Iowa State has been a great experience for me so far and I've been impacted in numerous ways because of my choice to come here and going through the Hixson program. I think the biggest part has been the diversity that comes with being on a college campus, I have a more open mind now due to my own experiences on campus and through presentations that I've gone to for both classes and the Hixson program. I'm from a small town so everyone was pretty much of the same opinion and there was no one that really 'stuck out.' But up here, everyone sticks out, all of us our different and we all have to keep an open mind to get along.
Hixson has helped me a lot when it comes to being a better student. Being more responsible my using a planner, getting my homework done in a more timely manner, and exercising to make sure that both my body and mind are healthy. I'm glad that I had to take the Hixson seminar because otherwise I probably wouldn't be the student I am today or have the grades I do. I've also been able to make quite a few new friends that are really great people through the Hixson program and I hope that I'm able to stay in contact with them as I continue with my classes here at Iowa State.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
The Real Dirt of Farmer John
I've been forgetting to blog about my diversity event, which explains why I'm just now getting to blogging about 'The Real Dirt of Farmer John.' All in all, the presentation was a little different but I think it was meant to be for the sake of diversity. Right off the bat you can see that 'Farmer John,' is a not quite what people would call 'normal.' The event consisted mainly of the showing of a video and then a little bit more in depth narrative by John himself afterwards. The video that was showed depicted Farmer John and how he has grown as both a farmer and person since purchasing the family farm and all the obstacles he had to overcome to be successful.
From what I took out of the presentation, Farmer John has always been a pretty welcoming guy, so much so that he invited anyone who needed a place to stay to come to his farm. The kind of people that made the other people of the community look down at him and judge him unfairly. That was the real first taste of diversity and it really showed how negatively some people can react to a person who is different or out of the ordinary according their own definition. It was amazing to me to see how low he got in terms of financial stability and security for his future and then how he overcame it, it's a true testament to where hard work can get you. While he may be a little off the wall or different, I walked away from the presentation respecting Farmer John because he never gave up and continued doing what he wanted to do.
From what I took out of the presentation, Farmer John has always been a pretty welcoming guy, so much so that he invited anyone who needed a place to stay to come to his farm. The kind of people that made the other people of the community look down at him and judge him unfairly. That was the real first taste of diversity and it really showed how negatively some people can react to a person who is different or out of the ordinary according their own definition. It was amazing to me to see how low he got in terms of financial stability and security for his future and then how he overcame it, it's a true testament to where hard work can get you. While he may be a little off the wall or different, I walked away from the presentation respecting Farmer John because he never gave up and continued doing what he wanted to do.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
What the Hixson Award means to me...
The Hixson Award means so much to me, it the greatest sense of the word, it's the reason for any success I might have in the future. Because without it, I doubt that I'd be here at Iowa State and without Iowa State I might not have had the opportunities that will be available to me once I graduate. Without Hixson I would still be back in my hometown, either going to the community college or working to try and save up money. But instead I am up here on the beautiful campus of a college that I've heard is the best for an engineering major.
Hixson continues to help me succeed with my studies in numerous ways, the calm and quiet environment makes a great work space when I'm needing to do homework without interruptions. The free printing allows me to print papers that help me study that I might not have printed otherwise due to the printing limit. I've also taken the lessons learned from the Tuesday night large group classes to improve my college experience and make me a better student.
The last but definitely not least positive impact that Hixson has had on my life would have to be the people I've met through it. Between everyone in small group and some from the large class, I've been able to get to know some great people that I consider good friends. The class as a whole has made meeting more people easier and my experience all the more positive.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Cultural Diversity
Well to start off, I grew up in and went to school in a small town of about 1500 people. Of course being in Iowa, it was a farming community and it's one of those towns that it only takes about all of thirty minutes for news to get around town and back to your parents if you screw up, lucky me. But there something else that seems to be a trend with small towns, they aren't as open to cultural diversity. It seems like, or at least for my hometown, that there was a set of norms and anybody who stuck out was looked down upon, quite the opposite of cities like Iowa City and Davenport.
Diversity is all around us, we just have to be willing to look deep enough. It might not be something as shallow or blatant as skin color or sexual orientation, it could be something along the lines of growing up in a neighborhood with a high crime rate and being scared for your life every day or maybe the kid you're sitting next to lost both their parents when they were too young to know better and they've grown up differently then you because of it. There are numerous subtle aspects that make us who we are, some of them we're comfortable with and we put out there for the world to see. While others might be more personal or painful and we keep them to ourselves. Those are several things that you should keep in mind when you move into a different environment like one found on a college campus.
An important facet of diversity to keep in mind that not everyone is like you. Just because someone is different doesn't make them weird or awkward. I'm working on adjusting my own views and keeping an open mind as I continue classes this year.
