The Difficulties of Sticking to Time Strategies

Managing my time efficiently is always something I've had issues with, especially in the last couple years. Some of it probably (well, in a couple cases definitely) has to do with health issues. Nowadays, I need to learn/redo better time strategies, especially because my memory isn't as good as it used to be (that makes me sound old). But it's my new reality: if I don't write something down and/or set reminders, the odds are I'm very likely to forget it in the new five minutes until it's almost too late.

I do like the use of checklists: the problem is remembering to use them. I have a couple different apps on my phone that I use, one for homework and one for general life stuff. I also have a paper planner that I can use to show both my to-do list (especially things that are due like homework and bills) and my schedule, which can make it easier to prioritize what needs to be done. Setting alerts and reminders can only go so far, especially if I'm engaged in something else when the timer goes off. 

Looking over the offered articles, I liked the one titled "How to Build a Realistic Study Plan," by Amanda Collins. For myself, in a lot of cases getting started, or knowing where to start, is the hardest step. So this strategy that offers a guideline on how to build a proper study plan seems pretty helpful to me.

I also liked the article titled "Four Questions to Help Overcome Procrastination," by Peter Banerjea. Like the Newton's 1st Law says, an object in motion tends to stay in motion. Once I get started on something, I usually have the energy/momentum to carry me into doing the next thing on my list (or until the caffeine from my coffee wears off). Asking myself these questions is a way to get the ball rolling.

This semester I think my best strategy is figuring out a realistic study schedule and keeping  up actively with my planner. Between a job, working in a research lab, and classes I'm going to be very busy this semester. (Thankfully I don't have to worry about band as well!) Using my planner to stay on top of things and not allowing myself to come to rest is probably the best strategy for me to stay on top of stuff.

To end this post, a strip from one of my favorite comics:

As the daughter of an attorney, I can appreciate finding loopholes in things. (Source: PerezS1421)

The Technology of an Online Class

As I have previously mentioned, I have taken online classes before in various contexts: through D2L, Canvas, and Janux (that last one was a real mess...). But this will be my first time mainly using a blog to keep up with class assignments. There are several blogs I follow for my own entertainment that use Blogger, but this will be my first time actually producing one. In today's online world, social media is more the preferred way to communicate and share things with others, especially platforms like Instagram. The original blog (something that was typed out) has rather fallen by the wayside.

I also do have some familiarity with some of the other online tools mentioned, especially Google Doc, which is my preferred way to work on group projects (if I'm forced to work in a group for a project. I'm not a fan of them in general). 

Overall I like that this class has a more relaxed atmosphere than previous online classes, especially since there is a grace period to still get assignments turned in. I'll try not to fall into that period too much (today notwithstanding), but it's always nice to have that cushion of time if needed.

To wrap up this post, I'll leave an image about everyone's favorite show about technology and the future: Futurama.

Me to myself when doing homework (source: Pinterest)

Thoughts on the Basic Assignments

While I have taken online classes before, they haven't been in this format. Usually it was something along the lines of "do the reading, complete the assignments, and take the online tests." Keeping a blog is a little weird for me, but I'll go with it (of course). 

I'm also not sure how I feel about doing writing assignments. Although I love to read, I'm more a consumer of literature, not a producer. I suppose I'll try my hand at it, of course.

I am a big fan of the extra credit assignments. Sometimes (like this last weekend), I fall behind in work no matter how hard I try to keep up. Being able to show during less busy times that I am invested in class by doing extra credit will be really nice for my sanity.

And for the obligatory image, a summation of how I feel about today: 

Ah yes, how all Mondays start: with coffee and a stack of assignments (Source: Lifewire)

My Views on Growth Mindset

Having read about growth mindset, I admit off the bat that I have some skepticism to it. While the idea behind it is good and has potential, execution is another matter. It seems to be that it is very much toted as a “fix” to the current educational system in place that focuses on grades and state testing. But it’s ironically also feeding to the idea of “participation is all that’s important” that those of my generation had growing up. Who else remembers receiving “participation trophies” for playing on a pee-wee soccer league or in t-ball? Adults nowadays complain that a generation of “demanders” has been raised that demands praise for simply giving effort. But my generation never asked for those trophies: our parents did, the same generation that now complains. Children know when adults are patronizing them; this just seems to take it at an educational level.

