Famous Last Words: SPRING BREAK!

We did not do any reading this week and I did not do any extra credit reading either. It was kind of nice to have a break this week to not read anything new. The other assignments this week allowed me to reflect back on the first half of the semester and decide my plans for the second half.

I also have not written a story in a couple weeks, since one was not required this week and I did not write one last week because I was too busy. I did read some wonderful stories written by my fellow classmates. It is so crazy how some people in my class are such amazing writers (and a lot of them are not majoring in English or anything writing related)! 

I did really bad on my last quiz in my capstone class. I knew it was going to be rough, but it was REALLY bad. Out of my group of friends in there, the best score on it was a 50% (if that tells you how bad it was). I'm still doing alright in the class and we have some extra credit points that she hasn't put in the grade book so hopefully I'll be fine. (I just need C's this semester anyway).

I talked last week about how I was going to be planning my graduation trip and we ended up changing where we were going like 4 times. Luckily, my mom's best friend's mom has some time shares throughout the U.S. and she is letting me use one. We (my boyfriend and I) are going to Surfside Beach, S.C. which is only a few miles south of Myrtle Beach (so we'll be there a lot). Since she has a timeshare, the resort was very cheap. Instead of it being around $1300 for a week, I only had to be $300! That definitely helps out a lot. We'll be able to go more places and eat where we want instead of stressing about money. I'm really excited!

This week (SPRING BREAK!) my boyfriend and I are going up to his grandpa's/aunt and uncle's lake house at Lake Tenkiller. We are pretty bummed because the weather is going to be cold and rainy pretty much the whole time we are there. Also, we heard that the lake is 6-7 feet low right now. We were hoping to go fishing a bunch, but it doesn't look like that is happening. I think we are planning on just chilling, watching movies, and eating food while we are down there (which is totally alright with me). I need a break from school and work so this is going to be amazing.

The top picture I attached is from a fishing spot we like to go to that is really close to the lake house. We have never caught anything really great from there but it is always pretty. The bottom picture is from our favorite trout fishing spot off the Illinois River (which we will probably go to again like usual).

I'm hoping we will get lucky and get some warmer weather but I'm not putting any money on it. 

Lake Tenkiller 2016, Personal Photo.

Illinois River 2012, Personal Photo.

Review: Lesson Learned

I enjoyed this image because it can be applied to everything. I know a lot of the times I get frustrated from making a mistake and after it happens I just try to avoid the situation completely instead of learning from it and trying again. I seem to shut down if I don't get it write the first time. It is important to keep going and not give up even if you don't succeed at first. Try try again. Learning from your mistakes is a huge part of growing.

Don't Give Up, Laura Gibbs.

Learning Challenge: The Present

I have actually seen this video on Facebook before, and I love it every time I watch it. The dog is so happy, even if he is missing a limb and is being kicked around. It really shows how we need to be happy and find the good in all situations. The boy was distant and did not like the dog at first. It almost seemed like he was making fun of him for being disabled. When I first saw this video, I thought it was horrible when the boy dismissed the dog, but you soon find out more about the boy. He becomes empathetic for the dog because he truly does understand what he is going through. This is a beautiful short film.

Still from "The Present," YouTube.

Bibliography

"The Present-Official" by Institute of Animation, Visual Effects and Digital Postproduction at the Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg in Ludwigsburg, Germany, Youtube.

Growth Mindset: Positivity

I know for a fact that I focus on the negative. I've even had friends and family tell me that I complain a lot. If someone says "your hair looks nice today," I immediately wonder why it didn't look nice the day before or the day before that, instead of accepting the compliment. The video talks about how important positivity is and how we can have more of it in our lives. If we keep practicing positive habits and thoughts, it will become a regular thing in our lives. Try to see the good in everything and everyone. Also, just because you don't see a difference right away, doesn't mean what ever you are doing isn't working, sometimes things take a moment.

Enjoy the little things, Pixabay. 

