A maximum of 140 characters for a single post on Twitter, referred to as a tweet, has some feeling a bit limited. Condensing information to answer "What are you doing" for a social networking site can be overwhelming. Yet it's Twitter's purpose to simplify internet clutter to bite-size chunks.
By restricting status updates to short blurbs all in one central place, Twitter helps facilitate the summarization of messages coming in from friends, bloggers, news stations, companies, celebrities, etc. Instead of reading and writing lengthy entries like on a blog, Twitter emphasizes to-the-point posts called microblogging.
A general rule for many written works is to keep everything brief cutting out any wordiness. Going on and on concerning a single topic can be dull and repetitive. The 140 character limitation for Twitter posts forces its users to ultimately practice trimming down sentences to the bare essentials.
As an individual willing and eager to share my thoughts to the world, I associate with numerous social networks constantly looking for the next new way to communicate. Although I am a member of Facebook, Tumblr, among other sites, none have challenged my writing abilities as much as Twitter. Being an active member of Twitter, I have gained a better sense of what needs to be said in contrast to what can be said. Reworking sentences to fit in the space provided is, in a sense, training me to come up with creative ways of wording phrases.
Admittedly, my experience isn't the one everyone shares. Many Twitter users resort to abbreviating words such as "u" in place of "you" or "gr8" instead of "great." This sort of perversion of the English language is quite common on the internet referred to as "txtspk" (text speak). Similar to Twitter, texting, where most of the txtspk language came from, is limited to only 160 characters per message. In order to save money on the cell phone bill people utilized txtspk to cram as much information into a single SMS message as possible. Since Twitter is proud to offer the feature of using SMS to update one's status on-the-go, the practice was passed on to the microblogging site as a means to save followers from the annoyance of receiving multiple tweets.
Despite those members who do not use proper spelling and grammar, Twitter can be a unique learning tool for anyone seeking some encouragement to explore various syntax. My writing has certainly improved in precision thanks to Twitter's ingenious system of quick occasional posts.
I can't deny that attending Comm 439 was a great experience, but it wasn't always easy. Getting my feet wet, so to speak, was my biggest challenge. I had high expectations for my video as a self-proclaimed tech guy that I essentially made myself too nervous to even start. I wanted there to be a great story with lots of amazing visuals that would rival any professional video news report. I soon realized, however, that even though I wanted to show off my technological know-how my initial plan wasn't practical.
I wanted to get started filming some of my interviews but the deadline seemed so far away in the beginning that procrastination sounded so much better. I wish there were clearly outlined checkpoints along the way so that I could have made steady progress instead wait until the entire project was due in two weeks. A check list from the get-go would have also helped me visualize what step in the individual story process I should do next. I'm all for the freedom to choose not to follow these guidelines, which is why I would be against having the drafts graded, but for those who are new to journalism it would be nice to have a kind of cheat sheet made by someone with experience.
Another considerable downfall of mine was not having much time in my schedule for meetings with Professor Warner. Having a solid block of classes and work from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along with other events in the evenings nearly everyday made it difficult to find the time to even contact her let alone find a meeting time that worked for both of us. Yet I was glad to have Erica and Geoff, two Knight-Wallace Fellows, working with me on our group video story. Having them on our team made it convenient to ask questions and receive advice. Even with them, I am still having problems with just getting to the editing portion.
I suppose my shortcomings are mostly to blame on my own faults, but I wish I would have had a check list early on. The deadline isn't going to be pushed back so I just have to make the time to finish up my interviews, edit, and submit.
I wanted to get started filming some of my interviews but the deadline seemed so far away in the beginning that procrastination sounded so much better. I wish there were clearly outlined checkpoints along the way so that I could have made steady progress instead wait until the entire project was due in two weeks. A check list from the get-go would have also helped me visualize what step in the individual story process I should do next. I'm all for the freedom to choose not to follow these guidelines, which is why I would be against having the drafts graded, but for those who are new to journalism it would be nice to have a kind of cheat sheet made by someone with experience.
