MOTIVATION :)

Hi everyone!! First, I just wanted to say that it has been GORGEOUS weather, so I hope you've spent some time outside!! :) This week’s topic is motivation and since midterms just ended and finals are coming up (eeek!), knowing what motivates you is essential for getting through this tough time! One way to figure this out is by creating a chart about your academic fears. This chart is wonderful for visual learners, like myself. First, you identify the top three things that you’re afraid of academically and rank them in order. For me, I’m terrified of studying for hours and then forgetting everything once the test comes, especially for my psych 205 course! Another thing, which is silly, is I’m afraid of not only failing a class, but failing out of school (which would obviously never happen…knock on wood!!) The third is forgetting work that’s due (it's happened in SPA 101!). After you write the fears in the first column, in the second column you write the worst outcome, then the best and finally the action you need to make to ensure that your fear doesn’t happen. It’s so helpful to visually see what I’m afraid of, and have a plan of action, just in case something bad does happen!! It also forces you to think about what you're afraid of and by recognizing the fear, it's easier to prevent it from happening. Another thing that's really great in terms of keeping you motivated day to day is post-it note quotes. On the mac, I have a post-it note software that I keep to-do lists, things I need to remember, and inspirational quotes!! I'll leave you with one: "If you only fail 2 out of 3 times, you're going to the hall of fame" -Aaron Sorkin 

Have a nice week,

Hannah :)

Motivation is the Key to Success

Hey everyone!

WOW! We are now in November! I can’t believe it! Time goes by so quickly. I feel like it was yesterday when I first moved in. This is like a dream!

My freshman year will soon be over!

I’m going to try not to think about it…MOVING ON!

This past Wednesday’s class was a really interesting and emotional one. The theme was MOTIVATION.

We were asked:

WHAT IS IT THAT KEEPS YOU GOING?

A lot of people began to answer and sharing their stories. It was really nice to hear how everyone’s background and listen to how everyone does struggle in different ways and situations. It was a nice heart to heart warm class.

Because it was about motivation, we have to use and present to you all some motivation strategies.

The one I chose is called Academic Fears.

This is what you will do:

*I wrote down my academic fears and put them in order from highest to lowest.

*I chose my worst fear which is number 1 and I wrote down the worst thing that could happen in that situation.

*In the third column, I wrote the best thing that could happen.

*On the last one, I wrote down the things I will need to do to not make that fear happen.

You know how sometimes you want something so bad but you feel a hand holding your back. That’s your fear! And if you never do something about that fear you might never reach your goal. This is a lack of motivation. This is what this strategy will help you on. So, if you feel like you have a lot of fears regarding high school, college, or graduate school, I suggest you use this.

LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME

Remember? (Learner, Action, Materials, Evaluation)

Again, I’m the type of learner that likes everything organized and visually so I used a lot of color and numbering for this. I used this strategy because I’m a very nervous and dramatic person, which means I have a lot of small fears. I’ve posted this on the doors of my closet so that I can see it everyday and get motivated.

I hope you try this out! It will definitely help overcome your fears!

Take care,

Gil

P.S. 5 Ways to get MOTIVATED:

1. Post-its with motivational quotes.

2. Do something to help others.

3. Listen to motivational tapes.

4. Set clear 24 hour goals for yourself.

5. Associate with peers who are successful and motivated.

MOTIVATION!!

Need that push to doing things you find yourself avoiding or slacking in?

That’s me! Well this is what you need…. it’s called MOTIVATION, which is a force that moves you from just thinking about something to doing it. There are different types of ways to look at motivation but the one in particular that helps me is using external motivators. What I mean by this is by using those that come from a source outside of you, there are so many, but for me, a source such as family, their approval, acceptance, and feeling proud. I go to this great University to learn, and having been brought up with such smart and caring parents and sister, the last thing I want to do is disappoint them. By receiving bad grades makes them feel like they haven’t done enough on their parts to preparing me for college, which actually makes it more upsetting for me. The problem is, I have motivation for school in the big picture, but the smaller assignments in school is where I forget, and have trouble being motivated. Finding motivation is hard because it is something that has to be so powerful.

Small things such as homework seem to be difficult to find motivation for, especially for me, Spanish homework because we have it every single day. It not only can really affect my grade, but also my understanding of Spanish in general. I have to get up to a level 2 Spanish course so it is really important I understand every little thing we are taught extremely well because I have to continue with the language. Another external motivation particularly for this class was my family. My sister (21 yrs old) is currently studying in Peru for 5 month, so yes, she is very good at Spanish, and she knows I am taking Spanish now so she has expectations I have to fulfill. My parents and I are going to visit later on this year and I can’t just go and not know a lot. That would then be embarrassing to me. So, I have to find time every day to do the smallest homework’s that helps me reapply what we learned in class.

A strategy that helped me identify a situation where motivation is a problem was weighing consequences. When I am simply doing my homework, I don’t think about the big picture of this tiny assignment and am simply unmotivated. So in order to help, this strategy lays it all out with a plan to your problem and accomplishing that plan! You can use my chart as an example to see how I did it so that you can do it too! ( I used colors because I am a visual learner and it helps me stay and feel more organized, so if your not, don’t mind the colors!!)

