November 30th in class

Today we were introduced to Katherine, a peer mentor who will be helping us finish out the semester. We went over MLA formatting and how to put our essays together. I found the information helpful, but I had already heard it all before. It's never bad to have a refresher though. Anyway, after that we learned how to embed the audio interview into our blogs. That pretty much sums up class for today.

Muse Interview

MUSE Interview with Mina, Karimah for the MUSE 1 class.

 

Group Meeting-Careers

Ansel: Wants to work in communications. Mom works in post office. Dad works as computer engineer.
Ryan: Wants to work in construction, engineering.
Patrick: Wants to work in psychology. Mom worked as music teacher. Dad is a manager at a computer repair business.
Joel: I could possibly work as a PR Representative. My mom works as a student aid. My dad works as the National Director for
Caparnaum.

I Am

I am to the least of these
uncontrolled
Yet wielding an infinite supply of gifts
Taken for granted
Unyielding
Despising the giver
My God
Despising my brothers
Those who shed light
While I drown in darkness
Those who walk on water
While I float beneath the surface

I am to the least of these
An unworthy martyr
A disease within myself
Slowly eating away at my inner soul
Leaving a hollowed man behind
Deprived of wisdom, knowledge, and fervor
Deprived of myself
Turning my back on the world
Attempting to fly
While the others dance
Attempting to be at peace
But I simply can't

Rainy Days

It's Friday and it's been pretty stormy today. I love the feel of the rain. I love the sound of rain pattering on the skylight as I look above. It makes me feel at peace with everything around me. Sometimes we need a moment like that. It lets us forget about the chaos for a while and just relax.

Interview With a Peer Mentor and a Senior :D

Class was very exciting today. I was very excited about the interview with a peer mentor and a senior at SJSU because it allowed for a greater incite into our school and the student body that is involved. I was able to better understand what it means to be an upper-classmen and how much time and effort it takes to be successful in a college environment. The first interview with Mina was very informative and gave me a very good incite into what it means to be a peer mentor. There are many benefits to being a peer mentor such as a close knit community of students and friends that you get to see almost every day. I was also very interested in the way she responded to the questions concerning why she chose to attend San Jose State over Long Beach. I, like her, chose to stay close to home. This really hit home with me because it's something that we have in common. Another interesting question was why she chose to become a peer mentor. Her response was very cool because she talked about how helpful her Peer mentor was when she was in a muse class as a freshman. It's weird to think that time can go by so quickly. One moment I'll be sitting here in my Muse class, and in the blink of an eye I'll be taking my upper division GE. It's a scary thought, but it's a challenge I look forward to.
The Interview with Karima, a senior at San Jose State, was very fascinating to me. She was very inspiring to me because she knew exactly what she stood for and she knew exactly who she is as a person. I found it very inspiring that she chose to be very politically involved as a freshman and sophomore and even more amazing that she is so involved in many different areas of her life. I was most captivated by the information she delivered about Poetry and open mic nights. I love to write poetry and so I greatly connected to this. Going into questions concerning the budget cuts I was a bit surprised at how strongly Karima felt about what is happening at SJSU, yet she did so in a very subtle way. I am very thankful that I was able to meet both of the interviewees today!

Your Guide To College Success chpt. 12 (Your Journal)

The "Your Journal" section of chapter 12 goes in depth into figuring out a possible future career. I've thought about Sports Public Relations and I've thought about trying to find internships but I don't know where to start. I have created resumes before to outline my accomplishments for future reference. Within these documents my strengths may be portrayed such as my writing skills.

Your Guide To College Success-Chpt 12 (Know Yourself)

Chapter 12 talked about figuring out a possible career choice and how to figure out your strengths and weaknesses. I found that I have a lot of criteria outlined in my mind about values that I consider important in a career. I also discovered some of my own qualities that I possess. My greatest is that of getting things done on time. This allows for dependability.

