, grapple with difficulty, be creative, learn from failure, take ownership over their own learning, and apply abstract concepts to their actual everyday lives.”  As a first year freshmen student at Southern Connecticut State University, there have been many challenges and major transitions that have been new to myself this year. College is a big stepping-stone in my life that I have come upon new experiences of the way I live my life. Many students like myself, are away from home for the first time and have many responsibilities to undertake. For some it is a rude awakening to “the real world” and for others who are ready for the challenge, it is a major adjustment that you have to get adapted to. I feel that the Inquiry class really helped me to the adjustment of responsibility to be a successful student at Southern.

            For this semester long course, I believe INQ has really opened my eyes to the fact that I really need to take the college experience seriously. Overall, INQ has made me really try my hardest in producing my work on time, balancing my time, and transitioning into the college life. I was very nervous when I read the seven-page syllabus of the class because I knew I was out of one of my high school classes and into college now. I really wanted to try very hard in my studies because I knew that this really counts and my parents are paying for me to go to school to receive a well education. For the Inquiry class, there was a lot of work at once and I knew I have to be on the ball with all my work and really have a plan between my academics and my social life. I feel that I really took on the responsibility and full filled all the requirements for INQ. An example of me taking on responsibility is for all my classes I made a calendar for the semester with all notes of when my assignments were due. This calendar really helped me manage my academic time and my social time for myself. Furthermore, when I did the articles for your class, I read them thoroughly and took notes on the articles and was on the ball for class time. If we had to get in groups and discuss the readings or make up questions, I would always try to participate in my group with the information I had. Overall, I always was always prepared for class.

       “The Key to growth is the introduction of higher dimension of consciousness into our awareness.” (Lao Tzu quotes) I believe that I have grown as a person and as a student from the beginning of the year to the end of the first semester. I really took on the responsibility of the fact that I was on my own for the first time in my life. I didn’t have my parents telling me when to do my homework or when to go eat dinner, I had to develop time management skills between my school work and of course the social aspect of college. I really cracked down as a student and gave up many opportunities for my social life to my academics. I wasn’t like that in high school though.  I waited to do my schoolwork to the last minute, but still got that A or B. I knew that kind of laziness wouldn’t survive in college and in fact, I experienced that. The first Wednesday I was at Southern, I went out with all my new friends to downtown and stayed out really late when I had a math quiz at eight o’clock in the morning on Thursday. I didn’t do my best work and got a C on the quiz when I knew the information real well before. If I didn’t go out I could have preformed much better on the math quiz and it was really eating me up that I actually started off on the wrong foot. Thank god the rest of my class did poorly because we fortunately had retakes and I got the A that I should have had from the start. That experience really taught me that I really had to work hard and put my academics ahead of my social because there are rarely retakes in college. Furthermore, I have really grown from that experience and have developed time management skills and have balanced my time also. I look at that mistake as a very valuable learning experience because I really learned from my mistakes.
      

"Where is temporary buliding #8?!?"

Coming to Southern for the first time was a very nerve racking experience for myself.  I came of a town where everyone knew everyone and now I had a huge transition to adjust to in my life. I was dreading to go to classes where I don’t know anyone but I knew I had to grow up and try to make new friends.

The first day of my Tuesday and Thursday classes, I was  “the student” who couldn’t find temporary building number eight for my English class and was the last student to arrive to my English class. I was so upset and nervous because I was late and still didn’t’ know what room it was in the temporary building. I was asking all these different classes that were going in their classrooms but no one wanted to help me.  I found this nice teacher who came around with me to knock on the classroom doors to help me find the English class! Finally, I found the right classroom. I introduced myself and was so embarrassed. The positive outlook on that experience everyone knew my name when we came to INQ and played the name game!

When I realized that my next class was with the whole class, I was very happy because now I had people to walk with! I made a lot of connections with a lot of people in English/INQ. I really liked how they had the same students in both classes because it made me have friendships with students who are in the same boat as me.  Even though I am sad that English/INQ is over, we are all basically in the same English class next semester, so I will be seeing many friends next semester too!  

Welcome to my life.

The ideal lifestyle of Madison D’Amora after college is still up in the air. I am interested in a lot of different backgrounds of work and still don’t know where I am going to be in the next ten years of my life, but I have some sort of an idea.

