16V Freedom

Freedom: the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.

Freedom is what a lot of teenagers value.  Although I was nervous coming into college and being on my own, I was excited to finally be free.  I would say my parents are pretty strict.  In high school something I really hated was having a curfew.  Every time I was out with my friends I would get a text from my parents saying "be home by 12:30."  I know my parents did this because they care about me and are worried when I'm out late at night, but it did get kind of annoying.  This semester made me realize how much freedom you really get.  I got to come back to my dorm as late as I wanted without having my parents yelling at me for coming home past my curfew.  Although having all this freedom in college is very nice, sometimes people take too much advantage of having all this freedom.

New Vocabulary

Monopoly: the exclusive possession or control of the supply or trade in a commodity or service.
In economics I learned about how monopolies can effect trade.

Hegemony: The domination of culture by one particular cultural group, resulting in the empowerment of certain beliefs, values, and practices over others.
In media I learned about how people from different cultures live their lives.

16A, B, & I The First Semester

My first semester at Southern Connecticut State University is officially over!  It's crazy how fast the semester went,  I feel like move in day was just a couple weeks ago.  Throughout this semester I have learned a lot about myself.  I have also faced different challenges throughout my time here at SCSU.  After this semester I am very aware of how I should be managing my time each day in college.  I was proud of most of my grades and everything I accomplished this semester.

Coming into college I was very nervous about leaving my family and friends at home.  I didn't like knowing I was going to be on my own.  Thinking about not having my parents around whenever I needed them also scared me.  Another thing I was scared about was having to make new friends.  It was so weird thinking that I wasn't going to be around all the people that have been in my life for so long.  This semester made me learn that being on my own isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.  College made me learn how to be independent and responsible.  I had to learn how to be an adult and do things on my own.  This semester made me learn that meeting new people is a fun experience.  I had to become a lot more out going to make new friends.  A few weeks into the semester I made a great group of girls and I am so grateful that I am friends with all of them.

I am an athlete at Southern, so one of my biggest challenges during this semester was balancing out school work and lacrosse.  I did play sports all throughout high school but I feel as if playing a sport in college is a lot more of a commitment.  One of the reasons why balancing out school work and lacrosse in college is such a challenge is because I did not get as much work in high school as I do in college.  Since this semester was just fall ball and not my actual season, next semester is going to be an even bigger challenge playing lacrosse and balancing my work.  Another challenge I have faced this semester is being sick and not have my mom and dad around to take care of me.  This is probably one of the worst things in college but I just had to suck it up.  Luckily when I was sick I just went to the health center to get medicine and felt better a couple days after taking the medicine.

 This semester taught me how I should be managing my time in college.  I learned that I can't wait until the last minute to do any papers or projects.  Although I learned that the hard way, after this semester I hope that I never save anything until the last second again.  In the beginning of this semester I did a lot of relaxing and not enough studying or reading.  After doing a time study work sheet in inquiry I realized that I did a little too much of relaxing.  This assignment made me change the way I spend each day.  I told myself that I can't watch tv and relax until after I finish my work each day.  By the end of the semester I always got all of my work done because I managed my time wisely.

Overall, I am very proud of my grades from this semester.  I do not know exactly what my final grades are but I have an idea of what most of them are.  I have learned a lot this semester and most of my classes were pretty easy, which means my classes next semester are probably going to be a little bit more challenging.  I really enjoyed my time here at SCSU and I am looking forward to coming back to school for the spring semester!

Final Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZbVlx8UjWo&feature=youtu.be

15V Autonomy

Autonomy: the state or condition of having independence or freedom, or of being autonomous.

When I was applying to colleges in high school I was scared thinking about being on my own.  I always used to go to my mom for everything and anything.  My mom use to always tells me I was independent when it came to school work and I agreed with her on that.  I was always on top of my stuff in school and made sure I always did my work in advance.  As it got closer and closer to move in day I was getting nervous thinking about what I was going to do without my parents.  The first couple of weeks were very weird being all on my own.  Now that I made it through the first semester, I really learned what it is like to be autonomous.  Being independent prepares you for what you might be doing in the future.

New Vocabulary:

Rapport: a close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other's feelings or ideas and communicate well. 
In media I am learning that it is important to establish rapport with your audience when making a persuasive speech.

Fixed cost: costs that do not vary with the quantity of output produced.
Variable cost: costs that vary with the quantity of output produced.
I am learning about fixed and variable costs in economics.