Similarly, A. Kohn has a similar point. The studies that he listed point out the same thing that I just mentioned: kids are aware of the difference between praise for effort and praise for intelligence. Receiving lots of the former comes off as condescending and can lead to kids not trying as hard in the future. 

This leads to me recalling something my high school psychology teacher talked about a lot: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and how both are developed in the school system. Intrinsic motivation is the desire to do any activity simply for the pleasure of doing it (examples: running or reading, or of course, studying and learning). In these cases, there is an internal drive to do something. Extrinsic motivation refers to behaviors that are done for a reward, such as money, grades, and praise. I can’t recall if my teacher talked about the growth mindset in a presentation he gave to the rest of the staff, but it does fit in with his presentation. But this internal drive later can’t exactly be built in later on in life, and extrinsic motivation is not necessarily a bad thing. There are things in my life that I do only for extrinsic motivation (such as doing homework for certain classes), and humans do this to themselves throughout their life (an example would be telling yourself, “I can have this cookie since I just worked out” or “if I do this difficult thing I’ll reward myself by buying a game”). 

Kohn also made an interesting point about how growth mindset is not enough against cultural, political, and economic barricades. It’s in the same category as the American Dream: the idea that if you work hard enough, you too can have everything you want in terms of wealth, job security, and a personal life. While this is a pretty image, in reality in today’s political and economic climate it can be incredibly hard to achieve. For every success story, there is three, ten, or a hundred failure stories. 

The concept of the growth mindset is a good one. And seems to have produced several life mottos and motivating sentences that are easy to pin, tweet, or post to a blog. But this is also not enough. Many of these phrases are quoted to aneurotypical people who struggle with depression, anxiety, or other issues. Growth mindset along can’t be used to change children’s view of school, someone’s motivation, or someone’s mental health. Other things must be used too. To me, it seems that growth mindset is but one tool that should be used.

That said, some of those motivational quotes can be pretty funny: 

Cha cha real smooth now. Source: Tes Teach

Hello all, my name is Madison Salem, and I’m very awkward at introductions, but I’ll give it a shot anyway.

 Really Awkward, from Introvert Doodles

First, the basics: I’m a Psychology major with a minor in Biology, and hopefully I’ll graduate either in December or next May. After that I’d like to go to graduate school and study the psychology of fiction, and why people do things such as cosplay, fanfiction, etc. (If this sounds familiar, Dr. Barnes at OU studies this niche. I get to work in her lab this semester and I’m very excited about it)

Tumblr post, creator unknown (source)

The only exciting thing I did over break was take (and pass) two classes, Computer Sciences and Genetics. I also worked and avoided the heat.

 The weather this summer (source)

Some fun facts now: I’m an alumni of the Pride of Oklahoma (that makes me feel really old now). This is my first year not doing marching band, and while I did have four years of fun, I definitely needed to focus on school and couldn’t fit band into my schedule this semester. I do miss it though, especially getting into games for free and all the free travel! 

Those long sleeves weren't fun at the beginning of the season. Picture taken by me, source.

I carried the Big 12 flag during the band's pregame show my junior year, and got to carry the OU flag at two games, including Houston (picture source).

Things that I do a lot: reading, Netflix, surfing the internet, and knitting. I would say I’m a beginning knitter, but I’ve been able to make some decent scarves. In fact I’ve been known to knit during class, as my summer professors can testify. 

I made this scarf for my dad's birthday. Source: my Ravelry page 

This scarf was made for fun. Source: my Ravelry page

I’m also a Deadpool fan, a Beauty and the Beast fan, and a major Harry Potter fan. That was one of the great things about going to Scotland: it’s where J. K. Rowling lives and where she wrote the books, so I got to see a lot of the places that inspired her, like the graveyards, the streets, and other things.

Me at Platform 9 3/4 in London. (This is a personal picture that I haven't posted online, so there's no linked source.)

For one brief moment I was in the queue to see the play The Cursed Child for a reduced rate. Source: Facebook

Then the dream died. Source: Facebook

I should also say that I am a believer of the philosophy that there is no such thing as owning too many books. Some may disagree (like my wallet), but I just live my life.

My basic book stats. Source: Goodreads

And that's me! If you have any questions just leave a comment and I'll answer when I can!

