Worrying about classes

I hate coming across a class where things aren't laid out clearly. Unfortunately, it seems like I am taking two such classes. One is my nutrition class, and one is my syntax class.

With the nutrition class, the study guides for exams don't make sense. Something listed in lesson 3 should be found in lesson 3, right? Nope. I emailed the teacher, asking where it was, and she said "Look at lesson 1!"

...Lesson ONE? Did I suddenly not learn to count? And this is the whole study guide, mind you. Things listed under lesson 1 are actually under lesson 2, lesson 2 is all over, lesson 3 is in lesson 1... I miss having a physical book to study from. I bought it online (don't know why...) and I should've just bought a loose-leaf copy or something. Because I'm a visual learner. I need to see the words on the page. I also need to be able to turn the page. I can remember where certain information is based on where it is located on the page and generally how far in it is. I can't do that with online texts. When I'm reading online, I zone out. Badly. And I remember nothing.

My syntax class is all over. I got a 75% on my first quiz because I either couldn't find it in the book, couldn't remember it being talked about in class, or one thing was said in class and another in the book so I didn't know which to pick. It also doesn't help I can't take notes the way I'd like to in class because there ARE no notes. The teacher doesn't give us any. Just talks. And talks. And talks. Once again, I need to see the words and in this case, write them down. I learn better through writing things once or twice to help cement base knowledge. This means that when I read from the textbook, I've got to actually be writing down important information because I won't get it otherwise. And the problem is, I don't know what's important to that class so I end up writing everything.

I hope I pass these classes. I'm a bit of an overacheiver- I strive for all A's. But right now, for those two classes, I'll settle for a B. Just the middle range. I really just want to do well.

Busy Monday Nights

When I get home from my friend's house and food shopping, I'm going to be busy preparing for my Tuesday. I can't wait for my Tuesdays to calm down, which they will... after tomorrow. But tomorrow I've got to prepare breakfast for when I wake up really early in the morning, and then prepare 2 snacks and lunch because I've got classes and then a doctor's appointment all the way up until about 2 or so, and I won't have any time to relax. After tomorrow, I don't have to prepare the lunches anymore. But still. Busy! And that's not counting any homework I get assigned tomorrow and working out for an hour.

Sometimes I wish I weren't so busy, but then I'd be bored. I'd probably be less stressed though.

Speaking of stress, I have to work on my thesis when I get home, too...

Exercise

So I've been going to the gym every day this week (except for Monday- my break days) and so far it's been a bit stressful simply because of the fact that I've been busy almost every day this week so I don't have time to do homework. I should definitely be prioritizing homework, but I'm waiting on another textbook to get here so I can start on a group project due in about 3 weeks and all that. I'm glad for my no-class Fridays and doing absolutely nothing most Saturdays and Sunday days. I'm waiting eagerly for the first two weeks of school to be over because then I don't have to work all day on Sunday the 24th or Wednesdays anymore! So I can go work out any time during the day on Wednesdays and do homework Wednesday afternoons too! I'm very excited for living back on campus though. I can do a lot of stuff now. Which is great.

Busy week

I don't have time for a long post now, but the first two weeks are going to be busy. So for now, expect long-ish posts on Mondays and Fridays to make up for my lack of Wednesday postings. I want my schedule to go to normal.

First Day of Classes

Everything is going splendidly. Kind of. I'm trying to access one of my online classes and the class list isn't loading in my Canvas. So I either need to do that after work and class, or I need to call someone and say, "Hey, my classes aren't loading and I need to see my homework for my nutrition class. Thaaaaaanks."

Maybe I need to give it a break. This gives me 40 minutes to screw around until I need to go to work. So I'll spend some of that time eating, some of that time blogging (here I am!) and some of that time getting ready for the first day at my new job at the new building. It's going to be a learning experience.

My only class today is 3 hours long. I love the teacher, but I'm curious to know how I'm going to survive a 3 hour long class. The last time I took one, I was bored I stopped paying attention and played around on my computer. No such luck with this class because the teacher doesn't like people having laptops or cellphones out. Soooo we'll see. I may bring my notebook so I can work on my story if I get too bored. Or I'll doodle in the margins of my notes. Either way, I know my attention is going to wander until I bring in some knitting/crocheting stuff. That usually helps me focus.

New Year, New Job, New Start

Hello, everyone! Sorry about not writing. I got slammed with school, depression and doctors appointments, job, and moving out of my apartment to move back onto my college campus.

