Time Strategies

Hello Everybody!

I am here today to write a little about my thoughts on time management. The funny thing is earlier this week I actually attended a time management workshop for my business major and we discussed many of the topics I read about for this class. Two of my favorites were
The Myth of Too Busy by Tim Grahl and
The Psychology of Checklists by Lauren Marchese

This is my second semester taking 21 hours and while some of you may think I am crazy, I am ready to tackle this semester. After coming to OU, this is only the second time I actually spent money on a physical planner, but I new if I wanted to succeed in my classes I was going to have to plan out my whole semester this first week. Sure it took about four hours, but now I have a plan and a schedule to work off of. I have a feeling this semester this planner of mine is going to be my life saver. After attending the time management workshop, I realized that having a planner and writing out your full semester schedule helps you get a better understanding of your semester and lets you know if you have room for other time commitments.

There are numerous time management strategies, but figuring out which ones work the best for you is up to you. I know it has taken me years, but I think I have a good plan for now. Time management strategies are important and when people ask me how I am able to do everything that I do, I always tell them that I have learned to manage my time and prioritize my list to ensure I am somewhat ahead, which later provides me flexibility in my schedule.

The article titled, "The Myth of Too Busy," could not have stated the importance of prioritizing better. We have to learn to say NO to things even if we don't want to. People tend to stress themselves out more when they spread themselves too thin, life should be enjoyed not lived in constant stress. I did not realize it until college, but prioritizing helps so much and it prevents procrastination at times.

Similar to the "Psychology of Checklists" article in the workshop we focused a lot on how important it is to set realistic goals, we should set a big goal and then set smaller goals that we think will help us reach that big goal. I completely agree with the suggestion of rewarding yourself after you have completed your checklist. Having a motivator will make the tasks seem much easier and that dread that usually accompanies a task list is not there.

Both these articles covered topics from my workshop and conveyed the same message that prioritizing and having a checklist with a reward are strategies to help make someone successful. I know I have always had some form of calendar to keep me on track of due dates and work deadlines. The articles really did not cover anything that I had not already heard before, but is was nice to see that many people have similar ideas on time management strategies. I know I am definitely in for a tough semester, but I know I will be able to stick through with my schedule.

If you need some helpful time management suggestions take a look at the two articles I have linked above!

Live on from yours truly,
Mansi Patel

Stress overload Curtesy of WellMind

What's In? Technology!

The technology landscape will all make more sense next week as you get into a more regular work routine; for this week, please write up a quick blog post about your first impressions here. Are you already familiar with some of these technology tools? How is this online environment like/unlike what you have experienced in other classes? Are there any web skills that you really want to work on this semester?

Being as active as I was in high school, I was able to gain a lot of experience learning how to navigate around websites like Weebly, Wix, Google Drive, WordPress, and some more. I love learning the ins and outs of websites, I may not be a tech whiz, but I can figure out things! Although I have to say I am excited to create some cool graphics! I am not the one to typically create memes, but now I will for this blog:)

This online environment is very different from all my other classes primarily, because of the flexibility of the assignments and the blogging. Do not consider that a bad thing, this is actually the best way I think a professor can teach students to be independent and responsible for their assignments and essentially the end grade that they get.

From last time I was able to pick up and learn about Cheezburger and Automotivator. I also added the spellcheck and word count extensions to my chrome browser. I never even thought to install these extensions until I read about it. I wish I would have known about it earlier, but now I have it in my toolbox.

Happy weekend y'all!

Reading Assignments are in the near future;) 

Yay Assignments, Every Student''s Nightmare;)

Hummm...
Thinking back to the time I took Epics of India with Professor Gibbs, the class was fairly manageable and by doing the extra credit I was able to finish the class two weeks earlier. I hope to do a lot more of the extra credit options like Growth Mindset, HEART, and extra commenting! Oh I would also like to try some extra reading as well as microfictions.

