Can't Focus? (14I)

It takes a lot for me to focus on my work. There are so many distractions in my room because my roommate talks to me, my friends come in whenever, and music is blasting from everyone’s room. How is it possible to study?

Instead of leaving my building I usually go through all the common rooms and see if I can find a common room quiet enough to focus. When that doesn’t work for me then I go into the poolroom or the first floor common room. I have many other places to go and I’m glad I don’t have to sit in my room and be miserable trying to focus.  Late at night everyone usually settles down and there isn’t much noise. The common rooms are nice because they have big comfy couches and nice tables to lie out all my work. I’ve gone there several nights and my productivity level is so much higher. It’s something that works for me and I hope that people can read this and hopefully try it out for themselves if they are having trouble focusing.

Investment (14V)

When I searched the word Investment many definitions came up. However, they weren't the definition I was thinking of. 

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      Definition:  The action or process of investing money or profit for material result.

This definition doesn’t really apply to the type of investment we talked about in class. Investment is the time and energy you put into a project or career that will result in an ultimate reward. It will require a large amount of scarifies because obstacles will lie in your path. If people have the strength and endurance to keep working hard for a goal or dream then they will reach it.

I also think that investment is the accumulation of knowledge that will later on pay off. Becoming a well-rounded person will benefit you greatly in the long run. Investment applying your knowledge and experiences to your everyday life will lead you to success. Investment is a build up of work, knowledge, and life lessons, and it is up to you if you want to keep on building your investment. Eventually, the build up will reward you for the hard work you’ve put in. 

I Am Thankful (14B)

I am truly blessed to be part of a loving, and supportive family. Without them I don’t know where I would be. There are many things I am grateful for but my family is the one thing I am most grateful for. All throughout my life they have provided me the love, patience and support every child should receive. They have guided me into the right direction and I thank them everyday for that. Who knows where I would be if it wasn’t for my family? All I know is that I am able to attend a great college, have a roof over my head and food at the table every night. Many people can’t provide food or a house for their family, and it is truly sad. Fortunately, there are tons of organizations that raise money to feed those in need especially around the holiday season.

My family plays a big role in my life, as do my friends. I don’t think I will ever meet a group of young ladies that care immensely about each other.  In my friend group, we are there for each other like sisters. No matter how bad the situation, we always have each other’s back. In high school that isn’t easy to find because people, especially girls, don’t turn out to be who they are. No one likes a backstabbing friend. We need people to support us in different ways than our family.  Friends are the ones you can rely on to talk your problems out, or even get your mind off of things. I love my friends like they are my sisters and I am thankful to have met such amazing people who have also helped me through the hard times in life. I also am very thankful for having such and understanding and caring boyfriend. This guy cares so much for me and will do absolutely anything just to see me happy. I never thought it was possible and I consider myself to be a very lucky girl. 

This semester I am thankful for having an amazing roommate. My roommate happens to be my best friend. My roommate’s name is Nora and we have established a bond like no other. She understands me and knows me so well. When I’m having a terrible day she knows exactly how to cheer me up. Anytime I’m having trouble with something she knows just how to make me feel better, and I couldn’t be more thankful to be living with my best friend. She pushes me to do well in school, to stay on track with my life, and she’s there for me when no one else is. My life is a blessing and not for one second do I take that for granted. I am happy with how my life is and don’t wish it was any different. It has taught me that you need to work hard in life for things you would like to see in your future. Not everything is handed to you, and work is required. No one should be ungrateful for the lives that they have but if they are not happy then the change lies in their hands.

Taking a Breather (14A)

It has been a heck of a semester! It was filled with unexplained answers because I just didn’t know what to expect from Southern. I was stuck in between many emotions that it made it a little difficult to make the necessary transition into college. I was feeling sad and lost because I had left my family, and I was parting from my closest friends. I made a choice to continue dating my boyfriend through college knowing we would be 1 hour and 15 minutes away. I was nervous that I wouldn’t make any close friends. But most importantly, I was thrilled to finally start living.

For the first time I was experiencing my very own emotional roller coaster. College was triggering every possible emotion and I didn’t know how to control it all. Slowly I began conquering my emotions. At the top of the list was nervousness, as I made new friends in my classes they became more and more manageable. I'm the type of girl that likes to have friends in all of my classes. That way I could walk in and talk to a friend and not just sit in class not saying a word. That would be complete misery. All in all, I realized that I needed time to see that college wasn’t so scary after all.

I didn’t adjust into the college lifestyle easily but I eventually got the swing of things. A good amount of work on my behalf was required. I no longer spent hours doing nothing and procrastinating. When I started my work I focused as hard as I could on one assignment and set goals on when, or how much work I should do. I would spend so much time on papers, writing assignments, projects, and studying for major exams, tests, and quizzes. The workload didn’t stop there, it either stayed constant or increased. Of course my stress level shot up to the sky because so many things were due in such little time.

When Thanksgiving Break was only a few days away I was more than ready for it. I could finally kick back and relax for little, take a breather from all this work. S

ome teachers gave me work over break but I thought it was manageable. Besides having a break from the workload, I really was looking forward to seeing my friends and spending more time with my family again. In preparation for finals, I decided to partake in relaxing activities to clear my mind such as running with my friends, watching a movie, reading, time to myself, and sleeping! With so much stress built up I needed a way to let it all go and have a clearer mind going into finals week. These are things that I have done in the past that have helped me tremendously. I’m hoping that this will allow me to tackle my upcoming finals.