Another considerable downfall of mine was not having much time in my schedule for meetings with Professor Warner. Having a solid block of classes and work from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along with other events in the evenings nearly everyday made it difficult to find the time to even contact her let alone find a meeting time that worked for both of us. Yet I was glad to have Erica and Geoff, two Knight-Wallace Fellows, working with me on our group video story. Having them on our team made it convenient to ask questions and receive advice. Even with them, I am still having problems with just getting to the editing portion.
I suppose my shortcomings are mostly to blame on my own faults, but I wish I would have had a check list early on. The deadline isn't going to be pushed back so I just have to make the time to finish up my interviews, edit, and submit.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Writing a news article is a completely new experience for me despite having written essays, research papers, blog posts, and fictional stories. My biggest issue now is where to begin with my individual story and how to introduce my audience to the overall argument of the piece.
I'm so used to easing the reader into my essays through background information or putting my own personal spin on a story on my other blog that going straight to the point in a news article is a totally different style that I must master. I thought just reading news articles would inspire me and tell me everything I would need to know but in practice I still fall into my old writing habits.
As someone who Twitters on a regular basis, I also find it rather difficult to give so much detail. Whenever I write anything now I'm always conscious of my character limit trying to keep everything under 140 just like on Twitter. Using Twitter has certainly helped me condense information but I need to work on more descriptions to create an effective and engaging news story.
My only sources so far are my roommate, a high-ranking Guitar Hero player, and Dave Carter, coordinator of the Duderstadt's Computer and Video Game Archive. I initially thought that talking to these two would lead too more interviewees but none have come up so far. I've been meaning to camp-out at the Comptuer and Video Game Archive asking for on-the-spot interviews, however, I haven't had the time available just yet. I plan on doing so on Thursday and, hopefully, my story will develope even more so that my question, where do U of M gamers play, will have a clear direction for a written and video news story.
I'm so used to easing the reader into my essays through background information or putting my own personal spin on a story on my other blog that going straight to the point in a news article is a totally different style that I must master. I thought just reading news articles would inspire me and tell me everything I would need to know but in practice I still fall into my old writing habits.
As someone who Twitters on a regular basis, I also find it rather difficult to give so much detail. Whenever I write anything now I'm always conscious of my character limit trying to keep everything under 140 just like on Twitter. Using Twitter has certainly helped me condense information but I need to work on more descriptions to create an effective and engaging news story.
My only sources so far are my roommate, a high-ranking Guitar Hero player, and Dave Carter, coordinator of the Duderstadt's Computer and Video Game Archive. I initially thought that talking to these two would lead too more interviewees but none have come up so far. I've been meaning to camp-out at the Comptuer and Video Game Archive asking for on-the-spot interviews, however, I haven't had the time available just yet. I plan on doing so on Thursday and, hopefully, my story will develope even more so that my question, where do U of M gamers play, will have a clear direction for a written and video news story.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
This is how I envision my video story on U of M gamers:
I start off by stating that there are no clubs or organizations at Umich dedicated to gaming. I'll list some other random activities that were formed into clubs to indicate the wide variety of groups one can join, yet video gamers are left out. I'll then remind my audience that video games are indeed popular and are most certainly played at U of M, but ask where are they?
I'll begin my quest by asking my roommate some questions about games, the ones who play them, the University, and how they interconnect if at all. He will act as my transition to the Computer & Video Game Archive (CVGA) at the Duderstadt on North Campus. I will then travel there and speak with the main coordinator, David Carter. I'll inquire about why there was even a need for the CVGA and why was it created now as opposed to when the video game boom occured in the late 70s and into the early 80s. I'll ask him why there isn't a club at U of M for gamers and how that speaks to the gamer culture, American culture, and global culture. Are times changing? Are video games that prominent? Do students need an entire room for video games? I'll shift over to the future aspect and ask where he sees the CVGA in the next year, five years, 10, 20 years.
With time permitting, I may also travel to local video game stores in Ann Arbor to gauge what kind of insight they can give me. The Michigan Daily now has a whole section on their website for video game news so I can ask how that's going.
My underlyying point would concern finding how video games is affecting U of M, America, and the world by taking into account all of these recent changes at the University.
I start off by stating that there are no clubs or organizations at Umich dedicated to gaming. I'll list some other random activities that were formed into clubs to indicate the wide variety of groups one can join, yet video gamers are left out. I'll then remind my audience that video games are indeed popular and are most certainly played at U of M, but ask where are they?