Diversity is all around us, we just have to be willing to look deep enough. It might not be something as shallow or blatant as skin color or sexual orientation, it could be something along the lines of growing up in a neighborhood with a high crime rate and being scared for your life every day or maybe the kid you're sitting next to lost both their parents when they were too young to know better and they've grown up differently then you because of it. There are numerous subtle aspects that make us who we are, some of them we're comfortable with and we put out there for the world to see. While others might be more personal or painful and we keep them to ourselves. Those are several things that you should keep in mind when you move into a different environment like one found on a college campus.
An important facet of diversity to keep in mind that not everyone is like you. Just because someone is different doesn't make them weird or awkward. I'm working on adjusting my own views and keeping an open mind as I continue classes this year.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Social Media Week
The social media week assignment was definitely something new for me. I decided to use my Twitter because it seemed the easiest since I'd already been using it. But there was such a difference from when I tweeted before to tweeting for the assignment. Mainly because we were told to tweet 20 times but the only time I ever tweet is when something witty pops into my head or I hear a great quote. I don't got around thinking about what I can tweet, there are just small moments of inspiration that cause me to. So it was quite a different experience for me, it was also nice to have all the new posts from the list we were told to follow. I mainly used it just to connect with my friends previously but once I followed the list of accounts I was getting posts from things like NPR that really helped to keep me updated with the world rather than just my friends.
Some of the relationships I formed through this are great. Quite a few electrical engineering accounts wouldn't follow me back but that was mainly because the only ones I could find were things like companies or fun facts. Still, it was interesting to read some of their posts and I look forward to connecting with more people involved in electrical engineering through Twitter in the future. I think Twitter has a bigger effect on people than they realize, or at least it does for me. I hadn't realized what a time filler it was until this assignment, it seems like whenever I'm somewhere like standing in line at the MU or taking a break from my homework, I turn to my Twitter feed and see what everyone has posted. Even if I had just done so 15 minutes earlier. I enjoyed this assignment and look forward to continue making use of the connections I formed through it.
Some of the relationships I formed through this are great. Quite a few electrical engineering accounts wouldn't follow me back but that was mainly because the only ones I could find were things like companies or fun facts. Still, it was interesting to read some of their posts and I look forward to connecting with more people involved in electrical engineering through Twitter in the future. I think Twitter has a bigger effect on people than they realize, or at least it does for me. I hadn't realized what a time filler it was until this assignment, it seems like whenever I'm somewhere like standing in line at the MU or taking a break from my homework, I turn to my Twitter feed and see what everyone has posted. Even if I had just done so 15 minutes earlier. I enjoyed this assignment and look forward to continue making use of the connections I formed through it.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
What I learned through MBTI...
I was really surprised by how much they got out of the MBTI evaluation. In all honesty, it was a last minute, just get it over with deal. Between work, scholarships, orientation, placement tests, and getting ready for college in general, my summer was hectic and it was just another bullet on the list of things to do. Nevertheless, I answered it to the best of my ability and was surprised by how well it ended up turning out like how I thought of myself. I had picked myself out as ESFP and it placed me with an ENFP.
I can see how both the S and N, S for sensing and N for intuition, could fit me. I personally believe that it depends on the situation and mood I'm in. Sensing leans more towards facts and what I can feel and point out, which I can definitely relate to as it's the one I picked out. Intuition is apparently for me imaginative and creative ways of viewing situations, which I still think is less me than facts, but I can see how it could apply for certain instances.
In general, ENFP places me as someone who is really interested in social activities and outgoing things, that I like to use my imagination and base my ideas and choices off of it. I also place more stake in emotional value and important to me on a personal level when making decisions. P I think in general sums up my life, I'm laid back and I don't plan things out, I don't like having set plans and usually just go with the flow. Along with the fact that I'm horrible when it comes to procrastination.
I liked the opportunity that the MBTI gave me to really take a hard look at myself the motivation behind my decisions and feelings. It was a new experience and I'm glad that I did it.
I can see how both the S and N, S for sensing and N for intuition, could fit me. I personally believe that it depends on the situation and mood I'm in. Sensing leans more towards facts and what I can feel and point out, which I can definitely relate to as it's the one I picked out. Intuition is apparently for me imaginative and creative ways of viewing situations, which I still think is less me than facts, but I can see how it could apply for certain instances.
In general, ENFP places me as someone who is really interested in social activities and outgoing things, that I like to use my imagination and base my ideas and choices off of it. I also place more stake in emotional value and important to me on a personal level when making decisions. P I think in general sums up my life, I'm laid back and I don't plan things out, I don't like having set plans and usually just go with the flow. Along with the fact that I'm horrible when it comes to procrastination.