I am now a freshman at Southern Connecticut State University and am currently still undecided. I have always thought of being a children’s nurse but realized that I faint when I see needles and blood. So, realistically I need to find some area of work that I work with children in some way that at the end I will feel that I have helped them. A few areas that I thought would be an interesting area of work is children’s special Ed or a children’s speech pathologist. I could see myself in that area of work. I really love being around children and working with them in some way to help with their future.

Furthermore, my ideal future is working with children and being successful in my area of work. I will be living a long happy life with four children and my husband on a big piece of land by the shore. I would love to live by the ocean. That is one of my dreams. Another dream of mine is to have a big happy family. Happiness is one important dream that I want to see in my future. “Being happy is something you have to learn. I often surprise myself by saying "Wow, this is it. I guess I'm happy. I got a home I love. A career that I love. I'm even feeling more and more at peace with myself." If there's something else to happiness, let me know. I'm ambitious for that, too.” –Harrison Ford. 

What you give is what you get.-Grade Inflation

Well after Tuesday’s discussion on grade inflation, I am still on the fence on how I feel on this topic. I just do not understand how grade inflation is fair for some students than it is for other students.  But, I can see why some professors do bump up students grades.

I can see how it is fair and how it is not. For the students who have A’s in the class and the teacher are curving grades up a letter grade for others, what do you do with the student who has the A? But, I understand if the professor curves grades for the student’s sake also.  For myself like everyone else, math is a hard subject for me but I really put a lot of effort into it. By doing my homework, having a math tutor, and going for extra help with the teacher, I always have tried and put a lot of effort into math. When I was a junior math finally clicked for me and I have always done well in it. But, my earlier days of math were bad.  However, I would always get a C or higher in it. Just because I worked really hard and asked questions my teacher raised my grade. Not a whole letter grade, but they saw that I was really working my butt off to understand math. I don’t disagree with bumping my grade up like that, but if the student isn’t putting any effort they shouldn’t get that extra credit points that will only help their grade. I believe it is how much effort you put into the class and how much you do as a student. 

Help your mind and body!-Stress Relief

Stress is very common in many lives today, especially in mine.  Even though stress is passed down through the family genes, being in college it self is stressful! College is a new level in my life that I want to accomplish to be the second family member to graduate. Other than that, for my self I want to be in college to be successful with all aspects of knowledge and my future job. However, college isn’t a walk in the park for me and I think some other students would agree with that statement.  It is a lot of pressure.

With being overwhelmed with schoolwork and your social life, it is very hard not to have a stress overload. For myself, I have a couple of tricks that will help me not to be so overwhelmed with work and my life. One stress reliever that works is working out or to get some sort of exercise. When you get the heart pumping, it will help your mind to relax and stop running with all the things you have to get down. By giving your body a good work out. You are killing two birds with one stone, helping your mind and body. Just going for a walk to have some time to relax the mind is very important.  Another stress reliever is to have some calendar that will help you with managing your time. I keep a calendar with all my assignments and due dates. I also keep my personal social activities on the same calendar so I know when to get my work done ahead of time so I have that “me” time. Leaving your work to the last minute just makes yourself too stressed. So why not make a calendar? Balance of work and your social time is very important for you personally so you are not stressed all the time. Here are some other alternatives that I have also used.

http://stress.about.com/od/tensiontamers/a/25_relievers.htm

Those couple of tactics helps me relieve stress and be on the ball so I will not have a stress overload. It is not healthy to be stressed all the time, so try to prevent it by helping yourself. 

Leading your way to success.

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” John C. Maxwell.  I believe that in my lifetime, I could go under the definition as a leader with a couple of situations. When you are a leader you take up a huge responsibility as a person. Being a leader can fall under different types of categories. Simply if you stand up for what you believe in and take a higher route as a person, you can be defined as a leader. Have you ever heard the saying “always be the leader never be the follower”? My mom always would say that to me when I was growing up. Well I applied that to an incident in middle school. There were a group of girls who always made fun of this heavyset girl who I was a friend with. I went over to them and said a couple choices of words to say make them knock it off because she was my friend and no one should be treated that way. They really respected me for that and so did my friend. Just for sticking up for what you believe in, you could take on a role of being a leader.