15I Basketball Game

Last night I attended the men's basketball game with my friends.  The game started at 7:30 and they play Saint Rose.  It was very exciting to support my schools basketball team.  The game was very intense, the score at half time was 26-26.  In the second half it went back and fourth but SCSU pulled through and got the win.  They won 76-65, it was a very fun game to be at.  I played basketball in high school and I really miss playing so I like to watch the women's and men's SCSU basketball games.  I plan to attend more basketball games in the future and support my school!

15B Preparing For Finals

I know I probably say this all the time, but I seriously can't believe how fast this semester went.  Thinking about finals makes me really nervous and stressed out.  Luckily I only have two finals and one of them I am already pretty confident about.  My first finally is for Math 100, which I should do pretty well on.  Then my last one is for Micro Economics and I am very nervous for this one.

Since I already feel pretty confident with my math final, I am not going to spend much time studying for it.  My teacher sent us a practice final exam so I will probably do the practice exam so I know that I am fully prepared to take the final.  I already started preparing myself for my micro economics finals.  I started making a little review sheet of everything we learned.  I like to study with flashcards so I might make some cards for some of the key terms I will have to know for the final.  After studying all the material I am going to take a the practice final exam that my teacher sent us so I am familiar with the questions that will be on the final.

I need to make sure I am studying in an quiet area so I can concentrate.  I usually study in my room but sometimes I get distracted, so if this happens I will probably go to the library to get most of my studying done. I just keep telling myself that after these finals the semester is over and I get to go home and relax.  
If I really prepare myself for these finals I should do well on them!

15A Video Project Feedback

In these last few classes of inquiry we have been looking at everyones video rough drafts.  After we watched each and everyones video, everyone in the class gave some feedback for each person's video.  The feedback included the videos strengths and weakness, what the person can do to make their video more creative, and how to incorporate college level thinking into the video.

Personally, I love getting feedback from other people.  Im not the best at giving people feedback, but if I did have any ideas of how someone can make their video better I would suggest it.  My rough draft didn't include a skit so I asked my peers if they had any ideas of what I could do as a skit.  They gave me a couple ideas of what I could do to make my video more creative.  My video is on underage drinking so I am going to try to add a skit from a mock on drunk driving from youtube.  I think so far my video is coming out pretty good.  So after receiving some feedback from my classmates, I just have to add some things to my video in order to receive a good grade.

I also got some good ideas of what to add to my video just by watching everyone's videos in class.  Sometimes you come up with creative ideas just by watching someone else's video.  I think watching everyones videos in class was a very good idea because if your watching your own video you might not notice some errors that other people may notice.  My classmates were aware of all the typos I made, which I didn't even notice after watching my video several times.  It is always good to have an extra set of eyes to look over something to catch your mistakes!

After watching the drafts of the videos in class I came up with some ideas that I can apply to my video. I am very happy that we got the opportunity to have everyone in class watch each others videos and give back feedback.  I just have a few things to do to my video to make it more creative and then my video should be good to go!

Final Video Rough Draft

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox4amrBJLKg&feature=youtu.be

14V Investment

Investment: a devoting, using, or giving of time, talent, emotional energy, etc., as to achieve something.

During my first semester of college I learned that it is very important to invest.  In order to be successful in college you to invest a lot of time and effort into what you are doing.  If you aren't investing a lot of your time into doing work and studying for test, you will most likely not do well in school.  When I find out I have a test coming up I make sure that I invest time in my day in order to give myself a lot of time to prepare for my test.  Many college students are pretty good at investing their time into their work  but there are some students who aren't good at investing their time, and they learn that the hard way.

New Vocabulary:

Socialization: the action of establishing on a socialist basis.
In Media I am learning about how different people conform to culture.

Productivity: the state or quality of producing something.
In Economics we are learning about marginal productivity.

14I A Trip To The Writing Center

Last week I had an English paper due.  Writing has always been one of my weaknesses and I always like having someone read over my papers after I am done.  I got B's on my first three writing assignments and I was determined to get an A on my last paper.  After I finished my assignment I went to the writing center to make an appointment with someone to read over my paper.  The writing center is located on the bottom floor of Engleman in room A102.  The writing center gave me many helpful ways in order to make my paper better.  My teacher gave us our grades on our papers and I was very happy when I saw that I received an A.  The writing center was very helpful
and I will definitely be using it in the future.

