Self-Assesment

Jacob LoSchaivo

Self-Assessment

                       

The syllabus that we received at the beginning of the semester described what the teacher wanted us to learn or strive to learn from the course. “This INQ section challenges students to immerse themselves in the college experience: juggle multiple tasks, be problem solvers, ask questions, take risks, grapple with difficulty, be creative, learn from failure, take ownership over their own learning, and apply abstract concepts to their actual everyday lives.” I also had to learn to better manage my time and to develop better study habits. I was successful with some of these challenges throughout the semester. However, I also struggled with some of them too.

The one thing I feel like I had success with in this course was being creative. I learned to be more creative through the blogs. The blogs were a great way to be creative and to express my thoughts on a past class assignment or discussion. I really liked the free choice blogs because I was able to write about something that I was familiar with but I was still able to be creative and express myself. Another challenge that I feel like I was able to accomplish was that you can always learn from failure. For example, in the beginning of the semester I skipped class more than I should of and missed a lot of work and was failing multiple classes at the midterm point, which not only affected my GPA but put me at risk to not be eligible to swim the next semester. I wasn’t failing because I wasn’t smart enough; I was failing because I wasn’t attending class every day. I learned, through failure, that it’s very important that I attend class everyday so I don’t miss any notes and or work. Swimming helped me to learn from failure too. Swimming is arguable one of the most difficult sports to train especially on a college level with two practices a day and weightlifting on some days too.  Training so hard can leave you physically and mentally tired. Therefore, I do not always perform my best weather it’s at practice or at meets. At first, I felt like I was failing to help the team when I didn’t perform well at meets but I learned that I’m not always going to do my best and I should look at how hard I train and how it will pay off at the end of the season.

Although I have learned many things in my first semester I also struggled with time management and poor study habits. I thought that I would be able to manage swim practice, weightlifting, class, and still complete all my homework. However, I struggled to fit my homework into my day and either rushed through it or didn’t do it at all. It took me a while to figure out the best way to get my homework done, but I feel like in my future semesters I will be able to get all my homework done. One of the big differences between college and high school is freedom. In college, there are no parents, teachers, or anyone telling you to make sure you get your homework done or to study. One of my problems I had this semester was studying. It seemed that every day there was a test, quiz, or blog, someone always wanted to hang out or go out the night before. Having the freedom to do whatever I want, sometimes I made the wrong decisions and chose to go out instead of studying. Another thing that tends to cut into my study time is my computer, video games and sleeping. My computer has my music and the internet. I always find myself going on Facebook when I should be studying or doing homework.            

In conclusion, this first semester has taught me a lot. Through inquiry class I learned that it is very important to develop a good schedule. Staying ahead of your work and making sure you get all your work done on time takes a lot of stress off and makes the class so much easier. I also learned that you need to use your time wisely. Time doesn’t stop for anyone and it is important that I use my time studying and getting my homework done. Inquiry class showed me what I need to do to be successful in college.

A healthy body is a healthy mind....

 

One of my favorite way to relieve stress is to swim it away.  Swimming is a great way to relieve stress after a long day of work and school. When your swimming your doing physical work and it gives your mind a break. The concentration you use while your swimming takes your mind off whatever was bothering you. Sometimes the best way to get rid of what is bothering you is to not think about it. Not only is swimming a good way to relieve stress it also is a really good way to get exercise the body. Exercise is another good way i like to relieve stress. Exercising, just like swimming, on a steady basis can increase the bodies health. A fit and healthy body has better flow of blood to the brain and allows you to think better. In conclusion, i like to relieve my stress by going for a swim and letting the water take my mind of my problems or by working out on a steady basis. 

Curve This!

I believe that grade inflation isn't as bad as people make it out to be. In today's economy it is a struggle to find jobs and therefore employer's are cautious on who they hire. In recent years the rising grades are coming from private universities such as Princeton, Harvard, and Dartmouth. I believe that a student who graduates from a school like Princeton, Harvard, or Dartmouth is more likely to get hired over a student from a school like Southern. Even with the students from the private universities getting the benefits of grade inflation they still are more likely to get hired because of their academic background. If a student from Southern and a student from Princeton both graduated with 4.0 GPA, who are you going to hire? Now what if we compared southern to schools that are not prominent Ivy league schools, grade inflation could play a bigger role on who gets the job because the employer is looking more towards the GPA. Grade inflation occurs almost everywhere. In a way it kinda equals out the effect of it if most students are getting some sort of grade inflation. Grade inflation doesn't necessarily have to be on overall grades either. Teachers sometimes give out "curves" on tests and quizzes.  A curve is when a teacher gives you a higher grade then what was actually received. Curves are usually given when a student is close to the next letter grade. For example, a teacher may curve a 88 to a 90 just so a student gets that A.

