Hey! So obviously I haven't posted in a while. I've been quite busy and tired. I swear I do want to keep up with this blog, I just got to figure out how I'm going to do that. To hold you over: here are some of my hw assignments. WOOOOO HOMEWORK!!
Intro To General Education: Week 1 Reflection
What are some of the most important things you have learned in school prior to coming to UA? What has made them so important? In what ways have you applied that learning?
In my many years of schooling, I have learned a lot. I learned how to work in a team and split the work up. That comes in handy for every group project and really any teamwork even outside of the classroom. When you're in a team and you have a common goal it can be good to split up the work because it can be more effective. More stuff done in a short period of time. I learned how to ask for help when I need it. That is a very important skill to have. Not everything comes easy. Some things are harder than others. Asking for help shows you are putting in the effort and want to learn, want to improve your skills. At work, I would always ask questions. Sometimes I felt bad because I would ask the same question 10 different times, but I know that memory isn't my strongest asset and I still want to produce the best work possible. Instead of guessing, I just ask what the correct thing to do is. I learned how to challenge ideas. I don’t exactly go out of my way to do it outloud, but I know how to. In school I learned how to not get stuck on my own idea and think about things from others point of view. This helps me be a more well rounded person who is open to new things. It also makes me stand up for what I believe in and argue on that idea's behalf.
What are some valuable lessons you have learned outside of schoolwork? Consider teams or clubs you may have been in, jobs you may have had, things you’ve learned from family or neighbors - anything not related to classes you’ve taken. What made those lessons stick with you?
My senior year of high school was my first year with a packed schedule. Besides the 3 Ap classes I was taking, I had swim, flags, and work (all time-commitments). Juggling school stuff and extra stuff really made my time management and organization skills grow. I had to make sure I could get everything done and still be able to be present at activities. Being part of a team (sports team, club, or work) means you have a responsibility to fulfill that position that other people are relying on you to fulfill. If you don’t put in your part, it not only puts you behind, but also your team. The flag team met everyday before school, had to practice on our own outside of school, and attend games that we were to perform at. It was a huge commitment. We were a small team (post pandemic) meaning that it was really important that everyone put in their part. When people didn’t practice on their own it became obvious and others got annoyed. When people were late, it was obvious, and quickly became a big problem. The people who were on task got really annoyed with those who weren't. I felt like they weren’t really putting in effort to be a member of the team. I always made sure to do my part and felt super guilty on mornings when I was late. Being on a team, especially this team, that was small and performed in front of people was a big responsibility and learning experience. We relied on each other especially during performances. If a few of us looked bad it could reflect on the whole team.
I started swimming freshman year of high school. It was nerve racking because I was new to it while most people had a background in swimming. This taught me to get out of my comfort zone and how beneficial it can be. If I never tried, I wouldn’t know much fun I could have swimming. I’ve never been the fastest swimmer but I don't let that stop me from doing what I love. It taught me to work hard, push myself, and not to compare myself to others. Competitive swimming is all about what time you get and who you're faster than. I quickly became low of myself because of how slow I was. Over time though, I learned to set my own goals that are just to benefit me rather than be hard on myself cause I wasn’t as fast as someone who has swam since they were 6. My goals became to beat my own times and work on my technique. Switching my focus actually helped me become a better teammate because I wasn't comparing myself to my teammates anymore. I was just another swimmer who was trying to improve. This showed me that sometimes it's okay to focus on yourself and how valuable working towards your own goals can be.
In what ways do you think your academic and non-academic learning prior to coming to UA relates to or has prepared you for success at UA?
I think my learning of how to manage my time last year has really prepared me for college. It has shown me what the best organization is for me: a paper planner. I learned how to think ahead and do work early when I knew I might be busy the next few days. This has really given me a foundation to start at the University of Arizona. I think the first important thing you do as a freshman is learn how to be on your own and create your own schedule. We have our class schedules and now we have to work out when to study, when to go to social gatherings, when to attend club meetings, when to have time for ourselves, and when to be active. College is said to be the best time of your life but it's also an incredibly busy time. In order to actually make it the best time you have to learn how to fit everything together. Already I’m overwhelmed by the amount of the things the University of Arizona has to offer. Of course this is a wonderful thing, but there are so many things I want to try and not enough time in the week. I learned how to prioritize doing things at a certain time and that will definitely come in handy now. For example, I'll do the thing that is due tomorrow first before the thing that is due in a week. I'll do work before doing fun things, but I’ll check in with myself and give myself time if I need it. Class wise, taking AP psych has definitely prepared me to be a psych major at UA and has gotten me a little bit of a start already since I got a 5 on the AP Test. Not only will the concepts I learned in that class help me in my major, they will help in all areas. We learned learning strategies and how memory works. Repetition and recall is always better than last minute cramming. In AP Stats I learned about stats (obviously) and that will give me a head start in my data class this semester. In AP Literature, I learned how to analyze literature and write timed essays which will likely help in future English studies. Taking AP classes last year really set me in both knowledge and organization skills. It has also helped make college seem like less of a leap, since I have a background in having a busy schedule. I learned that the best way to set myself up for success personally is to be organized and make sure I have a healthy balance of everything I need in my life. This has helped me prepare for my time at the UA.
