1V: Asking Questions

Walking into my first Inquiry 101 class on Thursday I did not really know what to except… and honestly I had no idea what inquiry even meant.  Now I know that Inquiry is all about asking questions and learning new things.  In this course we will ask questions about college and anything we want to know, it’s a place where everyone can open up and learn from each other.  We are a learning community and will be taking steps together to improve our knowledge about many different topics.

During the past three days not only did I learn what Inquiry meant, I also learned a few others.  In my Media and Everyday Life class we talked about how persuasion occurs through media and shapes our world. But what exactly is persuasion? Well, I learned that persuasion is the coproduction of meaning, achieved when the sender of a message succeeds in audiences identifying with that message.  Persuasion is achieved through symbols, images, and language.

In my Geography and Conflict class we talked about Conflict, which emphasizes the role of coercion and power in a social order.  It derived from Karl Marx who saw society as fragmented groups competing for resources.

1I: Be quiet!!

Living at home with two younger brothers can sometimes get really loud and annoying.  I can handle it most of the time, but when I am trying to study… well that’s a different story.  On Mondays and Wednesdays I have two one hour breaks between my classes.  I thought this would be a fun time for me to hang out with friends and grab a bite to eat.  To a certain point that is very true, but on Wednesday I knew I had to study and finish up some work that I wouldn't have the patience to do at home with all the noise.  I walked up to the entrance of the library, I was immediately surprised because of how quiet it actually was.  I walked over to a big window with a comfy chair and a little desk.  I was able to get most of my work done and I loved sitting by the big sunny windows.  It was a great place to study and I would recommend every student goes to the library and finds a nice window seat for a relaxing hour of studying, or to even catch some Z’s.

1B: New To Blogging

To be completely honest, the whole idea of completing four blogs a week really scared me, and I’m still a little scared of the idea.  It’s not because I don’t like writing, or don’t like to share my thoughts.  I think I’m scared simply because I’ve never been a “blogger” before.  Yes, I’ve heard about it and know what it is, but I’ve never tried it for myself until now.  I’m already starting to like the idea, all the thoughts I have about things finally can be let out and onto my blog for other people to read and think about too.  I did a little bit of research of other blogs before starting my own, just so I could see what others were talking about, and ideas on how to make my blog interesting. 

First I visited http://collegesuccess.blog.com/ It has a bunch of tips and ideas of how to get through and enjoy college at the same time.  Although I found the content interesting the whole blog itself was not.  It was plain text and a plain background.  Nothing on the page caught my eye, I knew right away I wanted my blog to have interesting content and an interesting appearance.  I don’t want people to look at my blog and automatically think “BORING!”

Next I visited three more blogs that I was assigned to take a look at. The first blog to catch my eye was http://taganskitchen.blogspot.com/.  It had recipes for awesome desserts and drinks and also included colorful pictures that made me want to eat them right through my computer screen. The next blog I visited was http://www.rebeccablood.net/  which was super boring.  Just looking at the page was depressing, everything was in black and white with the same font and no titles to any posts, this blog reminded me of the college success blog I previously visited.  They were both boring and bland.  The final blog I took a look at was http://www.productiveflourishing.com/.  This blog welcomed me with an owner’s video all about the blog and what it was about.  Then there were three links directing me where to go.  When I clicked on these links there were pictures and very organized posts.

After looking at all different kinds of blogs I know now that as a blogger I want people to be interested and draw them in with a warm background and pictures with every post.  I’m am going to try to keep things colorful so other bloggers don’t feel bored reading what I have to say.

1A: A New Journey

I have to admit, walking onto a new campus with so many new people was quite frightening the first day.  I basically just took a look around and tried to absorb it all in at once, and it was impossible.  I have always looked forward to college, in high school that was all I ever thought about.  I guess I wanted it to be exactly how it’s portrayed in the movies. That’s definitely not the case, to me anyway.  All the movies showed me how independent you could be and that there are parties every night.  Not one movie ever prepared me for all the work and walking I’ll be doing the next four or more years, but im ready to take on the challenge.  In high school I was an average student, passing with B’s but never going above and beyond what was expected of me.  This year I want to set my goals high.  I know I will have to really push myself to keep up with all of the overwhelming work.

My goals for the future are to get into the childhood education program and to also become a teacher.  In order to do those things I need to focus on now, the present.  In order to achieve my dreams I have to work hard and not slack off like I tended to do in high school.  Although these first few days have been quite overwhelming I think I may already be getting the hang of it. I already found a closer place to park my car, since I am a commuter.  The first day I basically had to run all around campus because I had no idea where all the buildings were or where I was going.  I also purchased a planner, so that I can keep my assignments clear and easy to read all in one place.  I know college won’t be easy, and I’m not expecting to just breeze through it.  I’m ready to take on a challenge, a challenge of a new journey.