Hello people of the internet!
My name is Christine, and I am currently a student Baylor with a concentration in Social Work. My love of languages and for people, has created a desire to work or intern abroad someday.
I am currently studying and taking classes for Spanish and American Sign Language at my University. But, it was too late to enroll in classes when I finally found a language that really intrigues me.
I fell in love with the Korean language (hangul) late 2013. It's history, the pride in the Korean culture that the language represents, and its rich history. The courses for the language are only offered during certain semesters, and because of classes would conflict with every variation of schedules I attempted to create. So, I began the journey of learning on my own.
I have been using various online resources, and some books as well to create my own schedule of studying. I did not realize that there were so many different language learning opportunities within reach! My favorite being Talk to Me In Korean! (I highly recommend for anyone who wants to study Korean)
My love of the language has only deepened, and spread into a love for both the country and its culture. Which is why I would like to study abroad!! Alas, my university does not offer summer programs to study abroad to Korea. Internship and scholarship restraints also get in the way of me being able to study abroad during the semesters.
With my dreams almost out of reach, I found a program called International Studies Abroad. They help connect students with schools around the globe, for study abroad programs throughout the whole year. I can actually visit Korea!!
The last obstacle that I have to overcome is the financial aspect of the trip. Going to Korea would mean so much to me, and will really allow me to put all that studying time to use. I would be able to practice my language skills, and experience the culture and the country first hand. I also have dreams of teaching abroad, and Korea is one of my options for that route. I think that studying abroad for a summer would help get my feet wet, to see if that is something that I would really want to do.
So, that being said, with the help and support of my two best friends I have started an IndiegogoLife campaign. My goal is to reach $5,000 which would cover most of the cost of the trip. I am also working on campus, and saving money to help pay for the trip. If you would like to help me out and be the coolest of the cools, you can donate to my campaign at the link below!
https://life.indiegogo.com/fundraisers/i-want-to-study-abroad/x/10055394
Showing posts with label studying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label studying. Show all posts
Saturday, March 7, 2015
You're Killing Me Midterms
Let's set the scene.
A lonely living room, stacks of textbooks, and highlighters and sticky notes in the hair. The hair bundled in an un-showered mess atop the lazy students head. The student sprawled across a sad-looking sofa while contemplating life. This is the end result of midterms on a fully dedicated student. Common thoughts that are running through your head include but are not limited to:
"Where is my life going?" "I totally messed up that part of the test" "They didn't even teach that material, so how dare they ask me that question" "Who has time to write a 16 page paper when they have to study for 15 million other tests" "When was the last time I ate" "What's that smell....oh it's me" "I should probably shower" "Just kidding, my life is going nowhere, so why should I?"
And so on, and so forth.
These questions will usually continue until the student has finally accepted their "failures" in life, or perhaps some confidences in that one test that was supposed to be hard. They will finally find the confidence to move from the sofa, and depart from their favorite pair of sweatpants that have served as an armor in the great war. This is the life of the college student in midterm season.
This was me this past week studying for my Spanish midterm. You would think that after 2 1/2 years in college would have prepared me. Alas, my innate talent for getting distracted, in addition to my love of k-dramas, and part time job of procrastination, has prepared me to wait til the last minute.
I went to the test and did all that I could, but it was a bloody massacre. It felt like the teacher created the test based off of all my test weaknesses, like he a freaking walk-through that told him the exact moves it would take for me to fail.
There was a section of the exam that was solely quotations pulled from various pieces of spanish literature. I have no problems comprehending the lines picked, and I love spanish in general. None of that is the problem here. My problem is memorization.
As a child I would hide that game Memory so my sister would stop asking me to play because I would lose every time. I can memorize all the lyrics to my favorite songs, but as soon as you ask me what the title is, I am out. I wouldn't be able to tell you even if you were dangling me over a pit of left sharks and this was my last life.
So how in the world am I supposed to tell you the title and author of a piece of literature I have only read once or twice. And these titles are not short either. It is like the authors partnered up with Fall Out Boy and made the most ridiculous, long-ass titles, that no one in their right mind could ever remember.
So basically this exam screwed me over. I am hoping that the essay and vocabulary sections will pull me through, and I should not dwell on the past, but c'mon man!
Anyways, I am currently still in my sweatpants and messy bun phase. And I will get over this exam to move onto real life problems, but right now my armor is what I need.
