CUT! What's My Motivation?

Alright, so in articles and possibly in class we have discussed the ideas surrounding motivation.

Now, I'm sure one could ask a kid why they study, or why they go to class, and there is bound to be a set of similar answers.

So, I thought

So then I was like

The real question, similar to that shakedown, was "What really motivates you in both life and college?"

My peers...well, I've gotten unique responses.

"College: get a degree so i can get mucho dinero. and then get a masters so i can get twice as much! or work for higher profile people/companies. 

Life: motivated by money so i can retire and do everything ive ever dreamed of doing."

"My motivation is to get 'bitches'."

" I'm going to college to become a fitness trainer, then joining the marines, then getting enough money to move

 to Ireland to live out my days in peace. So...all around, everything I do, I do for peace."

" my motivation is freedom. college means a car and a job which ulitimately means a place of my own"

"Earning my independence."

" Making a difference in society. Oh and being awesome."


"More or less just being, and trying to help others in their life with my knowledge and/or opinions."


"Motivation? to live my life in whichever way I choose and experience the universe. Also, Star Wars."

"Chocolate, and my friends and family. Mostly chocolate."


"To survive through it all, and not let anything drown me."

"... now...it's like you just gotta be the best person you can be and work to your absolute best. It's not about 

who was who and who got what in high school- that's all bullshit. Be the person YOU want to grow to be, 

not who you were. Motivation comes from within and the drive to succeed despite the obstacles."

(I must note this is a small statement from a larger motivational statement about how a friend of mine is doing in college and what she can do to benefit from it. It was a good read.)



"Louie, I'm in math class."

What is revealed to me through these answers is that, despite some making jokes to me, a lot of them have it figured out. Which is healthy. Some also have the connection of helping others and to simply live life to explore and enjoy the wonders that surround them. It makes me warm and fuzzy inside that there are still people who think in a way that helps not only themselves, but those they care about. Others, well, they've got things figured out, even if it's candy or 'Candi'. I really hope I don't have to explain that.

Now, I must reveal my ultimate look on motivation.

I've seen a lot in my short life. A rather bold statement, yes, but I've seen enough to realize I've got it off very well. I'd rather not bore you (and by bore I mean depress) with the details.

My motivation in my life is to learn to be a better person. Day by day, work on being a little more human. I work and survive for those around me, and for myself. However, I do it more for everyone else. I've seen people down on your luck, and that's an understatement. I've been given a gift, and it's not just the cliche gift of life. The gift to help. To change someone's life for the better. To have known I have made an influence just once is all the motivation I need to keep getting up every time I fall down. 

I must admit, this doesn't normally apply to my schoolwork, but college is different than high school. Now it's all up to me. I need to make the difference in my life. I am the only one making sure I'm doing my work, and I am the only one who can make this work.

I Have Totally Mastered Time Management.

That was totally a lie.

"Funner" isn't even a real word.

Yes. You need to pick up a book for once.

So, I'll be honest. I have given minimal effort so far in college. In my own defense, I haven't had a heavy workload up until recently.

Before an essay, tons of articles and math problems, I have spent possibly 4-5 hours a week to homework. If I've had a test, an extra 2 hours goes into the week to prepare for it. So far all A's, but I know I'll need to step it up soon.

Most of my time is spent with video-games and the internet. What can I say? It's all I've really done for the last couple of years straight, and with most of my friends gone to new parts of the country I don't have much to do. Now I'm joining a couple of clubs, and that will also be less time for schoolwork. With all of this being put in, I'll have to accept the fact I need a schedule with mandatory work periods. It's the only way I'll ever get anything done.

There's also free time where I'm doing...nothing, to be blunt. Just spaced out, not actually looking at anything. I think that sounds much worse in text than it does in my head. What I mean is that there are times where I'm bored with no incentive to get up and accomplish something.

I know I'll have to kick myself and go "LOUIE, IT'S TIME TO PUT ON YOUR ADULT PANTS AND DO THINGS."