14B Everything That I Am Thankful For

Thanksgiving is a time for everyone to appreciate everything in life that they are grateful for.  After my first semester at Southern, I am very grateful to a good education.  I am thankful that my parents are able to afford sending me to college.  Some people don't get the opportunity to go to college because their family isn't financially stable.  Attending college is something to be very thankful about.

I am not from Connecticut so coming into college I didn't really know anyone.  Making new friends was something that I was very nervous about coming into college.  Luckily I made a great group of new friends.  I am so thankful that I made friends with such great people.  Its crazy how close we have already gotten and they make my college experience so much more enjoyable.  I feel like I just met them but I feel so close to them already.  Im going to miss all of my southern friends over thanksgiving break!

I am on the lacrosse team here at southern.  Coming onto the team as a freshman was very intimidating but they were all so welcoming.  I love my team and we are already like a family.  I am so grateful for every single one of them.  Deciding to play lacrosse is college was perfect because it was like coming to school and already having a whole group of friends from the team.  The upperclassmen on my team are all so helpful and I know that I can go to them for anything whenever I needed it.  I am also going to miss my team very much over thanksgiving break.

Overall, my time at Southern has been amazing already.  I am so thankful that I am able to enjoy the college experience.  I am also very grateful for all of my friends and teammates here at Southern. I am going to miss the Southern atmosphere over break but I am going to be back before I know it!

14A Finally Some Time To Relax!

Knowing that the semester is almost over is crazy.  I can't believe how fast this semester went, I feel like move in day was just the other day!  Tomorrow I get to go home for thanksgiving break.  I am looking forward to spending time with my friends and family.  Since this semester is coming to end I am stressing thinking about finals.  Luckily I only have two but I am very nervous for my micro economics final.

In order to give myself some stress relief I am going to relax all week with my friends and family.  Although I do have a paper to write over break, I am looking forward to having some time to just relax and not having to go to any classes.  I am very excited to spend thanksgiving at my grandmas house will my cousins from arizona who I haven't seen since summer.  I also can't wait to spend time with my two sisters.  One of my favorite parts of thanksgiving is watching football all day with my family.

Over thanksgiving break I am going to start to prepare for my finals.  I am going to look over my economics notes and come up with questions that I may have for my professor before the final.  My economics professor emailed us a practice final so I am also going to print that out and try to get started on that so I have an idea about what the final is going to be about.  For math I am going to do some practice questions in my textbook so that I start to refresh my memory about what we learned about in the beginning of the semester.

I am going to use this break as some time to relax and stay stress free.  But my break isn't going to just consist of relaxing.  I also want to start preparing for my finals so I am not cramming everything in right before I have to take my finals.  Spending time with my family and high school friends will help me stay relaxed and stress free.

13V Purpose

Purpose: the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.

Everything done in life has a purpose.  If you are doing something and their is no purpose than there is no point in doing it.  Now that the first semester is coming to an end I learn a lot of different things.  This semester taught me that only focus on something that has a purpose to you.  The word purpose is related to our education.  We should be taking classes that are related to our major.  So the classes that we take have a purpose to us.  We learn the purpose of each class we are taking and why the classes will help us for our majors.  It is important to have a purpose before doing something!

More Vocabulary:

Misogyny: The hatred of women.
In my media class we are watching a documentary on our culture and reasons why the media discriminates on women.

Production function: The relationship between quantity of inputs used to make a good and the quantity of output of that good.
In economics we are learning about productions and costs and how the economy is made up of many different firms that produce different goods.

13I It's That Time of The Year

A common problem that many college students face is getting sick.  The common cold or flu always goes around colleges because germs spread so easily.  This past week I had a sore throat  and a fever so I decided to go to see the health center about it.  They gave me a prescription that would make me feel better.  The Granoff Student Health Center is located on campus on Wintergreen Avenue across from the Moore Field House.  Their hours are Monday through Friday from 8am-4:30pm.  The health center has HIV and STI counseling and testing for students.  College students can go to the health center if they are feeling stressed, have a eating disorder, having sexual health issues and for many other reasons.  The health center has a lot of helpful information and everyone is very helpful to you if you are having health issues.