Later when I was in high school, I believe that I was a leader in a different way. In high school I was the captain of the girls class S Portland Highlanders basketball team my senior year. To me, being named captain was a real honor and an accomplishment. You have to have certain qualities to actually qualify to be a good team leader and for my coach’s to name me captain I felt that I could take on the responsibilities. That year, my team made history! We had all the right chemistry to play together as a team and to go really far. We made it to the Shoreline Conference championship and lost by six. We also made it to Mohegan Sun Arena for the Class S State Championship and lost by two with thirty seconds left. From the past, my team was never a “team”. The older players were very mean and unfair to the younger players and made their lives a living hell. We never had the right team bond and respect until myself and my other captain brought everyone together as a team.

I believe that I was defined a leader to bring my team to come together and become a family even though, we are all different people. It is very important in a sport to have chemistry and to come as one in order to succeed. If you look back at our old records, you can see we were never a team until all the drama left and you had two good captains to lead the team to success. 

Mohegan Sun Championship

Surprise!- Class that I feel intellectually stimulated in.

In high school, as a student I believe that I did a well job overall with my academics. I got good grades, I studied, and I had well time management skills. In college, I have turned over a new leaf in my life. It seems that I am putting that “extra” effort into my studies more than I did in high school. I thought that was never going to happen or I thought that the social part of my college life was going to take over my studies. But, I was wrong. In college I feel that I have grown up in so many ways.  I really put my academics first before everything. Just like my high school, I am on the ball with a lot of my studies too. I think I was just really worried that I wasn’t going to bring my study habits to college and be prepared like I was in high school. However, the outcome of college so far has been very well. I am trying my hardest in all my classes.

    Furthermore, the class that I feel very well about is Western Civ. It is in a huge lecture hall with around 230 students in the class. I thought that this class was going to go down the drain for two major reasons. One: I hate history. I have been one of those students that always have said, “why do I need to know these events now?” Second: The class has 230 students or even more students in the class! To the professor, I am a clicker number not Madison.  However, just like all my other classes I really try hard in studying for his tests and his exams. The outcome has been surprising better than I expected to get in Western Civ! I have a solid B and that stimulates me to try very hard and to get that grade even higher than it is now! I have learned tricks to study history that has helped my grade enormously. 

Perfect Get-away!-Cool place to study

When I have to study for a major test or exam, I can never focus in my little cubicle of a dorm room. I get distracted from the most random things in my room! Especially, when I look at my wall next to my bed filled with all kinds of pictures from the past. It is very hard not to look over and think of all the memories. So, I know that I needed to adventure out of my room and find a new quiet place for me to study. I remembered when I was in high school and my earlier years, when I did my homework outside I would focus so much more. Now, I knew that I had to find a nice quiet spot outside my dorm where I can focus on my studies.

I was on the hunt! On campus, I live in Neff hall so I knew I could use that as an advantage. Neff isn’t in the cluster of dorms; it has some nice scenery around it.  I knew of just the perfect spot. My friends and I heard of a place called West Rock. It was a hike to get to, but I knew it would get me away from all the distractions and be the perfect getaway to get all my work done. I was right when I thought West Rock was the perfect place to focus! With all nature surrounding me at its’ fullest, I know this picture perfect atmosphere was just for my studies and me. 

Last goodbye

We all have our comfort zones as a person and they are all very unique in many ways. This week I have stepped out of my comfort zone and did something that I was all not too comfortable with.

This week I had to come home one of the days and work at my job for the closing ceremony! I work at Portland West Golf Corse as a waitress in the restaurant. During the winter at Portland West, we close because of the snow and the cold weather. SO before we close, we have a big ceremony for the golfers and the employees. During the ceremony I wanted to thank my boss and all my other fellow workers thank you and it had been a pleasure working with them. I was very nervous but I knew I had to say a small speech because I the boss’s daughter. That was a huge step for me because I am not a fan of public speaking and it was out of my comfort zone. Everyone loved my speech and they all knew how nervous I was. I was very proud of how I did.

It was very exciting to over come one of my fears. I knew I could do it because so far I have come upon things in my life that are out of my comfort zone. The main one is the transition with college. The experience of being on my own and developing me as a person, I knew I could say the last goodbye speech at my job. I also said a good bye to my fear of public speaking! 

A whole new ballpark.

Overall, I think that I have been really successful with all my midterms grades for my first year of college! I was very nervous for all of my midterms but I realized that I really was prepared for them. 