A lonely living room, stacks of textbooks, and highlighters and sticky notes in the hair. The hair bundled in an un-showered mess atop the lazy students head. The student sprawled across a sad-looking sofa while contemplating life. This is the end result of midterms on a fully dedicated student. Common thoughts that are running through your head include but are not limited to:
"Where is my life going?" "I totally messed up that part of the test" "They didn't even teach that material, so how dare they ask me that question" "Who has time to write a 16 page paper when they have to study for 15 million other tests" "When was the last time I ate" "What's that smell....oh it's me" "I should probably shower" "Just kidding, my life is going nowhere, so why should I?"
And so on, and so forth.
These questions will usually continue until the student has finally accepted their "failures" in life, or perhaps some confidences in that one test that was supposed to be hard. They will finally find the confidence to move from the sofa, and depart from their favorite pair of sweatpants that have served as an armor in the great war. This is the life of the college student in midterm season.
This was me this past week studying for my Spanish midterm. You would think that after 2 1/2 years in college would have prepared me. Alas, my innate talent for getting distracted, in addition to my love of k-dramas, and part time job of procrastination, has prepared me to wait til the last minute.
I went to the test and did all that I could, but it was a bloody massacre. It felt like the teacher created the test based off of all my test weaknesses, like he a freaking walk-through that told him the exact moves it would take for me to fail.
There was a section of the exam that was solely quotations pulled from various pieces of spanish literature. I have no problems comprehending the lines picked, and I love spanish in general. None of that is the problem here. My problem is memorization.
As a child I would hide that game Memory so my sister would stop asking me to play because I would lose every time. I can memorize all the lyrics to my favorite songs, but as soon as you ask me what the title is, I am out. I wouldn't be able to tell you even if you were dangling me over a pit of left sharks and this was my last life.
So how in the world am I supposed to tell you the title and author of a piece of literature I have only read once or twice. And these titles are not short either. It is like the authors partnered up with Fall Out Boy and made the most ridiculous, long-ass titles, that no one in their right mind could ever remember.
So basically this exam screwed me over. I am hoping that the essay and vocabulary sections will pull me through, and I should not dwell on the past, but c'mon man!
Anyways, I am currently still in my sweatpants and messy bun phase. And I will get over this exam to move onto real life problems, but right now my armor is what I need.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Finals...AGH!
It is already finals week for the spring semester! And you know what that means. Lots of coffee, late nights, no sleep, and last but definitely not least...STRESS.
 |
| AGH! I am stressed out man! |
I think the worst thing about finals is Dead Week. Those few days you have off class to study for the tests. Personally, I think it is awesome that we get those few extra days to study like crazy, but all that time also makes me psych myself out before the exams even start. And I find myself wide-eyed and scared that I am going to forget everything that I learned through the semester. Here are a couple things that I have helped me to reduce some of that stress, during study/finals time:
1. Good Music:
Some people like to have their study environments so, super-duper quiet to concentrate. But, I always feel distracted by every single little noise that happens when it gets too quiet. So, to help myself concentrate I like to listen to some really good, calming music. Sometimes I find it helpful to just listen to instrumental soundtracks, so that I do not concentrate on the lyrics instead of what I am studying.
2. Take Breaks:
Do NOT just study, study, study. That can result in information overload, and a reboot may not always be possible. Plus I do not think you roommate or study buddies want to see you go crazy town. Being a professional procrastinator and purveyor of all things lazy, I always think it is a good idea to take a nice break once in awhile. In addition to gaining back all your sanity, it is also good to take breaks to let your brain take in all of the information you are looking over. Take a nap, watch a video, take a walk; just do something other than just staring at a computer screen or your textbook!
3. Have some yummy snacks yo!:
I know this is surprising but, your body needs food! Do not starve yourself while studying. Your roommate does not need to come back from the library to find you on the floor from starvation.
4. Do not forget to sleep:
I know you want to stay up all night to try and take in all the information you think you will forget. But, none of your studying will payoff if you do not get any sleep. Our bodies need REM sleep to help encode all of the things we learn our brain-boxes. And we get sleep it helps us remember those facts for the exams. Plus, sleep is awesome!
5. Don't psych yourself out:
If you paid attention in class and read, you will do fine. Take a deep breath and remember that you are the bomb-diggity! If you have a positive attitude going into the exam and while you are studying, it will help out in the long run. Having a positive outlook will let you not psych yourself out, and do your best.
Anyways, I hoped at least one of these helps yall' out when you are studying or taking exams. Good luck out there!!
Until next time (:
Christine
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)