Conclusion

I feel like I did an excellent job on my blog. I consistently answered each prompt fully and with great detail. I would want readers of my blog to recognize the amount effort I put into my work and appreciate my responses.

Favorite Presentation, Current feelings about Public Speaking

My favorite presentation was Crystal's. Her story about her stepbrother dying at war for his country and receiving no admiration from our armed forces is really tragic. However, the tribute video she showed was really heartwarming. Her presentation really touched my heart and made me realize how much I would miss my brother if he passed away.

After presenting my powerpoint successfully I am less apprehensive about public speaking. It is really not that difficult when you are presenting in front of equals, like my classmates, especially when everyone is in the same boat. I think that after this positive experience I will be less nervous the next time I have to speak to a group.

Apprehensions

Before my oral presentation I was admittedly nervous. I, along with many others, are scared of speaking in front of a large audience like my classmates. There are methods that can be used to eliminate this apprehension, however. Two ways that one can eliminate these apprehensions is by practicing speaking to a group and by using notecards that have what you plan to say written on them. By using notecards, the speaker does not have the additional worry of remembering what they want to say. They can simply read off the card. Practice helps eliminate the frightening feeling of standing in front of a crowd because you are conditioned in the act of speaking to people after repetition.

The library should be classified in ways that readers can better understand and relate too. The title of each section should help the reader to know whether they would enjoy books in that section or if they should move to a different one. If I ran a library I would have sections such as "Difficulty of Reading" and have books labeled as hard, medium, and easy. The hard section would have books with small print or that many readers find boring. Another method of classification would be "Level of Interest" with sections labeled very interesting, moderately interesting, and boring. This would help the reader to possibly recognize books they may enjoy reading. Very interesting books would include topics like progress in cancer research or gay and lesbian lifestyles, while boring books would have topics like the history of early presidencies.

Tipping Point

The Tipping Point as a novel is an extremely well written and focuses on topics that were well researched and accurate. Each tipping point was explained in great detail and followed a specific rule. Each tipping point was used as an example for a rule, and often a rule had several tipping point examples making it easy for the reader to understand the point.

However, at times the book was confusing as it would constantly reference hush puppies although they seemed to not fit in the setting the author would place them. If the author talked less about hush puppies and focused solely on the tipping points the book would have been easier to follow.

2 Goals for the Second Multi Draft

The two goals I have for my second multi-draft are to be more concise in my descriptions and reasoning, as well as to have less grammatical errors. I think with this multi-draft this will be possible because I will spend more time on revising my rough draft, and therefore have more time to recognize mistakes and unnecessary words and sentences. By spending more time on revisions and revising for several short periods I will be able to produce a better product.

Since I forgot to reference The Tipping Point in my last blog, I will now. Gladwell discusses a type of subtle bias using body language. The broadcast I chose showed a spoken, more obvious bias. These two types are dissimilar because body language showing bias is less obvious while a spoken bias is easily recognized.

Sticky Advertising

Sticky advertising is a method that draws in viewers by generating a type of emotion. My sticky advertisement would used to get donations to my local animal shelter and hopefully cause some adoptions. In my television advertisement, I would first show pictures of healthy dogs that are usually found in loving homes. These dogs would be the typical image that comes to mind when one thinks of that furry, cuddly, loving, best friend that many American call their pet dog. These photos would be set up as a slide show with a cute song as the backdrop. I would then show pictures of similar dogs that are sick, injured, and malnourished with a somber song in the background. I would then post "Please help us." This commercial would pull at the heart strings of viewers and encourage them to either donate or adopt a shelter dog as they are sympathetic to the poor suffering animals that often inhabit animal shelters.

Bias Broadcast

It has been apparent to some viewers for many years that Fox News as well as many other news broadcasts is very biased in the way it presents news stories. While I was unaware of this bias, it became evident to me in the news coverage of a debate between Senator Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama. A statement made by Obama in response to a question posed about his relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright was misconstrued to show an inaccurate ambiguity of Fox News and inconsistency on Obama's part. In a previous interview, Obama said he cannot disown Wright just as he cannot disown his African American heritage. In the debate, Obama said he does not approve of Wright's actions. This quote was used as a contradiction to his former statement that he will not disown him. However, shortly after Obama said he did not support Wright, he qualified his statement, saying he does disown Wright's comments. This part of the debate was not included in the news broadcast. This was done in an attempt to make Obama seem foolish, although it is obvious later in the debate that there is no inconsistency. This exclusion shows that Fox has a bias toward the Republican party.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfy20gFChhI&feature=channel