Your Guide To College Success-Chpt 11 (Your Journal)

When faced with the Your Journal section of chapter 11 it forced me to remember some of the financial tricks my parents have taught me throughout the years such as saving 10% of everything I make and tithing 10%. It also made me think about financial aid and the types of questions I should ask the Financial aid office on campus. On another note, it talks about defining my own personal financial success. I would say that my own financial success would be doing something I love and being able to support my family and also allowing for money to be placed in a strong savings account.

Your Guide To College Success-Chpt 11 (Know Yourself)

Chapter 11 is all about managing your finances and it really reminded me of my econ. senior project I did last year in high school because I had to manage my finances for a five year period of time. The know yourself section of this chapter aimed to isolate bad spending/saving habits and I learned that, thankfully, I don't have any spending habits that I struggle with. There are some things I could give up, but they are pretty small.

Meeting With SJSU Leadership (11/2/09)

On Monday I attended conversation with San Jose State Leadership and I was actually surprised at how much information our President and Provost had to offer. The conversation began with a series of set questions created by the MUSE Peer Mentor. I got to learn about the duties of both the President and Provost and what a day in their life looks like. Both must meet individually with other sections of leadership on campus to ensure each student is receiving opportunities to grow. Another question that was asked was what our school will look like next year and each leader had a lot to talk about. They discussed the cutting of enrollment, encouraging more seniors to graduate, and the large reduction of funds we face in the coming years. Soon thereafter the open forum questions began and many of them dealt with remedial classes and it seemed as though students were a bit flustered by the remedial class situation. It doesn't really affect me because I'm not enrolled in any remedial classes, but it could affect my friend who is taking remedial english. If he doesn't pass this first year he won't be able to take it over again because SJSU isn't funding the program past one year. Overall I found the conversation fairly informative. I knew a lot of the information already, but it was nice to hear from the Leaders of our school.

Presidential Debate (Video Project)

Paint Time!

My morning started off by my mom waking me up to help her paint our entire living room and kitchen. Me and my brothers were a bit unsure of what to think at first and I was a little angry because I hadn't planned on working this morning, but I got used to the idea and ended up enjoying working alongside my brothers. Tonight, being Halloween and all, we plan to go out and see some of the coolest decorated houses in our neighborhood. It's always exciting to see the new things people do. After that we plan to sit down and watch Transformers 2! Tonight should be fun!!

Paper Friday

So all I did on Friday was work on my MUSE scholarly paper. I must say that I found it easier to compile than I had originally expected. I gathered the research I had acquired from my dad and my grandma and put it together in my paper alongside the research I did using the SJ library database. I certainly have some editing to do, but for a first draft I am happy with what I came up with.

Your Guide To College Success-Chpt 10 (Your Journal)

The "Your Journal" section of chapter 10 gave me an incite into my diet as well as how I cope with certain issues such as stress. Nutritionally I am doing well, but I have a few issues when it comes to coping with stress. I have chosen to channel my stress through my music and writing. These will be my positive replacements.

Your Guide To College Success-Chpt 10 (Know Yourself)

Within the Know Yourself section of chapter 10 I learned a lot about my physical and mental health. I learned that my lifestyle is healthful and is supported by my choices. When it comes to drug abuse I have no problems because I do not drink or do drugs of any kind. My sexual attitudes for the most part are undecided and fairly traditional in some areas such as premarital sex.

your Guide To College Success-Chpt 8 (Your Journal)

The Your Journal section of chapter 8 discussed strategies that would help before taking a test. One strategy is that of making your own test to practice identifying key concepts from the course material. I also learned about the risks of cheating such as expulsion. I believe people cheat because they are afraid of failing and not being good enough. The next section discussed decoding essay instructions. The easiest way to do this is by underlining the key words in the essay prompt.
The last thing I learned is that I need to find a quiet place and use that place to help me focus when taking a test.