13B High Level of Creativity

It is important to have creative thinking skills while making a video.  I am not the most creative person but I do have some creativity skills.  Unfortunately I am not creative when it comes to video making.  When I found out we had to make two videos for inquiry I knew right away that I would struggle while making these videos.  Although I am not very good at making videos I am going to try to come up with ways to make my video creative.

I am going to incorporate a skit into my video to show a high level of creativity.  My skit is going to including college kids drinking and why it is an issue.  Many college kids will be able to relate after watching the skit.  After showing my skit I will introduce a couple of solutions to fix the problem of underage drinking.  Another way to make my video more creative is to have music in the background.  Having music in my video will keep the audience entertained throughout the video.  Music makes everything more fun so I think that having songs playing throughout my video will make it more interesting.

As I stated in my previous blog, I am going to have a clear beginning, middle, and end in my video.  Not only do I want my video to include a clear introduction and conclusion, but I want to make a creative introduction and conclusion.  I am not quite sure how I am going to make these two parts of my video creative but I think it will definitely show a high level of creativity.

Creativity is a very important aspect in life.  Everyone is creative in their own way which is what makes people different from each other. As I said, my video making skills aren't the best but I am going to put a lot of effort into this video to show a high level of creativity.

13A Incorporating College Level Thinking Into                 my Final Video

Before starting my final video I am going to brainstorm about what I can do to bring college level thinking into it.  The first thing I need to do is introduce my topic, which is the underage drinking in college.  In order to introduce my topic I have to propose a good critical thinking question.  After proposing my main critical thinking question, I think I am going to interview people and ask them about their feelings about this issue.

I am also going to do some research about underage drinking in college.  Having information and statistics in my video will be a good way to incorporate college level thinking into it.  After stating a bunch of information and stats I am going to have to make sure I back up all of my information with statements to show that what I am stating is true.

It is very important to have a clear introduction, middle, and conclusion.  In my last video project I struggled on make a clear conclusion.  So this time I am going to make sure I have a good and effective beginning, middle, and end.  My introduction is going to contain the problem and then my conclusion is going to contain a solution. I think this will be the hardest part of the video for me so I have to do some brainstorming in order to come up with a good introduction and conclusion.

My video is going to have to contain solutions for the problem of underage drinking in college.  Instead of just coming up with one problem I am going to try to come up with a couple of solutions. After talking about a couple of solutions, at the end I am going to state which solution I think would be best.  So the solution that I think will be the most effective will be in my conclusion.

In order to do well on my video project I am going to have to use a lot of college level thinking.  If I want to get a good grade I have to have a clear beginning, middle, and end.  I am also going to have to make sure I find good research and backup statements to support my information. If I do all of this in my video I think I will receive a good grade on my video.

12V Interdisciplinary Perspective

Interdisciplinary Perspective: combining two different subjects and analyzing them through different viewpoints.

It is important to have interdisciplinary perspective, especially when you are in college.  College students are expected to learn things through different perspectives.  If you are looking at ideas through interdisciplinary perspectives then you are thinking outside the box in order to look at concepts in different ways.  This term relates to inquiry because you are connecting different subjects by being creative and analyzing them.  Interdisciplinary perspective helps you understand ideas on a more college level.

More Vocabulary:

Surplus: more than what is needed or used.
In economics we are learning that surpluses are cause by a binding price floor and will be greatest is both supply and demand are elastic.

Referent Class: A subgroup of the mainstream against which mainstream culture measures itself.
In media we are learning about how the referent class had dominated positions of power in business and politics. 

12I Talent Show!

On wednesday night me and my friends went to the Talent show.  It was held in the ballroom and started at 7:30 and ended around 9.  There were about 12 acts. There were a lot of singers that performed.  Some of the other performances were an african dance group, a magician, guitar players, a rapper, and a beat boxer.  All of the performances were very good and I enjoyed them all but I think my favorite was the beat boxing. It was really cool! I think the SCSU talent show is a very good thing to have because it allow everyone to express their talents to everyone.  It is a very good way for people to get out there a show people something about them that they might not know.

12B Becoming More Motivated

How will less homework and shorter school days change children's mindset?

Many students will agree that they longer they are in school the less motivated they become. In high school, as we got closer to the end of the day I just got lazier with my work.  I definitely think that school days should be shorter so that students stay motivated to learn throughout the whole day.