I'll begin my quest by asking my roommate some questions about games, the ones who play them, the University, and how they interconnect if at all. He will act as my transition to the Computer & Video Game Archive (CVGA) at the Duderstadt on North Campus. I will then travel there and speak with the main coordinator, David Carter. I'll inquire about why there was even a need for the CVGA and why was it created now as opposed to when the video game boom occured in the late 70s and into the early 80s. I'll ask him why there isn't a club at U of M for gamers and how that speaks to the gamer culture, American culture, and global culture. Are times changing? Are video games that prominent? Do students need an entire room for video games? I'll shift over to the future aspect and ask where he sees the CVGA in the next year, five years, 10, 20 years.
With time permitting, I may also travel to local video game stores in Ann Arbor to gauge what kind of insight they can give me. The Michigan Daily now has a whole section on their website for video game news so I can ask how that's going.
My underlyying point would concern finding how video games is affecting U of M, America, and the world by taking into account all of these recent changes at the University.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Up until I read Tuned Out by David Mindich, I felt that I kept up with current events pretty well. Jimmyr.com is a favorite news and entertainment aggregator I visit once and a while to see what's been abuzz on the internet that day. I would occasionally come across hot topics of discussion while surfing the 'net and at least knew a good majority of the important goings on around the world. Through my experience, I know this is more than what most of my friends do to know what's happening beyond their own bedrooms.
Before the 2008 Presidential Election, I explained to one of my University of Michigan friends that I was really hoping for Dennis Kucinich or Ron Paul to win because I shared many ideals with them. She asks me, "Who?" As if she just asked me who Mary Sue Coleman was, I couldn't believe her ignorance toward our Presidential hopefuls. In an attempt to have a serious political dialogue, I went to go see some other friends around campus only to be more disappointed with the realization that I, with only a basic comprehension of domestic and worldly affairs, was more politically inclined than my friends were. This discovery was one of my latest major encounters with “tuned out” persons. Yet my entire strategy for staying in know is that when I find something particularly intriguing, which is usually a hit or miss scenario, I'll actually actively seek out more information. But, admittedly, I won't have the patience to sit and read a lengthy article on a single matter.
As I was reading what I thought would be a refresher of the facts I'm familiar with regarding a lack of political knowledge among youths, I discovered something quite disheartening about myself, my generation, and future generations. Mindich asked young adults about certain basic facts about politics. Sure I knew a few as I was bound to since I considered myself fairly knowledgeable, but I quickly wised up that I barely knew a fraction of what he was asking. I couldn't believe the facts that completely stumped me like naming the Supreme Court Justices or the officials in cabinet positions. I could only name a couple – and I'm going easy on myself by saying that. I felt like I didn't know anything.
I read on about the statistical results from these surveys. They were beyond appalling; they were alarming. How could people not know practically anything? Why wouldn't someone care to look in to where their tax dollars were going? What about the future for their kids or at least for themselves? Do people not want to know about the atrocities happening in parts of the globe? In their country? Their neighborhood? I suppose that’s how it has always been.
I found it fascinating that when Mindich pointed out that some of us don't even know what we don't know. At times, people were mistaken when it comes to who tunes out and why. While some said young people moved to watching television to get their news, others claimed the internet was the ultimate source of where kids became informed. Yet there is a decline in readership among all age groups as years go by in all forms of media. There also seemed to be a general misunderstanding among generations of young people and how tuned in they were to the news. One professor felt like he was “watering the vegetables every day” (Mindich, 5) while Mindich mentioned that, although standardized tests scores have been dropping, he is “constantly impressed with the thoughtfulness and intelligence of young people” (Mindich, 5). A teacher for over 30 years debunks the popular belief that teenagers are getting any less intelligent through the generations and rather stated that information is spread differently now with a focus on the entertainment aspect.