"But doing things is hard!"

"STOP MAKING ME YELL IN ALL CAPS AND DO SOMETHING WITH YOURSELF."

"Well...I sort of do that-"

"DO NOT MAKE THAT KIND OF JOKE ON HERE. ARE YOU STUPID OR SOMETHING?"

"Maybe."

Let's All Go to the Club Fair, to Get Ourselves Some Clubs! (#9)

Why would that even be a club?

I bet you'd think it too if you were there. Aside from all of that, the club fair was a nice little event to get people interested in clubs. Also coca-cola sponsorship. Just kidding, they were trying to get me to recycle or something like that. How silly. Not really sure why it was there. The big coca-cola party mobile didn't help the spacing issue anyway. I mean, they had all the tables put together like a supermarket, except there were so many things being advertised and people wanting them that it was kind of hard to get around. Maybe I'm just bad at that kind of stuff.

The clubs I signed onto were the anime society, philosophy club, gamer club, bookmark club and the radio station. They were all nice people that handed me papers that told me where to find the club, days it went on, and other places to find them (facebook, twitter, etc.). The two that interest me the most are bookmark and the radio station.

The radio station has yet to send out emails, but I was given a paper to fill out with some personal information and hours I'd like to be there. Now as a commuter, I have no idea why I even signed up for this. Love music though, so now I'll force my taste down the throats of anyone who listens!

Force, in a good way, of course.

Bookmark club is a creative bunch that just had an open mic night a week ago. It's a place where people can show off their poetry, short stories, and music to an open and what appeared to be supporting group. If I recall, they meet every Tuesday. I signed up at the open mic night, and could not find their booth at club day.

Club day was neat, but maybe they should have it in a more open area, where each club can easily be seen for those who cannot comprehend what happens when too many people are in one place. 

I wasn't making another claustrophobic joke, I was talking about me.

You want an A? WELL YOU CAN'T HAVE AN A.

I'm not in charge of grading. Sorry.

Anyways:

(I think I'm color impaired, because only when I was done did I realize I was using some form of navy blue instead of black. I also don't know if that's an accurate color description. Now read on.)

So now it's come down to this. I must make my decisions fairly and with proper judgement. 

Okay I'm making this a bigger deal than it needs to be. I'll start.

Tori's blog is first on the list. I am 99% sure she is not in our class (If I'm wrong, then I am an awful person.) , but I did see her blog on the list and read it anyway. Although I cannot understand the name of her blog, her pretty pictures and calm setting for the background really drew me in. Then I actually read what she wrote, and it was informative and nice to read. The post about simple art and projects anyone can do is nice, and it gives me something to do on the weekends.

Now we move onto Mike and his tumblr of loveliness and good things. Now, I admit there are some grammatical errors here and there that bother me, but that's because I'm too picky of a person and aren't good at looking past the small things. What I love is his own voice he puts into the blog, gives it a personality! I feel it's essential to put yourself in if you want people to enjoy what you write.

It's nice.

I like it.

Good job Mike.

Now last, as just as equal as everyone else, we have Steph's blog. Now I mean, those butterflies, man. They're great. What program was that made in, poser? Something like that. I've used it before for a graphics class back in high school, though I can't remember the name. Okay, so I got distracted really easily but that's fine. It drew me in! Again, like Mike, I enjoy this blog for the personality and voice that's put into it. She's not afraid to say she hated the day of service, she'll even show off the free t-shirt! Look at that. She also makes good points related to the articles we've read while keeping things interesting.

That's the show.

Now give them A's.

Wait, what?

What do you mean you're accusing this award ceremony of being rigged because they've picked me for A's as well?

YOU ARE A LIAR.

ALSO I AM FLEEING THE COUNTRY.

Also that whole last bit was a joke and everything is purely coincidental. 

Just adding a disclosure.

I hope I'm using the word disclosure right.

Have a lovely day.

Looking At The Things I Look At!

So, you want to know what blogs I look at?

