In order for a task to get done, there must be action. In order for there to be action, someone will have to make the choice to do so, otherwise the task is left undone. I might wake up in the morning craving blueberry pancakes, but if I don't choose to take action and actually make them or buy them, then it is unlikely that I will have that for breakfast, right? There are tasks that can be completed in one day. However, there are some that require time. It really depends on the task. But just because you have time, it does not mean that one gets to be idle. I have been a victim of waiting...especially when it seems that there is more than enough time to accomplish a certain task. However, it is quite the contrary, one has to take steps to complete the task at hand, otherwise...well... we might just find ourselves in trouble! When I was in middle school, I learned that lesson the hard way. I had just started 7th grade and I had gotten by with working on assignments one day before the deadline. Looking back, it makes me laugh that I did not realize, that I was setting up myself for a stressful and sleepless night. My history teacher had given us a packet and a week to complete it. I did not take the opportunity to see what the assignment was. I guess I thought it was no big deal. So far all the assignments that I had been given by my teachers were pretty easy and I was able to complete them in a day. So there I was. It was Thursday night, a day before the deadline, everyone had gone to sleep and I had found out why my teacher had given us a week for that assignment. It turns out it was a week's worth of work, which I had to do in one day! I did get it done, but I could have saved myself a lot of trouble if I would have broken up the assignment into chunks and had taken steps to complete it. I learned my lesson. It was the first and only time I did that in my history class. From there on, I made sure to take a look at the assignment, instead of just assuming what the assignment was or how long it was going to take me. In addition, I learned to break up my assignment into sections and complete them in steps. Believe me, it will come in handy to break your "big" assignments into chunks or sections, when in college. No need for you to learn the hard way, but if you do not take my word for it, remember that sometimes mistakes are made, but if we learn from them, we become better because of it. The point is to learn! When in college, don't hold back! Don't underestimate the assignments or your professor for that matter. Always do your best! Unleash your greatness! You should always want to do your very best in everything you do. Soon enough, it becomes second nature to you. It does not mean that we will always get A's, but at least you know that you gave it your all! Usually, though, the results will always be the reflection of your hard work and effort. You always want to do your best in every class. You are the only one who knows what your best is. And yes, that includes collaborating, asking others for help and using the resources that are available to you on campus. Don't limit yourself! For the most part, we are the ones who set our own limits. Don't say, "I can't," instead find how you can get it done! When you leave a class in doubt and with questions, it is best to clear them out. Remember, action must be taken in order for a reaction to occur. In this case, in order for you to clear out the confusion, you must ask! Otherwise, you might just encounter this same question on an exam! Let your motivation, your purpose for being in school, your goals and dreams be the catalyst that ignites you to take action! You got this! You can do anything you set your mind into! However, if there comes a time when you need to be reminded or just want to talk, I am here! Let's stay connected and achieve greatness! Believe in yourself and know that the Husky family believes in you too! :)
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As a college student, you will have access to your own campus library and other resources available to you on campus. Definitely take advantage of what is available to you in college! This blog will focus on local library resources; I believe that it does not hurt to be aware of other free resources that are available to you. My frequent visits to my local library started at a very young age. It became my creative space where I could find books about anything like: distant lands, courageous characters, autobiographies and art. I went through a lot of reading phases. I started off with reading fairytales from different countries. Later, I moved to folklore, horror and scary stories. Aftewards, I entered this phase where I would check out classic books. I now enjoy reading books from different genres. I must confess though, I haven't been reading as much as I used to, but I am working on that this summer! I just joined the summer reading program! Interested? Check it out by clicking here! Public libraries offered me the opportunity to get exposed to many resources, that would not have been available to me otherwise while growing up. It was here, where I did all my research, typed and printed out my assignments when in high school. In addition, believe it or not, I did not have access to WiFi when I attended college! On weekends, instead of commuting to campus, I would walk to my library and get access to internet there. Up until now, I still visit public libraries frequently, throughout the County of Los Angeles, where different events take place. It is amazing, to me, when I encounter people who are unaware of all the many services and resources that are offered by libraries, both online and on-site! Has it been a while since you visited your local library due to fines you might owe for not returning items on time? Then, you will be delighted to hear about the Great Read Away. This program allows LA County Library cardholders age 21 and under to get rid of library fines by reading them away. Yes, all you have to do is read! Cool, right? For every hour spent reading in the library, $5 in fines will be removed from your account. If you have library fines, take this opportunity to read them away! Here are some of the many library services that you, as a college student, might benefit from knowing: Online Live Tutoring: College students can get help everyday from 3PM to 10PM in English or Spanish for college level courses in: English, science, math, social studies, and essay review. Tutors can also assist you with career services such as: resume review, job searching and interview preparation! Online Courses: You library card grants you access to take online courses such as: animation, web development, grammar refresher, time management, investment and other enriching courses. If you are not