I really cracked down on studying. I am not the best studier and in high school I just studied the night before and I got a good grade. For college, you are in a whole new ballpark. College I really have to prepare myself for the work. It is very time consuming and overwhelming at times, but I get it done. In high school, you were spoon fed information and it was really easy to do nothing and still get good grades. In college I have turned over a new leaf and have been working really hard with my work.

For my first college midterms I made many study guides and flash cards to help me study all the information I needed to know. Instead of cramming, I studied many days in advance for my exams. In terms of my grades, I am exactly where I believe I should be. I am working really hard and really trying with all my classes.  What has been working for me personally is having a calendar taped to my desk with all notes on it when test are and when homework is due (ect). I try to get all my work done ahead of time so I have time for myself on weekends and so I am not overwhelmed with work.

Some goals I set for my self is to make deans list. I set a really high standard for myself but I believe if I really put my mind to it, I can achieve that goal. But, I know realistically, I will be proud of what I get this year because with all the transitions that a freshman undergoes is a lot. So I believe that I really did well academically with all my academics for my first semester.

Midterm Video

Under the New Jersey Sun!

I love when we are assigned the free writes because I can write about what ever I want that is on my mind or that really, just about myself. For this blog, I am going to write about my favorite childhood memory when my whole family from all over comes together to go to Ocean City New Jersey for the week!

I can remember back when my toes touched the smooth beige sand, the warm breeze ran its fingers through my long brunette hair. I looked up and saw the mighty white seagulls soaring through the hot still air and a rainbow of kites swaying with the direction of the wind. I see the dark ocean blue roaring its mighty roar as it crashes down on its’ cool, wet surface floor. Lifeguards whistles, children’s laughter, the waves crash, and the seagulls call is all I can hear as I make my way through the crowded beach of Ocean City New Jersey. With my pink and blue polka-dot swimsuit on and my Disney towel, I was all set to hit the beach with my whole family!

         If it weren’t for my grandma, Memom, we would never go on our famous family vacation that brings us from all over the state into one relaxing spot for the week! How the tradition started was my Memom brought her children down to New Jersey for the first week of August. Ever since those experiences all her children bring their children down and keep the tradition alive! The night before we all go to Ocean City, I stay with my aunt, uncle, my four cousins, and Memom at their house. We all would have a big sleepover and make a tent out of my cousin’s sheets of soccer balls and all crowded in for the night. At three in the morning, we all wake up and hit the road! By about seven we see the big blue “Welcome to Ocean City” sign as we cross the long bridge overlooking Ocean City New Jersey! We meet our whole entire family from all over at the Ocean Beach hotel! All twenty-six of us rent bikes or surreys, and ride the three-mile boardwalk to the end where there are homemade donuts to start off the vacation right!

     Ocean City New Jersey is such a fun place to go to for a summer vacation. I had so many memories that will stay with me over my lifetime. You never know something so small could influence my life in such big way. 

Two Thumbs Up Lee =)

In my inquiry class, we finally got to experience a peer mentor like all the other classes! Our peer mentor is Lee and she is a great asset to our class. What is a role of a peer mentor? Well my thought or definition of a peer mentor is someone that is there to guide you along the way of our class. Also, I think of a peer mentor as a role model that you can look up to.

In our class I think that Lee brings a lot of good additional information into our time. On Thursdays, we have “Lee Time” which is 15 minutes just with our peer mentor. In our class her role is to help us to ease in to the transition of college. But, I think she has done more than that by influencing all of us in different ways.

 For me, when she opened up to us and told her who she was and what to expect her as a person. I really valued that. I realized that we have common traits as a person and have been through a lot as a person.

 Lee has brought a positive attitude to our class. She is always smiling and brings a lot of good information to our dissuasions.During “Lee Time”, she has us do various activities that reflect us as a person. I like how on this last Thursday we did an activity that we had to write down five times “I am” and finish the sentence. It was tough for me because it is hard to define me as a person because I feel like I am changing as a person in a good way everyday. The college transition has reflected me as a person in many ways. Therefore, by doing her exercises every Thursdays, it all ties in to who we are as a person and has been making our Inquiry class very productive! 

The rest is still is unwritten...

As a freshman at Southern Connecticut State University, right now I am currently undecided on my major. But, I am interested in a couple of different majors that might be my job in the future.

