Concentration

Today was Homecoming here at TLU.  I sit here attempting to write this blog after a long day of events for me.  As many know, I play volleyball for our school and we had an amazing match this afternoon.  We dominated Sul Ross University defeating them three games to zero on our home court.  Many of my family members came to watch me play which made me feel really special.  I played well too so that added a tad of excitement for me personally.  I decided to come home where I am trying to get some homework done this evening so that tomorrow, Sunday, I can take a few hours off to relax which I haven’t had much time to do these past few weeks since school has started.  I personally think we all must take some time to engage in a fun activity for yourself to maintain some sense of sanity in this busy lifestyle we live in.  It’s a tad bit hard to concentrate as members of my family are all involved in different tasks around the house and the University of Texas football game is loudly playing in our living room.  While I miss the busy lifestyle of my family, I have quickly realized in these last few minutes that I need more of a quiet place to study and to do homework.  Wow, never thought I would miss my small dorm room for something. Although in my dorm room their can be many distractions, that small room is great for when you need a quiet area.  I honestly like to write but like always I have several other subjects that I have homework for plus several chapters of science to review and study for a test this upcoming Friday.   Not only due I have the stress to do well on an exam, I need to pack for our last out of town volleyball tournament that takes place next weekend.  I do like the advice taken from our last blog assignment to “stay in the moment” so I’m not going to stress tonight and finish one task at a time starting with this blog.  I then plan on completing my Write to Serve project.  I’m not a procrastinator so I will complete my FREX homework tonight even though it isn’t due until Tuesday.  I guess I am learning to concentrate a tad bit better than before I entered college and I certainly know for sure I am managing my time better.  Look at me tonight, a Saturday and I am home doing homework instead of going out.  WOW!

Focus and Concentration

I have always been the type of student who has to work hard in class and study very hard to achieve success in high school.  I am a goal setter and I reached my goal of graduating from high school with a one hundred plus average which took many long hours of hard school work and dedication to my studies.  Being an athlete here at TLU, leads to many hours on the road and many missed classes. Being on the volleyball team here at TLU, we travel many days during the week and also on many weekends.  Time management is very crucial in order to be successful.  I have been very lucky to have a roommate that is also an athlete and is school conscious and does her homework.  This means that we both are able to study in our room without conflict since we both do our assignments and study to prepare for tests.  My dorm room is at the end of a hallway so the noise level is low which also helps me to stay focused and concentrate.  However, to be truthful the toilet we share in our suite is quite loud so this has been a distraction to me when I am in deep thought or studying.  There really is no solution to this problem which breaks my concentration at times.  There are many quiet areas on campus that I find useful to stay when I need to concentrate such as the ASC, the library and the lounge area in our hall.  One thing that I have found to be a struggle within myself since starting college is letting go of the past if I have made a grade that isn’t to my standard especially if it is a low grade on a test.  While I realize that not one test can determine if you pass or fail a course, it makes the next test that much more stressful to take.  One way I could live in the moment is to study every day the materials covered in class to prepare for the future test.  Also, I need to tell myself that I am smart and I can master the next test and believe in myself.  I also need to not stress myself out preparing for tests especially if I have more than one in one week. I will take the advice of “living in the moment” by concentrating on one course at a time, completing the contents for that one course, then attack the next subject that work must be completed.  I will make every attempt to stay focused and concentrate on my studies in order to be successful as a student and person.

Playmaker

I can relate to Tamika Catchings and her willingness to work hard to become a better athlete and person after a health scare that could have ended her career.  I, too, could have given up several years ago when I was told I may not walk again after a traumatic accident which involved the use of my right leg.  The words, “We will just have to see how things advance in your recovery to see establish how well if at all you will walk again,” by my physician will never leave my memory but certainly provided the encouragement to work harder in life than I ever had before.  Today I am playing collegiate volleyball, proof that anything is possible in life when you set your mind to a positive outcome.   With that being said, I am certainly a playmaker myself.  One of my goals last week was to inform and make up academic work I would be missing by travelling with the volleyball team to Colorado.  This was done with success.  I also met my goal of meeting my biology lab partner before and after I left for volleyball play to work and establish what each of us needed to work on over the weekend.  Once again, success was established when we turned in our completed assignment on time thus proving I am a playmaker for myself and my lab partner.  My goal of remaining positive and having fun while I played volleyball at the tournament was met even though we only came home with one victory out of four.  This really wasn't bad considering we played to nationally ranked teams.  I am not so sure I am shying away from making plays in my academic life but I am not certain about what field I am truly interested in at this time.  I guess this could considered shying away to an extent or just me having to figure out what I am most interested in as I take my prerequisites here at TLU.   So far, my courses have been challenging yet I am trying my very best to keep up with the work and to study effectively to be successful.  I have spent endless hours devoted to my studies which I think is essential in being your own playmaker to succeed in college and in life as a whole…