If school days were shorter I think that students would work harder in school.  Instead of going through the motions and half-assing work students would do all their work at 100 percent.  I was in school for close to 7 hours each day in high school.  And each day I had the same schedule and the same classes every day.  After awhile of going to the same classes at the same times every day I started to get bored and started going through the motions.  If we cut school days down to like 4 or 5 hours a day I think students would be more interested and their would be a big difference in their work.

Not only do I think school days are too long but I think some teachers give too much homework.  When I got too much homework in high school I just go so stressed all the time.  Sometimes I did all my homework just to get it done.  Instead of giving a lot of homework, teachers should give work that doesn't stress out their students.  Some teachers believe in giving a lot of work to their students because they that is how they will become more successful in school.  I think giving less homework will change students mindset about school.  I also think that teachers shouldn't base their students grades on tests.  Sometimes I think teachers base students grade too much on tests and not enough on their class work and participation.  Students grades should be an average of everything they do in class and out of class.

All in all I believe that giving less homework and having shorter school days would change the way students feel about school.  If the schools days were shorter students wouldn't dread going to school everyday.  They would work hard throughout the whole day and the wouldn't just go through the motions at the end of the day.  Also, if teachers didn't pile homework on students everyday they would be less stressed.  If teachers gave less homework, students wouldn't complain about homework all the time.

12A Importance of a Liberal Arts Education

It is very important for students to have a liberal arts education.  Having a liberal arts education makes you a very well rounded student.  A liberal arts education gives you more options and new experiences.    Without a liberal arts education you wouldn't have a wide variety of knowledge.  This curriculum helps you to think out of the box.

A liberal arts education also helps students pick their major.  If you broaden your horizons and take classes you won't normally take you might learn what you want to major in.  Some students come into college thinking they know what they want to do in the future.  Then they come into college and take a course that might change their mind.  This is why it is good to take classes you wouldn't normally take. The liberal arts education gives you a variety of options and gives you ideas of
what you might want to do in the future.

Our readings for inquiry this week were about the liberal arts education and how it benefits students.  In the article Need a Job? Invent It, it states that "the longer kids are in school, the less motivated they become." I agree with this statement because when kids are in school for awhile they get bored and start to just go through the motions.  This article also states that "motivation is the most critical aspect for basic knowledge for young people."  In order for students to want to have a liberal arts education they have to be intrinsically motivated.  "Young people who are intrinsically motivated; more curious, persistent, and willing to take risk will learn new knowledge and skills continuously" (Need a Job? Invent it).

Teachers should try to motivated their students to have a liberal arts education. Having a liberal arts education is a very good way to learn what you want to do in the future.  A liberal arts education gives you new experiences, ideas and will help you in the long run.

11V Innovation

Innovation: The act of process of introducing new ideas, devices, or methods.

Innovating connects to being creative.  Creativity was the topic we have been discussing in inquiry this week.  Being creative is thinking differently and using your own ideas.  Innovation connects to creativity because when you innovate you come up with new ideas which is also what you doing when you are being creative.  People are coming up with new ideas and devices everyday.  Without all these new ideas and methods the world would be a different place.  In order to keep the world moving there has to be innovation.

New Vocabulary:

Warrant: justify or necessitate.
In my media class we are learning about claims and reasons and how the warrant is the connection between the claim and the reason.

Price Ceilings: the legally mandated maximum price.
In economics we are learning about the examples of price ceilings, which are rent control, wages, and price control.

11I Stay Fit!

Now that my fall ball season of lacrosse is over I have so much time on my hands.  After a couple of days of sitting around I was thinking of what I could do to stay fit.  Since its cold out I can't really go for a run outside so I decided to check on the fitness center.  The fitness center is located on the second floor of the Adanti Student Center.  It is opened from Monday-Thursday from 7am-10pm, on Saturdays  9:30am- 4:30pm, and Sundays 2pm-7pm.  You are not allowed to wear jeans while working out and you can only use your ipod if you have headphones.  After you use a machine you are supposed to spray and wipe down the machine.  The fitness center is a great way to stay fit!

11B Strong College- Level Questions

In Inquiry we are learning how to come up with strong college level questions.  Not only are we learning how to think of college level questions but we are also learning about how to answer these questions and how to incorporate good example in our answers.  After reading through the questions that my peers submitted, I came across some good college level questions.  The first example of a strong college level question was in Stephanie's blog (http://stepphhr7.blogspot.com/). Her question was "what are ways we can promote creativity? Why are these important looking towards the future?" This is a very high level thinking question.  After reading it, it really made me stop and think for a minute.  And that is what college level questions should make you do.  Stephanie also does a very good job at answering this question.  She goes very in depth and gives good examples from the readings.  She also answers all parts of the question which is very important when you are answering a question.  Overall, Stephanie came up with a very strong question and did an awesome job at answering it.

