Weekly Word

 The first word is investment. Investment- is the investing of money or capital in order to gain profitable returns. In big businesses and on the stock market, there are many who make investments into larger companies with hopes to watch their money grow.

Especially where I'm from there is a lot of stock investment that goes in in New York City. A stock- is a supply of goods kept on hand for sale to customers by a merchant. The New York stock market is too unpredictable for me to make investments so I just put all of my money in the bank instead.

The last word of the week is exclusive. Exclusive-  is limited to the objects or objects designated. If you are trying to get exclusive sneakers in New York, your going to have to camp out on line the night before they come and you still might not get them.

Humble and Blessed

  As the break winds down and the days keep passing by, it is I who must be truly thankful and appreciative of the past break. It was a lot of things that were enjoyable over these past couple of days that made me realize what life is all about. They say time passes by fast when you are having fun and time on this break was nothing short of explosive.

 To be in the position that I am today is truly a God's Honest blessing. I did not think at this time last year my life would be anything like it is now. Everyday waking up and being a college athlete is not something to take for granted, we are extremely privileged and blessed to be in college and on a team at the same time. In order for one see the bigger picture they must cherish the game and have high morals for oneself. Several months into living this life, I have noticed that it takes a toll on you in every aspect and there is nothing but tough , positive thinking that can give you the power to keep pushing for the best. I have been so focused this semester that I haven't been home until our first real break, which made me realize a lot has changed.

The things I am most thankful for is to have such a great mother that cares so much about me. I have never been away from her for extended periods of time being that she was a single parent raising me. Our bond has grown over the years and with the time away from her I have learned how be more appreciate and caring of all that she does for me. Even the little things like just being in my own bedroom again and having all the HD channels on my TV is another privilege that I do not have up at college. One last thing I am extremely thankful for is being able to see my younger cousins growing up and to have the opportunity to set the right example for them look up to is just something that each generation does to set the bar higher for the family.

 As you can see, there were a lot of great things to take out of the break. I had to just sit back and reflect on the moments that stuck with me and realize what life is really about. There is always something to be thankful about even when things aren't going right.

Home Sweet Home

  It has finally reached that holiday season of the year. I have been at college for 4 months already without going back home to see my family or friends. It has been a rocky start to my college career and I needed to focus on my priorities as much as I can until break. Well now break has finally showed up and I still need to enjoy it and remained on track with my academics.

  Having a couple of days off from school is always refreshing and much needed after a long time of working hard and handling your business. I was so excited to be back home because I have lived in New York all my life and to be in another state for most of the year is something that takes some adjustment. I never have missed my own city and house the way I did when I first got back. To relieve my self of some stress I took a ride in my car through my town and then linked up with some of cousins. We have been together all of our lives and went to the same high school so we caught up with each other and reminisced about old times. Just to be able to have some laughs with the old guys and chat it up made me realize how much I missed these type of moments.

 As happy as I was to first see all my cousins and friends, I still knew that I needed to manage my time to the best of my ability out here. College is a different type of ballgame and I need to be productive every day to make sure I stay on task. The smart thing that I did was do a little bit of studying and homework each morning of afternoon before I went out and enjoyed my day. As long as you do what you have to do, you could do what you want. The most enjoyable moment of the break however would have to be Thanksgiving , seeing all of my family together bonding at the dinner table while eating some well prepared food was just something that can't be replaced. Being away for months make you realize how important times like that are.

 There was a lot of good times that came from this much needed break as you can see. Although I was on break, it was still work to be done. Sometimes it has to be up to you whether or not to make that decision to be productive and not lose track of time.

Time To Focus

 It has finally set in on me that my first college semester is almost over. There was a lot of things that caught me off guard at first but now I think that I have done much better. Since the season has ended a week ago, I have been able to manage my time way more efficiently. I am excited about the time off because I needed badly to focus on my classes. With finals on their way, it wasn't a better time to get finish the season and get more into the books.

Words of Wisdom

One word for this week is purpose. Purpose is the reason why something exists or why it is done. Everything in this life happens for a reason, so you can also say that everything in life has it's own purpose.