It's 2015 and I'm determined to make it a new beginning for me. I've been around some toxic people (which kind of triggered this recent down for depression). I'm determined to stop interacting with the toxic people unless absolutely necessary and to hang out more with the people I consider my friends. Luckily, two live on campus, one lives off-campus but I'm planning on going to use her house more often, and two more live closer to campus but not on campus. Those are the five I feel close to. There are some people who aren't as close but I feel better around them than with the toxic people.

Now why did I say "unless absolutely necessary" instead of keeping it at nothing? The reason is that a majority of these toxic people are at my job. I love this job a lot. Or used to, anyway. Recently, I've been feeling left out of work functions. Everyone gets along but me. And that may be because one of the toxic people in my life is the assistant manager at my job. Everyone is friends with this person. And let me tell you the majority of the people at my job love to gossip. I feel like the assistant manager and these people have been talking about me behind my back. Today, at job training, I found out that at some point everyone planned to go to the pizza place near school. I heard them talking about it, but no one asked me to go or if I had heard about it, and I asked no one because I learned a long time ago not to ask people about invitations because unless I am explicitly invited, I assume my presence is unwanted. I keep trying to reason it out as "no, I was at training for my other new job and they probably planned it while I was at that training. They probably just assumed that I knew I was invited and I assumed I wasn't invited and that's why I didn't go." But at the same time, this tiny voice keeps saying, "No one likes you, that's why they didn't invite you. If they wanted you there, someone would've asked you before everyone left if you were going or texted you and asked you why you weren't there with them." And I want to disprove that voice so badly but I am not on the best terms with these toxic people. The thought popped into my head in the past day or two to maybe quit this job if it doesn't get better. If I continue to feel left out and alone, I need to either take a long break from this job or quit completely. And I don't want to quit, but it may be best for me.

I've got a new job at the same facility as my first job, and this time it's as a facility manager for the building. I'm very excited for it. I get to be very hands-on and get leadership experience and experience managing a large exercise facility. I'm very excited for this facility, not only as an employee, but as a guest. It is brand-new and beautiful. I used it today (employees got to use it first!) and I'm in love with it. I'm excited to do my new exercise thing of weights and swimming and biking and maybe a Latin dance or ballroom class. If I can gain more muscle, I would be grateful. I'm not going to push for it, but if it happens along the way, I'll be happy. But I'm so excited for this new job of mine. The only problem I'll have is not being able to eat during my shifts. My metabolism is kind of fast and I eat smaller meals, so I need to eat relatively frequently. We'll see what happens.

I'm going to create a paper with my resolutions (only two right now) and the reward I'll get for doing those resolutions. They are small and manageable. The first is to write a page a day of a story I'm working on and would like to publish eventually. The second is to stick to my workout schedule. I'm willing to be flexible for that because life happens. I may get sick, my depression may hit again, etc. I just need to roll with it and work with it.

Innovations Roadmap #14

Goal [gohl]

Noun

1. the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end

2. the terminal point in a race

3. a pole, line, or other marker by which such a point is indicated

4. an area, basket, cage, or other object or structure toward or into which players of various games attempt to throw, carry, kick, hit, or drive a ball, puck, etc., to score a point or points

5. the act of throwing, carrying, kicking, driving, etc. a ball or puck into such an area or object

TOPIC: Personal goals and recommendations for yourself

One of my goals is simply to make it through college. I’m tired of college already and it’s only my first year. College does not seem like what everyone told me it would be. It’s only the first year, though, so I’ve got to give it time. Maybe I will. There’s a recommendation for myself. Try to make the best of my time in college. I’m not going to change how I am. I’m accepting that I’ve got problems meeting people. But I’m going to try to be more active with the friends I have. If people want to be my friend, they can do that.

One of my personal goals will be to relearn statistics because that’s the most useful kind of math I’m ever going to need. If I’m doing research, statistics will be something I’ve got to learn in order to make sense of the data I get. I’ve never been good at math, but this was honestly the first kind of math class I took in high school that made sense to me. Funnily enough, it was the last math class I took in high school. Four years and only one useful thing learned. But! Anyone can be good at something if they put their mind to. The brain can be rewired. I’m going to make sense of statistics and make it useful for me.

Aside from those school-related goals (it appears as though that’s a lot of my goals), I want to improve my photography skills. I’ll get used to carrying my camera everywhere. And when I see something I like, I’ll take the camera out and take a picture of the thing. I’m not going to give a damn about people giving me funny looks. I want to take pictures of things that appeal to me and are meaningful to me. I’m going to improve taking pictures of human subjects. I only ever take photos of nature because I don’t like photographing human subjects. I think my main problem with this one, though, is that I’m not comfortable asking people to be my subject and pose and things like that. I’ve always got ideas for interesting photos using people, but can’t do it because I can’t bring myself to ask someone to help.