After reading those misconceptions and results on young adult political competence, I self-reflect on my news proficiency and I can't blame people for giving up trying to educate themselves causing the decline in the politically informed. The rising popularity in television stations such as MTV and VH1 with teenagers would, not surprisingly, distract them from news channels. In an effort to attract more young viewers, news broadcasters like Fox, CNN, and MSNBC became more entertainment oriented where the big story of the day wouldn’t be the excessively over-priced war in Iraq/Iran but instead on who the father was of Anna Nicole Smith's baby. I can understand committing an hour or two spread throughout a few days to a week on a “trendy” issue but celebrity scandals can go on for hours each day for weeks. It’s understandable that some viewers would simply stop following altogether just to avoid the idiocy. I am a strong proponent of balance and it’s better to keep gossip and celebrity entertainment news separate from local, national, and world news. That way the line between entertainment and news won’t be so blurred which could result in dedicated followers in both rather than a decrease in viewership when they are combined.
Although it may be compelling and grabs a person’s attention, entertainment news is not what people should be aware of when there are more important matters that should – no – need to be brought to our focus. Perhaps the reason why so many of us, including my friends, tune out is because of the near impossibility of finding what we’re looking for without the extra “fluff” always distracting us. As many have asserted, there are more resources available to us than ever before to become aware of current events, but with so much entertainment polluting them all, it becomes difficult and often unpleasant to get cut-and-dry news. I just wish news stations would stick to the real news and not cater to those audience members who only care about celebrity gossip.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Up until I read Tuned Out by David Mindich, I felt that I kept up with current events pretty well. I occasionally came across the hot topics of discussion while surfing the 'net and at least knew a good majority of the important goings on around the world. When I find something particularly intriguing, which is usually a hit or miss scenario, I'll actually actively seek out more information, but, admittedly, won't have the patience to sit and read a lengthy article on the matter.
As I was reading what I thought would be a refresher of the facts I'm familiar with regarding a lack of political knowledge among youths, I discovered something quite disheartening about myself, my generation, and future generations. Mindich asked young adults about certain basic facts about politics. Sure I knew a few as I was bound to as I considered myself fairly knowledgeable, but I quickly realized that I barely know a fraction of what he was asking. I couldn't believe the facts that completely stumped me like naming the Supreme Court Justices or the officials in cabinet positions. I could only name a couple and I'm going easy on myself.
I felt like I didn't know anything until I read on about the statistical results. They were beyond appalling; they were alarming. How could people not know practically anything? There were moments where Mindich points out that some of us don't even know what we don't know. At times, people were mistaken when it comes to who tunes out and why. While some said young people moved to watching television to get their news, others claimed the internet was the ultimate source of where kids were becoming informed. It seems that in all medium there is a decline in readership among all age groups as years go by.
Having so many not even hear about these events let alone understand them is discouraging and upsetting. Why wouldn't someone care to look in to where their tax dollars were going? What about the future for their kids or at least for themselves? Do people not want to know about the atrocities happening in parts of the globe? In their country? Their neighborhood?
Then I selfreflect on my news proficiency and I can't blame people for giving up trying to educate themselves. With news stations like Fox, CNN, and MSNBC becoming more entertainment news where the big story of the day isn't the excessevely over-priced war in Iraq/Iran but instead on who the father is of Anna Nicole Smith's baby. I can understand committing an hour or two spread throughout a few days to a week on the issue but this celebrity scandal went on for hours each day for weeks. Although it's entertaining and grabs attention, it's not what people should be aware of when there are more important matters that should, no, need to be brought into focus. I just wish news stations would stick to the real news and not cater to those audience members who only care about celebrity gossip, sex, and impertinent crime.
As I was reading what I thought would be a refresher of the facts I'm familiar with regarding a lack of political knowledge among youths, I discovered something quite disheartening about myself, my generation, and future generations. Mindich asked young adults about certain basic facts about politics. Sure I knew a few as I was bound to as I considered myself fairly knowledgeable, but I quickly realized that I barely know a fraction of what he was asking. I couldn't believe the facts that completely stumped me like naming the Supreme Court Justices or the officials in cabinet positions. I could only name a couple and I'm going easy on myself.
I felt like I didn't know anything until I read on about the statistical results. They were beyond appalling; they were alarming. How could people not know practically anything? There were moments where Mindich points out that some of us don't even know what we don't know. At times, people were mistaken when it comes to who tunes out and why. While some said young people moved to watching television to get their news, others claimed the internet was the ultimate source of where kids were becoming informed. It seems that in all medium there is a decline in readership among all age groups as years go by.