One major that I have always considered since I was young is becoming a children’s nurse that works in the cancer field. I was inspired at a very young age. My mom unfortunately had cancer and I just was around it all through my childhood. I was a little nurse when I was younger always helping with my mom and I loved it. I love helping people and making them smile in any way I can and I think I can accomplish that if I go in the nursing field. With children on the other hand, I have always loved to babysit and be around kids. They make me laugh and I think I do a good job with the entertaining part. So I could kill a bird with two stones and help children cancer patients.

Another major that interested me is to become a vet. I always love any type of animal and to work with all different types of animals would be very interesting to me. I have always had many different unconditional bonds with animals that I have personally helped. An example was during the summer I was taking my dog for a walk and I saw a baby bird on the side of the road that looked very injured. I ran back to my house and called a vet that specializes in birds and they gave me tips on what to do to help the bird. I nursed the bird back to health and it was a very successful feeling.

I know nursing and to become a vet is two different fields of work, but they both will have a good feeling at the end of the day. I just want to go into a major that will make me feel that I am doing a good thing.

What makes a good blog post?

What is blogging? Blogging is where many different people from all around the world connects with a website and talk about anything really. In my case for my inquiry class, we have to write two blog posts every week about a specific topic that our teacher assigned to us. Here are some helpful guidelines that I keep in mind to write my blog posts successfully.

1.When you write a blog post, it should have some sort of connection to you. It will be more interesting for the reader to get engaged if the post is connected to you in some way.

2.Make sure your blog post also has a clear beginning, middle, and end. It is very important for your readers to have some sort of organization so when reading it will be clearer and they have a better understanding. Make it your own. It doesn’t have to be always a certain way everytime so switch how you organize your blog. Also, your reader will be more intrigued with your reading.

3.Another tip that will be helpful for your blog is make sure in some way to catch the readers attention. With a catchy title to a big picture can really draw in a reader’s attention to your blog. With a picture that goes along with your post will set the tone and will make your post flow. Make sure you put the picture in the right spot so it will make sense on what you are talking about in your blog. I know that works on me.  

4. In every blog, your voice should be very distinctive. This is your blog, so make it your own. I know in class when we were reading our classmates blogs, they were very different from each other because their personalities were reflected in their posts. It made it more interesting for my classmates and I to read.  

Cracking Out of My Shell.

    For my Midterm Digital Storytelling Project, I have to step outside my shell and do things that I have never experienced doing before. My main concern is how am I going to make my project work on the IMovie? I am not good at all with working with computers and especially, making a movie. I have already tried to make a title page and put it together to try and get the hang of it and it is not that bad, just very time consuming! I also have to interview people I don’t know! I have never interviewed anyone before! Well the positive outlook of this project is it will get me ready for other projects down the road in my college days.

    

   My inquiry project is based around technology. Technology is such a necessity for Americans these days. With all the new devices like all the new I Phones to the latest I Pod, everyone has some type of technological device to be connected to the world.  Do parents focusing excessively on their technology devices affect children?  That is my inquiry question for my project. I have outline many ways on how to make my project work. I have to interview specific people that have some knowledge on children. I have to interview people that have worked in day cares and are studying on children’s development. I have also had to do research behind my question. On one of our readings that we had to read, “The Risks of Parenting While Plugged In”, had some very interesting facts that I could incorporate in my project. One fact that was explained in the article was how children’s feeling become hurt because their parent would be on their devices instead of paying attention to them during the times needed. You know when it is excessive when the parent is on the device during meals, pick up or drop off their children, or a sporting event. I have a lot of information to make my project have a clear beginning, middle, and end and I think I am off to a good start. 

Get Your Game Face On!

   On September 23, 2010, my friends and I got all ready to go to the Southern Connecticut State University Football game! I have always been into football since I was a little because of my dad would have so much Patriot spirit. We would watch so many games together on TV and explain how it worked. I have never been to a football game before. They didn’t have a team at my high school. Why not I thought? I should go to a football game here! So, I was ready to have my first football game experience and it was going to be with southern!