WELL WHAT IF I DON'T WANT TO SHOW YOU-


Woah.
Sorry, lost it for a minute there. I was just trying to find some way to spice up this topic.

So I play video games, not sure if I've stated that. One game in particular is Team Fortress 2. It's a very popular first person shooter for the PC. The creators have set up their own blog that goes along with the game. It updates with information about the game, a news section that involves all Team Fortress 2 related media, and an update section with specific information about new updates. The blog they update keeps a humorous and witty style to it's writing. Whether it's talking about Edwin Starr or party hats, it's usually worth reading. There are also videos, comics, concept art, and other interesting things that revolve around the game's universe. Valve (the developer) really tries to keep it's community informed and involved, and this blog accomplishes that.

(Artwork from the blog)

Now to move onto a personal favorite, which is why I'm posting it.

For you.

This is a moment we're having.

My favorite webcomic artist is KC Green. He's had a few webcomics/art blogs such as Horribleville, Midnite Surprise, but his current focus is Gunshow. KC recently made a blog about Gunshow (Here you go) that includes both comics and information about conventions he is attending. All of the links provided are filled with comedic cold that I cherish. Also, some of this may not be safe for work. It's also drawn much better than the doodles on this blog. It's mainly pictures, but pictures that will leave you satisfied.

Didn't that crack you up?

It didn't?

How dare you.

Sorry.

It happened again.

Well anyways, that's about all the time I have for you today. This has been me sharing things. 

Give Manual Labor, Recieve Berries.

That's basically a summary of my experience at the day of service. Though that would be boring if I just left it at that.

So my day started off way too early for a Saturday, but then I remembered the possible good I was going to do today. Needless to say, I was pretty excited.

I was quickly mellowed out when I saw my site location.

Truth be told, I imagined the "community garden" as a patch of flowers put around school to make it look prettier. I was annoyed for a bit, but then I was pleasantly surprised to see how wrong I was. It turned out to be a little vegetable garden hidden away behind a hall whose name I can't remember because I'm not good at remembering things. My job, along with a sophomore I met named Joe, was to weed out a large amount of overgrown plants, weeds, etc. There were wild gooseberries (I think) on the ground, and the yellow ones were good to eat. Since I had not learned that lunch was in brown bags this morning, I didn't have anything to eat or drink for a while.

It wasn't too bad, but as a guy who is already sort of sick and has allergies, this was me for a good portion of the event.

 

(The color is for dramatic effect.)

Despite all of this, I had fun and learned a bit about the community garden today. I also gave the head of the group my name and email since I might want to continue working in the garden. I may end up doing this again next year! Though next time I'll bring tissues.

Time Management? I Don't Understand.

This is the me, an example of the average student, preparing to do my work.

This is about five minutes in.

While I have already discussed that technology gives us short attention spans, my brain also thinks multitasking is a good idea! Clearly I can get focus on several things at once without anything going wrong, right?

Whoops.

In this lifehacker article/interview, one is forced to think hard about how much they accomplish when they multitask. There is a gap of time lost while switching around tasks, and is one really focused on either tasks? To me, it just might be creating the illusion of working. I mean, I'll listen to music, work on some homework online, then remember I should be doing the laundry! So I manage to get up, put clothes in the washing machine, then go back to my work. 

While I'm working, might I add, I'm also on facebook, reddit, and anything else that tickles my fancy at the time. So I'm getting away from the computer, just to come back and procrastinate further. Also, I didn't even turn on the washing machine with clothes in it. This has happened more times than it should. However, I think that I'm getting more done.

A good point is brought up about the need to "take control of technology". If only I could be compelled to close my other tabs and stop being distracted. It's hard, though! Especially when no one is on our backs as college students to focus on our work. Not that we need that again, but it may take a couple of bad grades to snap some sense into us. This may be harsh, but everyone has their own wake up call.

However, maybe a schedule can save some! In this lovely guide with tips on scheduling, one can learn to fit in enough time to get all that studying done.

"Studying", right everyone?