I think the pictures of objects look better than the pictures with the human subjects. Except for the one on the left where my friend is jumped for the volleyball. That one looks awesome.

The next recommendation for myself is going to sound kind of strange. However, it is important for me and likely for others. That recommendation is: use the internet more. If I can’t take classes about graphic design or photograph or things like that, the internet is the next best thing. I’ll teach myself. I’m pretty good at teaching myself things. I’ve taught myself to knit, crochet, and sight read on the piano. I can’t tell you what notes they are right away just by looking at them, but tell me to point the notes out on a piano keyboard and I can do that quickly. The internet has so far only been used for my leisure. I’m going to teach myself to do the things I want to learn, because I can’t take those classes in college. I’m going to find a way to train my skills with the internet as a resource. Take everything on the internet with a grain of salt, I know. But when you can find the good stuff, it is good.

Two posters I made for my club. I wanted it to be cooler looking, but once again, no experience. That's a problem.

Innovation Roadmap #13

Recommendation

[rek-uh­-men-dey-shuh-n]

Noun

1. An act of recommending

2. A letter or the like recommending a person or thing

3. Representation in favor of a person or thing

4. Anything that serves to recommend a person or thing, or induce acceptance or favor

TOPIC: Recommendations for the class

One of the things I remember talking about with someone in the class was how difficult it was to get 10 different problem statements/opportunity statements down that related to something we were passionate about. Maybe we just weren’t passionate about a lot of things. Or maybe we are passionate about something, and we just haven’t found that something yet. In another class that may have a few upperclassmen, this may not be a problem (or maybe it is. Peoples’ interest changes all the time, after all). But in a class of freshmen, who may or may not know what they’re doing? It’s very hard. I remember sitting down to that assignment and thinking, “Aw, crap, what am I going to write?” I’m only just getting into linguistics as a field and I’m not fully aware of all the problems in Japanese. I think a few of those problems were ones I came up with that I didn’t really feel passionate about. I’d recommend moving it from 10 problems (what it says on the syllabus) to 7 or 8 (what was said in class the week before the assignment was due).

The blogs are actually super helpful, so I’d recommend continuing them. It makes students think about topics they may not necessarily think too deeply on. I really enjoyed writing my thoughts down for this class. I don’t do it enough in a personal diary, so writing it in a blog very much helped with that.

More guest speakers would be nice, especially guest speakers from previous classes. In my mind, when it’s guest speakers from businesses, they are inspirational, but it’s sometimes hard to connect their failures with the current success because we only see the success. It’s the same way with many of the prominent figures today. A lot of the time, the success is only focused on, not the past and the failures, to the point where it’s possible to have the person seen as always successful. I believe that by having people who are currently living through their own roadmap and making it happen, the students in the class will see how this class impacted previous students. I really enjoyed the two visiting that one class. It may also be helpful having alumni from that class (I don’t think there are any yet but when it happens) visit and talk about it. It makes the speaker much more believable when there’s a common ground between the speaker and audience. They can claim having taken the class and struggled. Give tips on finding passions and connecting to mentors. Give tips on picking classes and engagements. And finally, give tips on how to proceed with their roadmap. Quite possibly, explain how it’s helped them! If a concrete example can be given, I may have been more inclined to believe earlier in the year that this would look good on a resume.

One last thing I have to add is it may be helpful dividing people into their own sections. The medicine people go together, physical exercise people go together, and so on. This was inspired by the one time we did this in class and the idea of being split into general groups for the April 24^th even so that we can meet others who are pursuing the same thing we are. The only thing I can see wrong with this is what was a little wrong with the one time it happened in class. No one knows how to help each other with their problem statements. It may have been because we’re not aware of what’s happening on campus, as freshmen. I have no doubt that if people knew about ways to get involved, it would really help others.

Innovations Roadmap #12

Reflection [ri-flek-shuh n]

Noun

1. The act of reflecting or the state of being reflected

2. An image; representation; counterpart

3. A fixing of the thoughts on something; careful consideration

4. A thought occurring in consideration or meditation

5. An unfavorable remark or observation

TOPIC: Reflection on the Innovation Scholar roadmap course.

I’ve had many ups and downs with this class.