  

   I was so excited to go! Especially that I knew how the game of football worked and I have friends who played on the team. So, I knew we would all have to get our cheering face on for them. When I told my friends that I never have been to a game before, they thought I was nuts! They were so excited that my first experience would be with them and Southern. To top it off, the football game was going to broadcast live on TV! I was so excited!

 http://www.ncaa.com/allaccess/index.html?media=196891

    My friends and I bought matching navy blue sweatshirts that said “Southern Football”, to show our support for the team! With our matching sweatshirts, we were ready to go to the game. When we got there, there were so many fans. The football team had so much support. The team took a 21-0 lead in the beginning of the game. It was very exciting! It was a perfect night for a football game. There was so many people cheering Southern on. The final score of the game was 28-7. It was the perfect game to say it my first ever football game ever. 

Music is passion in my life

    When I was investigating many different blog posts, I came across a music and t.v blog. http://www.musicstarx.com/ This blog interested me because I am very interested in music. I like a wide variety and I like different genres. This blog also had different clips from various television shows. There are many different clips that also caught my attention. Especially, the clip from the last weeks Glee episode. I really like how the author of this blog used a different way to intrigue readers to look at his blog. Instead of having lots of writing on the page, there are many different music/t.v clips from popular artists and shows. Another blog that I came upon on was http://www.womenslifelink.com/a-little-passion-goes-a-long-way/ . It is a short blog post about passion. I got a lot from this little blog. It inspired me that everything in my life has a meaning and have passion in some way shape or form. It was interesting to read. It was a little reassurance booster. What I got from reading this was that everything in my life happened for a reason, so I should have passion and love where my life is going.
     I know both are these post are both very different because one is into music/t.v and had many videos to watch to draw the reader in and in the second post, it was just short and sweet. How do both of these different blogs on music and passion connect to me in my life? Well without music in my life, there would be no passion. I love music. I think music tells a story and has passion in every lyric. Every word has a meaning to me that connects to my life in a certain way. Without music there would be no passion in my life.

Decision Maker

What is time management? "The analysis of how working hours are spent and the prioritization of tasks in order to maximize personal efficiency in the workplace".(Dictionary.com) The main idea of time management is how you schedule your time. The qualities that you need to succeed in having time management skills is organizing and prioritizing your time. How do you spend your time each day? Is it always effective? These are some important questions that you should ask your self. 

     When you’re in college, it is a huge transition in your life. It is the first time for many students, to be on your own in life completely. With no parent in your ear telling what you can and can't do, and how to manage your time, it is a very scary thought to have to be the decision maker in college in order to survive.  The first step that you should take is defiantly making sure a huge chunk of your time revolving around school. There is no one holding your hand and telling you when certain things are due or when to do your homework. It is your choice. In order to make your time doing your schoolwork more effective, dedicate a study area that is your “quiet place”. No cell phones or a computer or something that always takes your concentration away with you. That is a good time management skill to have.

       Should I go to the party or do my homework? In college there is so much freedom. You have so much free time on your hands and you are the one to decide how you handle that time. There is going to be some many fun things that you will encounter, but you have to make sure you prioritize and organize your time to have a successful year at school.  

http://www.studygs.net/schedule/index.htm

Puzzle Piece

   This week I attended the club fair with some of my other classmates to try to find a fit to my puzzle of my life. My goal was to find something to get me in with the Southern community. Since college is such a big stepping stone of my life, I really want to put myself out there and become part of something new in my life. I just really want to find the perfect piece to fit my puzzle.

   When I went to the club fair I was trying to keep a very open mind to all the different possibilities that could work for me. I was very interested in all the intramural sports where I could play basketball and stay active and be on the healthier side. However, I really thought about it and realized that my whole life in high school revolved around basketball. Don't get me wrong, I love basketball but since I am starting a new chapter of my life, I think I should try something different that I have never experienced before. Then it hit me, I should join a sorority. When I came to Southern to tour the campus, I already had my mind on joining one of the sororities but I just didn't understand how it quite worked. It was very helpful to walk around and ask questions about all the sororities and to see what they represented and see which one that I could best represent. The sorority that I personality think that fits me was Omega Zeta Pi.
    Why should I join a sorority? I think that joining a sorority will let me have an opportunity to get to meet so many different people from all over and become very close. I will admit that I am really having trouble putting myself out there and meeting new people. I have tried several times and I met a couple girls but, I want a sisterhood. I really want to have a family home away from home and I think this would be a great opportunity to help me grow as a person in many ways too. When I read the brochure about Omega Zeta Pi and talked to a lot of the sorority sisters, they said that you become very close with your sisters and do many things with the girls. An example is they are big volunteers with Make a Wish Foundation. I also am a big supporter of this foundation because my mom had breast cancer. It is very touching how they get involve with all different foundations. I am a very loyal, trustworthy person and I really like to help people in any way I can, so I think this sorority will be a perfect piece to my puzzle.
http://www.southernct.edu/officeofstudentlife/clubsandorganizations/greeklife/

We all have our own comfy couch.