English Journal Week 1
1.) This class is all about storytelling. Think about the stories you tell about
yourselves. The messages you send, consciously or subconsciously. How
does your style, the way you present yourself, the way you literally present
yourself (social media bios / posts, who you identify as, etc.) present you to
the world? Explore this. Is it true to who you are?
This prompt has brought up internal conflict for me. On one hand I want to speak my truth, but on the other I feel compelled to add and subtract things from the truth. Before coming here, the thing I was told the most about college is that you can be whoever you want to be. No one knows you so the time to remake yourself is now. That is quite tempting because the truth is when you first meet me I can be very shy or quiet. I don’t know exactly what to say or how to insert myself into conversations. I’m not the most natural conversationalist, if anything I can be quite awkward. Is this how I choose to be? Not exactly, it’s just how I am. I want to be more outgoing, I want to present myself with confidence. But I think college is about growth rather than drastic change. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of change, and these changes make us change, but in order to not feel like i'm on a completely different planet I need to keep some of what already makes me me. I think I’ve found a balance: be myself, but push myself out of my comfort zone to be the best possible version of myself. This starts with acknowledging who I am right now. The most obvious way I make myself known is through my fandoms. I am a huge fangirl of various things: Harry Potter, Minecraft Youtube, Markiplier, Disney, Stranger Things, Horror, Books, and more. I am very passionate about the things that bring me joy and that is the easiest way to get me to talk. I will talk for ages about the things I love. These things bring me comfort which makes it an easier way to put myself out there. If you scroll through my instagram it becomes very clear what I like. I tend to make my interests known rather than just posting events from my life. And the events I do post are times that brought me a lot of joy. It's easy for me to present my interests and what I'm involved in but that is sorta surface level stuff. I don't tend to get deeper until I've known the person for a while, a good while. I am what I like but I’m also much more than that. I have other passions, lots of goals, and opinions.
Week 3
3.) What is your earliest memory of using the internet? Tell a story. When did
you get your own personal device with internet access? How did that
change your relationship with the internet? What is your relationship with
the internet like now?
I got a phone in 2014, so I was 10 and still in elementary school. I remember thinking that 10 was a good age to get a phone since it was double digits. I would always bring it up to my parents. I didn’t think it was actually going to happen until my dad gave me his old iphone 4. He said I had to share it with my brother. We are only 11 months apart, so he gets a lot of the same benefits that I do. I remember I didn’t really feel the need to memorize my parents phone numbers because they were on my phone that I always had with me. This continues to this day. I can remember some of the digits now but can't remember if it's my dad's number or my moms, so I always have to check. I do remember my own phone number, but that was pretty easy.
My first instagram post that I can recall was in 2015. I got my own laptop at a pretty young age too. My dad works in tech and had a spare computer that he gave to me. I was a big gamer in my youth: mostly Minecraft and the Sims 4. I have screenshots saved in the cloud from playing Minecraft in 2016, so I presume I got my laptop around that time. My brother, Alex, and I would always be playing minecraft together, especially during the summer. This meant that I was constantly staring at a screen. When I was out of the house I used my phone, and when I was in the house I was on my laptop. I also had a tv in my room in elementary school. I watched dvds on it until Netflix came out, then I watched everything on Netflix. I used Netflix and Youtube a lot and I still use them a lot. Because I had such easy access to all these things, I would always be playing noise. I frequently multitasked: playing a game while watching a show. I watched a lot of shows when I was younger and watched them all multiple times. I’m so used to the constant sound that sometimes I feel uncomfortable without it. I don't play games as much anymore but when I do there has to be some kind of interesting sound happening. The game has to have more than just music, I need to be talking to someone, or I will have something on in the background. Because that’s how I grew it, it is so ingrained in me to be constantly ‘on’ or engaged. Earbuds make it so much easier to be ‘on’ as well. Everyone is constantly walking around with noise in their head. I haven't done it in the past 3 weeks but that's really only because I lost my earbuds before I left home. I've stopped multitasking while doing homework because I know it's really not good for my learning. In this way I’ve matured in knowing when it’s not appropriate to be ‘on.’ I still multitask when I play the occasional game but it's recreational so I think it's okay.