Your Guide To College Success-Chpt 8 (Know Yourself)

The know yourself section of chapter 8 gave me an understanding of how great my test anxiety is. I found that I deal with tests very well and nervousness is not a factor for me in almost all cases. When it comes to my performance on tests I usually do fairly well. The only area i tend to struggle in is underlining key words when it comes to essay questions. Although this is the case, I still do well on these types of tests because I am good at understanding the prompts. Lastly, I was forced to face my academic honor standards and those of the school. I believe very strongly in living up to the expectations of honesty.

Wonderwall (Cover)

so I decided to record wonderwall the other day by Oasis and my brother wanted to be in the video so he's my backup dancer =P

Campus Movie Fest! (10/9/09)

Yesterday I went to the campus movie fest with Patrick, Mynesha, and Ryan. I was actually very surprised at how interesting many of the movies were. There are a lot of talented teams at SJSU. We got there around 6:50, although I'd been there since about 3:30 for the movie our group was filming. Anyway, there were a lot of great videos, but one of my favorites was one called "Resistance" which was about a new brand of software that would affect people's social security. The man who created the software realized what the Government wanted to do with it, so he tries to destroy it, but he is killed in the process. It was very stirring and emotional. Another film I liked was one about the dangers of drinking. Two brothers are playing beer pong and the younger one is dominating his older brother. In the end it becomes clear that the younger brother died in a car crash because his brother encouraged him to drink at a party a while back. The brother is suffering with guilt and has become an alcoholic. It really made me think and it made me sad. That was one of the best movies I saw there.

Muse Workshop #2-Study Tips (10/1/09)

I went to a Muse workshop on test taking and study habits a few weeks a go and I found most of the information fairly basic but there were some helpful tips when it comes to studying and reviewing notes. I was glad to learn about test anxiety and how to battle it by not showing up too early so that you won't hear people talking about the test. I also learned to schedule study time two weeks before finals in order to optimize study time. We played jeopardy to answer these questions which made the experience more inclusive. I had a pretty good time.

I Love this video!

hahahaha :D

Your Momma Fight

Your Guide To College Success-Chpt 6 (Your Journal)

Upon reflecting on this chapter I learned about myself as a note taker. I pay close attention in my classes and at times I write down information that I don't understand. I'm not a daydreamer so I don't really have to worry about that. When I find myself uninterested, I try to ask questions that create discussion. The "sixth sense" was also referenced in this chapter which describes how Professors give clues to key information. These include: references, personal experiences, and louder voice notation. Lastly I learned about outlines and how they create a better understanding of the material.

Your Guide To College Success-Chpt 6 (Know Yourself)

The know yourself section of this chapter attacked the area of note taking during lectures. I discovered that I overall I am a good note taker. I highlight the key ideas and make sure to concentrate during class. There are a few areas where I need improvement though such as reviewing my notes more often. Reading wise I discovered that I'm also on the right track. I'm enthusiastic about reading (in most cases) and I expand upon my knowledge by going deeper into the material. My reading type is "active reader" in between skimming and Analytical.

Woodleaf Leadership Weekend Sep. 25th-27th

I don't even know where to begin about how incredible being back at Woodleaf was. It's like my home away from home. There are so many memories there. It's like walking backwards through a photo album. The smells of camp linger every time I set foot on Woodleaf's grand property. I can remember the first time I went there. I must have been only 5 years old. So much has changed since then. The lake has moved, a bigger town hall was built, more cabins have been constructed, but one thing that hasn't changed is my ongoing love for that place. It's almost as if I've been encrypted within the camp and the camp encrypted into me. I hate leaving. Even though I was only there for a few days it felt as though I'd been there all my life. The people I went with also came back home, but there's something so special and unique about being at Woodleaf together. It's magical. It really is. I can't think of any other place I'd rather be than Woodleaf, nor can I think of any other people I'd rather be there with.

