College Customs Exercises

1. My sister had been at EFSC first and longer than I have, and she said the custom she wish she had known is how strict deadlines are and how big of a deal missing days or assignments is. She gained the knowledge and grew to get everything done and be aware of all assignments.

2. The student's GPA is 2.08. 

3. None of the college customs really surprise me. Since I've been enrolled in college as a dual enrolled student since tenth grade I'm used to these customs. The most challenging is not packing up before the class is over. It's nice being out quickly so you can move on to your next class or activity for the day. I'd like to hear more about what to do after an absence instead of asking your instructor. 

4.

• Don't e-mail your instructor if it's a Canvas issue, in that case, you need to call IT for help.
• Make sure you are available during the proctored exam to go to the campus and take a test.
• E-mail your instructor as early as possible in the week with questions instead of waiting til the weekend.
• Always do thorough discussion replies to classmates that are engaging.
• Schedule your proctored exams early because it can fill up quickly.
• Start homework early in the week in case any computer issues happen and you need to get to a Starbucks.

Journal Entry 4

1. I'm good at grammar, I'm good at dancing, I am friendly, I can dance, I am reliable, I am organized, I'm good at art, I am good with my money, I am good with making web sites, and I am a good listener.

2. I'm bad at math, I am out of shape, it's hard for me to pay attention, I procrastinate, it's difficult to finish reading a book, it's hard to be in social situations, I am often late, I stress easily about work, I'm not confident in certain situations, and I regret decisions.

3. I think my present state of self-esteem is 5. I think working made my self esteem lower in some ways because I believed I was great at what I did but the supervisors continually only use me when they have to and prefer others to be in higher positions. I would like my self esteem to be an 8. If I work at a place where hierarchy isn't as significant I think my self esteem would be better.

Journal Entry 3

1. One thing I enjoyed learning is some Korean language.

2. I went online and found web sites dedicated to English speakers learning Korean. I would write the symbols of their letters over and over and make flash cards for vocabulary words, and watch videos. I had a notebook and would also teach others who wanted to learn a little bit. I brought a vocabulary book with me to school and would look at it during downtime. I tried to do it most days of the week. I would spend a few hours at a time learning new grammar or words. I would talk to Korean speakers online and take quizzes testing my knowledge. I loved learning Korean. It made me feel unique and my eyes were opened to a different world. Hearing Korean songs I can hear phrases and words I understand, and it has also brought me closer to the culture.

3. By reading and writing about learning, I have learned that it takes time and patience to learn new concepts. I will use this knowledge to maximize my learning in college by making sure I have time to thoroughly engage in my classes and take the steps necessary to succeed.

Journal Entry 2

1.   My last school was a Junior and Senior High School so it had ages from 12 to 18. In college, the ages can be 16 with dual enrollments kids with no limit. It was interesting coming here and seeing the older students but it reminds me to get my schoolwork done and be studious; they would probably say it's better to get college out of the way when you're younger. In my last school a lot of the students were immature and quite childish but everything is taken more seriously in college. The professors don't really need to reprimand the students like the teachers did at my previous school. Also, talking about mature subjects isn't really an issue since everyone at college is an adult, or almost an adult. At my old school kids would giggle and whisper more often.
     As I mentioned, the teachers' treatment of students is also different, especially with the reprimanding. Since college students are more mature the teachers seldom have to "control" their class. At my high school the students are loud and often ignore the teacher's requests. However, since college is a lot more serious, professors often won't extend due dates or accept late work. At my high school this was done frequently even if a student just forgot about it. It's interesting to see how in college that won't slide at all, but it is a great lesson and makes for students being more aware of their duties. In turn, they become successful in their careers.

2.   My high school was a "choice" school. That meant students had to get C's or higher in order to enroll and maintain that average throughout their middle and high school years or they would be kicked out. At this school the expectation for good grades was quite heavy. It gave me a lot of pressure and stress as it did most students. Approaching graduation, a complicated senior project had to be completed and everyone was required to apply to college. The school had a huge expectation of its students and it definitely made me bitter about education. I felt like I wasn't learning to learn but just learning to get a certain letter. If students got almost all straight A's administration would have a small party at the end of the quarter and give them pizza; but even that was very restricted. The school wanted perfect grades, and a lot of the times that's what it got.
     Hand in hand with good grades, the importance of a college education throughout going to this school was extremely significant. At every graduation ceremony, the principal explains how everyone was accepted in to a college and boasts where these students got in to. I agree college is important but it was tough going through school and it being so forced on me. Starting in middle school students talk about which college they'd like to attend, and during senior year the stress and pressure escalates as they are applying and hoping to get in to the school they'd like. 

Journal Entry 1

1. My Score:    Self-Assessment Area:

56              Score #1: Accepting Personal Responsibility

56              Score #2: Discovering Self-Motivation

47              Score #3: Mastering Self-Management

37              Score #4: Employing Interdependence

36              Score #5: Gaining Self-Awareness

37              Score #6: Adopting Lifelong Learning

47              Score #7: Developing Emotional Intelligence

49              Score #8: Believing in Myself

2. My highest scores were with accepting self-responsibility and discovering self-motivation. This was interesting to see. I do see myself as the one thing that can change how my life goes. If I work harder, have more willpower, get more organized, I feel like I can be more successful in life. When I am lazy and do not try hard I know it is my fault if I don't get things I want. I've had a goal for about two years with my college education and what degree I'd like to major in in the future. It's something I'm really interested in and I envision it coming to life.

3. I was sad to see my low score was in adapting lifelong learning. Unfortunately most of the time when I do take classes I do not see a high value in learning the material so my education becomes a huge challenge for me especially learning subjects I do not care about. Employing interdependence was also a low score for me. I've never tried to get tutoring on any subject I struggled with growing up and that definitely negatively affected my outcome in some of my grades. I should learn to reach out more and become a part of my close community for the sake of my education. 

Hello!

This is my first post for my Success Strategies journal. Thanks for taking a look and I'm excited to get into the habit of weekly journaling for this fall semester.