Feeds, subscribe, twitter, blog and "follow me...", all things I am here to learn more about while keeping a blog / journal for my Human Development class. I have embraced the aforementioned technology with dragging feet, like my dad has embraced the cell phone generation; I knew they were there but did not need them and did not see how they would be applicable to my life.Here I am going to school as an adult pursuing a Computer Science major so it is time. Not only do I need to constantly be up to speed with the latest technology, I need to be thinking six months to a year ahead of it. This creative forward thinking stimulates me, excites me and makes me look to the future with the giddiness of a eight year old boy at Christmas, for the first time in many years. For anyone who reads this I am beside myself that you would take the time to be a part of this journey.
One of my classes is Human Development, a required class for first year students (dare I call myself a freshman at this age?). I can see an enormous benefit to taking this class and will extract as much as I can, but I also see how the class as a unit will only benefit as much as the collective conscious will allow. I do applaud Mrs. Harris, our instructor who seems so far to be a collection of stern old school strictness and a warm personal friend with a smile that would melt an iceberg, for encouraging us to move about and "mingle" with the class. That said, I have just taken a self assessment from our text "On Course; Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life" and it is no surprise my lowest score was in "Employing Interdependence", which brings me to purpose of this entry, my first journal / blog entry. We are to keep a journal for this class and in addition to learning about blogger.com and doing some much wanted personal inventory, I also will get class credit. Win win!
I have just done some reading and exercises in our text, and below in bold are the guidelines for this writing and my responses.
Write about the areas of the self-assessment in which you had your highest scores.
By doing the self assessment, I learned that I am strongest in accepting personal responsibility and mastering self management. Those are followed closely by gaining self-awareness and adopting life long learning. While it is nice to hold a mirror to my minds eye and see myself and strengths, none of these are news or surprising. My past as a professional athlete deeply ingrained some of the life habits and core beliefs I have today - simplified and applied to the strengths mentioned above my interpretation of these strengths are - when you screw up own it, do what you say you are going to do, always deeply know yourself and you can never know enough, learn more. Without these strengths given to my by my parents, coaches and managers I would have never made it this far. It is great to be acknowledged for these strengths, but like an athlete uses his or her body, I acknowledge I need to exercise my mind. I AM SO GLAD TO BE IN SCHOOL. Just like working out, it makes me feel stronger everyday.
Write about the areas of the self-assessment in which you had your lowest scores.
It is absolutely zero surprise to me that my lowest score, that stands out like a sore thumb, is employing interdependence. I fully know this, have for a long time, and am ready to look at it and see if I can make some progress in this area. While being so fiercely independent may have played in my favor in the past, I see how to move from here forward it would be / will be in my best interest to adapt a new behavior. My next lowest score was in discovering self-motivation, also no huge break through but good for me to acknowledge and examine. I can be an extremely motivated individual but just as fast as the passion can consume me, I can grow board and walk away. I often consider this "cutting my losses" and moving on, but see how it also can be lack of motivation. Very interesting this self-assessment was.
This is great to write. It will help me develop good writing skills for my Development Writing class, give me a chance to learn about this whole blogging thing is about, and I will receive credit for my journal entries in Human Development. Some entries will be only school based, some will be personal writings. I think I am going to include them all in my journal. I am sure Mrs. Harris will employ her skimming skills seeing that I am never short on something to say.
A little background, I used to call my brother Ape Face and he would call me Monkey Boy, hence my blogger name of komputer monkey. These injurious names we called each other as children have become pet names of affection as adults. Funny how time and perspective changes everything.
A little more background, just in case my blog / journal is dull, I have added a spot of motivational eye candy. Do not over think this, I see someone who is fit, healthy, resting, peaceful and seemingly well balanced. Okay, and very handsome.
David, a handsome boy I am getting to know (and hope to date) said the photo was distracting. That to me was funny, and if my writing is dull I want the reader to be distracted!
Posts