Your Guide To College Success-Chpt 5 (Journal/Know Yourself)

Chapter five was an interesting chapter for me. I've discovered that I have critical thinking styles that correspond to the consumer style and the strategist style. I was also intrigued to be creative in the know yourself section that involved innovative thinking to solve problems. Asking questions was a main topic in the "my journal" section. I am glad to have read about asking question because I know that it will help me to grow in my classes and add a new aspect to my experience at SJSU. I want to find a subject that truly intrigues me and makes me think outside the box.

Your Guide To College Success-Chpt 4 (Journal/Know Yourself)

I made some very key discoveries about myself after reading chapter four. The most important to me was that of discovering my high music intelligence score. I have been kicking around the idea of changing my major to music because I know it is what truly interests me. I also discovered that I am very much a visual learner who prefers to see information presented visually on a board. On top of that I am a person who learns by doing or performing a given task. That is where I gain the most experience. I am glad to know my strengths because it also helps me to focus on other areas of my learning experience.

Public Speaking Notes (In Class 9/23/09)

Writer's Block: Unable to think or write about topic.

Tips-Journal, Creative Writing, Quick Break (Blog)

Plagiarism: Taking someone's words as your own

Public Speaking

Bad Speech- Stutters, No eye contact

Good- Main Idea, Dress Up, Practice, Posture, Stick to main point, Visual Element

Your Guide To College Success-Chpt 9 (Your Journal)

The journal section of this weeks chapter was interesting I suppose. It allowed me to recall someone giving a rather pathetic speech back in my high school years. It made me laugh actually. At the same time it helped me realize what NOT to do when giving a speech. Other sections of the journal focused on the cause and effect of plagiarism. That is something I'll definitely steer clear of. Lastly I discovered more of my own writing trends such as not doing enough solid research. But never fear I'm changing that!

Your Guide To College Success-Chpt 9 (Know Yourself)

After completing the know yourself sections of chapter 9 I discovered a few key things about my writing style. I've always believed myself to be a confident writer, but I admit there are times when I'm a lazy writer, which is a tragic waste of my abilities. I am good at structuring my paragraphs, but sometimes I do not use the best examples or most concrete examples to express my point. My form and style are able to keep me afloat, but it's not enough all the time. I've made it my goal to do further research on a topic I'm given and take the time to make my paper concrete. My public speaking skills are a bit hazy. I am confident in my speaking ability, but I have not practiced enough to sound smooth. I often sound forced or uncomfortable. There's always something to work on though. :)

Bio Poem

Joel

Creative, Thinker, Athletic, Dreamer

Related to Zack Palermo

Tomorrow, love, darkness, and light

Fear, failure, and hope

Passion, emotion, and sight

Honor, devotion, and deviation

Future, time, and pay

Heaven, true beauty, and coruscations

San Jose, Gleneeden Way

Palermo

Fighting

There's an ever present war raging within my soul. No one could ever understand it but myself. I'm fighting it. I'm becoming whole again. Make us whole again. It's a mysterious line that haunts me because I know it's no coincidence that I heard it this past week. What does it mean to become whole again? Is it a deception or is it expectation? Only time will tell.

Muse Workshop #1: Party With A Plan

Today I attended a MUSE workshop at 2:00 pm in Clark Hall room 118. The workshop was about Partying with a plan (being safe when drinking). I, personally, have never drank, but I did find the workshop very informative. It was interesting to learn about the various amounts of alcohol in specified drinks and how easily it can be to reach a point where alcohol poisoning is the result. Our presenter, David Emerett (I think that was his name), showed us a really cool game simulation that calculated how long it would take for a particular person, depending on weight, to become intoxicated or drunk depending on what type of drink and how fast they drink it. The workshop was actually more exciting and interesting than I had expected it to be!

Some Days...