It's that time of the year and I'm not talking about Halloween...

 

It’s that time of the year for midterm grades to come out. It’s a good way to show people how well or how bad they are doing in their classes. I personal like this because if I’m doing bad in a class I still have time to get my grades up. It’s like a last warning that you need to start studying more or get some help from your professor.  As far as my midterm grades go I can’t say that I’m completely satisfied because I know I’m a lot smarter than what my grades show. This just shows me that I need to make improvements on my work habits. I know I’m smart enough to understand and learn the material but I don’t have the best study habits. I’m a huge procrastinator and I need to learn how to just get my work done.  The one thing that has been helping so far this semester is my weekly 5 hours of mandatory study hall. In study hall I manage to get most of my work done for my classes. Without study hall I feel like my grade would be affected in a bad way. For the second half of the semester, my main goal is to pass all my classes. Other than passing my classes I want to develop better study habits and better work habits.

My Project

Jacob's Project

Peer Mentor

A peer mentor was recently introduced into our inquiry classes. What exactly is the role of a peer mentor?  To me the peer mentor’s are meant to provide information, support, and advice to the students if needed. Lee was just introduced to my inquiry class a couple of weeks ago and she has done just that. Lee, being a part of the southern community and having more experience than us in college, she can easily give us advice and information on what she has done on campus. Having a peer mentor adds another way for us to learn about opportunities around campus or about activities to participate in like free hugs. We need to remember that a peer mentor is a student just like us. Being around the same age, students may find it easier to ask question to a peer mentor rather than a professor.  Peer mentors also add another dimension to our inquiry class. In college, students need to learn to think outside the box and need to learn how to be more open about themselves as individuals. For example, we are going to be doing a bucket list. A bucket list is a list of things that you want to do before you die. Most of the things on the list are stuff that people are afraid to do or have a strong interest in doing. By making a bucket list it may open our eyes that we should try new things and step out of our boxes.

A "wildstyle" "throw up" !

Graffiti by definition is the name for images or lettering scratched, painted, or marked on a piece of property. Graffiti can consist of simple words or can be an elaborate wall painting. Graffiti has dated back to ancient times. The earliest forms of graffiti were said to have existed in 30,000 B.C in cave paintings and pictographs. However, in today society graffiti is considered to be vandalism or defacement, which is a crime.

Graffiti is said to be used to express underground hip-hop, but it is also used by gangs to tag their territory or to show the gang activity in the area.

"Tag"

There are many types of graffiti and many believe and say it’s more of an art and not meant to deface a property but to decorate and express lifestyles and way of living. One type of graffiti is to “tag”. Tagging is the most common form of graffiti in today’s society. Tag’s are pretty much the artist’s personalized signature but can also be a secret message, or a crew’s initials.

"throw up"

Another form of graffiti is “throw up” which is meant to be done quickly and consists only of two or three colors. One more form of graffiti is a “piece”. A piece is an elaborate drawing of the artists name using more stylized letters and more colors but this type of graffiti takes much more time and increases the chances of getting caught.

The most complex type of graffiti is known as “wildstyle”. These types of images contain interlocking letters and connecting points and are very difficult for non graffiti artists to read. These types of pieces can take up to months to complete for they are done in many colors and cover a large area.

"Wildstyle"

Don't forget to make a title...

