Blog #6

1) What are you most looking forward to next semster?

Sledding!

2) What advice do you have for incoming freshman next fall?

• Don't take BI 201 Human Anatomy your first semster, take something at a lower level so you can learn your study habits first.
• Don't procrastinate, if you get your assignments done early you have more time for other things.
• Get a printer, yes it's worth it.
• Drink a lot of water.
• Use a planner.
• When you are working on an assignment for too long, take a break. If you spread it out, your work will be much more thorough. Same goes for studying.
• Get a hanging shoe rack, it saves so much space, so does bunking your beds.
• Don't forget to take some time to have fun. =)

Blog #5

CONGRATS! You made it over "slump time" and now things should start to go smoother and be less intensive as the semester wraps up.

1) What are you most stressed-out with at the moment? Why? Is your body re-acting to this stress? Devise a plan to deal with it. (Who do you turn to when you are stressed?)

Right now I am mostly stressed out about the anatomy exam this coming Tuesday. There is so much infomation being covered and I am still learning how to study for the exam in this class. My body is really tired, I feel like an exoskeleton. I plan on trying to get more sleep and study all weekend. I was stressed about my roommate, but I ended up moving out and things are so much better. I am able to study and work done now.

2) READ the following excerpts from last year's UN100 on how they approach studying and retention of information from textbooks. These are extremely successful and their grades are reflecting it. If you haven't cracked your Anatomy textbook especially, you are doing yourself a great disservice!

"Steps that I take include skimming over the chapter, analyzing the preview & questions about the chapter, read headlines and depict the bold terms in context. When I do a reading assignment, the very first thing I do is flip through the pages and look for visuals that would enhance my comprehension of the chapter. I read the preceeding paragraph or overview of the chapter and try to answer the questions as I follow along in the context..then look up bold terms to understand their definitions. By knowing the highlighted words, it's easier to understand what the chapter is actually about. When I cover all these necessary steps, it is easier for me to complete a reading assignment and feel prepared for an upcoming quiz or test."

COMMENT: WOW!

"First I read the title, subtitles & objectives. I find that it's helpful to highlight them just to help reinforce the idea of what I'm learning. I quickly (and sometimes subconsciously) review in my head anything I might already know about the subject; that way I can try to find a connection of my previous knowledge to what I'm going to learn. If I think anything in the piece will be important for me to know or find quickly in the future, I take notes on the side about it or underline/highlight it. When I'm finished with the piece I look it over (my notes & highlighting) to help keep the main ideas fresh in my mind."

COMMENT: Brain-based research reveals that eliciting previous knowledge allows the brain to retain information more effectively. Nice!

"I glance through the entire chapter and skim through the main paragraphs and read the first sentence. I always look at and read the objectives of every chapter. They come in very handy towards the end, that way you know if you have successfully completed the reading. I try to be as active as possible during reading because it helps me comprehend the information easier and this way I am retaining the information more than once."

COMMENT: Active learning (taking notes in margin/highlighting )is way more powerful than passive learning (just reading).

"If I am doing a reading assignment such as the Chemistry one provided I found it helps a lot if I put it into my own words because the scientific terms can be confusing. I highlight what is important and then write notes in a notebook. I also write the page # down next to what I took notes on just in case I want to refer back to the page. Sometimes I have to read the more complex articles more than once or at least until I can filter them into my own words."

COMMENT: Wow! Putting reading excerpts into your own words helps the brain to create a connection and therefore, retain the information longer. Writing the page #'s in your notes is something I never thought of doing before but what an efficient way to re-visit info! Yes, sometimes you will have to read more than once. A lot of students are lazy and won't do this - good for you!

Blog #4

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing but in rising every time we fall."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson--

There are two parts to this Blog:

1) Pick a classmate's Blog and read one of their entries. Leave one comment on it. (You'll see where you can click "Comment" at the end of it - you must be logged in as yourself to leave a comment). At the bottom of this, you will find a complete address list of everyone's sites.

2) Write Blog #4 on your own page, answering the following: What do you have in common (academically, personally, etc..) with the classmate whose Blog you chose? Did s/he offer any useful information you will most likely use in the future?

I chose to read Galen's blog. I tried to comment on his blog number three, but I'm not sure if it worked. Personally, Galen and I share the same view on getting our money's worth while we are here. I also agree that I need to focus on studying and getting good grades. No, he did not offer any information I will use.

Blog #3

What do you feel this course (UN100) should focus on? What do you need help in, specifically?

I feel that this course should focus on preparing us for the classes we need to take for our degrees. It should also teach us how to study for certain types of classes such as math, science, or history. UN 100 should also focus on teachins us how to manage our time. I know that I have a lot to do, but there are other people in the class with way more duties than I. There should also be more discussions between classmates. For instance, what kind of study habits worked for certain classes and what didn't work. I would also like to talk about just college in general and how everyone else is handling everything. Mainly, I need help managing my time. I feel like I am taking on too many things, but at the same time I want to be a well rounded student.


Please write at least one paragraph focusing on your specific academic needs. That's it - have a great week!

Blog 2

Ø Describe your ideal Instructor/Professor.

The ideal Instructor/Professor for me would have to be a person who doesn't act like they are better than the students. I can pretty much learn from any method of teaching but I don't like when they think they are higher up just because they have a few more years of education under their belt.

