Hard work or natural ability?

          

          How do people like Mozart, Tiger Woods, Nastia Liukins, and other professional and amateur stars become so skilled and so famous? This is a question I still debate to myself. Could I be as good as them if I tried and I was dedicated? Or is it innate and something no amount of time will perfect. I personally feel that mastering something takes a little of both talent and dedication. This week I talked to a few of my friends to see what their opinion was.

          One of my friends believed that it was one hundred percent in the hands of the individual. She believes that anyone can do anything or be anything they want if the dedicate time, and effort towards it. She believes that people are not born with talents, people develop talents.

           I would not say I disagree with her completely however, I do believe that it takes some natural ability for people to differentiate themselves from being average or just good. Physiological differences in people can also make a huge difference in the outcome of the hobby. A seven foot male or female would not make a good gymnast; just like a five foot 120 pound person would not be a good football player. Things such as, height, weight, and sex make a difference in a person's outcome in a hobby. But that is not to say someone who is five feet tall is naturally blessed at gymnastics; it also takes a great amount of dedication and hard work.

          Another way I look at it is,  hard work and dedication will allow people to be good at something but it does not come as easy as people who have an innate ability for it. For example, I am not musically inclined. If I worked hard and dedicated my time to learning music, I may become proficient in the area; however, I will never be as natural or as skilled as others may be.

          This is a debate that will continue to go on for many years to come. Many studies have been done to help prove and disprove the talent debate. A few interesting articles I have found and I would recommend reading if you are interested in hearing more on either side of the debate are...

http://www.8164.org/talent-vs-hard-work/

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/training-vs-talent.htm

Do you ever feel like there is not enough time in the day, and wish the day consisted of 30 hours instead of 24? Do you compromise sleeping time for things you did not have enough time to finish during the day? I certainly do. This week, I set up a weekly schedule to help organize my time and to make sure I am being efficient with my time. My schedule was planned out with every activity to do throughout the day such as classes, sleeping, exercising, personal care, ect. every hour  I spend towards a certain category, I marked down. At the top I marked down how many hours I had remaining at the end of every day that were so called "wasted time". After completing my chart and my remaining hours I was shocked to see that I actually am as busy as I feel like I am. There was only one day I had one hour remaining for "wasted time". The other days were insignificant minutes. A large majority of my time is taken up by gymnastics. I have practice every day for about 4 hours. The other significant time was spent towards sleeping (although I could still argue that it is still not enough). I spent 27 hours this week studying and doing homework. This does not quite hit the recommended 30 hours; however, it will have to work because I do not have any more time I could possibly dedicate towards it. If I could change my schedule around a little I would; however, I do not think there is much I could move around. Over all, the schedule I have will have to work, I maintain a good academic standard, and I do well in gymnastics. I just wish I had a little more personal time. Who knows, maybe one day there will be 30 hours in a day. 

Need to schedule your day?! Click here to get a planner. 

http://www.studygs.net/schedule/weekly.htm

          This week Southern Clubs hosted a Club Fair. It was filled with different organizations and clubs that are available for SCSU students. I think every college student should be involved in either a sport, club or some sort of other organization. Clubs and organizations are good ways for people to interact and meet new friends. When I asked all clubs are for the most part free to join. Some of the Clubs I thought looked interesting were the SCSU service team, the biology club, and the relay for life team.  I thought that each of these programs would offer me chances to both meet new people and get some good services done. I thought the biology club would offer be good opportunities to get involved in things pertaining to my major and perhaps consequently it would provide me with opportunities to start internships. Both the SCSU service team and the relay for life would give me opportunities for service hours.

          Gymnastics is sometimes my dilemma with joining clubs and activities. I can barley fit in my recommended thirty hours a week of studying as it is. Once my competitive season starts... it only going to get busier. My plan for this year is to focus on gymnastics and school and when I realize that I do have the time for extra clubs. I will look forward to joining the clubs that interest me. In the mean time  I will focus on gymnastics, and school and I will participate in community service on the sides too. 