I liked the opportunity that the MBTI gave me to really take a hard look at myself the motivation behind my decisions and feelings. It was a new experience and I'm glad that I did it.
Monday, September 17, 2012
My Goals/Bucket List
Well I guess I'll just start off this blog post with a basic list and throw in some explanations.
1. Go skydiving
- This one means a lot to me, and I think that it's going to be a little emotional for me when I do end up going. I say that because this was both my dad's and my main desire in terms of a bucket list. I honestly can't remember whether I mentioned this in my past blog post but my dad passed away a little over three years ago, he meant the world to me and I would give anything to talk to him one more time. I can tell you that when I am free-falling towards the ground as fast and as long as possible that my dad will be the main thing on my mind and I'm going to experience it for the both of us. The ironic part is that if my dad hadn't passed away, I don't know whether I'd be able to be here at Iowa State right now since it's due to the fact that his employer sent me a check for my education that I'm able to pay tuition and was able to successfully obtain the Hixson scholarship. Now I've already signed up for the skydiving club and am set up to go this spring, I can't wait!
2. Live comfortably with a family
- Well since I'm in the electrical engineering program, I'd like to think that I'm going to be able to make quite a bit of money per year. My dream home would be pretty large, modest, yet large. It would be nestled back into some woods so that I'd be able to hunt both deer and turkey with a nearby lake big enough to do any water sports on with my boat that I'll hopefully be able to afford. I'd also like there to plenty of natural cliffs close enough to rock climb on the weekends. My boat would be parked over next to my airplane that I would love to one day get my pilot's license for. I know it seems like a lot, but this would be the very best of the best in terms of living with my wife and two maybe three children that I could teach to hunt, fish, and rock climb.
3. See the ocean/learn to surf
- I've already gotten several reactions for not having seen the ocean along the lines of, "What?! You need to see it!" But yeah, I've never been to the ocean and I would love to one day see it. Along those lines, when I do get to see the ocean, I want to try my hand at surfing and hopefully not get bitten by a shark, which seems to be the main thing people worry about when I tell them I want to surf.
4. Learn to longboard
- I chose the most basic one I could think of to end my list on, if I put everything on here it'd never end. I didn't really have the desire to learn to longboard until I got to Iowa State and saw people doing it all over campus. It just seems like something fun to pass the time and I want something attainable to strive for this year, so longboarding it is. I've signed up for the club and hopefully will be able to get the hang of it after some time. By the way, I can't hardly stand on a skateboard, so we'll see how this goes.
1. Go skydiving
- This one means a lot to me, and I think that it's going to be a little emotional for me when I do end up going. I say that because this was both my dad's and my main desire in terms of a bucket list. I honestly can't remember whether I mentioned this in my past blog post but my dad passed away a little over three years ago, he meant the world to me and I would give anything to talk to him one more time. I can tell you that when I am free-falling towards the ground as fast and as long as possible that my dad will be the main thing on my mind and I'm going to experience it for the both of us. The ironic part is that if my dad hadn't passed away, I don't know whether I'd be able to be here at Iowa State right now since it's due to the fact that his employer sent me a check for my education that I'm able to pay tuition and was able to successfully obtain the Hixson scholarship. Now I've already signed up for the skydiving club and am set up to go this spring, I can't wait!
2. Live comfortably with a family
- Well since I'm in the electrical engineering program, I'd like to think that I'm going to be able to make quite a bit of money per year. My dream home would be pretty large, modest, yet large. It would be nestled back into some woods so that I'd be able to hunt both deer and turkey with a nearby lake big enough to do any water sports on with my boat that I'll hopefully be able to afford. I'd also like there to plenty of natural cliffs close enough to rock climb on the weekends. My boat would be parked over next to my airplane that I would love to one day get my pilot's license for. I know it seems like a lot, but this would be the very best of the best in terms of living with my wife and two maybe three children that I could teach to hunt, fish, and rock climb.
3. See the ocean/learn to surf
- I've already gotten several reactions for not having seen the ocean along the lines of, "What?! You need to see it!" But yeah, I've never been to the ocean and I would love to one day see it. Along those lines, when I do get to see the ocean, I want to try my hand at surfing and hopefully not get bitten by a shark, which seems to be the main thing people worry about when I tell them I want to surf.
4. Learn to longboard
- I chose the most basic one I could think of to end my list on, if I put everything on here it'd never end. I didn't really have the desire to learn to longboard until I got to Iowa State and saw people doing it all over campus. It just seems like something fun to pass the time and I want something attainable to strive for this year, so longboarding it is. I've signed up for the club and hopefully will be able to get the hang of it after some time. By the way, I can't hardly stand on a skateboard, so we'll see how this goes.
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