Lesson Hopefully Learned

Last week was a bit of a learning experience for me; I learned that my procrastination is getting worse. Before I would procrastinate my tasks but I would dedicate enough time for me to accomplish my tasks. Just last week, I was struggling to meet the deadline for some large assignments all because of my procrastination. My stress level was an 11 on a scale from 1 to 10; I was pulling all nighters 2-3 days in a row so that I could finish all the work that I had neglected to do. I have a test today and I have not completely studied because I have been trying to catch up on my work. This week I plan on staying ahead of my work and not let everything pile up until the last possible minute. Hopefully this works out and Netflix does not distract me, which is what usually happens. I would have imagined that I would have learned my lesson about procrastinating by now, but it seems to just go in one ear and out the other. I know that if I want to get good grades I have to stop what I am doing and focus, by waiting until last minute the work that I submit is not what I would have liked it to be. In some classes or occasions I can get away with it, but not all the time, that is why I need to figure out a way to stay on top of my workload and better manage my time.

Stanfest

Last weekend a few friends and I went to Stanfest, I was a little hesitant given that I did not really know who was going to be performing and my procrastination led me to leave all of my work for that week to be done on that weekend. My friend convinced me to go because I needed to “treat myself” for what I’m not sure but I am glad that I listened. After the change in act (from Khelani to TY Dolla Sign) I was more motivated to attend the event. The ticket was only five dollars but my experience was defiantly worth more. Despite waiting in a really long line out in the cold, witnessing a few girls getting arrested, and having a really tall guy constantly elbowing me in the head; it was a night to remember. I made a few new friends as we bonded over not really knowing the lyrics to most of the songs and our inability to see what was happening on stage because we were so short. Overall my experience made me realize that when I do something out of my comfort zone it can lead to something great, it does not always have to be a nerve-wreaking situation.  I also gained an interest in joining ‘Code Red’ as they took part in organizing the event and it sounds like a great opportunity to take part in events that will help me to get out of my comfort zone and be a more social person.

Studying Abroad

Last week in my psychology class we had a student speaker and because of this student speaker I want to go study abroad. She told us about her semester in London and how much she loved it and wants to go back. She mentioned that if one wants to travel and wishes to get college credit for it, then it is definitely worth it. And who wouldn’t? A semester abroad costs as much and sometimes even less than a semester here at Stan state and there are scholarships and financial aide to assist in paying for the trip. Because I know my parents and how protective they are, I knew that they would not let me go to a foreign country for an entire semester so my dream of studying abroad seemed to just be a dream. Towards the end of the presentation she mentioned that there are trips available over winter break and summer break, which really sparked my interest, as it is something that my parents would be more open to me doing. After class me and a few friends decided to look into the program, we have yet to attend the informational meeting, but we went to the IP office and got as much information as we could and are already looking at possible destinations. Spain is defiantly number one on our list so far and I could not be more excited! As soon as I get my parents on board with this idea, and I save up money for some excursions, it is off to Europe I go! Well hopefully.

Goodbye Winter Break

The second semester of freshman year has officially began, and it is time for me to get back into my before winter break mentality. No more staying up until two or three in the morning watching Netflix and waking up until at least eleven o’clock in the morning. The one thing that I was not looking forward to about going back to school is trying to find parking because that is always a struggle. Waking up early for class was probably one of the hardest adjustments about going back to school, that and staying up to date on my assignments or readings. So far most of my classes are lecture heavy so most of my homework involves reading, which is a problem. No matter how much I try I cannot seem to sit down and concentrate on what it is that I have to read. Other than my lack of concentration skills, this semester has been off to an okay start. My schedule is very sporadic so it gives me a lot of down time at school in which I do nothing but watch Netflix or sit on my phone waiting for my next class.  I want to but most importantly need to start doing some more productive things in my spare time; it is just a matter of getting myself back into school mode. After looking back to my first semester at Stan State I have realized that I want to make the most out of my last year as a freshman. I want to make new friends, go to and experience college events, and ultimately make new and lasting memories.