Bibliography

I watched the video "The Biology of Positivity" by Harvard Education.

Wikipedia Trail: From Ganges to Small Tortoiseshell

Ganges

I wanted to look up the Ganges river to see where it was and see pictures. It came up a few times in the Mahabharata and wanted to know if it was real. It flows through India and Bangladesh. 

South Asian River Dolphin (Ganges Dolphin)

In the previous wikipedia page, it talked about how the Ganges river is home to the endangered species of the Ganges Dolphin. I was curious what made it different from normal dolphins. It is a freshwater or river dolphin (I thought dolphins were only in the ocean!). 

List of National Animals

The Ganges Dolphin was considered to be the "national aquatic animal" of India. It took me to a list of national animals and I want to see what kind of diverse animals made the list.

Small Tortoiseshell

The Small Tortoiseshell is actually a species of butterfly that is the national butterfly of Denmark. The picture on the previous list was beautiful and I wanted to see more. I was actually fooled by the picture on the list because it made it appear that the butterfly had a brilliant purple outline around its wrings but it was actually the flower it was sitting on. It now sorta looks like a normal butterfly. 

Ganges River in Varanasi, Wikipedia.

Week 8 Growth Mindset

I seem to be putting myself to go farther in this class much more than my other classes; I do the bare minimum for most classes. At work, however, I tend to go past the expectations. I like to stay in my comfort zone for most things so writing stories and getting feedback from others was definitely something new that helped me get out of my bubble. I 100% focus on grades and not learning. I partially blame that on the school system for making grades seem so important and my parents were always expecting a good report card. I also tend to choose what is easy and not challenge myself. I hate spending time practicing; I want to be good at things quickly. This class has helped me not do assignments at the last minute because I am getting closer and closer to the 410 points I need to get an A. I can see the end. I compare myself to others frequently and I am not very confident in my abilities. Writing a few stories in this class, that I actually were really proud of, has helped my confidence. Because this class is so freely structured and you get full points for completing the assignment, it has shown me my real intentions. At first, I just wanted to do the assignment and get the grade. Now, I feel like I really do want to put in my best work even though it won't make a difference in the grade book.

Work Harder, Flickr.

Week 8 Reflections

Reading

I have enjoyed reading the online options because it is easy for me, as a commuter, to read whenever and where ever I am. I enjoyed the Ramayana the most for sure. I really enjoyed the "Sita Sings the Blues" YouTube version. I have mostly just been reading when I can. I try to make the Monday or Tuesday deadline, then use the extra reading assignment to cover if I miss one of the others. 

I still haven't been able to really do the reading notes right. I right them as if I am going to take a test about the reading. I haven't been able to read like a writer yet. It is easier for me to take notes over the story and then go back and pick something that interested me. 

I think I am going to continue the Karmic Revolution version of the Mahabharata on YouTube. I have enjoyed it to so far. It has helped me understand the Mahabharata with its intricate story and many characters.

Writing

I have enjoyed my stories more and more every week. My last story I wrote, week 5, was my favorite one by far. It seemed I had a lot less things to fix in that one as well. I need to be a little more creative with my stories. I feel like they are all similar somewhat; I have not written anything especially interesting or crazy. 

I might try to write a story exclusive from the point of view of one person or try one that is like a diary style. (Week 6 I wrote a planning story about possibly doing a diary style but I have not written a story yet). 

Connecting

I admire that others came up with such creative stories. I need to be more creative in my writing. I have noticed a few stories that have many small errors like words misspelled, words left out, etc. I want to make sure I do not have those kinds of mistakes in my writing. I think I have been doing a decent job with feedback. It's hard sometimes because I feel like if I make too many suggestions or point out mistakes I might be being too harsh but I really just want to be helpful. 

Writing a Story, Pexel

Tech Tip: Quote

I'm sure everyone feels this way! I used Canva for this one! (I wish I actually was going camping).