Some days I feel like the world and the people around me don't care. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but the way people act at times can be quite tragic. Small, almost unnoticeable idiosyncrasies can leave someone feeling broken or unwanted. Many people I know act in this manner...even I at times have fallen victim to it. I try to fight it. I don't want to conform to the world and all of it's "values". Such incidents leave me feeling sick, not because of the action itself, but rather that our nation is unable to see the symptoms of an ever-growing sickness that continues to contaminate our minds. The technology we use today is a tool that should not be used so lightly. Socially we are becoming inept to the common rules of communication. Because there is no face-to-face conduct these days, people have begun to act in ways that may come off as disrespectful or ungrateful. I can only hope that our situation gets better.

Your Guide To College Success-Chapter 3

After reading chapter 3 I have found that I am NOT at risk to procrastinate which is a good thing. I feel as though I manage my time quite well and make it a priority to complete assignments and tasks. I will admit that I do play XBOX a bit too much at times, but not to the point of putting things off. It's not unhealthy, but I will try to take some of the time I spend playing video games and utilize it in a way such as reading or playing my guitar in order to increase the variety of activities in my life. The swiss cheese approach is very inspiring to me because it closely correlates to the strategy I already use. I am always using odd blocks of time to read or study.

Your Guide To College Success-Chapter 2

Upon reading chapter 2 of my textbook I discovered many different things about myself and others. One thing that was a bit shocking to me is that I may be lonelier than I had anticipated. This was a bit weird to me, but it also encouraged me to try new things this semester. My goal is to get involved and make new friends. I want to be connected to people who share the same values as me. In addition to this I learned about dealing with discrimination and prejudice. It's a very tender subject that is very present even today. This chapter was very helpful because it gave great advice in combatting loneliness and connecting with others around you who may be different.

Mime Exercise-esicrexE emiM

In class today we did a mime exercise that required us to mimic the actions of our partner. It was very interesting and difficult at time to mimic my partner, Sherman, exactly because he was very good at confusing me. The exercise was also very helpful in highlighting key points of non-verbal communication such as eye-contact and body language. By interpreting this exercise at a deeper level it is easy to see that when you aren't allowed to talk to someone, the way you present yourself has a huge affect on how you are viewed as an individual.

MLK Library Tour

So on September 9th we took a virtual tour of the MLK library. I was very excited to learn about all of the unique features the library has to offer. It was a lot of information at first, but now I feel very comfortable with all of the resources available to me. The most important thing presented to us was the database feature located on the libraries home page. The databases allow for references able to be used on term papers and other various assignments. I also learned about library cards and the required pin number that must be used in order to access SJSU library databases and information distributed specifically for students use. The tour was very useful and allowed me to learn about how to be successful at San Jose State.

To Run Again...

Something stirred deep within my soul this morning as I was walking to the Library from my English class. It was the desire to run again. I ran Cross Country all four years in High School and not running this year has finally hit me. The smell of the trees and the concrete reminds me of it the most. I spent so many long hours after school running, pounding the pavement with every step alongside my teammates. I miss it. I miss them. I miss the shadowy fragments of sunlight that caressed my skin as I ran. It's something indescribable that burns within me, an eternal flame. Running is my healing, my strength, and my soul. Running is who I am. Yet, all I have to remind me of it are the confines of my new campus, baiting me, and calling me back to my passion...to run.

Cousins, Aunt, and Uncle :D

(My Cousin James)

So yesterday my my aunt, uncle and cousins decided to come over and visit last night which was a lot of fun. We ate ice cream and reminisced about the good old days of Pokemon and....yeah Pokemon hahah. I was also quite surprised that my older cousin, James, who attends UCLA, had just gotten a BMW. I was a bit envious since he already has a '69 fastback Mustang, but oh well I guess that's life. Anyway, we also played some video games and talked about college life, girls, etc. My cousin, David, on the other hand was content watching my brother Zack play Pokemon on his gameboy...I guess Pokemon hasn't completely died yet. I don't really know what my parents talked about with my aunt and uncle since they were in the other room, but I'm sure they had a good time too. All in all it was a great night.

Treasure Hunt!!!