   On September 15 the author of Outcasts United came to speak to the freshmen class of Southern Connecticut State University. I thought Warren St. John was very inspiring on what he had to say about his book and how it connected to him as well as me. How does Outcast United connect to my life?
   Warren St. John flew out to Clarkson, Georgia a typical southern town with little diversity. He went to go watch the Fugees play soccer to see if he had a story to write. Well he realized he did, when he saw the home team with all the typical soccer gear and so many fans on their side. However for the Fugees side, they had no one. Warren St.John realized how lucky he was to grow up with so much support from his friends and family and I was too. I am so lucky that when I played basketball we had so much support from our classmates and our families. Our stands would be filled and it would be such a good feeling when you know the ones who care are there for you cheering you on in the stands. Warren also wanted to know, how kids from rival ethnics groups connect together and play soccer. As I was reading this part, I was very eager to read further and see how kids from all over the world that might even be in countries that are rival enemies, come together for the love of soccer. It was just like college. People with different ethnicity backgrounds are all together in one university and they usually go to the people that they are most comfortable with, their "comfy couch". Jocks sit with all the jocks at one table. Then you see all the girls that cheerlead at another and then you see all the Indians together at another table. There was not a Luma here to divide people into different groups to force everyone to be one no matter what the color skin or the language. That is how she changed the Fugees's life.
http://www.outcastsunited.com/content/outcasts-united-team-town-coach    
     I could really connect to Luma while I was reading about her background of coming to the Americas with nothing. I could connect how she felt out of place not knowing a single person and having so much responsibility. She had to get a job and supply herself food, a home, and clothing. The connection I made was the security of being at home "your comfy couch", having your friends, a job, and your family and having not much of  responsibility, and now making a huge step and coming into college. You left your "comfy couch" and moved on to something you were unsure of. Well Luma left her "comfy couch"(comfort zone), just like I did and she had to be on her own by herself with no support of her family. Including Luma and myself, there are two other connections that also connect to us. For myself, I am transitioning to college, Clarkson transitioning to becoming more diverse, the Refugees transition to a life in a strange town with not the same culture as they were use to, and coach Luma who had to transition to make a new life for herself. We all have the same thing in common, undergoing transition in our lives.
http://www.outcastsunited.com/content/about-warren-st-john

It is Your Choice :Response to the Readings

   The readings for this week were very interesting. All of the articles main focus was technology. Technology is a word with Greek origin, defined as "the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area". Merriam-Webster's Dictionary. Technology is the new generation. Where ever you are, you can always use some sort of technology to computers to your iphone or listening to your ipod touch in your car. Technology is everywhere!
   Is technology interfering with people of this generation's life's? By reading eight articles on how technology is used as a necessity for most on a regular basis, I believe that technology is the way we use it, in moderation. Moderation is a key component. Many, use technology very excessively. An example is in the article, "The Risks of Parenting while Plugged In". In this article, it stated that while parents are who are on the computer or on their phone all the time, they are effecting their children. There are studies where most if all of the children feel hurt and neglected by their parent. You know when technology is excessive when you need to have it twenty-four-seven. There are times were you really should take a brake like during meals, sporting events, or in the car. Yes technology is the main source of our life today, but it doesn't have to take over your life or your loved one's life. There is nothing wrong being up to date with the generation, just find balance. Do you want your kids to be obsessed with television, facebook, or their cell phone? Children follow in what their role model is doing. It is your choice.