To learn more about clubs and activities you can visit: 

http://www.southernct.edu/officeofstudentlife/clubsandorganizations/

Good Job Bloggers!

After browsing through the class blogs, I have read many different and interesting blogs, many of which I believe should receive an A for excellence. I believe that each reader has his or her own taste so there may not necessarily be blog on my list that are better than blogs which were not put on my list; however, I believe that these blogs stood out to me in writing style, creativeness, and the aesthetics of the blog page. Three blog post which stood out to me were "How I am feeling about my first semester at SCSU" in the blog A day in the Life of Kelsey, "Blogs that Captured My Interest" in the blog by  Chana Banana and "Who's gunna get an a"MikeyyyyMo's Blog. I thought all the blogs I chose were creative, fun, eye catching and all of them were written in good form. The first thing that caught my eyes about the blogs were the fun creative titles. The names made the blog stick out more, which initially made me click on the blogs. When I opened the blogs, they were easy and fun to read for those times you just want to sit down and catch up on what other people's thoughts are. MikeyyyyMo's Blogs stood out to me because he did a good job in creativeness and personality. His blogs and the other two blog post I mentioned were not boring reads. I was not forced to read those blogs, they captivated me and had me continue to want to read the blogs. If you're looking for a fun, easy read, I would definitely recommend these three blogs. Below are the links for the blogs if you want to check them out! Good job bloggers! :)

http://mikeymoinq.tumblr.com/

http://adayinthelifeofkelsey.blogspot.com/

http://channise.blogspot.com/

The Sea

            

            The beauty of the beach is undeniable. Some days the water shows such beauty and serenity, and other days the water shows such a angry and violent projection. Two thought provoking blogs I read were, Keep a Healthy Fear of Mother Nature and Cleaning the Shores. By reading the titles, it is obvious that the articles are not directly connected; however, the two articles provoked some thoughts I would like to share.

            The blog, Keep a Healthy Fear of Mother Nature, reminds the readers of the power of nature. The blog reminded the  audience of two hurricanes which showed their furry on the coasts of the Carolinas many years ago. The first of the two hurricanes was predicted to be a damaging hurricane. They state was recommending to its residents that they take all necessary precautions of the hurricane. People prepared for the worst and the storm came and went without any major damage. It brought a sigh of relief to many residents of the area; however, right after the departure of the first hurricane, there were new warnings of a second hurricane. The people, tired and frustrated from the precautions, were skeptical of the severity. However, as the hurricane came closer mandatory evacuations were enforced, people began to realize the severity of the hurricane which was about to nail the state. The hurricane caused major damage, destruction and even death.

            This year the Carolinas experiences a similar situation. This fall as hurricane Irean blew upon shore people were expecting the worse; however, the outcome was far from what was predicted. A week later, however, Hurricane Floyd  blew upon shore and caused major destruction. This blog is important and interesting to read because you never know when the big, destructive storm is going to hit. People must take each storm as a danger and take precautions to prevent destruction, injury, and even death. Each storm has the potential to be dangerous. Do not ever risk the storm, take precautions if necessary.

            The second blog I read was about efforts to keep the beaches clean. The blog reminded the reader that after a long summer of friends and families using the beach, the tolls have been taken on the shores. As we go back to work and school the beaches remain used and litter filled. The blog reminded the reader to clean up the beach. Take a trip to the beach this fall and  clean it up.

            Though the two blogs were not related in any way,  I think reading both articles is important. I related the blogs because I believe global warming is a major cause for some of the severe storms which have hit our lands.  One easy way to prevent global warming is by taking care of our earth. Cleaning the beaches is just one way to conserve the environment. I believe that global warming is causing an increase in natural disasters. If we protect our lands now and help clean it up, we will not have to protect ourselves against the furry of earth as frequently. Dangerous, threatening hurricanes such the ones listed in the first blog will continue to crash upon shore if we do not protect or earth by preventing global warming. 