I wasn’t particularly pleased with how early this class was. Getting up really at 7:30, then having to think about how I want to make an impact in a field at 8:30 when all I’d rather think about is taking a nap is really hard. If the Honors college wants to keep going with having this as a part of the CORE experience (or part of the Honors curriculum in general), I’d definitely recommend moving it back. Yes, it’s in our dorms. That does not mean we’re okay with waking up at 7 or 7:30 to go to a class.

That aside, I think taking the Innovation Scholars course was really beneficial for me. I found out I like psychology a lot more than I thought. Being in this class helped me connect my desire to help people with a passion of mine, and to use that passion in a way I hadn’t thought possible. Knitting is no longer just your grandmother’s hobby. It can be used for so many things. Without this class, I would not have started looking for how this hobby I started as a bored 12-year-old could help me as a stressed-out college student and help others from all walks of life.

At the same time, pursing this put me in situation I did not like much. I found myself comparing my problem statement with others. The examples brought up in class were science or something mechanical, and that made me think, “My problem is not good enough because it’s not trying to solve some big problem that’ll actually do something really cool.” I’ve had this problem outside of this class, where the Honors college focuses really heavily on the sciences. This just helped increase my insecurity about what I want to do. I feel like I should be doing something that’s really going to make an impact, but all I want to do is help people without having to rely on all the fancy gadgets. I think if I had heard a wider variety of problem statements, I would not have become insecure and struggled so much with coming up with a problem or finding a mentor.

I did appreciate a lot of the advice given. There was something very true about it, yet the way it was pushed made me cringe away from it. I’d love to try all these things. I’d drop out of college if I knew I could afford it because it stresses me out more than it should and keeps me from doing what I’d much rather be doing. But I can’t. The root to all these problems? Money. Don’t have the money to do anything. I have written a lot of the advice down, though. The reason I did this is to make my college experience the best it can be, despite how miserable school makes me. I think something to watch out for is saying “you have to do something, you have to make an impact” over and over in classes because I’m just a freshman. I’m still trying to adjust to living away from home, making friends outside of my dorm, dealing with the insane amount of homework my teachers give (do they give a lot because they think their class is the only one?), and on top of homework, making sure I’m getting enough sleep and taking care of myself.  The concept of trying to make a change in four years or advance something can be terrifying.

I really enjoyed the back and forth conversations in the class. I think if it weren’t so early, I would have participated more. I liked the brainstorming. The best part of this class is identifying a passion that you may want to pursue later. I liked finding out more about myself and about the people around me. It’s nice to see people who are passionate about something. I was talking to Kris the other day, and for the first time, I heard someone else say they were really looking forward to pursuing their problem statement. For those who actually care, they can get a lot out of this course. They can do collaborations, too, if they can find it. Not everyone’s going to follow through, I’m sure of it. Very few people might. However, finding something I’m passionate about, finding others who are passionate about something, and finding people who are willing to support you is something I’ve gotten out of this class. It was really a great and interesting class, and in the end, I’ll say I’m not unhappy about taking the Innovations Scholars class. I’m not thrilled, but I’m not unhappy. This is a great class.

Innovations Roadmap #11

Frustrate [fruhs-treyt]

verb (used with object)

1. to make (plans, efforts, etc.) worthless or of no avail; defeat; nullify

2. to disappoint or to thwart (a person)

Verb (used without object)

3. to become frustrated

Adjective

4. frustrated

TOPIC: What frustrates you?

I can claim a lot of things about my emotions. I do not get jealous easily. I understand others’ humor, but my humor is rarely understood. I’m curious, I am a somewhat easy person to make happy, and I’m very good at hiding my emotions if it comes to it. I am also very, very easy to frustrate. Little things that shouldn’t frustrate me end up doing so. I frustrate myself. Most of all, other people frustrate me.

Those little things only become bad when I’m in a bad mood or stressed out, both of which happen relatively often. The days I’m stressed out are those days when it’s super late at night and I can’t work on my projects long enough to get a good effect out of it or I don’t get to work on my projects at all. On those days, what I see on the internet from other people and from friends and what I do myself all of a sudden becomes a scenario that is exaggerated way more than it should be. It’s ridiculous, but it happens. One specific website I go on always seems to be the worst place ever. It’s full of those little things that on a normal day I can completely ignore. On a bad day, it’s not happening. It becomes my enemy, something to tear down.