Obstacles:“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere." -Frank A. Clark

"In fact, I had to make an enormous adjustment to this, not only in listening to it but in playing with it. It's a full sound. In some instances, you must have the volume to get the effect. "
-Chico Hamilton
Since the two weeks staying at Southern, the biggest obstacle that I have come across is adjusting. What is adjustment? Adjustment is the act to adapt to a new environment or surrounding that you are not use to or comfortable with. When you hit college, adjustment goes along in the package. I really do not like change. I liked how the flow of my life was in my small town of Portland. Portland was my comfort zone. Now that I am out of it, it has been a real struggle with me. I was use to seeing so many familiar faces that I knew for 18 years of my life. Going from a class of 87 kids now to over thousands of people, really doesn't sit all too well with me.
What can I learn from this experience?
From my freshmen college experience I can learn a lot on what kind of person I really am. For me, this experience has changed me as a person in so many ways. I noticed how I grew up pretty fast. I have been making smart decisions and managing my time well. Another way is I never liked to leave my house for weeks on end and now that I am in college, I am gone for months on end. It is so much different than living home.I am an adult now with so much responsibly. I don't have my parents in my hear telling me how to manage my time. I am very thankful that so far I have self control over my free time. Even with the basics of eating right and exercising, it very important that the right decisions are made. College is a big growing period going to a teen living home to now an adult with many responsibilities.

Setting the Tone

                                           
   What is college? "College is an institution of higher learning, esp. one providing a general or liberal arts education rather than technical or professional training.(noun)." {Dictionary.com} As a freshmen at Southern Connecticut State University, it is a huge step for me to go from knowing every single person in my high school to now just being an ID number. I was in a small bubble of a town in Portland. Every family knew every family and every child knew every child. It was nice for the most part but, I knew i needed to step out of the bubble and become more independent. " In a way, I need a Change from this burnout scene, Another time, Another town, Another everything." OAR
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_NfBqD_2iI&feature=related
Southern University will be a good change for me to get out of my burn out scene.  I know that college is a big adjustment than what I am use to, however it will give me a chance to become to grow into my own person and become independent. Socially at Southern, there are many opportunities for me to meet many different kinds of people. With all the clubs and organizations that I can join. Southern could get me interested in many different opportunities that could change my future forever. In many of these clubs and organizations I can meet so many new friends that have the same interests as I do.

 http://www.southernct.edu/officeofstudentlife/organizationlist/
http://www.southernctowls.com/
Southern Connecticut State University has many opportunities for me academically too. I am taking different classes than I took in high school to expand my knowledge. My goals for my grades as a freshmen is to be on the Deans list. I know that is raising the bar, but I know if I try my best I can do it. My high school grades were very well so i know that I could do just as well or even better.

The Next Step

I grew up in a small town in Connecticut where everyone new everyone in my whole high school. My graduating class consisted of 87 kids. Now as a college student at Southern, I cannot wait to begin my journey in this new environment. Although the next step of my life is a very big adjustment, I am very excited to take it!

As a person of this new exciting chapter of my life, I would like to share with you some qualities that describe me as a person. One of my qualities is that I am very protective, especially when it comes to my family. My family has played a big role of who I am today and I am very thankful for that. I love them more than anything and would do anything for them. One incident that occurred when I was over protective happened with my brother. He had a tough time when he went to the middle school with kids making fun of him and I was there to stick up for him.

Ever since I was little, people would always say I was mature for my age. That is another quality I am as a person. In middle school a lot of kids that age are really immature by making fun of people, to acting real childish. There was always so much drama in my school and I always  was above that. I never talked about other kids and I was always honest.

Another quality that best describes me as a person is I am a outgoing person. I love to meet new people from all different places. That is why I came to Southern because this school is so diverse and has so many new faces for me to get to know.

One important quality that I also have as a person is I am a very caring. My friends mean so much to me and they have helped me grow as a person in many ways that I am so lucky to have them. I always am there for them whenever they need me and I always will be. I listen to what they have to say and I give them my advice. I could not get through many things that have unfortunately come up in my life without them and I know they would say the same about me.

The last word that describes me as a person is I am very skillful when it comes to basketball. I have been playing since I was in third grade and have developed many skills to help me play the game to my best. I made the varsity team when I was a freshmen and I started my junior and senior year. When it came to senior year, I was captain of the Class S team. We made history that year. The Portland High School girl’s basketball team made it to the finals of the shoreline tournament and lost only by six to our rivals. Later in the season, we also made it to the finals of the Class S championship held at Mohegan Sun Arena! It was tied throughout the whole game except when they scored with 30 seconds left of the game to win it. Everyone on the team benefited their skills that  helped our team make history.

Here is a video when we made it to the quarter finals against the number one team of the shoreline conference Thompson.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=360019322231


      Here is some stats for our team. 


http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/e9mUooCl0Emkv0-_a0WVgQ/portland-highlanders/girls-basketball/home.htm