Links to the Blogs:

http://thesunnews.typepad.com/opinionblog/2011/08/keep-a-healthy-fear-of-mother-nature.html#more

http://thesunnews.typepad.com/opinionblog/2011/09/cleaning-the-shores.html#more

Stay fit!

              The first thing I think of when someone says college is education. The first think I think of when someone says college food, I think Freshman-fifteen. For a lot of incoming students there is a dreaded fear of the freshman-fifteen. Although some of the food in Conn. Hall may be tempting and some of the other food may just not be healthy, there are ways to satisfy your cravings while keeping the freshman-fifteen off.

                First off I believe it is important to remember, just because Conn. Hall is an unlimited buffet, it does not mean you have an unlimited appetite. Trust me... the food will be there tomorrow. There is no need to have four meals all in one. The Second way to keeping off the freshman-fifteen is by joining the gym. After taking a visit to the gym, I found out the gym is a open environment made for all students who are looking to either build muscle or even just to stay active and healthy.

                The gym is located in the student center. It is a fully equipped gym where you can either work out on your own or you can take classes. The gym membership is sixty dollars a semester for all students. This price is not a bad price considering the benefits you will take from it. Every student has the opportunity to enjoy the gym and see how he or she feels about the gym by signing up for a one week free membership.  This is an opportunity I took advantage of. During my one week free membership I enjoyed many machines that the gym offered me, including the treadmill, the bicycle and equipment used for arm strength. Although working out if never really fun, I think I benefited me to use the gym. I used the gym as preparation for my gymnastics season. I did not participate in any of the group workouts because of time constraints; however, they offered may yoga classes, aerobic classes, and spinning classes. These classes are offered many times a day most days a week.

                Overall I had a positive experience at the SCSU gym. I would recommend the gym to any student who wants to get in shape, or stay in shape. If you are unsure if  you will like your experience try it for a week! It is worth a shot. Try to keep that freshman-fifteen off!

http://www.southernct.edu/fitnesscenter/

Helpful or Hurtful?

          Have you ever imagined what it would have been like to grow up in the time period of a parent or even a grandparent? In some instances the similarities are few and far between. It is true that this generation is the generation of technology. Technology is one of the great enhancements of the 21st century. It has its obvious benefits; however, the question is it causing more harm than we are aware of?

            The articles Digital Devices Deprive Brain of Downtime, and An Ugly Toll of Technology: Impatience and Forgetfulness, both gave inside information that may or may not surprise you about the world of technology we live in today. When I think of technology I think of computers, cell phones, and iPods. To me all of these devices do two things. They keep the user  busy or occupied, and they keep the user connected to peers. Both of these functions seem to be good argument for using this technology. For example, it is a known fact that this generation is the generation of easy communication. I always thought this was a good thing. Another thing these technologies have done accomplished is taking away boredom. If one is bored in today's generation is sign on to Facebook, listen to music, or text. I did not originally think any of these habits were bad habits; however, these two articles persuaded me otherwise.

            The articles brought a few concepts to my attention, which I found interesting. First, I never realized how little free time I actually had. Let me define free time by the descriptions used in the articles. Free time is a time completely uninvolved in the world in which you are in a state of mind focused on reflections; at no point are you on a phone, texting, listening to music, or on the computer. I cannot recall any point in my day where my down time is not used to either relax in front of the TV, or listening to my ipod.

            According to these articles this is a problem with the upcoming generation. We are not using our minds enough, there is little creativity going on, and our brain is constantly being over stimulated. I can clearly see how over stimulating our brains is a concern. Our brain does need down time. I believe that the lack of rest to our brain is why we are seeing an increase illnesses and problems such as stress and ADD. Too much stimulation to our brains can be bad. Reading these articles have made me aware that technology is one factor leading to the problem. Although I do not believe regression in technology is the answer, people must monitor how much of their spare time is spent gazing at a screen.