Another word that is always thrown around, is proposition. Proposition is the act of offering or suggesting that something be considered , accepted, adopted, or done. The people who have the most power are the ones who are constantly trying to make propositions for the benefit of our economy.

Last but not least, the last weekly word is dynamic. Dynamic is pertaining to or characterized by energy or effective action. In high school I was always in the paper each weekend because of my dynamic playmaking skills that help carry my team to victory week in and week out.

Creative Mindset

   For my final video draft, I will go all out in order to achieve the best grade that is possible. It is not easy to go all out and do the maximum workload necessary. In order to be the best however, work similar to that is inevitable. It is not an easy task to think out the ballpark and display those ideas in a way that makes sense to everyone.

   In order to succeed in this class and on that video, I will be going the hardest that I can mentally and physically. Although we have a couple of weeks to get our assignments finished up, it is important to get some work done daily in order to keep you a good pace. Being creative is something that is much needed in order to have entertaining work. You must be able to make others relate to you and speak with your style. If you are the one telling a story or producing the video, the attention is going to be on you. The more dynamic ways you can think of to relay information  into the audience , the better it is for your video and the grade you will receive on it.

   I will definitely not procrastinate on this video. It is worth a good portion of our grades, and could be the difference maker between a lower and higher grade. The more time you give yourself , the more comfortable you will be with your product because you didn't have to rush or just throw something together. The main way you can be creative is just by finding different ways throughout the video to make important, critical points. If you can effectively relay information and a message through your work, then it shows how advanced of a video you have produced. Another way to display some creativity is by staying true to your character and by making personal connections. Any way that you can simplify what you are trying to say for your audience is a plus and shows good ability on your part.

  As you can see, you can't just be creative it takes a lot of thought and brainstorming. It isn't going to be possible to be creative if you are waiting time and waiting until the last minute to do all of your work. Being creative comes from being comfortable and being unique. Once you start to use your own individual ideas and skills you will start creating and developing a lot of interesting work.

Collegiate Mastermind

  As I have learned by being in college, there is a transition with the level of work that is expected out of us students. We are supposed to apply ourselves to the max of our ability in order to get the most we can from this college experience. Not only are we learning at a fast rate and being assigned tough work but we are setting up our future career possibilities and building a foundation for ourselves. It is important to show you the outstanding work we are capable of in order to excel at everything we do in this competitive life we have set out for us.

 In my video, I will be as open-minded as I can possibly be. There are many good ideas I have about time management that are helpful to many students older and younger then me. In my video I will make sure to include my viewpoint and way of thinking into perspective . It is always good when a lot of people can relate to the type of lifestyle you live and/or your traits so you can get them to see things from your perspective. This is what shows the collegiate thinking process because not everyone is skilled at being innovative and analyzing the noticeable. The way you get the audience entertained is by getting them to understand you on a psychological level and keeping them intrigued by what you are trying to tell them.

 It is not about how much you write or record but it's the quality that matters. The best way to make sure something has good quality is by taking your time and making constant edits until it is perfected. I will be making a thorough video that is not only telling people about time management tips but also an entertaining piece that has knowledge that you can take and apply to your daily life. I can go on for days about how to maintain good time management skills but it is the way I present it that will be judged and critiqued. If I present it in a way that shows structure and effort, people will definitely see the elite thinking it took in order to create such a masterpiece. I will use different approaches with the audience throughout my video and change topics throughout the video to be diverse and recognizable to everyone.

 Lastly, there is no shortcut in life. You get what you put in and that's why you can never be mad at anyone but yourself at the end of the day. There is no substitute for hard work, you just have to be gritty and grind it out. I am starting my video now so I can take my time and slowly but surely develop a masterpiece that positively impacts my grade.

Weekly Words

The word of the week is Discipline. Discipline is punishment in the way of punishment or correcting. Many people who are disciplined for their mistakes have came back from that and showed signs of growth. Not a lot of people respond well to being disciplined, it takes a humble person to take a positive from a negative.

Perspective is a point of view, or the way someone looks at a particular topic. In the house of representatives, there are many different perspectives of the United States. There are different political parties that fight amongst each other to produce ideas that are what they feel are the best for our country moving forward.

 An Indisciplinary Perspective - is a viewpoint from one who doesn't care about punishment or being critiqued. They are the way they are type of people have an indisiciplinary perspective.