Having so many not even hear about these events let alone understand them is discouraging and upsetting. Why wouldn't someone care to look in to where their tax dollars were going? What about the future for their kids or at least for themselves? Do people not want to know about the atrocities happening in parts of the globe? In their country? Their neighborhood?
Then I selfreflect on my news proficiency and I can't blame people for giving up trying to educate themselves. With news stations like Fox, CNN, and MSNBC becoming more entertainment news where the big story of the day isn't the excessevely over-priced war in Iraq/Iran but instead on who the father is of Anna Nicole Smith's baby. I can understand committing an hour or two spread throughout a few days to a week on the issue but this celebrity scandal went on for hours each day for weeks. Although it's entertaining and grabs attention, it's not what people should be aware of when there are more important matters that should, no, need to be brought into focus. I just wish news stations would stick to the real news and not cater to those audience members who only care about celebrity gossip, sex, and impertinent crime.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Where Are The Gamers?
Out of the over 1000 clubs and organizations offered at the University of Michigan, not one is dedicated to weekly video game playing.
Yet, with the game room in the Union and the grand opening of the Computer & Video Game Archive in the Duderstadt, there is clearly an interest in playing games. So where do gamers play?
Out of the over 1000 clubs and organizations offered at the University of Michigan, not one is dedicated to weekly video game playing.
Yet, with the game room in the Union and the grand opening of the Computer & Video Game Archive in the Duderstadt, there is clearly an interest in playing games. So where do gamers play?
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Jumping into this project had me both worried and optimistic. I realized that choosing a central theme for a project together with six completely unique individuals was going to be a challenge. Shakira was interested in interviewing undergraduate mothers and how they go about their daily lives with a child to care for at home. Lindsay had an idea to speak with politician sons and daughters who attend the University of Michigan. I wanted to find out more about the video game scene on campus and how players interact.
There wasn't any correlation between these ideas in my mind which only meant that we weren't any closer in deciding on a topic. Then Geoff had a suggestion about "the path less traveled." It dawned on me that we could possibly have a theme on the underground student. Undergrad mothers, sons and daughters of politicians, and video gamers are all non-typical demographics that go to U of M. It all fit in perfectly so the next step was to designate roles.
Since I'm good with technology, Erica and Geoff are seasoned professionals in the journalist field, Lindsay has great connections with students, and Shakira is confident on camera, it seemed like our specialties complemented one another perfectly. We plan on working toghether to improve our skills where they lack and help others where our experience is strong.
I will personally overlook the technical aspects of our group. That means that I can assist with cameras and audio as well as the blog itself. If anyone needs help editing video then I would be the go-to guy for that too. Hopefully my contribution on video gamers at U of M will fit with our theme. Perhaps the interviewees I find will lead to an intriguing twist that unfolds into a fantastic story.
There wasn't any correlation between these ideas in my mind which only meant that we weren't any closer in deciding on a topic. Then Geoff had a suggestion about "the path less traveled." It dawned on me that we could possibly have a theme on the underground student. Undergrad mothers, sons and daughters of politicians, and video gamers are all non-typical demographics that go to U of M. It all fit in perfectly so the next step was to designate roles.
Since I'm good with technology, Erica and Geoff are seasoned professionals in the journalist field, Lindsay has great connections with students, and Shakira is confident on camera, it seemed like our specialties complemented one another perfectly. We plan on working toghether to improve our skills where they lack and help others where our experience is strong.
I will personally overlook the technical aspects of our group. That means that I can assist with cameras and audio as well as the blog itself. If anyone needs help editing video then I would be the go-to guy for that too. Hopefully my contribution on video gamers at U of M will fit with our theme. Perhaps the interviewees I find will lead to an intriguing twist that unfolds into a fantastic story.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Being the scatterbrained person that I am, I compiled a list of interesting topics that I considered for my personal report. In an effort to filter my ideas, I will only post those that I feel have the best future.
Gamers at Umich - I want to take an inside look at the the video and computer game culture at the University of Michigan. Interviewing different gamers about how they interact, enjoy different kinds of games, and feel to what extent games play a role in their lives will shed light on the underground U of M gamer culture. I could also inquire about why there is no official video game club on campus and whether gamers like to meet in real life to play games or not.
