Midterm Reflection

So far my grades are good! My grades consist of A’s and B’s, this is what I am looking for because I would like to maintain a high grade point average.

I have an A in my English class. We have only written one paper so this is a very small portion of what will eventually be a big picture. I enjoy writing and I feel that I will be able to excel in this class. I should not have too much of a problem. I have an A- in my Spanish 305 class and I am pleased, although I would like to raise that grade. I know that I need to increase my participation as it is 20% of our total grade.

I also have an A in my Sociology class. Although I have a good grade in this class I have to improve my reading technique. I do read the chapters, just not the way that they are assigned. I generally procrastinate and have a lot of reading and studying to do the night before a quiz. I have a B in math, and this is due to a low test score and a low midterm grade. Math is my hardest subject and to improve I have to study harder and get extra help when needed. I also have a B in Inquiry. This is due to a missed blogging assignment, a missed homework, and some lack of participation. I have to keep up with homework and make sure to post blogging assignments on time!

For the remainder of the semester I would like to maintain my grades and take the steps mentioned above to improve. I have never been a straight A student so it would be incredible if I could start out my college career with all A’s! It will not be easy, but if I really put myself to it I know I can accomplish it!

**Check out the article I linked about how to improve grades in college!

Stepping Outside...

I am a naturally reserved person and I am quiet and shy. Sometimes I worry that I come across as rude or better than others, but that is truly not the case! I really am not. It is just very difficult for me to be as outgoing as those around me; it is very difficult for me to jump into conversations and discussions in class. This in turn affects my ability to make new friends and receive credit for class participation.

With this in mind, I decided to begin participating more in class and trying to talk to students in my classes. While this may seem silly to some and come naturally to them, it is difficult for me. This past week I consciously made myself participate in all of my classes once. Even though it was hard, it was nice. I always have comments and responses running through my head, I just usually keep it to myself. So it was nice to be able to vocalize those comments.

I also began talking to my classmates. I now have two more new friends here at SCSU. It has always been hard to make new friends because it is so difficult for me to open up to others. I became accustomed to others seeking me out instead of putting myself out there. Here at SCSU I have to find my own friends and not always wait for others to find me. I am slowly changing, and I know it will take some time, but I am confident that I will succeed in making new friends and coming into my own here at Southern!

**I linked an article about tips on how to participate in college classes. If you are interested take a peek!!

"Generation Me"

In all honesty I feel that today’s society is more self-centered than ever before. Right now the world is a very cutthroat place where there is no room for failure. People tend to think that if they don’t think only of themselves they will fail. This is truly unfortunate because it is creating a culture without compassion and understanding for others.

The idea of always thinking of yourself is different than loving yourself. I love myself, but I do not consider myself a selfish person and I constantly try to put others, especially family and friends, before myself. I think this is partly due to the way I was raised and things I have experienced in my life. People often complain about silly and unimportant things and they fail to see that others may be going through much worse situations.

My younger sister recently lost a friend to cancer; he was only fourteen years old. I think back to the wake and the funeral, the mass and the burial, I think about his parents and his family. His parents lost their only son and I am complaining because I have to wash dishes? Never again! I think about how they must feel and realize that in reality I have no problem that I cannot overcome. I can study harder and do the chores I dislike, but they can never have their son back.

People need to take time to have compassion for others and realize that they might not be the only one having a bad day. Always keep yourself grounded and never forget who you truly are. Love yourself without losing yourself.  

*"Generation Me Article"*

RIP Nick 4-15-10 In our hearts and minds forever. <3

Digital Storytelling Midterm: Motivation!

As we all know our midterm for Inquiry required us to make a digital storytelling video. I have never made a video before and as I worked on this project I learned how easy and difficult the process can be. It is a very detail-oriented process, that requires a lot of fine tuning. Although the project was very challenging for me it was fun to learn how to use this program.