Start off by making 5 columns like mine!

In the first column, Situation, explain where and when motivation is a problem.

In the second column, Consequences, write down all of the consequences of not being motivated.

In the third column, Assessment, try to narrow down those consequences to which ones are actually significant or not.

In the forth column, Plan, think hard, and write down your plan to avoid the biggest consequence.

In the fifth column, When, find a time and date to complete your plan! TIP: plug it into your fitter finder or planner if it applies!!

Another class this helped me with was my CRS 414 class, this is because of the readings!! I’m not a huge fan on reading, so sometimes I need motivation on situations that deals with that!

So for all of you reading this that just agreed with just about everything I said, I guarantee this will work for you as well then!

Karima is Motivated

Hey everyone,
This weekend is a beautiful one and we don't have much more, so I enjoyed the fresh air. Can you believe that we are almost done? Well I sure can't, time goes by so fast that's why in life you have to life each day just like it's your last day. I don't know about you but I have been so busy with school but I am motivated to keep on going because Syracuse University was my dream college and I am proud to say that I am a student here. So whatever I have to do to get through, then that is what I will do to be successful.

This is a quote I will always use........

"If you continue to do what you have always done, then you will continue to get what you have always gotten." -Dr. Blumin

* So it's time to change and want something better for yourself, if you never try something then how will you ever know what it's like. *


Motivation.......................................................Motivation..................................................Motivation


L.A.M.E                                                         L.A.M.E                                                             L.A.M.E
REMEMBER THIS for learning...

Learner: The way you learn, details shared in the assignments so people can understand the learner.

Action: The strategy that was used and why it was used.

Materials: The work product is, and why the strategy was taken in that course.

Evaluation: What did the learner find wrong and what can the learner do better next time? Also, the professor grade you.

*L.A.M.E is the key to everything*

This week I am going with the strategy ACADEMIC FEARS because in my life I try to get the best grade that is possible. I always say to yes I can, yes I can do anything if I put my mind to it. I was so glad when this week was about motivation because in my life I use this everyday to keep me alive and without this where would I be. Motivation is much more than you think it is because when I am motivated I think about all the great outcomes so this is why I use motivation in my life.
**Since I couldn't upload my pics I will just do it on my blogg**
First,
Steps for ACADEMIC fears.....
1.) List 3 academic fears and rank them
2.) Choose the worst fear and describe the worst thing that can happen.
3.) Describe the best thing that can happen.
4.) What do you need to do to make the best scenario happen?
Second,
Academic Fears:
+In my AAS 207 class I fear that I will not get an B+ or A on the final paper. 3
+In my WRT 105 class I fear that I will get a C on my Hot Spot paper, when I spent so much time on it. 2
+In my AAS 207 class I fear that my professor won't really help with my research paper with the important facts that need to be in the paper. 1
Third,
The Worst Outcome:
I would get an 65 on my AAS 207 research paper which counts as a big part of our grade and not be able to do anything about it.
4th
Best Outcome:
I will get an A+ on the AAS 207 paper, and get an A in the class and walk away so happy that I just don't know what to do.
5th
Action Needed:
1.) Keep on going to the professor for help and more info for this research paper. Also keep all the questions open so I can get that A+.
2.) Use other people like the TA, the writing center, and the library to be successful.
3.) Check for citing, sources, spelling.....etc
4.) Have two different people read my paper.
All done....and that was my academic fears and the two classes I used this strategy in.


I learned this week that you have to take one step at a time in order to keep on going in life. I chose this strategy because academic fears is what I have everyday and I don't look past them but hope that it will turn out okay. This is something that I shouldn't continue and I am glad that I chose this strategy.This strategy made me sit down and really think about about what I feared the most while in school. This made me force myself to keep going because I don't want anything less than failing because I am a winner and I stay on top. From now on I will keep using this to force myself to keep doing good even when I have fears. Anything is possible if you believe and have faith.
See you next time.

I must make sure I start out with saying Happy Halloween to everyone because this is the most fun Holiday ever! With that being said, I knew that this weekend was going to challenging for me because I want to go out but have homework to do as well. Specifically I have been wanting and saying that my assignment for my CLS 105 class be completed before the weekend comes! Therefore, I used the strategy C.O.S.T. because I need to change that problem I kept running into. Also I used this in my SPA 101 class because my studying habits started to slowly go down the drain and I needed options and reinforcement to change them back. This strategy is easy and benefits you majorly!! Here is how you can do it:

C stands for change, so simply write down what you want to change and keep in mind these questions while you’re doing it: What is the source of your frustration? What do you want to happen?

O stands for Option, find your best option to helping you change! What are all of the possible options available to you that will result in change? There can be multiple. Which option is something you will ACTUALLY do?

S stands for Schedule, make a schedule to implement your option. When can you implement your best option. Will you need help implementing it?