Critical Thinking Questions

        In the world we live, there are many different routes one can take. It is not about where you start, it's where you finish. There are many short cuts in life and a lot of distractions that may take one of it's route. It is up to you in order to do what you need to in order to reach you goals and get the most you can out of your life.

   As I was reading about the article with the college evaluations I was startled. I felt a little comforted that I wasn't the only one off to a rather rocky start but however, unlike many people according to their studies, I am determined to succeed in whatever I do. I am not content with being an " average Joe ," I have always prided myself by being one of the top candidates in everything that I do. As I realized in college, there is a lot of hard work that needs to put in just for a good grade. For a person who wants to be the best of the best, that means that I must work a couple times harder in order to still meet my tough expectations. A decision I had to make after I asked myself a huge question. After I dug myself into a little whole this school work I had to wake up and do all of my work. I then asked myself if I really put the time and effort and work the hardest I can now, will I really have to do less work once I graduate and get into my career?

I did a lot of thinking a have to agree with my mother. She always told me that as a young teenager, I would have to start getting used to working hard now so I could relax later in life but still be at a young age. That also motivates me to be the best at everything I do because I feel like it's not always the most talented people but the hardest workers that shine in the long run. You need to dedicate you life to your family one day, and when that happens you want to be in a good position with a job that pays you well enough to provide nice things for your loved ones. All of the hours we put in with work and class is going to teach us a lot about our desired field and getting good grades will make you stand out from the others. People want to hire hard working reliable and smart employees who have potential with making the company more successful then they already are. If you work hard now, it will definitely pay off when you run your own business or get that big promotion.

  In life, nothing is just given to you. You must earn what is worth having and keeping. As you probably heard, "easy come, easy go," this is a saying that supports my idea of working hard will get you what you want. If you work hard and excel in what you do now, the chances are you will comfortable and relaxed when you have you career.

Realist Values

  In the college level of school, nothing really comes easy. You must work hard for what you want to achieve whether it's in the classroom or on the field. I can not downgrade any particular field's value because it isn't my field of choice or something I am talented with. As you learn throughout life, everybody has their own set of skills and talents that make one standout from another. With that being said, I suggest that value of a liberal arts education is pretty high and not easy to come by at all.

  I think the liberal arts education is a very valued one. It is a very dynamic verification that can get you to a lot of places. By comprising the arts, you can become a very diverse individual with some interesting people that you will meet and learn from on the way. The way liberal arts is looked at in the state's isn't as highly as it is over in Europe or Asia, unfortunately. I think there is a lot more going on in America that sometimes outshines the Liberal Arts community. That doesn't take the value however, because anything that is a career and provides you with a job is a highly valued job that can contribute to a comfortable way of living life.

The arts is such a wide field of study that qualifies you for a lot of different position that you may be eligible for if you have your liberal arts degree. I think that if you are a talented model/actress and you have been doing it all of your life, why wouldn't you pursue a dream that can take you across the world and open you up to so many different viewpoints? There are not a lot of famous award winning actresses and actors for a reason. As you will learn in life, there is a non-stop cycle of work that needs to be done in order to keep improving in your field. In this life, we have to work regardless to get what we need and want. If you love what you are doing, no matter what it is I'm sure you will find a way to commit to it and do whatever you have to in order to be the best you can be. A liberal arts education, is something that is internationally becoming more popular. Something like that would be an attraction to me if I was good in the arts. I feel like expanding your network is what life is all about; the more you can travel the world, express your ideas , or gain knowledge with others who are into the same things as you is what makes you a complete and versatile individual.

As you can see, there is a field of choice for everyone. The career you choose is a big choice that can effect the way you live your life and are looked at in society. The liberal arts is a very underrated one that is a very high valued and tough career to pursue. The real elite artists who have mastered their field and have won awards are worthy of high praise and have the best rewards for their master pieces.