Articles:

* "Digital Devices Deprive Brain of Needed Downtime"

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/technology/25brain.html?ref=yourbrainoncomputers

* "An Ugly Toll of Technology: Impatience and Forgetfulness" 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brainside.html?ref=yourbrainoncomputers

Can I be a Critical Thinker?

         

          Since we have been in school, we have heard an infinite amount of teachers, professors, and  public speakers tell us to work hard and think critically. It is certainly a good concept to make your goal, but if there was some confusion on how to achieve what they are asking from us... you are probably not alone.

          I read both “How to Become a Deep Thinker at College,” and  “Work Hard or Work Smart”.  Both readings tied in with the themes of this year. The reading on becoming a critical thinker at college was an intriguing and thought provoking article. The main concept of the article was in order to be a critical thinker, a person must first allow himself the time to think critically. The author stressed that in order to become a critical thinker a person cannot load himself down with extracurricular activities. He must keep his schedule open to allow time for thoughts and reflections.

          Though it does make sense, I hope this is not the only way one can achieve great critical thinking skills.  I will be busy in college. There will be no negotiations. I will be practicing for NCAA gymnastics five times a week and competing on the weekends. I fear that with my schedule being so packed, I will not have the time to think critically. The ability to think critically is one of my goals for college. After reading this article I began to think about how I could attain the ability to think critically. Was it even possible for me? The Next article gave me more hope. The next article was about working smart. This explain how success is not always derived from hard working individuals but it can also be derived from  smart working individuals.

          This is how I will attain critical thinking. By doing my work "smart", I will be able to attain the maximum free time possible so I  will not over pack my schedule and I will be able to reflect on classes and information more. I agree with the article “How to Become a Deep Thinker at College” to an extent; however, I do not believe that is the only way to achieve  the ability to think critically. I believe that a student must be able to achieve critical thinking if he or she really wants it.


Links to Articles:


http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/10/24/how-to-become-a-deep-thinker-at-college/

http://www.deliverfreedom.com/blog/work-hard-or-work-smart/

Student Health Center

          Now that we are living on campus, we can no longer look to our parents to fix every sniffle, upset stomach, or head ache we have. The closest we can come is a phone call home for comfort.  However, the university wants the students to know, we are not alone when it comes to our health.  It is essential for the student to feel his or her best to perform at optimal levels. College is a common place to contract illnesses. We are all living in close quarters, sharing showers and bathrooms, eating the same food and sitting at the same desks. We are very susceptible to illnesses. The question becomes how should I prevent illnesses and if I do become ill, where do I go.

          I recently visited the Student Health center. It is located across the street from the Wintergreen building, which is easily acceptable for most students. I was not sure what to expect the first time I went. I guess I was expecting something similar to a high school nurse; however,  upon arriving my expectations were proven wrong. I asked the secretary what they did at this particular health center and how much they could help me if I got sick. She said that the Student Health Center was a full functioning nurses station where they treated you if you were sick, they do vaccines, and they do physicals. The only think they do not do is test people for things such as allergies.

          The Student Health Center is also a great place to learn about the up keep of a person's health, and the prevention of illness.  while I was there I took a few free pamphlets that I found beneficial to my knowledge. I took pamphlets on the upkeep of your body, prevention of flu and colds, proper hand washing, and pamphlets on the flu. There are also a multiplicity of other pamphlets that inform students about STD's, and more personal health.  I found these pamphlets very help flu because for those time where you are either too embarrassed or you do not want bother the nurse to ask there are pamphlets for everything you may need to know.  My advice is not to be afraid to use the facilities the school provides us with. Although I hope I do not have to spend too much time in the Student Health Center, it is important to me that I know the Amenities are available.

Help facts from the pamphlet! : )

*The common cold and respiratory infections are caused by a virus.

What does that mean? 

The common cold and respiratory infections are not affectively treated by antibiotics.

What should I do?