I don’t think I have the best display of talents ever. I can’t sing as well as I’d like, but I can probably sing decently enough, if what others say are true. But when I record myself, I sound like an absolute idiot, and I wonder why I even bothered to record in the first place. This puts me on the track for criticizing myself for trying too hard. This goes for piano, too. I am my own worst enemy at these points, because it always seems like no matter how hard I practice, I can’t get better at anything I do. I know I should keep trying because practice makes perfect, yet at the same time, the last thing I want to do is to practice because I keep getting the same results. I really end up frustrating myself when I don’t get the results I’m expecting in a short amount of time.

People I interact with have the greatest power to frustrate me, because I somehow succeed in reflecting things back onto myself. I’m going to talk about the ‘big problems’ and mentors and picking a class schedule for this section, because right now, that’s frustrating me the most. At first, I was frustrated because my problem is kind of unusual, and the only “big problems” ever referenced are usually some science-y. I can’t do science! How come I can’t be helped, just a bit? I got over that when I decided to mentally flip the bird and say, “Forget it. I’m going to find my own way to make this work because I CAN.”

See how that problem is related to myself? Here’s where other people come in: the majority of the people I talk to end up discussing how they’re just going to get the box checked. They’re not really going to try after this, and they’re just so apathetic towards it that I end up biting my tongue and not saying how much I’m looking forward to my project. A lot of the others say, “We don’t have to continue it after this class, right? We can turn in the roadmap, not do anything else, and not take the follow up class? That’s what I’m doing.” I end up staying quiet, in class and outside of it, because I don’t want it to look like I’m trying too hard. The thing is, I’m really looking forward to continuing my roadmap. 

It’s not just this class where I find that having other people’s opinions make me really frustrated. Those opinions are so loud and demanding. They tell me I must think this way or I must believe in this, and it’s posed to make it seem like that’s the only way or else you’re wrong in this or that. At the heart of everything, it seems like people my age frustrate me the most, and it’s no wonder I don’t like hanging out with them as much as I should.

Innovations Roadmap #10

Inspire [in-spahyuhr] verb

Verb (used with an object)

1. to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence

2. to produce or arouse (a feeling, thought, etc.)

3. to fill or affect with a specified feeling, thought, etc.

4. to influence or impel

5. to animate, as an influence, feeling, thought, or the like, does

TOPIC: What inspires you?

A lot of things inspire me. Music, stories, words, TED talks, videos, nature, and video games, to name most of the ones I can think of. They inspire me all in different ways. One by one, I can identify why they inspire me the way they do, and what they inspire me to do (even though I may not necessarily be capable of doing the thing).

Music inspires me to write stories. I can imagine different scenarios from that a musical piece and I write those scenes in hopes that they make it into the story. Music also inspires me to play the piano and sing. I can’t do either very well, but the ability to feel like I can produce something is empowering. I want to get involved in all these ways.

Stories inspire me by putting my mind in motion. I begin to think of what-ifs. The stories I refer to are novels. Novels make me think ‘what if this hadn’t happened’ or ‘what if this happened.’ Maybe I come up with my own story for it. I am inspired to write either way, to produce something that can be enjoyed by others.

Words are powerful things. In a lot of fantasy stories, there’s sometimes the concept of “this is the true name of the thing, and the true name gives you power over the thing.” So words are able to control, to give meaning. Spoken words have power by those who are silent. They are heard. That’s why poetry readings are effective. Reading a story or a poem gives the poem more heartfelt meaning.

TED talks are always inspiring, if I can find the right one. One of them had a quote I’ve kept. It’s from a talk titled “Why Bother Leaving the House?” by Ben Saunders. The quote I wrote down and have kept for so long reads, “Inspiration and growth only come from adversity and from challenge- from stepping away from what’s comfortable and familiar and stepping out into the unknown.” I needed to hear that quote and I’ve been inspired to one day step into the unknown. One day, I will do just that and I will succeed in stepping out of my comfort zone.

Videos are a big thing for me because of the visual component. I love watching videos that have amazing graphics because it inspires the creative part of me. It inspires the photographer in me to seek out the best locations to shoot, to find the best models, to find the fun props that make the photo pop. It also makes me want to go out and film everything. I’m not a good camera-man, though.

Nature inspires me because of how beautiful it is. I have a wonderful view of the mountains from my dorm window, and when the sun sets, the sky lights up in a wonderful red and I can take the best pictures from it. Over the weekend, it snowed very lightly, and it fell in such a picturesque way that I ended up sitting along and daydreaming about a new scene for a story. Finding instances of nature where everything seems so beautifulinspires me. The sheer beauty of nature never ceases to amaze me.