What makes a good blog post? A good blog post to me must be three things: interesting, informative, and creative. I like blogs that are interesting. Where does an interesting blog start? The title is where every blogger needs to catch the reader’s initial attention. Interesting titles usually catch my attention and make me wonder what the rest of the blog is about. For example, Oscar's Blog really caught my attention right off the bat and I was curious how laundry fit in with the rest of the title. Other than the title, another way to catch the reader’s attention is to have an interesting opening sentence or sentences. Just like the title, the opening sentences are the first thing the reader’s look at. I really like the way Crystal started her blog with a quote.I also like blogs that are informative. Informative blogs aren’t always the most interesting to read but I don’t mind learning new things. The last thing that I think a good blog needs is creativity. Be creative by putting pictures in every blog or maybe even a video. Pictures don’t always have to go at the end of the blog. Maybe, start the blog off with a picture or put in the middle to give the reader something to look at. Including videos in a blog also can help the readers further understand what you’re trying to get across in the blog.

where does the time go?

Where does the the time go? It seems like I'm always writing papers and doing my homework at the last second. Is it because of procrastination or bad time management? Procrastination is a killer and can influence bad time management. Have you ever caught yourself needing to do something important but instead you do something funner and more exciting? That would be procrastination. Procrastination by definition is the counterproductive deferment of actions or tasks to a later time. Instead of spending time relaxing or doing something fun, wouldn't it be a better idea to get the work done? Yes, but it's easier said then done. It's so easy to get off track when doing work. For example, how many times do you stop the work your doing and go check your facebook, myspace, twitter or any other site that's only one click away? ALL THE TIME! In my opinion, if your a bad procrastinator, the best way to get the work done is to just do it and get it over with as soon as possible. The sooner the work is done the more time you have to do the funner things that you want to do. A good way to stay away from procrastinating is to maintain a daily routine. By having a routine everyday it can help you stay organized with everything you do and give you more time to get your work done. Truly, the one way to get the work done is to want to get the work done. If you set your mind to it and don't allow yourself to get off track it will be a lot easier to get stuff done.

Obstacle....

In my first two weeks at Southern Connecticut State University I've learned that the internet has grown and is becoming a worldwide way to communicate, send information, and get information. The internet is now being used by universities professors throughout the country to give out syllabus's and homework. Even though this is much easier for students and professors, it can have its downfalls. The obstacle I had to overcome was the internet. For inquiry class I have two blogs due every Saturday before midnight. I went home for the weekend and when i went to post my blogs, blogger wouldn't load no matter what I tried. Therefor I was unable to post my blogs on time. This is important because I don't want to give the wrong impression to my professor during the first weeks. So, I've learned that the internet can be great but may have it downfalls too. I also learned that I should complete and post my blogs while I'm at school so something like that wont happen again.

Youtube video that pretty much explains it all.

5 things!

If I had to describe myself with 5 words/concepts I would have to say: dedication, hard working, determination, friendly, organized       
Dedication by definition is complete devotion to a career, or action. Dedication comes along in the participation of a sport almost naturally. Sports require a lot of physical training and practice to prepare for championships and important swim meets. However, sometimes all that hard work and dedication doesn’t always mean you will perform at your best.  Therefore along with dedication, I also would have to say I have determination. When all that hard work and effort doesn’t really show at meets, I stay positive and keep on track with my intentions to do the best I can do to my abilities.    
With dedication and determination comes hard work. Between swimming, my school, and my job it takes a lot of hard work to do all of those in the time I have. Being able to swim, keep my grades up, and having a job shows that I am a hardworking individual. It also shows that I’m organized and have good time management. I always manage to complete all my homework between my job, my classes, and my practices.   
The last word I would describe myself with is friendly. I’m always ready to make new friends and help people with their problems.

What is college?

Attending college, especially in today’s world, is very important in being successful. Stats prove that students who attend college and earn a degree are more likely to get a good job then student who do not attend college. However, college is much more than just an institution of learning. As a freshman at Southern Connecticut State University, I’m finding out that there are many more benefits from colleges other than learning. There is a plethora of sports and clubs available to students. By joining a sports teams or clubs, you get to meet new people and make friends but most important to get involved and try new things.    
Another important thing for students to do in college is to expand their comfort zone. When students first come to a college’s it can be a little scary at first so they stay inside their “bubble” or comfort zone. During my first weeks at southern Connecticut State University I’ve learned that it is very easy to expand my comfort zone simply by trying the many opportunities offered to all students.
 For me, college is an opportunity to expand my knowledge and to learn to manage my time. While at Southern Connecticut State University I hope to get involved in many activities on campus in order to meet new people and also most importantly expand my comfort zone. By becoming a well involved and educated individual I hope to leave Southern with everything I need to know to live a successful life.