Midterm Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNMjWs5f6pA&list=PLe16SIWUzthGopzub9LbDzOftpLIsYunX

Class Registration

   It is almost that time of the year that we go on break. It happened that fast! I feel like I just got to college a month ago and I'm already in the middle of November becoming a much more efficient student athlete. Because I am a student athlete I must keep open strictly for football. My coach gave us our PIN so we could start  registering this week for classes. I am not too happy with the classes I have to take but it is require and I can probably learn and develop a lot more useful skills and techniques that I could use far into the future. For example, now I will have the opportunity to learn how to speak Spanish which is something I never took serious until I realized I can really use it to help me a job.

Vocab

 Innovation is the word of the week. Innovation is a new device, idea , or method. It can also be looked at as an introduction to new beginnings. This is a good comparison to college and the way we have to adapt to a new life with new challenges. We learn a lot of things about ourselves during the process.

Another word I have learnt this week is submissive. A submissive person is somebody who gives in, and feels inclined to submit. Non resistant.

 Last word of the week is tractable. Tractable is when you are easily managed or controlled. It is almost the same as submissive.

Question Evaluations

  I definitely thought that these readings had a lot of useful information to give out. I had certain thoughts and questions based on what I have learned from being at college now. You have to use thought and choice into making good critical thinking questions. I definitely tried to write something as close to a collegiate question I could make up.

These questions were not as simply as previous assignments and took some time to get the hang of. I definitely think I could use some work with this skill. However, I do feel like I was helped out by my peers when reading their questions. I thought Jana had some good points. She used the question about the hard worker or creative person. I also like how she linked innovation to technology. By reading her blogs and a few other students' made me realize I still have a long way to go  in order to be at the top of my game. In order to be good at college you must think and be able to have these type of skills to do well in life.

This isn't high school anymore and I will be seeing new ideas. I have to keep adjusting and developing the skills that I can learn and use in the future. Even from the title of Jana, " A New Level Of Thinking ", taught me that I need to step my game up and master that level.

Critical Thinking Questions

   In the readings for this past week, there were some quality points being proved and addressed. The " Joy of Boredom " and the "32 innovations " had a lot of  useful details that made  me sit down and try to sink all in. As I do that process and re-track to myself, I tend to question things and second guess anything that I feel sounds too good to be true. It is a sign of a true thinker who knows how to comprehend knowledge.

Questions 1-3
When reading through the 32 innovations I found a lot of interesting points and facts that made me do some thinking. In all of honesty, do you think a creative mind is more useful then the hardest working soul? How much better can these movies keep looking? Can it keep producing more frames at a faster rate on the screen?  I know some people who drink the old plain coffee, so with all these innovations and upgrades will the coffee demand drop?

Question 4
 A question that I've gave a lot of thought to after reading the " Joy of Boredom " reading is how much fun was being bored back when technology wasn't around as much would be? It is never really given thought because we have all these nice flat screen TV's and ipads that keep us distracted and entertained even when we are bored and have nothing to do. It can sometimes even be a downfall to all of the procrastination that one does. As hard as that is to believe, as far as a few decades ago there were no forms of cellular devices or flat screen televisions. Most people used the radio to get through the day and then watch television when  it had something good on. That is why people used to be more active and exercise more. Children even used to be more active in the community or neighborhood athletics activities and  be in better shape back then also. The modern day society has become far more lazy and complacent.I honestly think it would be far worse to be bored back then however. Although it was easier to stay in shape and be active in the community, you were really bored and with nothing to do if your friends were not around or once it got to a late time of the day. There were more strict parents and less activities/distractions to get into that would leave you doing the usual two things, watching the family TV or listening to your radio.

Vocabulary

 Creativity is the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, etc. Being able to think out of the box and be original is the best thing about being creative. It truly shows how much you can stretch your imagination effectively. Most creative people are successful for the simple fact that they can utilize their creative ability and gain profit.

People who are very creative usually have a wide imagination. Imagination is the faculty of producing ideal creations consistent with reality. Some people with good imaginations go on to be famous architects and authors of great novels.

One type of person who is creative is definitely Outgoing. Outgoing is when you are interested and responsive to others. The more creative you are, the more outgoing of a personality you have. Especially if you are the type of person to elaborate of your imagination and creations.

