Step Into A World

The reaccuring message in this book is that if you set your mind to something, you cant do it. Everything that I'm reading is pointing to this. The shifting of mindset is a perfect example of this. She talks about expanding your intelligence, your ability to grow your mind and gain talents you didn't know you had. Its all about shifting your one perspective mindset. The mindset that only see's what the world is through your eyes. How your not good at something because the first time you tried you realized that your worse than you think. It makes you secluded in your own small talents. It will drive you to the point of unhappiness. A fixed mindset will only make you feel like your the only one on the planet. The book talks about changing this. It helps you realize that what you really want will take some time to achieve.
This is shown in the book by the story of a painter. His name was Jackson Pollock. He wasn't "born" a painter. Even though he wan't very good to begin with, he still perspired and worked at it. Pollock is known as one of the greatest American painters in the twentieth century.
The arguement that they are trying to get across is that you need to take control of your own life. Its up to you to get ahold of your thought process. Its hard to live happy if your too scarred to try new things. Its easy once you work at it. You start to not care what other people tell you about what you really want to do. You just need to get out of a short mindset. Humans have alot more ability than most people think. Everyone has the ability to learn anything they want and be good at it.

My video project

I am happy with my finished project. This was my very first time constructing a video from scratch. It was also my first time using Windows Movie Maker.
In doing this video, I wanted to get other people's perspective about Southern life. Some were for living on campus, others regret thier decision. This is understandable, it's hard going from high school to college. The upper classmen had said the same thing, they understand what were going through. With this video, I tried to form my own opinion and found a message to send to incoming freshman.
Although this isn't the most entertaining thing to watch (I don't really know how to do so) it does have a purpose. I interviewed people with different perspectives on college. I wanted to get a group of people that were different so it wasn't redundant.
Since i decided to go to Southern, I didn't know much about this school. I figure its just a college to go to. The more i ask around, the more I realize that alot of people had this mentality. Its easy to just keep letting it happen, but I don't think its right to have students come here blind. They shouldn't have to come here and not know what really goes on here. I know at orientation they didnt tell us how the food has laxitives (this is a fact) and the geography of New Haven. Having lived in Wet Haven, i always knew the area. At orientation, you'd be suprised the amount of people who had no idea of New Haven and its rank as one of the top ten most dangerous cities in America.
This video is to dismiss this. Its for they questions that they don't cover during orientation.

Video project

When conducting interviews, i asked questions that I would have like to know when i came to this school. Its hard enough to leave everything you knew behind, and it's even harder when you have no idea where your going. To move into a whole new enviorment is hard for anyone.
I wanted to know how the people were here. That was the biggest thing. I wanted to know how people interacted with others, and how faculty and teachers interacted in class. Now that I'm here, i understand what college is about. Its next to impossible to figure this out before coming to college.
I asked those who i interviewed:
 1.Why they came to this school. I want to know what brought everyone here.
2. If they enjoy being here. I'm trying to find out whether everyone enjoys being here.
3. How much different college is than high school for them.
4. If they struggle at all, and if not what precautions they take to not.
5. If they like commuting/living on campus.

Although these questions will vary because of the age group, I still want to figure out what Southern is like. I still feel brand new here, only living here for a handful of weeks. I still need answers to certain questions, and the more i stay here the more i understand.
Some people have other problems they come into when they come here, but I knew it would be a lot of work. I just hoped that the people wouldn't be awful. Its easy to find a group of friends no matter who you are. Its just putting yourself out there.
I feel like the new students who came in really didn't know that much about Southern. I want to make the video about what you don't see at orientation. I want to talk about the things they leave out (whether it be on purpose or not) and let whoever know thats willing to listen. This video will hopefully clear up what is unknown.

TIME

Time is something we can never get back. Its very important to keep track of it.

With that said, I think i'm spending my time pretty well in college. Ive come to realize that i dedicate alot of time towards school now. Close to 3/4 of my time is school and the work that entails. I figure thats a good ratio to have in college. I'd rather work hard now than later. I want my free time to be spent when i can afford to do what i want.
Doing work isn't that bad to me either. I almost enjoy it when i like when it comes out. Its something to take as a challenge. I want to have the best paper, make the best blog. It takes time and I understand that. Thats why you MUST dedicate the majority of your time to school.
When I don't have work to do, I like to pretty much hangout with myself. I've come to realize that I like doing things on my own. It makes you have to deal with the problems that you make by yourself. Its also much easier to relax when I'm on my own. I have my own ways of winding down. Just as much as you need to dedicate your time to school, you need to set time aside for yourself. You can't just work all the time. You need to have time to relax or else your days just start blending into eachother. There has to be something to distinguish your days.
All in all, I think i'm doing the right thing in college. I'm putting time aside to do work and to settle down everyday. I just need to find the right balance.

http://capnmismis.blogspot.com/

This blog, in my opinion, is A material. All the thoughts and idea's are clear to see and it holds your attention. Nothings worse than reading something that makes you think of everything other than what their saying. This blog gives their own idea's, but also leaves room to understand why. Its not just facts, it explains why they thought that.
When "she" (i think its a she) talks about the ten thousand hour rule, she doesnt just say what practice is and what she practices. In her case, writing was her form of art. To be able to express your feelings through words was always tough for me and i even envy those who are good at it. Nothings worse than not having anything to say. I understandwhy you would put 10,000 hours into that. Reading her blog gave me a better insight on why some choose that path. Thats why i would want to read blogs. I dont care what people do on a day to day basis, i want to know what people think.