My transition from high school to college #2

I'm sitting here after a long day of volleyball play hundreds of miles away from home and TLU.  I'm quite tired yet I know I have to push myself to work on homework that I have to finish for next week.  I'm "stressing" because I have several classes with things that are due and tests scheduled for next week.  This is so different than high school because while I always had tests and assignments due, my  teachers were very lenient and sometimes gave me extra time to complete assignments or allowed me to take tests on a separate day especially if I missed a day of instruction.  I know I am not the only incoming freshman feeling the same way.   Most of my teammates and roommate are feeling the same way.  While talking to my friends, we have all decided that we can be successful but it does take a toll on your body both mentally and physically.  There really is no true way in my opinion to prepare for how you feel when you enter and transition into college.  I knew my course load along with playing a sport was going to be tough.  TLU staff gave us valuable information as we entered college these past few weeks ago but you really don't know what to expect until all the work and tests start to take place.  My sister is a current graduate student in San Antonio, she is getting her Doctorate in Physical Therapy, and she said this is a normal feeling.  She tells me that the first round of tests will be tough but it takes time to learn how to effectively study and manage your time for all the course work.  She also tells me that the first test in a class will give you a "good feel" on how the professor wants you to study and how he or she tests.  She claims she did not always do very well on her first test but not to give up because she learned after the first test what key points the professor wants you to focus on for the next one.  She also tells me that each professor tests differently and this is all a learning experience in itself.  I have a Biology test this week and while I am preparing myself by reading the materials and studying the slides my professor has assigned the class, I'm just not that sure I will be fully prepared.  I'm not at TLU to get with a study buddy this weekend, being in Colorado, so I hope I am preparing myself to make a passing grade.  I have to honestly admit, and I am not bragging", but I have not been out partying and so far I have studied every day after each class.  I have been able to keep up with classwork so far and I pray I can continue to be so dedicated.  It's really all up to me but I hope God is watching down on me as I face many challenges this upcoming week with projects due and multiple first round tests. I certainly will give it my all as I work towards making the grades to fulfill my dreams...

My Goals

The blog assignment this week personally reflects my attitude about athletes and goals because I am an athlete and have achieved many successes in my life by goal setting.  This week is a bit unusual than most because our TLU volleyball team is flying to Colorado for four days of play in a tournament.  With that being said, my week goals are different than a normal week of TLU academics.  My first goal is to inform my professors that I am not skipping class for leisure but will be missing class due to athletic play.  I want to make sure my teachers are aware I’m serious about my studies and won’t miss class unless I’m really ill.  I also need to get assignments for the two days I will miss class.  My biology lab falls on Thursdays each week so I have already met one goal for making up this lab on Tuesday afternoon of this week.  I have a lab partner and assignment due next week so I must set a goal to meet with her before I leave to know what each of us needs to work on and set a place and time of meeting upon my return to complete the assignment.  I have set a short term goal of having a peer take notes for me in one class I am missing on Friday.  If this goal wouldn’t be met, I would not know what was being covered in class thus the potential for falling behind might occur.  Another goal I have set this week is to prepare my belonging for travel.  This is always stressful for me because I cannot forget to take my personal supplies and essentials like my jerseys, kneepads and shoes to play volleyball.  I started writing a list of things I must pack last weekend to lessen my stress of travelling.  Yes, as an aggressive athlete, I want to win.  So, a goal of mine is to play my hardest while having fun in the progress.  I always set this goal for myself and know it’s just a game.  The hardest goal this week is for me to remain positive no matter what happens on the court, classroom and in life.  This is a personal goal I have set for myself every day I wake up.  My parents have always told me to reach for the stars and with that goal setting is so important.

My transition from high school to college

As I reflect back to all four years of high school, a few of my highlights were meeting up with friends I grew up with, attending classes, playing varsity volleyball and softball and participating in several school organizations.  At the time, I really never felt anxious or pressured to go to school.  I actually loved school unlike many.  Having a lot of friends made going to school easy along with simplified classroom tasks even while taking higher level course work.  I was lucky enough to be born athletic and my parents encouraged me to work hard at every task I undertake.  I made varsity sports as a freshman in high school even being designated starting pitcher as a "fish".  Now, as I enter my new life in college, the transition is a tad difficult for me.  I am faced at the reality there are many gifted athletes and I must work even harder than before to be successful.  As far as I know, I am the only student from my graduating class here at TLU to study so I am having to make new friends and relationships.  While I feel I communicate well, this task has been a little scary.  I still love school and the challenge of learning new things.  However, I have already found in these past two weeks that classwork is much more rigorous and challenging.  I shouldn't have a problem attending class because I know it is very important to meet the demands of maintaining a high GPA and passing courses.  However, being a member of the TLU volleyball team there will be missed classes.  This transition is the most stressful to me because I must manage my time effectively and communicate well with my professors to make up any missing classwork.  I haven't had the opportunity to become involved in any extra- curricular clubs or activities because I am just now finding a new way to manage my homework, practices, games and roles of being on my own.  Just washing and drying clothes takes a lot of time which I really never worried about before college studies.  I plan on looking into numerous organizations that I might find interesting.