Michigan Bus Horror Stories - Finding out how students feel about the effectiveness of the University buses. Are they serving their purpose and how well? I would interview students with interesting stories about their bus experiences and compare them with the faculty's perception of them. This could reveal another example of how University services meet expectations or that faculty are detached from student concern.
Cafeteria Food - The age old question of why is dorm food in the dining halls the way it is today? Why isn't the food as good as retail locations? I would interview faculty members who influence the dining halls and see what their reasonings are for the cafterias they're in charge of as well as speak with cafeteria staff and students for their take on the matter. Perhaps ways to improve the cafeterias will arise.
Gamers at Umich - I want to take an inside look at the the video and computer game culture at the University of Michigan. Interviewing different gamers about how they interact, enjoy different kinds of games, and feel to what extent games play a role in their lives will shed light on the underground U of M gamer culture. I could also inquire about why there is no official video game club on campus and whether gamers like to meet in real life to play games or not.
Michigan Bus Horror Stories - Finding out how students feel about the effectiveness of the University buses. Are they serving their purpose and how well? I would interview students with interesting stories about their bus experiences and compare them with the faculty's perception of them. This could reveal another example of how University services meet expectations or that faculty are detached from student concern.
Cafeteria Food - The age old question of why is dorm food in the dining halls the way it is today? Why isn't the food as good as retail locations? I would interview faculty members who influence the dining halls and see what their reasonings are for the cafterias they're in charge of as well as speak with cafeteria staff and students for their take on the matter. Perhaps ways to improve the cafeterias will arise.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
If anyone has read the book series I, Robot by Isaac Asimov or seen the 2004 movie of the same name, then you might remember the "Three Laws of Robotics." They were a set of principles that all robots had to follow in order to properly and safely function in society. In summary, the first law declared that a robot cannot directly or indirectly harm humans. The second said that a robot must obey human orders unless it conflicts with the first law and the third said that robots must protect their own existence as long as them doing so doesn't violate the other two laws. Similarly, I have come up with the Three Laws of Blogging that I will follow.
- My blog and its posts will not be created to insinuate harm to any individual or group and if changes or corrections are necessary to minimize harm then they will be made and noted as such.
- I will post with integrity and respect along with giving credit where credit is due, except when this would conflict with the First Law.
- My blog and its posts will contain anything I want, within the confines of U.S. law and under the requirements of COMM 439, presented in a classy, academic style as long as such freedom does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
I couldn't just watch the United State's 44th President, Barack Obama's, Inauguration ceremony without being critical. Right off the bat I noticed that Barack Obama was nervous. He flubbed a few of the lines he was supposed to repeat. I certainly don't hold that against him because I would probably pass out if I was in his position.
Obama's following speech was eloquent and exuded confidence. The way he spoke made me feel relieved that he was, at the very least, a big change from the last guy who ran this entire country. The actual content of his speech was a bit generic starting off. More about change, "dust ourselves off," "the challenges we face are real," etc. I began to wonder why we need an inauguration ceremony anyway. Obama has the job, why drag it out?
That was what I initially thought but I soon became concerned. Obama began to address the "real challenges" and promised that he would improve education, promote energy efficiency and innovation, better healthcare, etc. I immedietly recalled having heard these lines time and time again from previous leaders. They were cookie-cutter issues that everyone promises to make better.
After some dissappointment, Obama finally moved on to more specific matters. Taking governmental matters into the open, as he said that he would, restored my faith that I made a good decision when I voted for him. He emphasized that he would better the welfare of the middle class and stop favoring the wealthy. I still have some pessamistic views about this but I was definitely glad that he said that considering that, as part of a middle class family, we need help.
Despite having to sit through some of the same boring issues that I have heard about repeatedly, I was overall satisfied with his speech. I may have doubts about his ability to deliver on some of his promises but I am confident that he will accomplish some amazing feats. All I can do is watch how all of this plays out and hope that he gave Americans his sincere pledge to improve this downtrodden country.