Ø “I knew it when I studied it, but I forgot it on the test.” How can students study differently to prevent this from happening?

Actively studying; instead of just pouring over the materil time and time again, do something creative make flash cards, get a study buddy, just something that will make studying more productive.

Ø How do you study for quizzes/tests?

It depends on the class, for math I look over formulas, problems, and examples. I make sure I study the things I don't know. I don't need to relearn the things I can already do and remember. For other classes, ones that involve specifc memorization I like to study with people and make little quizzes to ask each other. I am also a big fan of flash cards.

Ø What do you have trouble with on quizzes/tests?

I have troube with understanding what the teacher is asking for, sometimes I don't comprehend what the question actually means. Sometimes I describe things differently than what the teacher may want. I have a very different complex way of thinking and I always over analyze things.

Also, read this short excerpt-- I was shocked:For coffee drinkers, it would seem fairly safe to just grab a quick cup of coffee at McDonalds on the way to work. But many health conscious people would object to it also including this list of ingredients: sodium phosphate, sodium polyphosphate, Di-Acetyl Tartrate Ester of Monoglyceride, sodium stearoyl lactylate, tetra sodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium citrate, and carrageenan.

http://rinf.com/alt-news/culture/surprise-ingredients-in-fast-food/1654/

Some of these food additives are not foods at all, but are chemicals that are generally recognized as safe. Most of these additives cannot be found at your local grocery store, probably because they aren’t food. But some can be found at your local hardware store, though in inedible products like low tox antifreeze, silicone caulk, soap, sunscreen, and play sand.

(This website is used only for citation purposes - you don't have to go there, unless you want to. Caution: It's scary!)

Finally - Do you feel as if there is any healthy fast food available to consumers? If so, where and why? Give specific examples of products.. Please be honest and support your opinions. For example, I feel that Subway's Veggie Sub is healthy due to its freshly-cut produce, cheese, and "fresh-baked" breads. I actually talked to a friend who works at Subway and he said in MQT, they slice their own produce. (My fear was that it arrived pre-sliced and filled with preservatives). It's not organic, but it's a start.

No I do not feel there are any fast food places that are trully healthy. There is no alternative to homemade home grown food. In Marquette probably the best fast food place with the most healthyness would have to be To-Go's, I don't think it's a chain but they bake fresh bread and so many options. Subway is similar all the vegatables, fresh breads, baked chips, low-fat dressings, teas, juices, and milk instead of soda. A person can also choose yogurt or apples instead of chips an even healthier option. At Subway I like to keep it simple, in fact with all subs I keep it simple. I stick to meat, cheese, lettuce, olives, and pickles, and I love their Raspberry Vinegrette dressing. I don't get bacon or ranch anymore when eating subs.

Blog #1

Ø List your own quote, favorite saying, song, or other expression of your feelings today.

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Muhatma Gandhi

Ø List initial observations of your new environment.

Clean, fresh, new.

Ø List initial observations of your classes.

Interesting.

Ø What observations have you made about other students?

Some are here to learn, others need to get their priorities straight, we're in college now.

Ø About your instructors?

Awesome, nice, cool, laid back, intelligent, and knowledgeable.

Ø What do you think will be your biggest challenge(s) academically this semester?

Studying.

Ø Reiterate a term or concept you learned in Anatomy this week.

Hypochondriac, all though used as a term to describe a person who believes they are constantly ill it means above cartilage. Hypo - above, chondriac - cartilage. This term is used to describe the abdominal sections.

Ø List a few pleasant events that happened during your first weeks at NMU.

Fall fest, starting a Degrassi marathon with some girls I met, and meeting cool people all over.

Ø List habits you already possess that make you successful in college.

Determination, intelligence, concentration, organization.

Ø List habits (timewasters?) you can change or modify, or need to lose.

Being on Facebook or other unnecessary sites for too long. (Don't get me wrong I LOVE Facebook.)

Ø Explain how you determine what to write down in notes during lectures.

Just pay attention to what the professor is talking about, read the material before class so an idea of what will be discussed will be formed in the brain.

Ø Based on your first readings in the TCB text, describe the differences between Active Learning & Passive Learning (reading, note-taking, etc..)

Well first off I have to say what a bore this book is to read and I wish we could have just gone by BT it would have so much better. The main difference between active and passive learning is involvement. Being an active learner involves writing notes while reading, creating a study group to discuss notes, and to organize the notes and create visual tools to help understand the concepts. A passive learner just listens and takes notes, they rarely participate in class, and have little or no organizational skills.

Ø Based on your first readings in the BT text, list TWO of favorite quotes and explain why they "speak" to you.

"My suitemates are into sub-woofers and Heavy Metal and my roommate's into Gangsta Rap. . . the room rocks pretty much 24/7." I like this quote because my neighbors (which are guys) like to rock out everyday right when they get up which is usually not until the afternoon when I am done with all my classes and am trying to do homework. Everyone in the hall seems to listen to different music so at certain times when we all have our doors open there is a plethra of musical selections playing all at once.

"Make lists. In high school you can do it when it comes to mind or when someone reminds you. In college there's too much to remember and nobady's going to remind you!" I love this quote because I love lists. I make lists for everything; for shopping, homework, things I need to bring home. You name I have a list, they really help me remember what I need to get done.

Ø Finally, name one goal (personal, academic, etc..) you have for yourself next week.

To be more optimistic about my English class.