Another question that I thought was very strong was from Samantha's blog (http://samanthamonaco.blogspot.com/2013/11/11a-its-college-now-what-questions-are.html).  Her question was "Most people believe that there are only benefits from making a task easier. The author Ian Leslie of "Creativity, Education, and the Gift of Stress" explains his take on this matter. What was his take? How did the advent of the home computer affect young poetry in the example provided?"  This question sounds just like a question that we would get on an inquiry quiz based on the readings.  Samantha first lists the author and title of the article and then states the question.  This is a very specific question and it really makes you think back about what we read in the article.  Samantha's answer was very well written because she has a very clear thesis, explanation, and closing point.

After this weeks exercises in anticipating and answering questions  I learned what strong college level questions really look like.  Coming up with stronger questions will help when preparing for a test.  When studying, if you ask yourself these kinds of questions you will understand what you are studying a lot better.  And when you see these types of questions on tests you will be a lot better at answering them.

11A Creativity vs Boredom 

1) Do you think most college students come up with new ideas during times of reflection or by having an epiphany?

2) How can college students incorporate a creative mindset within their schooling?

3) What are ways college students can cultivate more creativity? How can this be important in the future?

4)  Do you think creative people or people that lack creativity have the greater toleration for long periods of uncertainty and boredom?

Answer:

In the Article "The Joy of Boredom" Richard Ralley talks about his studies on boredom.  After studying boredom he realized that the most creative people are known to have the greatest toleration for long periods of uncertainty and bordeom.  No one likes to be uncertain about anything, you want to be certain about every decision you make in life.  When people are slogging away at an activity with little reward, they get annoyed and find themselves feeling bored.  So, if they come across something more engaging, they move on.  If nothing engaging comes along, they may be motivated enough to think something new of themselves.

This is why being creative is such a key characteristic to have.  Getting bored is very common for teenagers and most teenagers hate being bored.  It is known that younger people overcome boredom more naturally then older people.  So as you get older, you don't quell bored as well as younger children.  Not only is it hard to deal with boredom but I also think that when people are bored you don't get anything done.  Bored people tend to sit around and not care much about anything.  You want to be creative so you don't have to deal with being bored.  Creative people cope with boredom so well because they have a mind of their own. When you are creative you always think of new ways to do something.  All in all, it is better to be creative and  think on your own, then be original and always being uncertain about everything.

10V Creativity 

Creativity: the use of the imagination or original ideas.

There are many different ways that one can be creative.  Being creative is kind of like thinking outside of the box.  In order to be creative you have to think differently and come up with creative ways to do things.  Without creativity everyone and everything would be so plain and boring.  Being creative makes everything a lot more interesting.  Also without creativity, all the inventions that we have today wouldn't be around.  Being creative may require you to take risks.  Some people don't like to take risks cause they are afraid of failing.  I believe that taking risks and being creative is part of life.  Someones creativity describes a lot about that person.

New Vocabulary:

Elasticity: measurement of how changing one economic variable affects others.

In economics we are learning about the elasticity of supply and demand.

Testimony: a formal written or spoken statement.

In media I am learning about how testimonies are used to state an idea or argument.

10I  Great Day For A Hike!

On thursday my lacrosse team and I went on a hike.  When hiked the sleeping giant, which is located  is right by Quinnipiac University. I was really excited when I found out that we were going on a hike because I haven't been on a hike in so long.  We left campus around 3:30 and got back around 5. When we got to the top of the sleeping giant we took a bunch of pictures with each other and the view from the top.   I really enjoy going on hikes because it is a perfect way to have fun and exercise at the same time.  If you are bored one day and are looking for something to do I would definitely suggest going on a hike, it was such a fun experience!

10B Creative Autobiography

Everyone is creative in their own special way.  I am not the most creative person out there, but I am creative in my own way.  Some people believe that they aren't creative at all but that is impossible.  Even if you aren't as creative as someone else, you are still creative in some way.