taking summer college classes, perhaps you might want to browse this section and take a free course online. Download Free Music: Do you like to download music, but want to stop spending money on it? You can download up to five free songs every week; that is a total of twenty songs per month without having to spend a cent! Audiobooks, Ebooks, Movies and Music: Get access to free digital media! Hey, you might just get lucky and find one of your required English reading books here! Most of my books that I had to read in my English class were borrowed from the library. FREE passes to local museums and cultural attractions: Looking for something fun and free to do? If you are 18 or over, you can reserve free tickets to local museums and cultural attractions. Life After High School: This section offers a lot of resources that might come in handy for recent high school graduates and college students. Some of the resources include: career exploration, job search and resume assistance. In addition, there are also Los Angeles Public Libraries that are available to you; definitely check them out as well. Even though they are pretty similar to county libraries, there are items that can only be found here and even their online resources might differ a bit. One last thing, that I wanted to share in today's blog is Wolrdcat.org. This website is the world's largest catalog that will help you locate any specific book or library item; definitely check it out! As you can see, the library has a myriad of resources worth checking out! But don't take my word for it, visit your local library or start exploring the website! Homework, college applications, bills...they all come with a deadline and consequences when those deadlines are not met. Hey, even Neflix! I remember when I signed up for my free trial and forgot to end my subscription before the given deadline. It turned out, that for me, trying out Netflix was not free. As you continue to enjoy summer, don't forget that there are important deadlines you must meet in order to successfully attend the college you have chosen. You have already put too much effort and not to mention money to find yourself having to change your plans, all due to not meeting a deadline. So, word of advice, continue to check your emails and if you have any questions or need assistance--reach out; I am here to help! If you are taking classes during the summer, it is important that you pass them. I agree, that it won't be easy, but it is not impossible! Believe in yourself, be patient, be determined and create a plan that will help you succeed academically during the summer! When creating a plan, keep in mind that time management and setting priorities will play a key role in your success. Meeting deadlines might not be easy, but there are many strategies that can help you. Try out some of those strategies and find what works for you! I have learned that if I mark down the date on my planner and insert it on my Google calendar, and set reminders on my phone, it minimizes the chances of me forgetting. Sometimes, I even give myself an earlier deadline, depending on what the assignment is and how much priority it has. I also, like to break big tasks into smaller sections. Trust me on this one! In high school, usually teachers break big assignments into sections for their students. In college, your professor might just ask for a final paper and not a draft. Which means that you have to set time and deadlines for those drafts. In addition, you also want to set time to revise your paper and visit the writing center. In college, you will be responsible for setting priorities to the tasks you need to complete. Setting priorities helps you stay focus on what is more important, rather than what task is easier and more fun to complete. When setting priorities, ask yourself: How important is this? What is the outcome if I do not complete this task? What is the deadline? How long do I have to complete this? There will be times, when multiple assignments will be due on the same day. Don't worry. Instead develop a plan and write it down on your agenda. You might even want to assign earlier and different deadlines to assignments. If you develop a plan and set priorities, you will be managing your time much more effectively. Moreover, as you continue to work on setting priorities and managing your time, you will be developing habits that will help you not only academically, but even after you graduate. Remember that everyday is a new day and a day to work on becoming the best version of who you can become. So let's get to it! One of the toughest lessons that I had to learn when transitioning from high school to college was learning how to manage my time. One of the reasons why it was tough on me was because, in high school, I was able to get away with procrastinating. However, in college it was clear to me (after my second semester) that if I wanted to be sane and have enough sleep, I had to come up with a plan. So, for me, part of my plan was to cut back on the amount of time I spent watching television series and movies. Also, there were times when I had to choose to stay at the library or the writing center, instead of hanging out with friends. By managing my time, I found a balance. Of course it took patience and time. But once I found that balance, I was able to watch movies and go out; however, my priority was always school. I knew that I had to keep my grades up if I wanted to avoid probation, so remembering that fact, prompted me to make the right choices when it came to managing my time. Thanks to technology, there are alot of apps that are available to help you with managing your time and increasing productivity. Here are some, that I have stumbled upon while searching apps that might help you take control of your time: 1. Remember the Milk: This app is worth exploring. It has many features that help you keep track of the tasks you need to complete. Some of the features include: ability to create list of tasks, set priorities to the items on that list, color code tasks and set reminders. You are even able to share the list with someone who can help you with some of the items on the list! 2. Egenda: I actually downloaded this one too! I like that I am able to organize and manage all the tasks that I need to complete on this app. I get daily reminders and I also get to sort them by class, due date and completion. Check it out! 3. Evernote: I have not gotten the chance to explore this app, but it is definitely on my to do list. This app helps you stay organize and increases your productivity. It has a lot of features like: note taking, scanning, web article clipping, receipt and photo organizer, and much more. Definitely worth checking out! |
Joanna Hernandez
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