Hah...ha. 

I'll go on.

All attempts at jokes aside, following some of the steps in here can help destroy procrastination. Be flexible, but maintain study times throughout the week. Don't put it off until the last minute, because maybe something comes up that removes any possibility of studying. Maybe that really cute guy from down the hall invites you to a party, but you put off studying until that night? Total disaster. Remember, you're here to have fun and to learn. Make sure you balance the two. Education should come first, since you can party anytime, and only take a final exam once. Don't take that is a "anti-fun" statement, but as just a warning to find balance. Without balance, you'll get more bad grades that you already got from trying to multitask earlier. You don't want that, do you? 

Good.

Now, let's go back to my situation from earlier.

Perhaps I'm rethinking my decision to slack off?

Haha, nope.

Find more artists like Lady Gaga at Myspace Music

The Digital Age: Blessing? Or Curse? Definitely Blessing Though.

After a long time on kittens.com, I soon realized it was way past my bedtime and I should be writing a blog. 

In this day and age, we can get easily distracted by the wonders of the internet. This is now a giant hazard for all college students. In the article "Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction" (Seen Here), students are shown to be spending too much time in the digital world. With all these wonders we have at our disposal, why do they seem so mindless and addicting? I'll admit, I check Facebook often, and I don't usually update statuses or chat often. I just kind of look around, click some stuff, then space out. It's bad. Why do we spend so much time on this stuff? Really? It's mind-boggling. I do it, lots of other people do it, but do we ever question why we automatically type in facebook.com if we're trying to check our emails? (To give credit to a classmate I cannot remember, I overheard this statement in a class discussion somewhere.) Video games are also a giant distraction, causing hours to go by without you even knowing, which I am totally guilty of. 

Students are admitting that they'd be doing better in school if they didn't have the internet as a distraction. However, I think this is really the student's time to shine. It's hypocritical of me to say this, because I got distracted long enough to have about an hour to continue writing my blog. One must try their hardest to become more focused, and taking time away from the distractions that plague us. Try and take yourself out of   an environment that encourages digital distractions. Try the library! Wait, they allow laptops and have computer labs. How about the student center? Same issue there. How about...a bench?

Yes I know benches can still have technology. That's the problem!

The digital world is everywhere. 

You can't escape it! Even if it shortens our attention spans and makes us forget what we're doing, it's everywhere. Some assignments for class are in this online blog! You can access 3G on smart-phones almost everywhere, laptops are portable, and texting is just as bad! Our youth may be absent-minded, make more grammatical errors, and have their GPA's drop as fast as a twitter post (That was me being hip, did it work?), but can they help it? In a world where digital distractions run rampant, where can students go to focus on their work? 

As Nicki Dowling said in the another NY Times article (Here), we have an "Internet dependence." The day we get out of this dependence, the sooner our grades and attention spans will rise up. Though it would be a real bummer to not use the internet. Please don't take it away.

School is Stressful. Shocker. (AKA: My Trip to the Health Center)

Well I'll admit there's more to it than that. After making my way down to the health center on Friday, I came across a wide array of colorful and interesting pamphlets.

Okay, so there wasn't really that many. After going through a few, I decided to read up on the stressful environment that college can be for freshman. There's also some who may be homesick, and also have to deal with a heavy workload on top of it. This can go downhill fast. Students becoming depressed, suicidal thoughts, and all sorts of other emotional issues. I looked online to see a statistic that says "More than 30 percent of freshman report feeling overwhelmed a great deal of the time." (Source)

What baffles me is now the excitement that would normally come from starting college is now filled with anxiety and being overworked. Isn't the point of high school nowadays to mainly prepare us for college? It's the reason we're given standardized testing and AP classes, so shouldn't the number be going down? I say this  with a bit of sarcasm, because I don't think there's any emotional preparation for college. Of course when I say that, I should have something to back this up, yet I don't. It seems unrealistic to ensure everyone will be 100% satisfied and ready for when college starts. The best thing to do is to be open about any issues you have, keep in contact with loved ones, and talk to professors if you're stressed.