Video games have the potential to be great visually and story-wise. Game controls have never irked me much because I don’t pay much attention to them. Yes, I do notice if it’s difficult for me to tap out a combination or it’s a rather odd choice to use the right stick instead of the left stick for moving. But if a game has good visuals, I end up paying attention to the detail the animators put into character designs, into moving facials, into everything around the characters. I also notice if a story does or doesn’t make sense. Since I am a very words- and story- oriented person, I pay attention to the story more than everything else. If a story has a main story arch and then several other side quests, I don’t want those side quests to detract too much from the main story line. At the same time, some of those side quests should help supplement the story line. 

Innovations Roadmap #9

Résumé [rez-oo-mey, rez-oo-mey]

Noun

1. a summing up; summary

2. A brief written account of personal, educational, and professional qualifications and experience, as that prepared by an applicant for a job

TOPIC: Where will you be in 10 years? Complete a 10-year resume in detail.

EDUCATION

Honors Bachelors of Art                                                                                                 May 2016

Major: Japanese

University of Utah

Thesis: “The Language Shift as a Result of World War II”

Honors Bachelors of Art                                                                                                 May 2016

Major: Linguistics

University of Utah

Thesis: “Grammar and Language Online”

ACHEIVEMENTS

·         Designation of Innovation Scholar. Obtained through making an impact in a chosen area.

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

Student Orientation Coordinator, Campus Cursive Love Letters                    Mar. 2013-present

·         Recruited new students.

·         Organized events for recruitment directed towards incoming freshman.

·         Provided opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to become involved.

·         Founded Campus Cursive University of Utah and set the foundation for the Student Orientation Coordinator position.

President, Yarntopia                                                                                      Aug. 2013-May 2016

·         Founded Yarntopia and set the foundation for the President position.

·         Coordinated with various departments on campus to promote alternative methods of mental health and stress management.

·         Coordinated with various national and state charities and created objects for these charities.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Second Language Acquisition Research Lab                                             Aug. 2013-May 2015

·         Researched how adults gain a second language.

·         Developed language stimuli for experience.

·         Provided judgments on recordings from experiments.

·         Managed subjects in experiments in the lab.

JOBS

Resident Advisor, University of Utah                                                           Aug. 2013-May 2014

·         Supported first year residents by developing a community for all to be involved.

·         Initiated and implemented several programs to promote social justice and awareness.

·         Promoted leadership and acted as a role model to encourage first year residents to pursue their honors degree.

Owner, Wonderworld Crafts (self-employed)                                                     Aug. 2013-present

·         Provided timely service and great care to customers.

·         Managed finances and profits.

·         Promoted shop through sales and discounts. Also created banners and icons to increase awareness of shop.

English Teacher, Internship                                                                          May 2014-Aug. 2014

·         Taught English to Japanese students.

English Teacher, JET program                                                                       May 2016-May 2018

·         Taught English to Japanese students.

·         Helped implement several programs to promote ESL learning.

Japanese Teacher, -random school district here-                                             July 2018-July 2020

·         Taught Japanese to new speakers.

·         Spearheaded event ideas and implemented new traditions. Supported students and led them into leadership roles.

Author                                                                                                                        2014-present

SKILLS

·         TESOL certified

·         Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe Photoshop.

·         Proficient in Japanese, Chinese, and American Sign Language

·         Proven leadership skills from official club positions and jobs.

Innovations Roadmap #8

Extracurricular [ek-struh-kuh-rik-yuh-ler]

Adjective

1. outside the regular curriculum or program of courses

2. outside one’s regular work, responsibilities, or routine

TOPIC: What is the value of extracurricular activities?

Extracurricular activities teach a person what they do and don’t like to do. I think that people naturally gravitate toward activities they would like to do, but they learn in that experience. For example, they may develop frustration towards a certain concept. From what I’ve seen, this frequently is directed towards society. They note there’s a problem with society, and it frustrates them that this problem may even exist. In a really good situation, there may not be any. I used to and eventually intend to go back to a program called Knitting Necessities, where students can knit or crochet hats for newborns up at the hospital. I did originally think that there wasn’t a problem with this. Then, while looking around for what I could do as my ‘big problem,’ I saw there wasn’t a program for kids or adults. They deserve love too! Aside from that, I had no reason to be frustrated at any sort of societal problem.

It’s something that helps a person focus on how to develop the skills they need for whatever they want to do in life. For example, I want to be able to teach English, so my main volunteer effort currently involves teaching English to refugees. I can develop techniques, see what works, what doesn’t, and educate myself more on bridging cultural gaps and being sensitive to a culture way different from my own. In the end, extracurricular activities can give people new experiences.