Wait it out... unless:

  *You have a temperature over 101 degrees

·         *Your symptoms get worse after  the first 3-4 days

·         *Your symptoms last more than 2 weeks

·         *If you have difficulty breathing

Helpful Tips:

·         *Eating hot soup and drinks

·         *Long hot showers

·         *Wash your hands frequently

·         *Get plenty of rest

·         *Take lots of vitamin C

Coming from pamphlets:

Managing the Common Cold. American College Health Association. November 2008.

The common cold or Respiratory Infections. Created  by Student Health Services.

College

College is a scary but thrilling part of one's life. It is the first time, for most young adults, that he or she has left the home that he or she has been staying in for the past eighteen years. No more home cooked meals, no more rooms that one can call her own and no one to keep you on track if one starts to stray. College is about independence.

Although academics are the main reason I am attending college, it is not the sole reason I am attending college.  During college I hope to not only achieve a well-rounded education and a degree in Biology, but also further my independence, meet new friends, and participate in NCAA Gymnastics.  College will demand good scheduling on my part in-order to balance my academics, gymnastics, and social life. Choosing Southern as my university was the right choice. Southern's mission statement says,

Southern Connecticut State University provides exemplary graduate and undergraduate education in the liberal arts and professional discipline. As an intentionally diverse and comprehensive university, Southern is committed to academic excellence, access, social justice, and service for the public good.

A common theme to academic excellence, which is stated in the missions statement and stressed by many professors is critical thinking and critical learning. I believe it is important to learn how to think critically because it better prepares a person for the working world. It is true Southern stresses critical thinking; however, I do believe that in college, because a I no longer have anyone pushing me to excel, I will have to initiate my own education. Everything at Southern is there for me; it is up to me whether I utilize my opportunities.  

Of course I worry about balancing my time so I do well in academics, having social experiences, and doing well in  gymnastics; however, with good time management I know I will graduate with a Biology degree, I will be a successful collegiate athlete, and I will leave with memories, which will last a life time.

Citations

"About Southern Mission Statement." Southern Connecticut State University Home. Web. 07 Sept. 2011. <http://www.southernct.edu/aboutscsu/presidentspage/mission/>. 

About Me!

Five words, things or concepts that define who I am: Fun, Caring, Focused, Outgoing, Gymnastics.

 

 I have a fun easy easygoing personality.I believe that my personality allows me to get along with most people, which allows me to remain friends with most people. I enjoy hanging out with my friends and having new experiences. My friends are an important aspect of my life. My friends tend to bring out my fun easygoing personality the most. 

I am a caring person. I am always around for my friends who need someone to talk to and I am always willing to help a friend who is in need of advise. I acquired most of my values from my family. As I grew up, I learnt that despite the independence one may portray, he or she may not always be able to solve problems on his or her own. This is why I think it is important to always offer my time to other people who are in need. My friends and family are always there for me when I need them, and I will always be there for when they need me. 

I started gymnastics when I was seven years old, which is on the older side for gymnasts. I trained five to six times a week for 4 hours each practice. So it is easy to say, my life revolved around gymnastics. I was very ambitious in gymnastics and consequently I became a regional and national competitor. This year will be my first of four years competing in NCAA Gymnastics at SCSU.

I have always been determined. Since a young age, gymnastics taught me the importance of  focus and determination. Gymnastics requires a tremendous amount of determination from the athlete; without it the athlete would not achieve to his or her own potential. I have always wanted to become a Collegiate athlete. I set it as my goal and with the my own determination, skills and the help of others, I was able to achieve my goals and sign on to the SCSU Gymnastics team.

I am outgoing. One of the things that excited me most about college was meeting new people. I love introducing my self to people and I like to learn about where other people have come from. I am a little quite at first, but after I am fully comfortable around the person I am my normal happy bubbly self. I am the most outgoing with my gymnastics team. I am always encouraging and loud to support my team. I also like to joke around and laugh with my friends.