Tips

The tips I've picked up from coming here is this: stay up on your graduation process because noone else will. Everyone thats older has said that the school counselors do not help you at all.
Keeping this in mind has to be number one because my ultimate goal is to graduated in four years. Alot of things factor into this goal. Keeping up on your schoolwork is easy to do if you set aside time. Time manegment is something that has to be worked on when you come to college. Since college is a hundred times different than high school, you need to completely turn around how you did school work. You cant coast through college and think you don't need to do the same work as everyone else. The way I did work in high school is nothing compared to what i have to do now.
Changing this is the toughest thing for me. I'm used to doing the bare minimum to get by. In college, the bare minimum will get you nowhere. You need to stay on your work, noone else is there to help you. Its not a bad thing, theres a reason why everyone doesn't graduate. Its all up to you.
Its a nice feeling knowing your future is in your hands now. Its just up to you to make all your decisions and to follow up on your promises. This is where life begins for the majority of us.

"Practice makes perfect, but nobody’s perfect, so why practice?”

While reading through the ten thousand hour rule article, one thing that seems to pop out.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.
This is the truth. When you practice at something you want to do, you get better. The good part about this is that you don't feel like your practicing if you enjoy it. If you have something you love doing, every time you do it your "practicing." Sometimes you don't even notice the progress you've been making until you step back and really compare.
Perfecting what you love is an easy task. In the article, he talks about the Beatles. At one point, they were nobodys. They just loved playing music and did it every night. They didnt do it just to put in time and to get famous. They thoroughly enjoyed playing on a stage every night. They could call it practice, but it would never feel like it. You gradually get better as the days go on, but you dont notice because your always looking for more. You always want to get better. If you love something, you will want to master it. Attack it from all sides to know every little detail about it. Know everything you can do to make it different from someone else. Thats why you love it.

Overcoming Obstacles

My biggest obstacle was to just let go. To shift my whole mindset to something we've been thinking since we came into this world. We are born to beleive that we are the center of the world, the universe even. Slowly training your brain against this is no easy task, but it will make you a better person as a whole.
An example of this could be waiting in a long line at the grocery store. You wait a long time and when its your turn, you get an attitude from the 17 year old girl ringing your groceries up. The first thing that comes to mind is why did she have to act like that? Why you? Thats the thing. It isn't just you in line, you don't know what that girl has been through that particular day. She could've just got screamed at by her boss for moving to slow because she's tired after a long night of homework. All it takes is a smile to turn that persons day around. All of us have this ability, but its up to you to act on it.
Training your brain to think of others before you is easy in certain situations, but to think like that all the time is something you need to work on. I found myself getting mad at the stages of the day because of the work i have to do. Everyone has work to do, so why not be happy with it? Everyone has problems and stress. To be happy in this world, you need to keep your head above all the stress.
You are not the center of everyone around you. You need to remember this.

Setting the tone

college to me is all about building up my character and morals as a person. Sure you go to college to gain knowledge, but I've been doing that since grammer school. Ever since we were kids we've been taught right and wrong. We've never been tested on these lessons, we've hardly ever had the chance to mold oursleves. Coming to college not only broadens your idea about life and what you need to do to be successful, but it also puts you in situations that really make you learn about yourself. I've been learning about dead presidents and world wars, but you cant be taught who you are. I'm not in college because it'll make me more money in the future. I'm here to build myself, and to find out what really makes me happy. My ultimate goal is to wake up with a smile on my face everyday, and to go to bed with a clear consious. If i have to go to college to hang on the back a garbage truck, then so be it if it makes me happy. Everyone i run into thinks i'm crazy for this, but its the truth. I can be homeless as log as I'm happy. People lose touch wih this and seek happiness in inatimate objects. Your the only one who can make you happy, or a significant other if you decide to let them into your life. College is just another step in life, and not everyone has to do it.

Safari

After math class i asked my professor if i could ask her a few questions. The best ones i could think of was do you enjoy being a teacher, and why did she choose math. Her response was that she had loved to teach, and had even got in trouble in 1st grade for dictating class. She never regretted her life choice. She said she always excelled in math, so it made sense to go into that field.

My style

While searching around i found out that people are either; brutally honest, or say what people want to hear. I want my blog to be mine. I dont want to worry about what I'm putting on here, i dont want to spare anyones feelings on my blog. I'm not a hateful person, or have extreme biased views about others. You can see other blogs that bash other people's ideas, or make someone feel small just to get views. I want my blog to reflect my opinions and me as a person. My blog will have my idea's and impressions, not something to just read. Although i am only doing this for a grade, I'm still going to put me into it. I dont want to have to a crazy blog name to get attention, nor do I want cool pictures and video's to make someone else entertained. You can find that somewhere else on the computer. What i want is something you can read and say it came from me. If its entertaining, then so be it. I want people to get hooked on my words, not all the other bells and whistles.