T stands for Test, test your option to changing and see does the problem situation improve? Is the option working? Is change occurring? If not, should I try another option?

And wah-lah, change!

I color coordinated my letters, just because I am a visual learner and it helps me feel more organize. Also for schedule, I put it together with my fritter finder so that I could plan out specifically what time and day I was going to do my option. By recording down C.O.S.T., it gives you something to use as a record to help monitor your progress and see whether it is working or not. Also it helped me see my problem by actually putting it down onto paper more clear as apposed to continually saying I need to change this and that because then what is done? Nothing. This give you options of ways to change it! It’s awesome!

A preview of what I will be talking about:

PICK A STRATEGY!

Hey everyone,

Hope you guys and girls are having a blast this Halloweekend! Party but be safe!

This week I get to choose any strategy I want to present to you all. It’s all about creativity and adaptation! Let’s see how creative I am!

This coming Tuesday I have a SPA 202 quiz. They are called quizzes but they actually feel like exams because they’re too long to be just a quiz. Now, because I have to study, obviously, I decided to use the Link System strategy found in chapter 7 of “It’s All About Choices” page 160. The Link system strategy is used to remember things by linking the word or phrase you have to remember to an image that looks or sounds like it. This is all put into a visual chart. For all you visual learners this is a great way to study because the information is placed in an organized chart and it is seen visually through images. Images, drawings, or maps are useful to those like me who learn through looking and observing.

First, I looked at the example in page 160 of how a Link System is used. Column #1 is where you will write all the words or phrases you have to learn. Column #2 is where you present an image of what does the word look or sound like. Column #3 is where you present an absurd picture intersecting the images of the word. In a way this strategy is to help you associate a word or phrase that you don’t know to something that you do know in order to remember.

However, I decided to adapt it to my SPA 202 class. For this quiz I have to learn famous places to go to when visiting Buenos Aires, Argentina. To do this I changed the first column from words to remember to places to remember. On the second column I will put this place looks like or resembles this place. On the third column I will put a picture of the actual place.

As a visual learner I made a right choice because I will learn through looking and I will be able to photocopy that image in my head and remember the place.

I’ve just explained again the type of learner I am. I also explained what I did which is the action of L A M E…remember? Maybe you can use this strategy to remember L A M E J In terms of materials, the work product is great because I feel like I know more now about the places in Buenos Aires. You can see that I adapted this strategy according to my course and what I have to learn so this would be my evaluation.

The other strategy I would like for you to see and try to use is D’s Do & Due! This is great to organize your assignments/homework and when exactly you will do them. The best way to start with this is buying the ‘Cuse Student Planner of the year. If you are not from SU then just find any planner that looks like the ‘Cuse one. When you see the picture you will know what I mean. You will form a line in the middle on every page of the planner. At the top on one side of the line you will write Do and on the other you will write Due, when the assignment is due for. This has helped me get through my first year at SU.

In terms of LAME: I’m a visual learner so this helps me see everything I have to do clearly. Action: I decided to use this strategy because it looked very effective and organized. I’m very organized so I like having everything in order. Materials: I’m using this for all of my courses. Because of this strategy I get all my work done on time. Evaluation: I worked with the strategy to make sure to put the most important assignments first. I also rank them in order of importance. Sort of like Ranking Priorities.

Hope you enjoyed this weeks post!

Try these strategies out! They have helped me so they must help you as well!

Have a great and fun HALLOWEEKEND!

Take care,

Gil

Ranking Priorites...take TWO!

      I hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween weekend! Last week everyone was swamped with midterms, but luckily I didn't have any! However, I feel like I'm DROWNING in work for next week! I have a WRT 105 paper due Monday and a PSY 205 test on Tuesday! While I have definitely NOT been procrastinating (in fact I've been studying for Psych since the first lecture), I feel like the more work I do, the more work I have, with very little progress being completed. With that in mind, I decided to Rank My Priorities! As you know, lists are my best friend.
      I decided to get everything written down by importance and date. As a visual learner, I love looking at what I need to do, so I know what needs to be done first. Ranking Priorities is such a great way to get organized and it's SO easy! First, you write (or type) everything due on a word document. I start with every subject and group them. Then you write down the dates they are due. After I see the due dates, I start switching my list around, so it's in chronological order. After, I see if anything needs to be switched in order of importance, rather than date (depends if you have any big projects). I give everything that NEEDS to be done that day an "A".  "B" means it needs to be done, but not immediately. "C" means it's optional. Since your list is already in order of importance, rank them numerically, just so you can visually see how many of each group you have. Then, you start working!!  I put two A-2s because they go hand in hand since I'm doing my exam experiment on my Psych test.

The List!

       I LOVE LOVE LOVE this strategy. While making the list can get me anxious because I see everything that needs to be done and I get worried, taking each subject and homework one step at a time makes me feel SO much better. It is such an easy way to stay organized and on top of your homework! Feel free to add extracurricular activities like "laundry" or "go to CVS" on there too!
Good Luck everyone!
Hannah :)