My video is about motivation, more specifically about the motivation behind attending college and what factors influence that decision. For my first time making a video I think I did an "ok" job. I would like to learn how to improve so that in the future my video looks more professional and more creative. Seeing the videos that other classmates have made give me the desire to improve for the future.

Having a Peer Mentor!

The one thing that our Inquiry class was missing was a peer mentor, a role now fulfilled by a wonderful young woman named Lee!

I think that having a peer mentor in our Inquiry class is an integral part in our learning experience in that class. We are able to see the school from a student’s perspective, rather than just the professors. She is realistic and does not hold back when we ask her questions, she is honest! I like her “tell it like is” attitude, it’s good for people to hear that.

I also like the fact that she as an opportunity to meet with us for the beginning of class because we usually do an activity that prepares us for class and makes us think deeply or de stress. So far we have had a laughing activity that was a lot of fun and a poetry activity that allows us to search within ourselves and learn more about who we are as individuals.

As I stated earlier I think a peer mentor adds an outside factor to the class. Lee is someone we can look up to and at the same time be friends with. She is a student but at the same time we see her as a role model and someone to look up to. In the short amount of time that she has been with us I have learned a lot from her.

Lee has shown me how to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new, in the confines of the classroom. I enjoy listening to her stories and her advice about college and life in general. She is a role model to me, she is a living example that starting over and making in life is possible! I see her and strive to be that actively involved in the campus and maintain a high grade point average at the same time. Thank you Lee!!

SCSU Homecoming and Family Day!!

I have had a great time at Southern so far, but today was the most fun that I have had all year! I went to my first football game, I got three different free t-shirts, and I was able to show my family around campus.

I started the day by going to the breakfast at Conn Hall with my parents and my younger brother and sister. I took them to the student center where they saw the gym, the bookstore, and the food court. We also walked over to Engleman Hall and then my dad wanted to explore the bookstore. After this little adventure we went to the parade and the pep rally and finally ended up at Jess Dow Field for lunch and the exciting football game.

This was my first Owls football game so I was very excited, especially since one of my favorite sports is football. My family and I were able to get great seats, right at the forty-five yard line. The first half was a bit dicey and Southern actually ended the half trailing by one point. During the third quarter Southern scored two touchdowns totaling in thirteen points and had a 26-19 lead going into the fourth quarter. Unfortunately Bentley came back to score two touchdowns and a field goal to take a 36-26 victory against the Owls on homecoming day.

Even though the Owls lost it was a great experience. The atmosphere was wonderful and my family was able to see a side of Southern they had never before experienced. I know that I will be back for more SCSU football, and hopefully they will win! All in all, it was a great day!

Ryan and Liana

A Great Blog!

What does make a good blog post?

In some ways I do not think I know the correct answer. Blogging was and still is very new to me. I occasionally read professional blogs related to the entertainment industry, nothing very deep or moving, and my own blog is a constant work in progress.

To me a good blog post must have several different components. First it must have a factor of intrigue. The title should be catchy so that it draws attention and makes people want to read the post. The post itself should be fairly interesting and it should give people a desire to read on and find out more about you. When a post is boring people will close the screen and move on to a better blog.

The post should also be of reasonable length. If it is to long people and drags on people will get bored, on the other hand, if it is to short it may not provide the reader with an adequate amount of information. Grammar is also very important. A blog may be considered informal writing, but regardless it should be grammatically correct. In my opinion it is unprofessional to present any type or work, especially writing, when slang terminology and spelling and grammatical errors are present.

Lastly the blog should also include picture and links. This makes the blog interactive and it allows the reader to seek more information and see visual aids. Links to outside sources provide the opportunity for readers to see what you are seeing and get your perspective. Pictures also allow the readers to know you on a more personal level and they provide visual representations of ideas that you may have.

These components are what make a blog post good to me: catchy, professional, and personal. Make your audience want to always come back for more. Be intriguing and fun, with that professionalism always poking through!