An Incident that Reveals True Character

People are often able to conceal their true character for a great length of time, but inevidably their true colors will eventually be shown. A specific event is often the catalyst for a person's true personality to shine through their phoney characteristics. It was shocking for me to see my dear friend act so out of character as she did when a great opportunity was presented to her. I now, however, feel relieved to have been exposed to her secretive tendencies and will no longer be surprised if she acts similarly in the future.
My fellow competitor and friend, Lauren, was presented an amazing opportunity this past October to spend the winter training with an extremely talented dressage trainer in Wellington, Florida. She was able to bring her newly purchased stallion and was home-schooled for the duration of her training. As friends, we often conversed about exciting things happening in each of our lives, which would normally include topics such as this exciting opportunity. Unfortunately, Lauren never told me about her chance to train in Florida, and instead I was told through a mutual friend about he plan to accept the invitation. I was obviously very hurt that Lauren did not inform me of this exciting event. I also don't think she simply forgot to tell me. I believe she did not tell me on purpose. Perhaps she thought I would be jealous of her exciting chance that she knew I would love to be a part of, but this is inaccurate because true friends are never jealous of eachother. I now know that Lauren is capable of keeping things from me, a trait I am certainly not fond of.

Getting Involved

I have begun to get involved here at Stockton, in the first semester. Throughout high school I remained cautious about stepping out of my shell and getting involved in school related activities. I was always apprehensive about being the leader of a group as well as restricting my time after school. Thus, I never joined any clubs or played any sports, and instead focused solely on academics and horseback riding. During my first semester of college, I vowed to break out of this cycle of not being involved. Therefore, I capitalized on the first opportunity I was presented with, an RA assistant position. I was intrigued by this position because of the benefits the program would have on my resume. I was informed several times that being an RA assistant would be an excellent addition to my resume that employers would really appreciate. Also, the position does not require much of a commitment and didn't conflict with my schedule. The program meets once a week, on Thursdays at 4:30 pm, a time that I didn't have class. After realizing how great of an opportunity being involved in the RA program was, I saw that it would be in my best interest to be a part of it.

conferencing on multi-draft paper

Unfortunately, I was not yet able to conference with Professor Sprouls on my first draft of the multi-draft paper. After reviewing the requirements, I realize that it is necessary for me to further specify my topic as well as ad excerpts and references from Nickel and Dimed. Hopefully, after making these adjustments and meeting with professor about my paper, will be able to successfully analyze single impoverished women in america.

Relation between College and Career

I see a very strong correlation between my education at Stockton and my career path because my path thus far is chosen. The classes I am enrolled in are specific to my major, nursing, making my peers strictly others looking to become nurses. My career choice is nursing because I enjoy helping other and will also appreciate the flexible hours of a nurse. Also, nurses are paid very well, which will help off-set the cost of my horse and other activities I enjoy. I hope that by becoming a nurse I will be able to fully support myself on my own without needing to be dependent upon anyone else. I really would enjoy the independence associated with a career in nursing. Not only will I be financially independent, but the career itself requires a great amount of independence. Nurses must be quick-thinking and confident in their decisions. Many times a nurse will need to make medical decisions without the guidance of a doctor. While that will be an immense stress, I feel that I will be able to undertake the responsibility.
If I did not know my career choice, going to college would help to keep me motivated to decide upon a career. Being at school helps to expose students to various majors and career paths. This is something that is hard to find in any other environment.

Nickel and Dimed

The novel Nickel and Dimed depicts the trials and tribulations the author, Barbara Ehrenreich encounters as she attempts to experience life as a woman living on a minimum wage salary. My first impression of the novel, since I have not yet finished it, is one of frustration. I feel that although she places herself in predicments that may be accurate representations of experiences poor people go through, she will never truly experience the emotions people have as they struggle to make ends meet. The emotional pain that a person who struggles with day to day life in probably the most hurtful aspect of being poor. The fact that Barbara was unable to experience the same emotions makes her experiment somewhat unsuccessful. Yes, she is able to reinact the experiences a poor person goes through but she will never be able to feel similar emotions to them because she has a life to go home to. When the experiment was complete she went home to her house and back to life as a writer. She does not have to deal with the same reality as the people she is emmulating.

Work

My father has been an insurance litigation and trial attorney in the state of NJ for over twenty-five years. Although he does not regret achieving his law degree, being a lawyer is definitely not a career choice he would choose again. Looking back on the time in which he was deciding his career path, he realizes that he probably chose his career for the wrong reasons. It has become apparent to him that he was trying to impress his father as well as outshine his brothers who are not college graduates. He was trying to prove to himself and others that he could be better than those before him, his parents, and his brothers. Instead of following in the footsteps of his father and taking over the family business, he wanted to blaze his own trail and become what he hoped would be a "hot-shot", a rich attorney. However, after twenty-five years of attempting to make this vision a reality, my dad has finally realized his idea is unrealistic and that law is not his calling. Instead, his many miserable years as a lawyer have amounted to nothing but problems and stress. He now works at a guitar center after realizing that people should do what they love, and he loves music. My dad finally loves his job after realizing that it is more important to love what you do than for others to love what you do.
After watching my dad's misery as a lawyer I know that one's career does not define them, neither does it become their identity. Your career does become a part of you but it definitely does not affect the person you are inside. If your job hides the person you are or stifles your happiness, you will one day realize it and your true calling will eventually become apparent.

