Study Habits Video Project

Library Session: Autonomy

            Today in the library our instructor Wendy was really helpful and showed us how to take advantage of the library’s resources. I go to the library quite often to do homework and study but I never knew how to look up a book or take one out until today. I also learned how helpful the SCSU library website can be when finding/ looking up a book and articles as well.

            Researching about autonomy I found a lot of useful information. What is autonomy? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, autonomy is the condition or right of state, institution, group to make its own laws and rules and administer own affairs, self-governing and independence. 

            Aside from our research in class today, I did some of my own research as well. In the Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy I found a sentence that really struck my attention about being autonomous: “To be autonomous is to be one's own person, to be directed by considerations, desires, conditions, and characteristics that are not simply imposed externally upon one, but are part of what can somehow be considered one's authentic self.” To me, this means an autonomous person sets their own goals and motivation based on a set of values they have created for themselves. I think in college an autonomous person will go a long way because they have self-motivation, there is no external force pushing them forward besides their mind.

            I am very interested in learning about our final topic on autonomy. So for in Inquiry I have learned a lot about myself and others based on the topics we have covered and our class discussions. I hope to implement agency, creativity and autonomy throughout my years to come in college and the rest of my life.

Connecting Something Old So It Becomes New

I picked the activity of finding an old picture and relating it to my life today. This picture was taken on my first day of kindergarten. It is crazy to think that I am already in college and how fast time flies.

            In the background of this picture you can see a bunch of stuffed animals hanging. For as long as I can remember I always loved stuffed animals and dolls. When I was little I thought of them as my friends. Still to this day I have a soft spot for them. I think this has to do with why I’m so attached to my dog and cat.

This picture was taken at my old house in my old room. I vaguely remember how my room was set up, but I do remember how messy and cluttered it always used to be. Now, if you walked into my room it’s the complete opposite. I’m practically a neat freak.

This picture was taken on my first of kindergarten. By the looks of the picture it seems like I was really excited but I don’t remember was how this rest of this day turned out. I know that for my first day of college I was more nervous than excited because I didn’t know what to expect.

It’s really interesting to think about when I was a little kid. Back then, nothing really seemed to be that important or serious. I probably woke up everyday thinking how am I going to have fun today? Now, I wake up and think about the list of things I need to do. In this exercise Tharp mentions the goal is to connect something old so it becomes new. This exercise has made me realize that maybe I should fit in a little more time for fun and relaxation into my schedule. 

            

“Focus on where you want to go not on what you fear. “

        Since I’ve started reading The Creative Habit a lot of topics Tharp mentions have really struck my interest. Thinking about these topics and relating them to my life I have found out a lot about who I am as a person, the goals I set for myself, and my fears. I have noticed I have similar techniques as Tharp does, in certain aspects such as overcoming my fears. In school, I can relate to Tharp’s fear that my idea will never be as good as it is in my head. Sometimes I have trouble projecting on paper exactly how I imagine it to be in my head.

            Looking at my life as a whole, I don’t consider my fears with schoolwork to be that important. Yes, school has a major impact on my life right now but it wont forever. My main goal in life is happiness therefore; my biggest fear is to be unhappy with myself. In retrospect, the past 17 years of my life I have been pretty fortunate and I can’t complain. It makes me nervous to think that right now I am paving the way to the rest of my years to come. So right now, in this chapter of my life, I am in the process of picking the right major for me. One, that will make me want to get up everyday and go to work. One, that will make me happy.

            I also share Twlya Tharp’s fear of letting down someone she loves. I am very family orientated person so for me, I am grateful that I have a family that supports every decision I make. Whether it be in school, sports, attitude, personality it my goal to make my family proud of me. And most importantly, being proud of myself and who I am. 

Reaction to Twyla Tharp: The Creative Habit

            So far I have really enjoyed reading Twyla Tharp’s book, The Creative Habit. The introduction is what really pulled me in because she talked about her personal life goals and habits and what she does for a living. Being a dancer and choreographer Tharp had to use a great amount of her creativity to create over one hundred and thirty ballets. One of her quotes that I really liked was: “ Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is a result of good work habits”. I like this quote because its important to develop a good work ethic early on and it is equally important to develop your creative drive. 

            I’ve learned that in order to be creative you have to know how to prepare to be creative. Exercise, repetition, learning and reflection allow you to bring something you have imagined into this world. Therefore, turning something into a ritual eliminates the chance of you neglecting to do something. Everyone has certain rituals they do daily whether they realize or not. Now, develop a creative habit that works for you. The best place to find your creative habit is to place yourself in a good working environment where there are no distractions and let your mind go.

            In chapter three I found out that understanding your DNA you’re able to see the story your trying to tell, why you do the things you do, your strengths, weaknesses, the world and how you function in it. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in creativity. 

Campus Safari #16: Career Services

            Recently I was able to visit the career services office. They are located on campus and are open Monday –Friday: 8:30am – 4:30pm. The overall goal of career services is to Educate and empower students and alumni to make informed and successful career-related decisions through programs, resources, services and technology as they prepare for life and work in a competitive and global society. The career office offers counseling with a professional to discuss career options, resume writing, interviewing, job search strategies, selecting a major, and any other career-related topic. Not sure what you want to major in? Many students on campus are undecided just like you. The career services office can help chose a major that is perfect for you. I highly recommend students to take advantage of this service. Want to schedule an appointment? Email them at careerservices@southernct.edu.