Does anyone in your life regularly inspire you?
My mom will always be the person that really inspires me.  My mom had skin cancer for about 5 years and recently found out she is finally cancer free.  Seeing my mom go through this for so long was not easy but I am so proud of her.  She is the strongest woman I know and I am so proud I get to call her my mother.  I hope that one day I will be as strong as she is.  I am so grateful to have someone like her in my life.




How do you begin your day?
Something that is pretty creative about me is that I begin my day the same way everyday.  After I wake up I go right to the bathroom and brush my teeth.  Then I change into the clothes that I am going to wear.  After I am all dressed I put on my makeup and then I am usually ready to start my day! I go to my first class and then go get breakfast. After breakfast I come back to my room and relax until I have my next class.  I like to have a set schedule for myself and I always have the same  routine for myself.


What are your habits? What patterns do you repeat?
One of my habits is painting my nails.  I paint my nails every week. I usually like to paint my nails on sundays because that is usually the day that I relax.  Another one of my habits is checking my phone.  When I am in between classes I always go on my phone and read through twitter and instagram.  I like to check twitter when I am waiting to go to my next class so I can see what all my friends are doing.

10A Reflection on Midterm Video

A couple weeks ago I was assigned to make a video for my midterm project in Inquiry.  The video had to be about 5-6 minutes long.  As soon as I heard that I had to make a video my first reaction was, "great I'm not going to know what to do because I have never made a video before."  For the project we had to write down three things that we like about Southern Connecticut State University or that we think makes Southern special.  My topic turned out to be that Southern is located in New Haven so there is always something to do.

I think that the requirements that I excelled at were; having a clear beginning and end, reaching the time limit, getting it done on time, and keeping the audience interested.  I made sure that I started my video off with an interesting beginning and end.  I know that if I am watching a video and the beginning isn't doesn't interesting me, I wouldn't watch it.  My video came out to a little over 5 minutes so I did reach the time limit.  If I had more time to make me video then I probably would have tried to make it a little longer.  I posted my video on my blog before the time it was do so I didn't get any points off for it being late.  I also tried to add music into my video in order to make my video more interesting.

Although I think I did pretty well on the midterm video, it could definitely use some improvement.  I think the biggest weakness in my video was the interviews.  Part of the reason my interviews were so weak was because I kind of waited for the last minute to do them.  Another reason why my interviews were so weak was because everyone that I asked didn't want to be interviewed.  I think that incorporating these interviews into out video was one of the hardest parts.  It was hard for me to come up with questions to ask the people that I was interviewing.

All in all, I think I did very well on the video, especially since it was the first video I ever made.  If I had to give myself a grade I would give it either a B+ or an A-.  As I said, the part of my video that needs the most work is the interviews.  If I had more time to work on it or could revise it, I would do my interviews early so that I didn't have to rush at the last minute.  Although this project was a lot of work and took awhile to make it was a good experience.  It was fun to make it just took awhile and now next time I have to make a movie I will be a pro at it!

9V Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking: disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded, and informedby evidence.

Being a critical thinker requires you to break down information so that you can reflect on it in a different way.  Critical Thinking is a skill that you develop and improve as you get older.  As you get older, you become more intelligent and understand the importance of critical thinking.  In order to be a critical thinker you have to "think outside of the box." When you critically think, you go more into depth of the topic or situation.  Being more open minded about a topic is a good skill to have when you are critically thinking.  This term "critical thinking" relates to everything we have been learning in inquiry.  We just talked about mastery, and I believe in order to reach the level of mastery you have to be a critical thinker.  You also have to be intelligent in order to use the skill of critical thinking.  Critical thinking is a skill that all college students should learn to master.

New Vocabulary:

Logos: arguments based on facts and reason.
In my Media class we are learning that logos is one of Aristotle's artistic proofs.  While most people make their decisions based on emotions or strength of character/reputation and creditability, many people value arguments based on fact and reason.

Summary: drastically reduces version of what you're reading.
In English we are reading articles and learning how to summarize them.  Summaries are in your own words and are usually about one third the length of the original reading.

9I Lecture With Justice Sotomayor

On Monday October 21, Justice Sonia Sotomayor came to Southern Connecticut State University to share a little bit about herself.  The lecture was held at the Lynman Center at 7:00 pm.  Sonia Sotomayor was the first hispanic woman to ever become a Supreme Court Justice.  This was such a great opportunity for all the students at SCSU.  Listening to her was such a great experience and she shared a lot of interesting and helpful advice.