My Favorite Storybooks

After browsing through the various storybooks randomly, I managed to find three that I liked a lot for various reasons. In no particular order.....

Number 1

 Ariel, as found on the storybook. Source: Deviantart

 Mermaid Tales of the World 

This story was about the various tales of mermaids from around the world. I would say the title did a fairly obvious job of explaining what the Storybook was about. Mermaid tales can be pretty interesting, especially since the mythology has been around for so long. I did like the format that the author did: written in diary form of a mermaid who is presumed dead. This gives the story a more realistic feel, and adds to the mystic of the story by having it take place in the past. Overall the web page is well designed, although having a dark background and black font makes it a little difficult to read. Contrast is important!

Number 2

A Sword Called Excalibur, as found on the storybook. Source: Deviantart

Journey Through Camelot

I’ll admit, the general story is what appealed to me more than the style the author chose. There’s a lot of mysteriousness that surrounds the legends of King Arthur and Camelot, because while it does seem to be a real place, there’s also a lot of mythology and folklore about it. There’s a lot of blending between historical fact and fantastical myth. That said, oftentimes Morgan le Fey is portrayed as the villain, so it was refreshing to read a story that showed it from the opposite perspective (very Maleficent from Disney: not bad, just misunderstood). The title might be a little misleading, but it’s still relevant. And the minimalist design is very good as well; it makes for a quick read. I did also like the author notes at the bottom explaining their thought process behind the story and where they got their facts.

And finally, Number 3

The Quarrel of Oberon and Tatiana. Source: Wikipedia

Young Jamie and the Tasks of Tatiana

I will admit, I think this one is my favorite out of the three I picked. It’s got a clear and concise title that explains the contents of the storybook. It also has a very nice design: some basic background colors, and pictures interspersed throughout the story, not just at the end. The author also wrote in the dialect of the location, which is pleasing to read and definitely helps to give the right mindset of what is happening in the story. Plus they had very interesting author’s notes at the end of each section. This is very well done, and it is obvious the author put a lot of time into it.

This will be a very interesting assignment.....

My Favorite Place: Scotland, Both City and Country

A little over a year ago, in June 2017, I got to travel to Scotland as part of a study-abroad program (in other words, I convinced my parents to pay for it by explaining I would get class credit). This program was practically tailored for me: titled "Psychology in Scotland," I was in Scotland for the entire month of June, got my capstone class out of the way, and got As in both the classes I took there. Traveling to Scotland was a once in a lifetime experience, and I have made it an item on my bucket list to return there again someday, either as a visit or a permanent resident.

As it turns out, Scotland in June is a perfect time to visit. Winters there can get extremely cold, but while I was there the weather hovered between 40°F and 75°F (it never got above 80°). It was rainy and sometimes chilly, but overall very pleasant. More so than Oklahoma weather, by far.

One of the more fascinating things about visiting Scotland is just the history there. Unlike Oklahoma (and the United States in general), there are buildings in Scotland that are literally centuries old. One of these places that we visited was the Edinburgh Castle, which overlooks the city.

Image information: a view of Edinburgh Castle. This is the entrance to the castle, where all visitors enter. Source: Visit Scotland

(Image information: personal picture I took of my ticket in front of Edinburgh Castle; photo from June 2017)

(Image information: an overview of the city of Edinburgh from the Castle; personal photo from June 2017)

The castle was amazing to tour. I got an audio guide (which I highly recommend for any kind of tours or museums) and just wandered around for an hour while examining things that were older than the United States government. 

While the cities in Scotland are amazing for their architecture, history, and overall appearance, the countryside was in a class of its own. As part of the program, the class and professors went on an overnight bus trip up north to Inverness. The bus had a tour guide who stopped at various locations, such as Loch Ness, to show off the country. The weather wasn't always quite cooperative during the trip, but it was still an incredible experience.

Image information: a view of the Scottish countryside; personal photo from June 2017

Image information: a different view; personal photo from June 2017

Both of the photos were taken on my phone through a bus window. It still doesn't do justice to the view of course, but I keep these images as the lock and home screen on my phone so I can be reminded of my experience of a lifetime whenever I want.

I look forward to the day when I can go back again. While I definitely took some pieces of Scotland back with me (both souvenirs and memories), I almost feel like I left a part of myself there. All the better reason to return.