I use the internet for everything: google is my best friend. I’m on social media everyday. Instagram figured out how to trap me: constant cat reels. I have twitter, reddit, snapchat, discord, and tiktok. I use instagram the most but I still have such easy access to all these other sources because they are in the palm of my hand (literally).
During covid, literally everything had to be online and I got really into some internet personalities, but the only way to follow them is through the internet. I really like them so I'm always checking the internet for updates.
To summarize, I, like many other people my age, am absolutely addicted to the internet and my phone. I want to be more present but these habits have been ingrained in me for years and are how I grew up so it’s hard to get out of.
Interpersonal Relationships Reflection Week 1
3.How does this content connect to your career field?
I’m majoring in psychology and listening has a big importance in psychology. Whether it's talking to other people or thinking about the sensations the brain receives and how you perceive it. Many people can receive the same stimuli and interpret it in different ways based on their schema. A schema that one person has is probably not exactly the same as someone else’s. Our background and experiences really influence how we perceive things. It's the age old argument: nature or nurture. I'm an anxious person and tend to think people are judging me or mad at me. This impacts how I perceive things. If someone says ‘good job!’ I might think they are saying it out of pity. Other people would just accept the compliment.
4.What is your preferred listening type (descriptive,informational, or empathetic) why?
My preferred type of listening is empathetic. A lot of people struggle with empathy but a lot of people need it. People just want to be understood and know that they aren’t alone. We live in a very self centered society today, especially in individualistic cultures like America. I like to try to be there for people and help in any way I can even if it’s just listening. Sometimes all people need is an ear to listen to them.
5.What is your preferred listening style(people oriented, action oriented, or content oriented)?
My preferred listening style is people oriented. I definitely can get distracted from what the person is actually saying because I'm thinking about how they are feeling. For example, when I listen to my coworkers talk about their morning and they say they didn’t have the best morning because they lost their phone. I ask them if they are okay. When I see someone struggling, I ask them if they want help. When I listen to my friend talk about their fears for college life, I ask them how they feel about it and try to reassure them in any way I can. Sometimes when people get a far away look, I ask if they are okay or what they are thinking about instead of whatever topic was actually being said out loud.
Interpersonal Relationships Week 3
Emotional Intelligence Videos
1. Using all the videos as a reference point, please write a 500-word minimum summarizing and providing your understanding of emotional intelligence. Personal examples and should be included (e.g., the pros and cons etc.).
Emotional intelligence is all about being in tune with how you feel and what your triggers are. It’s understanding how your emotions show up. It's being confident in yourself: knowing your capability, worth, and limitations. Brian Bauer and Sharon Dauk from the videos talk about the importance of self awareness. They say you can't be emotionally intelligent if you are not self aware. The two go hand in hand. You can't be receptive to others emotions if you're not even aware of your own. This is like how people often say that in romantic relationships you can’t really love your partner if you don’t love yourself first. You can't figure out what's important to other people if you don't know what's important to you or what you value.
Brian said he thinks someone with high emotional intelligence makes you feel as if you're the only person in the room when they listen to you. They make the speaker feel seen and understood. It’s like empathy, really understanding what the other person is going through.
People often associate being emotional or emotionally intelligent with being weak so they don’t think of it as something that’s super necessary. People also didn’t believe those people could make it to the top of the work food chain because it was a weakness. Brain believes that anyone can learn, men included. Even if women are viewed as the more ‘emotional’ gender. He recounts his own experience and says it didn’t come naturally to him but that he really cared about it so he learned. Caring is an important part of learning to be emotionally intelligent.
Sharon says that becoming self aware is the hardest part of being emotionally intelligent .One way she gives to be more aware is physically writing down the things you like to do. You tend to be good at the things you like to do since you do them so much. Practice makes perfect. An example of this in my own life was the flag team. I loved flagging and had so much fun. I worked incredibly hard to show my worth on the team and become a great flagger after having no previous experience. I practiced every day, especially during the summer when I first started. My hard work was obvious to my coach, my team, and even myself. I’m not the most self aware, so I tend to look over things that I'm ‘good’ at. Because I saw that my hard work paid off I started loving to flag even more because it's something that I actually know I'm good at. I can say I'm good at it with absolute confidence. I think it can be a cycle. You do something you like a lot, become good at it, you like it even more because you're good at it, and so on. In this way it's good to know what you like because you tend to be driven when it comes to that thing. Sharon believes personality cannot be changed but like Brain believes emotional intelligence can be changed. A final tip Sharon says is to get rid of your inner critic. I definitely agree. My inner critic tends to be really hard on myself so I heavily judge myself. This tends to make me judge others as well even if I don't want to be judgemental.
Interpersonal Relationships: My house
- The Chimny is how you let off steam
-The attic is things you hide from people
-The Walls are things you surround yourself with
-The windows are goals
-The door is significant people
-The foundation are my values
Some fun photos:
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