The English Skills Learning Center, the place I volunteer at.

There are other extracurricular activities besides volunteer work. Sports, the fine arts, Model UNs (which my friends loved), student governments, clubs, competitions, sororities, fraternities… There are so many things that someone can get involved in. Another value that extracurricular activities have is teaching students new skills they may not already possess. It can awake a passion that the person may not even have known existed and opens up new areas to explore. It helps develops certain personality traits, certain skills, and certain behaviors that make people better human beings.

In addition to all of these wonderful things that extracurricular activities can do, it can also stave off boredom. I know some of the things I used to do that could be considered “extracurricular” were things that helped me keep myself entertained. Choir was like that. So was my creative writing club and ASL club. It also helps an individual meet new people. I’m 100% positive that if I had not joined my creative writing club, I would not have met the upperclassmen and underclassmen as I did. In some cases, maybe I had good reason for not wanting to meet them outside of a club setting. But in many of those cases, I never would have talked to them, because I was simply too shy. Having extracurricular activities encouraged me to meet new people and to swallow some of my shyness. I am still shy, but participating in these kinds of things taught me to be bold, because I will not get far if I can’t speak up. In many ways, extracurricular activities can give people a way to sample what they think is interesting, what they do and don’t like, and teach them some life lessons, without throwing them into the real world and making them suffer. They’re very useful and wonderful things to get into.

Innovations Roadmap #7

Major [mey-jer]

Noun

1. A subject or field of study chosen by a student to represent his or her principal interest and upon which a large share of his or her efforts are concentrated.

2. A student engaged in such study

TOPIC: What is your major and why did you pick it?

I am a double major in Japanese and linguistics, TESOL track. I usually do not specify which track of linguistics I’m taking, because most people I’ve met either 1) don’t care or 2) don’t know what TESOL is and kind of nod and say, “Oh, that’s nice!” There are a few who are thinking, “Hey, that’s awesome! And interesting! Why did you pick those two majors?”

I picked Japanese because I’m very passionate about the culture, history, and language of Japan, and I always take care to stress this. I’ve had negative experiences before when I said my major was Japanese in high school. For some reason, everyone immediately thought I was into Japanese because of the anime. I have a much stronger reason for studying Japanese. I want to be able to talk to the Japanese side of my family. One of the things on my bucket list is to live in Japan, and I don’t want to seem like I’m a Westerner whose only knowledge of Japan comes from anime. I have a huge respect for Japan. By being a Japanese major, I can study more about the culture, language, and history and find a greater appreciation for it. I’ve been to Japan a few times, usually to visit family, and each time I go, I find something else beautiful about this country. I’ve been to Kanazawa several times and there’s always a trip to the Kenrokuen, one of the three great gardens of Japan. I found a statue I hadn’t seen before.

Kenrokuen Gardens. One of my better pictures.

My last trip to Japan was two years ago. I organized where I wanted to go based on the history of certain cities. Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Nara were the three new cities I went to for the history and the temples. Seeing these beautiful places and how they’re preserved inspired awe. I also went to visit my family and friends in Toyama, Osaka, Tokyo, and Kanazawa. I became painfully aware that I could not let my mom translate everything for me. I wanted to be able to talk to my family and friends myself. There was this sense of connection I wanted with them. It was during this last trip when I decided I wanted to be a Japanese major in college, so I could study Japan and find new things to enjoy whenever I go back. I wanted to be able to pursue my knowledge of the language so I could talk to my family, but also to study Japan’s rich history and culture.

Genbaku Dome in Hiroshima

Kinkakuji in Kyoto

Suzaku-mon in Nara

Kaminari-mon in Asakusa (Tokyo)

I think I forgot to mention the food is delicious. I love the food, too.

My interest in linguistics likely starts with my first Japanese teacher. We called her Q-sensei. She left my school because she got a new teaching position that had to do with teaching special needs children speech. She’d tell us about this sometimes, when we asked why she looked so tired. Her talking about it planted the seeds. As time passed, I began to think more and more about language acquisition, particularly in adults. I already knew babies were capable of all sounds up until a little less than a year old, but I wanted to know how to teach adults a second language. My interested in ESL education must be from my mother and a group of family friends in Florida. The mothers of my close group of friends were all Japanese. They learned English as a second language. They used to joke about how I should learn Japanese, because they would inevitably revert back to Japanese when they became grandmas. This got me thinking. How did adults learn a second language? What does their brain do?