Tv Series Critique

A fairly current TV series that centers around work is Home Improvement, featuring Tim Allen. The plot of the show is based upon the difficulties a young family encounters while trying to balance the demands of work and home-life. In this case, Tim Allen is the co-founder of a TV series, "Tool Time" with a co-host who he finds often hinders the success of the show rather than helps it. However, since the two are long time friends, Tim is never capable of severing their work partnership. Tim occasionally struggles with managing the stress of the tv series and having to help raise three teenage boys at home. This gives rise to conflict between Tim and his wife and sometimes he and the boys. After an argument between he and his sons or wife, Tim often seeks out advice from his "friend from over the fence" who always seems to have helpful words of wisdom that can usually help to resolve the issue. While this tv series represents an unlikely family situation for many American families, it is an entertaining family show that many people enjoy.
Although the show is entertaining, it is flawed because the setting is difficult for others to relate too. Shows that have a similar plot to the lives of American families are very successful due to the fact that others can easily relate to the situation. Fortunately for Home Improvement, people were able to enjoy the show despite this factor. I think that the plot of the series represents a fantasy lifestyle that many families enjoy being a part of when they watch the show. This could be why the show was and is still so successful. I did not however, enjoy the large amount of conflict that seemed to be consistently present in each show. I feel that constant arguing sets a poor example for children to watch and can make others think that it is normal and acceptable to argue with your spouse and children on a regular basis. Despite these few flaws, the show is enjoyable ad entertaining to watch overall.

Evaluating Use of Time

The first couple of weeks at college have been a time of great adjustment for me. I have begun to adjust to living by myself, the workload, and the immense amount of reading that is required, but I have yet to find the perfect balance of studying and activities. I have found it difficult to decide whether to go out with friends or study when presented with a spur the moment opportunity to go out. I don't want my grades to suffer because of decisions that must be made as frequently as this. Therefore, I realize that I must be able to better evaluate the situation and be able to easily deny an invitation if I need to be studying.
Aside from this difficulty I seem to be having, I feel that I have managed my time properly so far. It is definitely important to study and do homework every day, even if I only review notes or read a few chapters in my textbook. This is a good technique because it prevents immense amounts of studying or homework building up into an unmanageable and overwhelming amount. If I work a little each day I don't feel overwhelmed. Each day, I set aside at least an hour to devote to reviewing each subject area and spend a little time going over my agenda. By doing this, I always know when assignments are due and can contemplate when the best time to complete them is. I think that if I stay on this track of organization and continue to manage my time well, I will eventually learn to manage school and friends equally as successfully.

Reaction to Learning Style Assessment

I was not surprised my scores showed that I was an emotional learner. After reviewing the characteristics of the typical emotional learner, I feel that this label suits me well. I feel that the results were accurate because I am typically very sympathetic, similar to most emotional learners. I almost always consider others' feelings before doing something. If I think that a situation may compromise another person's well-being, I will not participate in that activity. Occasionally, I will even sacrifice my own wishes in order to make sure another person is happy. I realize that if most members of a party are satisfied, even if I am not, it is better for a majority to be content rather than one person. This circumstance often occurs in a group setting. I usually will compromise on a topic even if I disagree with a conclusion that many group members make in order to avoid conflict. This way of constantly seeking harmony in a group is a strong characteristic of an emotional learner. In addition, sometimes I will consider what others may possibly think if I complete a certain task before completing it. This "social consciousness" is another commonality between emotional people. Since I hold many characteristics of the typical emotional learner, i feel that the results of the learning assessment are indeed accurate.
This learning test has also made me learn something about my personality. I now realize that it would be difficult for me to be a part of a jury since I am often so subjective. My decision could easily be swayed by someone crying or a heartfelt story. I never thought of this situation before.

