Thoughts On Time Strategies

I've always managed my time well throughout high school, but once I entered college I gained so much more freedom and time on my hands. I instantly lost all my time management skills and had to start all over. One thing that I never lost touch with is my organization skills. I ALWAYS keep an agenda on hand with all my homework, important dates, etc written down and in addition to that I use Google calendar to organize my days as well so that I can visually see it. However, upon reading these two articles, 3 Steps To Recapture Time and 4 Questions To Overcome Procrastination, I learned a couple new things. First off is that the first 15 minutes of my day is the most crucial and should be utilized to plan out my day and say no to the obstacles that stand in the way of achieving my goals. Another thing I learned is that once I get started with something it gets easier and easier especially when you get a good portion of the assignment done. Finding out what your biggest priorities are and breaking them down into smaller steps is something that can be very beneficial to my courses this semester and for my future. 

(Time Management, Source: University of Florida)

Thoughts On Class Technology

This is the first time I have encountered an online course structured like this with all these different types of tools to use at your disposal. Right now it's very overwhelming, but as the semester goes on and most likely by the 2nd or 3rd week I'll surely get the hang of it. I already use Google docs and bookmark important pages, but everything else will take some getting used to. One thing I want to definitely get better at is my blogging skills since this is my very first time having one.

(Blogging Life, Source: Plaid Swan)

Thoughts On Assignments

This is my first online course at OU and it's the first course that I've ever encountered that is set up like this. It's very intriguing and fun so far. The reading's might get stale and boring, but that's because my mind tends to get bored easily. However, the rest of the assignments sound very engaging especially the comments and feedback portions. The amount of extra credit that is offered in this course is enormous. No class I've ever taken had offered so many chances at this, but it's very nice that if you get behind or busy then you can use this opportunity to catch up. This semester will be fun in this course, but will require a lot of time and commitment.

(Extra Credit Cat, Source: Flickr)

My Take On The Growth Mindset

The growth mindset was first introduced to me by my biochemistry professor, Paul Sims. He taught us about the growth mindset on the first day of class and that he would provide us with the tools to excel only that we were the ones to take them and apply them with our growth mindset. At first I didn't take this seriously and sooner or later I found out that this would come back to bite me in the butt. The growth mindset is something that will be useful to you throughout your whole life, not just in school. This can be applied to my hobby of basketball. I can choose to stay stagnant and not progress, but every time I step on the court I challenge myself with a new move or going up with my left hand instead of my right hand. Up until I was first introduced to this topic, I was a person who didn't welcome challenges because they scared me and I would try to, but now I invite them in because they make me a better person. I would love to learn more about the growth mindset throughout this course. 

(Growth Mindset Cat, Source: Cheezburger)

Introduction to a Pre-Medicine Student

Hello everyone! My name is Charles Nguyen and I'm 20 year old. I was born and raised in San Jose, California but I moved to OKC, Oklahoma after the age of 7. Before even entering college I knew what I wanted study and become in the future and that was a doctor. I've always been fascinated by my science courses in school and coming to college my eyes were set on medical school and eventually becoming a doctor. I have a friend that is older than me and whom I look up to. He's currently a medical student at OSU and I've known him since I was 8 years old. He is the one who continuously makes me want to achieve my goal of becoming a doctor every day.

(Medication Pills, Source: Net Doctor)

My hobbies consist of basketball, tennis, piano, dancing, cooking, working out, and the list goes on. I heavily focus on basketball however. I play in a league that consists of 20+ teams and we compete for a trophy every season. I started playing at an age considered "too late", but developed into an exceptional player in my opinion. I play at the Huffman Fitness Center almost ever night with my friends. There were a couple times where I have been injured due to the sport, but most were mainly ankle sprains. I've had pretty bad ankle sprains before to the point where I couldn't walk and needed crutches, but my worst accident on the court was when someone elbowed my bottom jaw and my bottom teeth were basically pushed outwards. It was a very traumatic event because I was rushed to the ER and bleeding profusely. However, to me "ball is life" and I will continue to play the sport no matter the risk.

(Basketball Swish, Source: Lady Monarch's Basketball Team)

My favorite movie of all time is The Godfather starting Al Pachino. I have many other movies that I would consider being runner-ups, but nothing can beat a classic like The Godfather. My musicality has a wide range. I love hip hop, r&b, rock, EDM, etc. The only music that I don't listen to is country. When I choreograph to a song I usually have a preference towards r&b, but sometimes I'll steer away and try something new even if it's out of my comfort zone. I have one pet and its a chihuahua puppy named Lucky. He's a VERY ferocious dog towards anyone other than me and my family. This summer I went on MANY vacation to Atlanta, Missouri, Orlando, and finally Destin. 

(Destin Beaches, Source: Destin Real Estate)

My Three Storybook Favorites

Ghost-Chasers:
This was the first blog that caught my eye because I am one to love ghost stories, especially ones that make me scared afterwords. Once I clicked on the blog and continued to the introduction, it only pulled me in more with it's creative storytelling method and narrative as if I was reading a screenplay. The layout of the blog was dark and mysterious which only bettered the atmosphere of the reading. In the end this blog was a scary and fun one to read.

(Interior View of The Fortress, Source: The Divine India)

Death's Story:

I've always wondered what I would be like to live the life of death itself. This is what brought me to this very blog and what kept me reading till the end. The introduction started out as Death losing his job and being replaced by another soon to be named Death. He recounts his most evil, scared, and hardest life's he's had to take. The introduction of this blog did a good job in not telling me too much, but at the same time keeping my attention. The layout of the blog was simple and straightforward. Each encounter with a life Death had to take entailed a photo pertaining to the subject. In the end, it was a nice read and an interesting take on Death.

(Ship At Sea, Source: Public Domain Pictures)

Love At First Retweet:

This final blog intrigued me at first glance because I am a sap for love stories and love itself. I believe in love at first sight, etc, etc. What was even more interesting was that this blog was about the social media world and how love can be achieved that way. I was reeled in the a love blog and hooked by the introduction of the innovation of Tinder and MySpace. The layout was cute and kept to its theme of love. It was simple and set up in a way that made it easy to read and made you feel like you were reading an online conversation. In the end, this blog was quite a funny and heartwarming one to read. 

(Hearts, Source: Flickr)

California Is My Favorite Place

California is my favorite place in America. Partly because this is my home state with San Jose being my hometown. Although I moved away at the young age of 7, I still remember the old mobile home we lived in and all the friends and family I enjoyed days with. 

(City Skyline of Los Angeles, California: Wikipedia) 

California will always have a special place in my heart and in the future I plan on moving back.

(Nighttime Skyline of California: Photo By tpsdave)