The Treasure Hunt around campus was both exciting and confusing at times. I was very intrigued to learn about all of resources where they are all located. I learned more about important people of campus such as the President, Jon Whitmore as well as sports on campus sports both intramural and sports associated with the NCAA. Plus, now I know the name of our mascot, Sammy Spartan! hahaha! In addition to this I learned about campus clubs and organizations that help students connect with their peers. Because some of the questions were difficult to find I took my search with me onto the internet where I discovered a large amount of information about the history at SJSU. I couldn't believe that the University was founded in 1857! This assignment was very helpful because it made me become more aware of resources available to me at my new campus. :)

Meeting #1

So we met in small groups the other day and discussed our first week at San Jose State. This is what our group came up with.

Jae - He thought the first week was pretty easy.

Kim - She thought the weather was really hot.

Patrick - He thought the first week was like the first week of high school.

Aaron - He thought the first week was easy because he only had one essay to write in his English

class.

Me - I thought the first week was a bit overwhelming due to the new environment.

Top 10 Favorite Websites to Visit

These are the places I usually go when I'm surfin the web haha. Quite a different variety of sites if I do say so myself.

1. Facebook.com
2. Youtube.com
3. Myspace.com
4. Yahoo.com
5. Google.com
6. Dictionary.com
7. Air1.com
8. Guitarcenter.com
9. Aolmusic.com
10. Wikipedia.com

A New Chapter? Chapter 1

Every day I leave my house and make the drive to SJSU I am learning more and more about my new home. San Jose State has so much to offer me and it's up to me to take advantage of it. I'm still a bit confused about what classes I need to be thinking about taking in the near future, so I'll have to find my Adviser. In the meantime my ever-present job dilemma is still causing me to stress out a little bit. I'm in a new space right now and I feel uncomfortable with how difficult it has been to communicate with the Dining Commons on campus about my job...well could be job I guess you'd have to call it right now. I don't like thinking about it much, but I know I can't just shove it aside. I guess everything in life teaches you a lesson. Running away never solved anything.

Prologue of My Guide To College Success

Upon reading the prologue chapter of my textbook last night I have come to realize a few new things about myself as I enter into College life. In the past week I've been given much more responsibility not only to myself, but also directed towards those around me. I've had to increase my expectations in order to adapt to my new environment. This will ultimately lead me to discover the gift that God, in his grace, imparted on me. I'm also very excited to meet new people and make connections that will help me in the future. Yet, through my reawakening I have also had to deal with the stress of trying to find a job on campus that works with my hours. It's difficult because I know that I have to manage my time very carefully in order to do well. I know that if I stay on top of my work I'll be just fine, but it's difficult trying to juggle so many things at once. But, when things get tough I know that I have a whole entire group of people willing to help me along the way.

My first week at SJSU

Transforming into a college student this past week has been very different from what I expected. I must admit that I was very unsure of myself at first. Being placed in a strange environment usually leaves me in a state of paralysis for a while but my first day at San Jose State left me curious. I've been very observant these past few days. I've watched the other students around me and I've made sure to pay even greater attention to my professors. I've noticed that the intensity level of classes has greatly increased from high school. It's not impossible to handle these new classes, but I understand that I'll be working very hard during my college career. All in all I'm very excited about what SJSU has in store for me this year!

1st day at SJSU

It's difficult for me to describe in words how I've felt during my first day of "higher education" that I seem to have stumbled upon utterly unaware of what I was getting myself into. I must confess, it won't be a walk in the park by any means. I feel stripped of myself and everything I've grown accustomed to these last four years in high school. I've been placed amongst a sea of faces and most of the time I'm surrounded by people I've never met before. Yet by some unknown force I feel as though I must rise up above everything strewn before me so violently. I've chosen to keep my eyes on the prize. I know that I deserve to be on this campus among all of these people. I know I have a lot to offer. Although entering my first class was a bit overbearing, I am making it my primary goal to adjust quickly to my new set standards. I will give it my all.