Sonia Sotomayor came to talk to Southern Students because her book, "My Beloved World" was the common read for all incoming freshman.  In her book she shared her life story and how she still accomplished her dream job after facing very difficult obstacles throughout her life time.  One of piece of advice that I remember Justice Sotomayor giving was to value your friendships now.  She said that your friends should help you learn about yourself.  It is very important to surround yourself with the right people.

This lecture with Sonia Sotomayor was such an inspiration.  I am so grateful to have got to listen to her in person.  She is such a great role model and she makes me believe that I can accomplish one of my dreams one day.

9B Midterm Grades

I am very happy with my midterm grades.  My goal throughout college is to get nothing lower than a B-.  So far my grades are B, B, B+, B+, and A.  I am aiming for at least a 3.0 for the first semester.  Throughout high school I was also a very good student and got all A's and B's and I am hoping that continues throughout college.

The class that I am struggling most with is Economics.  We get two quizzes for each chapter we learn.  The first quiz is in multiple choice form and the second quiz is more of a quiz with graphs and short answer questions.  So far I did well on two quizzes and not so well on the other two quizzes.  The quizzes are based on what we learn in class and what we read in the chapter.  My problem is that sometimes I wait until the last minute to read.  I have to learn to give myself more time to read so that when its time to take the quiz I did all the reading and I understood everything that I read.  In the future I am going to start reading a week or so before the quiz so that I do well on the rest of the quizzes for the semester.

I have been doing very well in my math class.  We have had two test so far- one being the midterm test.  I got a 98 on the chapter test and a 95 on the midterm.  All of my homework in math is online on the My Math Lab website and I make sure I do all the assignments before they are due.  We get a take home quiz every week that I have also been doing well on.  I am also doing well in Inquiry, English, and Media.

I know that as we move further into the semester the material is going to get harder.  So overall I just have to work on getting my Economics reading done so that I do well on the quizzes.  In order to reach my goal of getting all A's and B's throughout the semester, I just have to keep up all the good work and stay on top of my work!

Midterm Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMNxVH2ZWbI&feature=youtu.be

9A The Importance of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking leads to skills that can be learned, mastered, and used.  Although having good critical thinking skills is important, it is not an easy skill to develop.  In order to be a critical thinker you have to be strong at analyzing and identifying topics.  In high school I wasn't much of a critical thinker, now that I am in college, in order to be successful in school you have to be a good critical thinker.

All college professors want their students to be critical thinkers.  Not only is it important to be a critical thinker in class, but it is more important to be a critically thinking outside of class.  I have to use critical thinking when I am assigned to do reading for classes.  Just getting the reading done is not enough.  After I read the chapter or pages that  I am assigned to read, I have to go back and analyze what I have read.  It is very important to further reflect on what you have previously read.  When I had to read for homework in high school, I used to just read the chapter and do well on the tests.  During the first couple weeks of college I started to do what I did in high school.  After not doing so well on my first quiz based on the reading I had to change the way I read.  This is when critical thinking came in handy.  I now know that after I read a chapter I have to analyze and reflect on the readings. I also find that critical thinking comes in handy while writing my blogs each week.  After I gather my thoughts, I have to think about how I am going to organize all my thoughts.

Although becoming a critical thinker takes time, it definitely is an important skill to have.  Not only does critical thinking help me as a college student but it will also help in the future.  Knowing how to identify and analyze topics and arguments will always be a key skill. 

Midterm Rough Draft

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqD9mkC_ObU&feature=youtu.be

8V Mastery

Mastery: comprehensive knowledge or skill in a subject or accomplishment.

You can't just be good at something to reach mastery.  Becoming a master at something takes a lot of time and dedication.  Reaching the level of mastery at something also takes a lot of motivation.  If you aren't willing to take the time and effort to do something, you are never going to master it.  It is believed that you have to practice something for 10,000 hours before mastering it.  This is known as the  10,000 hour rule.  You will not be a master at something unless you completely dominate some skill.

New Vocabulary:

Qualification: a quality or accomplishment that makes someone suitable for a particular job or activity.
In my media class we are learning that qualification refers to the expertise of a source.  Qualification traits include; training, expertise, and knowledge.

Equilibrium: a state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced.

In my economics class we are learning about supply and demand and how important it is for markets to stay at a state of equilibrium.