I never, ever would have picked the linguistics major at the University of Utah if it did not offer the TESOL track. If it were just linguistics and the study of, I would have stuck with Japanese and found myself another major to pair it with. But the U did have TESOL- Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages- and I thought, “That’s it, I’m a linguistics major.” I want to teach English. I’m doing volunteer work teaching English to refugees, but I want to be able to do it in a classroom setting, with late teens to early adults, and possibly even adults. I would never have been a linguistics major if that separate track did not exist. I probably would’ve been a Chinese or psychology major. That’s going to be an entirely different story, though. For now, I’m proud of being a Japanese and linguistics double major because it’s something that I’m curious and connected to. 

Innovations Roadmap #6

Self

(Noun, plural selves, adjective, pronoun, plural selves, verb)

noun

1. a person or thing referred to with respect to complete individuality

2. a person’s nature, character, etc.

3. personal interests.

4. Philosophy

     a. the ego; that which knows, remembers, desires, suffers, etc., as contrasted with      that known, remembered, etc.

     b. the uniting principle, as a soul, underlying all subjective experience

Topic: Know thyself!

This topic is a little broad, I think, but how hard can it be to talk about myself? The simple answer to that: it’s hard. I hold a different view of myself than other people, and I know what I think of myself most of the time is a result of my low self-esteem. But recently, I’ve had so many experiences recently where people are telling how great or nice or funny I am. There’s that concept of because the majority saying it, it must be true. Not to say that I let my mind be easily influenced! However, with people who don’t talk to me all that often and people who live with me, it has weight.

This is about what I think of myself, though. Not what others think of me. My low self-esteem results in calling myself a horrible person, that I’m lazy, uninspired, unintelligent (the word ‘smart’ actually makes me cringe a little, which I’ll explain later), uncreative, and bland. My opinion of myself is vastly different than what others think of me. During my good days- there are plenty of good days- I know I am the person everyone says I am. I am sweet and caring. I value others’ opinions. I try to help as best as I can to those I know, then those I don’t. I am a hard worker. Some of my roommates tell me they wish they were like me because of how diligent I am with homework. I don’t put things off, and they find it admirable. When I am given responsibility, I’ll see it through, and it I can’t, I find ways to make it up.

For a class, I took a Strengths Finder 2.0 quiz. It’s from Tom Rath, and the point of the quiz is to find what makes someone a good leader and help them develop those traits into a force, instead of focusing solely on lacking traits. I think this is a very good strategy, because in areas you are lacking, someone else can fill in. My ‘Top 5’ were Intellection, Learner, Context, Empathy, and Responsibility. With Context, I use past actions (‘blueprints,’ if you will) to make my decisions. The past gives something to build off of, and it’s a nice way to see what may have gone wrong and how to fix it. Empathy is easy to understand. Intellection is thinking. I must be able to think, contemplate, and solve a problem in solitude a majority of the time. Learner means I have a thirst for knowledge. I will always be willing learn more about a subject. Responsibility is something I explained earlier. I will commit to a project and will find a way to make it up to the person. The Strengths Finder quiz is accurate in many cases about me. Those five traits together sound like a ‘passive leader,’ which I’m perfectly okay being. I haven’t yet developed the confidence to stand in front, but I am learning. I will always be learning.

Probably for some more superficial things: I love to knit and crochet. It’s extremely soothing for me. The fact I can look at something and think I created thathas helped boost my self-esteem a few times. I like to bake and cook. I find it really hard to be angry while baking, because I’m of the belief that my mindset will affect how the food tastes. Food isn’t an exact science. There’s the freedom to experiment with it, and emotional state can affect the way you experiment. I love to write. I’m a writer and I like to plan my stories. I don’t put any strict boundaries on my stories until it’s well into the middle. The reason why may be because I like to let my mind amok for a little bit before I rein it in and start setting important details to stone. There’s nothing wrong with a little trial and error. If something doesn’t come out right the first time, find a way to adjust. Reading is a passion of mine from which writing extends. There’s a certain trait in books that makes getting lost in a new world, sympathizing with new characters, and becoming emotionally involved enchanting. It’s something I’ve experienced since childhood.

If I know anything, it is this: that I will always treasure reading as what makes me, me. From books, my whole self grows. Cook books, how-to-knit/crochet books, dictionaries, thesauruses, fantasy stories, fiction stories. Those are some of the few books I like to delve into and get lost in. I want to be like a character, I want to make those delicious food items I see in cookbooks, I want to make those beautiful yarn items, I want to write my own book. Everything about me is related in some way to the written word. Books are the most important foundation of my life.