My first Week at Stockton

Throughout my first full week of college I have noticed many differences between the college and high school experiences. The first thing that became apparent immediately to me is the great amount of freedom I have at college. As a high school student I felt that my every movement was being monitored. I needed a hall-pass to leave the classroom and had to stay in the building from 7:20 in the morning until 2:12 in the afternoon. If I had accidentally left a notebook in my car, I needed to be escorted to the parking lot by a security guard. Here, going to class is my responsibility but not a requirement. Here, if I was absent from class, my professor would not make sure that I wasn't skipping class, make sure I received the notes from lecture that day, or even worry about my whereabouts. I feel that since college is not required, professor's think students are here because we want to be, not because it is required. Success is in the hands of each individual student. It is each student's responsibility to attend class, complete assignments, and make every effort to do well. There is much less coaching and encouragement here. It is up to me to prioritize and do what it takes in order to succeed.
The work at college is also very different from high school assignments. In high school, most assignments were completed during class time and completed for homework. At college, class time is used for lecture. The professor summarizes chapters and explains key concepts, while practice is done after class. If a student needs extra practice in order to understand a topic, they must find examples and and almost teach themselves the material in a way that they are better able to understand. At highschool, the teacher used class time to make sure each student understood the concepts. If someone didn't understand, the test would be moved to a later date and extra class time would be spent on practice problems. This, perhaps is the most important difference I have found thus far.
Another difference between high school and college is the syllabi. In high school, students were unaware of the each day's assignments until the class period of each subject each day. In college, every student is provided a copy of the class schedule. This way, if a student wants to complete an assignment in advance he is able to. Also, everyone is aware of the chapters that will be covered in class and are is therefore able to preread the chapter and better understand the lesson in class. I think that it is because of the differences between high school and college that I enjoy college much better.

Reading

Reading is an essential skill not only necessary to succeed in school, but also in day to day life. It is nearly impossible to go through a single day without being required to read something. Whether it is a sign, a newspaper, a letter, or a magazine, I find myself reading daily. Now that I am a college freshman, however, reading has switched roles from a leisurely activity to a requirement. Unfortunately, I now find myself reading things because I am required to, rather than because I want to relax. This is because after my reading assignments are completed, I usually have little interest in reading another sentence whether it be from "Glamour" or my Psychology textbook. In addition, reading a magazine and reading a textbook require very different methods. I find it is more difficult for me to retain information from an article written by Einstein than an article written by Britney Spears, simply because I am more interested in Britney Spear's life than physics.
Since I am less interested in textbook reading, I am often less focused on the content. However, if I find myself unable to remember content from a paragraph, I will go back and either reread the notes I took on that topic or reread the section. Note-taking is a very helpful tool I use both as a review technique and as a close-reading method. When I jot down quick notes about a section I am not required to remember important facts. This allows me to focus on reading the next section, not on attempting to remember something from the previous paragraph.
Note-taking while reading not only helps me understand what I am reading, while doing so, but helps refresh my memory about what I have read in the past. This makes note-taking an excellent review method. Another method of reading with a similar purpose is highlighting and flagging. I often keep a highlighter or set of flags by my reading area so that I can mark key words and facts that I predict will either be related to test questions or necessary to understanding the work as a whole. The fact that these techniques are necessary for me to understand writing in a textbook, make academic reading a very different process from leisurely reading.
When I read in my spare time, for fun, I often do not need any methods to help me retain information. I feel that this is because when I read in my extra time, I read works that are of interest to me and do so for pure enjoyment, solely. When I read a magazine article I often skip sentences to reach the "guts" of the article that holds the most interesting and important information needed to understand the point of the article as a whole. Once I reach the section of the article that interests me, I often feel that I have a grasp of the entire section and usually move to the next article. Unfortunately, textbook reading requires much more concentration and effort in order to understand a topic.
Whether it be a textbook or magazine, reading is definetely a requirement for life in 2009. I am hopeful that I will continue to reap the benefits of thethe reading techniques I developed in the past. If I find that using the highlighter, flagging, notetaking, and rereading techniques are still not enabling me to comprehend what I am reading, I will need to develop additional techniques. I know that with the help of my professors I will be able to succeed no matter how much I seem to struggle with reading comprehension.

Expectations of Myself here, at Stockton College

Here at Stockton, I have high expectations of myself to succeed. Despite the challenges I foresee in some classes, I am determined not to become discouraged. I know that school will require what may seem like endless hours of studying, reading, and concentration, but I will try to remain optimistic, knowing that I will be working toward an exciting goal of academic excellence. In order to achieve this goal, I am willing to sacrifice activities, clubs, and unfortunately fun. I realize that I am here to work hard and succeed.
While the social aspects of dorm life are perks, they are certainly not necessities. After I feel adequately prepared to do well in class, I may then relax and visit friends. I feel one of the most important things to remember here at college, is to prioritize. If one's priorities become disorganized and out of order, their downfall is sure to follow. Fortunately, it is easy to get back on track if this happens. If I ever find myself struggling to manage the Stockton social scene with academics, I must only pause and reorganize.
Another common characteristic of success is positivity. Students must remain optimistic in order to formulate creative ideas, and be in a good mind-set for the rigorous requirements college presents. I feel remaining an optimistic student is also not difficult. If I ever feel discouraged I may take a short break to relax and focus on something that brings me happiness. This break will refuel my mind and enable me to continue working on assignments. I feel with these two key characteristics of success, I will certainly be able to do well here at Stockton College.