Also, I thought everyone might enjoy my idea for proof I visited the health center.

College is Here, and I'm Half-Here

College is that word everyone's been telling me since I was young. Not in a manner that my life depended on it, but I was told it would come along just like elementary school and high school did. Now I'm here. I'm a commuter, and I'm trying to find my way to have a 'college experience'. This should mean having to take a few social leaps, hoping that I don't fall on any concrete. Concrete, in this case, is a metaphor for social awkwardness and loneliness. Just wanted to clarify.

However, I don't think that my fears will last forever. Eventually I'll find my new friends and start to go out and have all sorts of odd adventures. I'm not much of a party person, so whoever I'm with will have to improvise on the crazy stuff.

I also need to focus on my career and passions. I've been in an art slump, and if I'm ever going to start going through art classes and other design-oriented projects I need to sketch more. Think harder about art, and what is appealing to others. I guess that's as good as I'll get to a goal for now. I'm never one to think far ahead. I focus on the present, and use the past as a guideline for the right things to say and do. Goals are hard for me, but I guess the point of college is to kind of toughen up in that regard. I can possibly expect that my professors may have higher expectations than I can normally come up with. I used to get by with learning, just look at some stuff, use my general knowledge and be an average student. Procrastination will be the death of me, though. Since I am not sure on how free we are creatively, I have refrained from cursing it. It's...10:16 right now, and I'm sure I'll end up being sidetracked by the internet yet again. I really hope I can fix this.


Despite all my faults and anxieties, I hope my sense of humor and my outlook on life will help me become a better person. If not, well, I tried.

Let's Learn About Me!

<- This is me kind of.

Well, time to get started! If I had to choose 5 things/words that describe me, they'd be the following:

1.) Music!

In case you hadn't seen me, I wear a giant pair of headphones almost everywhere. They aren't rainbow colored like above, but I work with what I've got. Music is what wakes me up before I go-go, helps me when I had a bad day, and...well, I'm going to stop there with the horrid music references. My taste is music features many genres, but two hold a special place in my heart: vocal and ska. To clarify, vocal features artists such as The Ink Spots, Tom Jones, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. Ska is a form of punk, and includes Reel Big Fish, Streetlight Manifesto, and the Mad Caddies. I decided to rattle off on those bands particularly because they seem to fit my personality, and help me get by. As I'm sure some can relate to, whenever times get tough, one can turn to music to try and solve all their issues.

2.) Art!

My art is what has pushed me to pursue a major in graphic design. Now I know there's a huge difference between drawing cartoons and creating advertisements and other images, but I think I have the creativity to pull both off. I've been trying to draw cartoons since about 2007, and have slowly but surely improved. I love finding new artists, but mainly cartoonists. This is major part of my life, and if I had any ability to focus I would have properly started a web-comic by now. Also, if anyone ever needs anything drawn, feel free to talk to me! Please, I need something to do.

3.) Comedy! 

Now bear with me, I know that was a bad joke for me anyway. Unless you laughed, which in that case keep laughing. I am very loose with comedy, and I try not to take life too seriously. It's the only way I've been able to live a happy life! If you can't laugh at yourself or anything, then you might be very sad. I am sorry. I would hug you, but this is probably the second or third time we've talked and I don't want to be coming on too strong. 

4.) Friendship! 

Friendship is a lot like being buried in sand and putting cans and sticks on you. Not really, but my friends did this to me anyway. I love my friends, and they've always been there for me when I need it. We've helped each other out through our tough times, and I value my friends more than anything. 

5.) Silly.

I admit this is a blend of comedy and maybe everything else, though there's more to this. I will also admit I was just looking for an excuse to post the picture above. I try not to be silly, most of the time. Some days I'll wake up and say "I can't wait to be professional and keep myself composed!" Then that doesn't happen. At all. I came to accept it, but I am working on this in college. I will do my best to not be silly at all times, but when I do, bear with me.