A Step In My Shoes

 There is a lot of dreaming that we do on a daily basis. From the moment we are born, even as infants we dream and have visions that sometimes come back to us years later. Of course you cannot remember your first couple of years as an infant but there was always a brain working its own ways in our small undeveloped brains from day 1. I think the most creative idea I've ever had is realizing that I should play sports. I was around 4-5 years old when I had an image of me being the best shortstop in my town. I just started going to school the same year and seeing all the posters of professional athletes hanging up in our classroom made me think I can be an athlete. Just like that I started playing baseball.

 One big reason I played baseball is because I wanted to be just like Derek Jeter and the New York Yankees. All I hung out with were baseball players or some type of athletes that liked winning and being the best at what they did. The first year I played baseball I learned a lot about myself. Not to mention I had to change my handedness on the field from my left to right hand to I could be a shortstop. After I adjusted to that, me and my team had an impressive season. I never thought I would be that talented at baseball, I really thought I was going to stick with this sport forever. However, after 7 consecutive years of dedicating myself to baseball, I got tired with the sport and decided to see if had any more talents with athletics. Baseball gave me the confidence and the thought that I can do whatever I put my mind to.

The same year I quit playing baseball, I had another bright idea which happened to be playing football. At this point in my life I was roughly 12 years old and I did not ever play a down of football ever before. I just knew that I was a big body and athletically inclined to be a football player. After a year of playing the sport, winning the city championship , and making nationals I fell in love with the sport. I had to be thankful for baseball though for giving me a start with sports and keeping me out of trouble as much it could. However, when I got to high school everything changed. It wasn't pop warner anymore, I was a high school football player well known throughout the school. My freshman year was definitely the most enjoyable year because even though I didn't participate in the game watching my HS win the city championship against our rivals made me work even more harder for when it became my time. The student athletes that went to college from my HS, I admired all of them as they all had a drive and passion in them that made them champions.

As I look back on my HS football career I think I we definitely could have won a championship post the 2009 era. I should have been more of a leader off the field even as an underclassmen. A lot of people looked up to me because I had good grades and made plays every week on the field. I always thought I was a good leader until I learned that you need to be a leader at all times and not only on the field. As much talent as we had on our team we weren't making the best decisions and sometimes that would put our team or coach in a bad predicament. However, I think everything happens for a reason and although me and my class never won a championship together it just motivates me to become a better leader and football player. You live and you learn. Now as my freshman year season campaign is reaching its end I will be back to training and get back to being the scholar athlete that I am. I have big dreams to be successful either as an NFL wide receiver or an accountant and I will not fall short of my goals because I came too far to throw it all away now. Like I learned from baseball when I was a toddler, I can do ANYTHING I put my mind to.

Midterm Video Evaluation

 Since I have embraced on this college journey a couple of months, I have been surprised with the work load and type of work that is assigned sometimes. Initially, when we were assigned to a video project I was in shock because I have never been asked to produce anything like that in my 13 year academic career thus far. It was something that I would eventually take on and attempt however. For my first advertising video I think I did fairly well.

My teacher all assigned us different tasks that our videos had to be about. I don't think anybody had the same topic. For my video I was asked to create a video describes and shows how the SCSU football team makes Southern a better place. Since it was my first video ever, I didn't meet all the requirements, however you were definitely able to see my effort in the video. I did not include a title, but as for interviewing people, I had interviewed one of my teammates and had other people in my video to give a feel of what it is really like at Southern. I even let the camera behind the scenes into our team locker room.

Unfortunately, because I procrastinated so much I had to use my phone and link the videos together on my former YouTube recruiting account. If I had more time I would of asked my mother to bring her camcorder out here that she used to use to record my high school football games. Despite the lack of technology I was working with, I think you were able to hear my voice clearly throughout the video. I definitely think I had kept interest of the audience  because I presented with my own style and tried to keep it as informative as I can with giving it a casual feel. Although my video had the minimum of 5 minutes I think I was able to show how the SCSU football team adds to the school spirit and gives Southern more to cheer about.

If I was grading my video, I would take into account that many college students who are making the transition to college were never assigned a video as a midterm assignment. Although I did not meet all requirements I put some solid hard work into getting at least a B-. There were definitely some more details I could of included  in the video and not having the title page probably will hurt me somewhat therefore my expectations aren't unrealistically high. Next  time I won't wait until the final days to do something I have never done before and I will get a higher grade.