Obama's following speech was eloquent and exuded confidence. The way he spoke made me feel relieved that he was, at the very least, a big change from the last guy who ran this entire country. The actual content of his speech was a bit generic starting off. More about change, "dust ourselves off," "the challenges we face are real," etc. I began to wonder why we need an inauguration ceremony anyway. Obama has the job, why drag it out?
That was what I initially thought but I soon became concerned. Obama began to address the "real challenges" and promised that he would improve education, promote energy efficiency and innovation, better healthcare, etc. I immedietly recalled having heard these lines time and time again from previous leaders. They were cookie-cutter issues that everyone promises to make better.
After some dissappointment, Obama finally moved on to more specific matters. Taking governmental matters into the open, as he said that he would, restored my faith that I made a good decision when I voted for him. He emphasized that he would better the welfare of the middle class and stop favoring the wealthy. I still have some pessamistic views about this but I was definitely glad that he said that considering that, as part of a middle class family, we need help.
Despite having to sit through some of the same boring issues that I have heard about repeatedly, I was overall satisfied with his speech. I may have doubts about his ability to deliver on some of his promises but I am confident that he will accomplish some amazing feats. All I can do is watch how all of this plays out and hope that he gave Americans his sincere pledge to improve this downtrodden country.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Up until now, my college life has been a test run.
I've taken a hodge-podge of classes from physics to political science and Chinese to sociology.
Although I wanted take them, I wasn't always pleased after the final exam.
Two problems kept coming up where I was either decent in the course but had absolutely no passion for it or I was intrigued by the subject matter yet completely flopped when it came to test taking.
My roommate freshman year only pushed me over the edge and the stress was so unbearable that I knew I couldn't last another three years of this.
The Fall 2008 semester was a lot of the same only with much better roommates.
One less issue to deal with so my focus was entirely on what classes I should register for and what concentrations interested me.
I took a chance for the Winter 2009 semester by dropping the "high school" approach of choose basic classes and instead picking ones that I would both be good at and enjoy.
New Media, Video Games, and Blogging.
Perfect!
I already know so much about these fields because I'm a commited internet and game junky so why not turn what I like into what I learn about?
For the first time in college, I'm geniunly excited about going to class.
Rather than learn something from scratch, I'm practically two steps ahead of some of my professors let alone my fellow classmates.
Having related classes where I'm able to build ideas and concepts off one another makes understanding everything so much easier.
Even though it has only been a week since classes officially started, I can tell that this semester is going to be considerbly less stressful and really fun.
How often can a student say, "I'm having fun in class?"
Obviously this story isn't unique to just me; there are plenty of others who simply cannot get their college life together.
If someone is way too stressed out about class, it might be time to take a "fun" break and take courses that he/she is excited about.
Try it.
You might be surprised when you say, "This class is so much fun!"
I've taken a hodge-podge of classes from physics to political science and Chinese to sociology.
Although I wanted take them, I wasn't always pleased after the final exam.
Two problems kept coming up where I was either decent in the course but had absolutely no passion for it or I was intrigued by the subject matter yet completely flopped when it came to test taking.
My roommate freshman year only pushed me over the edge and the stress was so unbearable that I knew I couldn't last another three years of this.
The Fall 2008 semester was a lot of the same only with much better roommates.
One less issue to deal with so my focus was entirely on what classes I should register for and what concentrations interested me.
I took a chance for the Winter 2009 semester by dropping the "high school" approach of choose basic classes and instead picking ones that I would both be good at and enjoy.
New Media, Video Games, and Blogging.
Perfect!
I already know so much about these fields because I'm a commited internet and game junky so why not turn what I like into what I learn about?
For the first time in college, I'm geniunly excited about going to class.
Rather than learn something from scratch, I'm practically two steps ahead of some of my professors let alone my fellow classmates.
Having related classes where I'm able to build ideas and concepts off one another makes understanding everything so much easier.
Even though it has only been a week since classes officially started, I can tell that this semester is going to be considerbly less stressful and really fun.
How often can a student say, "I'm having fun in class?"
Obviously this story isn't unique to just me; there are plenty of others who simply cannot get their college life together.
If someone is way too stressed out about class, it might be time to take a "fun" break and take courses that he/she is excited about.
Try it.
You might be surprised when you say, "This class is so much fun!"
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
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