*Click on the link to see which blog is one of my favorites!*

What I've Been Called To Do...

Ever since I was very young I have known what I want to do. I remember playing teacher at preschool and at home with my younger brother and sister. As I grew up I changed my mind constantly, but teaching always stayed with me. It was not until my sophomore year in high school that I realized my true calling, my vocation, was to be a teacher! For me it was a matter of deciding what grade level to teach and what subject area. So it was during my sophomore year that I began doing my research.

I began doing volunteer work at St. Francis & St. Rose of Lima school in New Haven. I tutored students in grades three to eight twice a week. Most of the students were learning English as a second language or were bilingual. I enjoyed tutoring the fifth grade students the most. I would work with one, two and sometimes groups of five or six. I loved the age level of the students and initially I thought I wanted to be a fifth grade teacher. After I spent several days in a fifth grade class room I realized I did not like having to teach all of the subjects and be in the same classroom all day.

Instead I began spending time observing middle school classes. I enjoyed the older students and the ability to teach a single subject and the possibility of having a home room and even a religion class made this grade level even more appealing. Along with middle school I also liked the high school level. Each level is very different. In middle school the students are quite young and they are essentially coming into their own and discovering who they are. While in high school the level of thinking is much higher and the discussions require a much deeper level of thinking.

At this point I have decided that I want to go into secondary education with a major in Spanish. I would like to work with inner city youth. I love business and maybe someday I can make that a part of my career. Right now this is what I want. I want to show the youth of America that no matter who you are or where you come from you can be what you want to be! I want to make a difference in the lives of as many young men and women as I can; I want to be a teacher!

The mediocre teacher tells.  The good teacher explains.  The superior teacher demonstrates.  The great teacher inspires.  ~William Arthur Ward

Motivation...

For my digital storytelling project I chose the topic of motivation. The articles about motivation were very interesting to me: “Motivation: The Elusive Drive.” The title plays over and over in my head. In fact, it had such a profound impact on me that it became my topic. I wanted to know the reasons why people chose to attend college and why they ultimately chose Southern Connecticut State University.  I asked myself why I chose to go to college and that gave me the desire to find out why other people made that same choice.

I decided to go to college for many reasons. I want to go into secondary education, and in order to do that I need a degree. I also want to go to college for my mom. She was never able to finish college and I would be the first person in her immediate family to have attended and graduated from college. She wants me to accomplish the things that she was never able to do. This made me think about family situations and how that played into the motivation and drive behind attending college. How much of an impact does family actually have? 55

Those are the main questions my project consists of. The hardest part of this project for me will be the movie aspect. I have never made a movie and I am definitely not the most creative person, so this project will certainly have me outside of my comfort zone! I am planning on using pictures and some speaking. I am not sure on how I will organize the project, but after seeing examples I am confident that I will be able to come up with a good idea.

So why are you attending college? Why did you choose SCSU? What is your motivation?!

Club Fair!

One of the first events that I attended at SCSU was the Club Fair. It was one of the best experiences that I’ve had! I learned so much information about numerous clubs. I had no idea that Southern was home to such a large number of clubs, organizations, sororities, and fraternities. Several of the clubs interested me and I joined a few of them.

The Southern Future Teacher’s Organization was my first stop. As a future teacher I knew this was one organization that I had to join. I also joined O.L.A.S., the Organization of Latin American Students. In high school I was a member of UNITY and being that I am half Hispanic I knew this club would be a perfect fit for me! I also joined Catholic Campus Ministry. This club has a weekly mass, retreats, and volunteer opportunities for students who a part of the Catholic faith.

I feel that it is very important to get involved in university clubs, especially since I am a commuter student. It is the perfect way for me to get involved on campus and be in the “know” about what is going on. I also have an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. Personally, I need to be involved in clubs like these in order to be around people that I can relate to. I need to be around smaller groups of people in order to open up to them and make friends. It is not easy for me but I can do it!