I know last time when I worked ahead on the weekly assignments it worked to my advantage, because the weeks I had class tests I was able to focus on those and not worry about the online assignments. There was a week when I fell behind but was easily able to catch back up and be ahead without worrying. I have waited for 4 semesters now to take the Myth and Folklore class and can't wait to start on next week's assignments.

Thanks for continuing to read y'all! I am probably sounding really boring right now, but I promise to start spicing things up starting next week!

I just had a cookie so why not 

Growth Mindset

Before today I had came across Carol Dweck's TED talks only once and that was when I was talking the Epics of India class. I have to say she is great. I enjoy listening to the different perspectives that come about through this TED Talks and what Carol has to say I could not agree more. I was surprised at how much our thoughts matched about modern education. I see myself as a person very close to the center of the growth-fixed mindset in my school work leaning a little more towards the fixed mindset primarily due to the how high the stakes are for me if I want to get into Dental school. Especially now that the admission stardards and rising grades are becoming increasingly important to pursue a health profession. Outside of academics I am almost to the growth side, because I enjoy life and love having challenges that I can overcome and be stronger afterwards. We live to learn and as Gandhi said, "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."

Ever since starting OU, the ride has been very enlightening to me of my personal attributes and school in general. My first semester at OU I realized that if I wanted to hang out with friends, go out to family dinners, while maintaining my grades I would have to work hard and could not leave room for procrastination. I figured out that the Biz was more distracting for me than studying at home or another place on campus. Finding a good place to study without being easily distracted was a challenge for me, but luckily I discovered the basement of Dale Hall and the center for student success within the Price College, which has been my study spot since my second week at OU. Needless to say I enjoy challenges, hence my interest in Biology.

I am actually very excited to learn about the growth mindset this semester! I have always believed that a person can never stop learning and as a school nerd new information is like candy to me. With this topic so relevant to today's education it make this even better and I Professor Gibbs has some more interesting information relating to growth mindset!

It is actually pretty scary that I am feeling like I can conquer anything at the moment. Even with so many hours this semester with labs and classes and in the mix I feel like a whole new person this semester and I have a feeling that is, because my trip to India. I mean who doesn't agree with me when I say a good vacation can make you feel like you brand new person. If I had to pick a class that I was most worried about this semester then it would probably be the labs, but otherwise I am ready for my semester.

Hope you all have a great day and don't forget...

(Cheezburger)

Introduction to a Future Dentist or CEO, Who Knows?

Me, mom, dad, and the not so little brother

Hey all! I hope everyone is loving the first week back to classes, I know I am loving every minute! Well let me tell you some of my quirks and just about myself. 

I am very academically driven and always give my 110% on anything I do. My belief is that work while you work, study while you study, and always put your heart into what you are doing, if your heart is not in the task then it really is not worth anything. I am a social bee and love every minute of my time spent interacting with others. I grew up in a household where we have always valued the feelings of people above all else and believed that community service should always being on the calendar. Servitude is near and dear to my heart and any free time I have I can be found in the soup kitchen, food pantry, or tutoring in schools. 

Okay, so let's get to what you all are probably really wanting to know, what is this girl majoring in if she is still deciding between become a CEO or a dentist. Well, I added accounting and finance in addition to my biology major. So in about 3.5 months, I'll be coming fresh out of OU with three degrees and I am in the process of applying to MBA school. I still plan to take the DAT over the summer, but first thing first is to take the GMAT.  Wondering why accounting and finance of all things, well you could say that business runs in my blood. I love the thrill that I get while crunching numbers and when things balance out and when I sign checks. Biology is a challenge and I enjoy the fact that I have to work hard to get my grades in my science classes. I am biased and tend to like my business majors a tad bit more just because there are so many more opportunities to be involved in the Price College of Business.

My best class I took last semester was my accounting class, because it was my easiest class. With all the ups and downs of last semester my biggest accomplishment is that I survived molecular biology and biochemistry and made the grades that I wanted. What better way to end a tough semester than a trip to the place that makes you happy, for me that is India. For me it was a much needed trip that let me clear my head from school stress and feel like I could take in fresh air. I've gone to India about 19 times now and it never gets old. Some of my most favorite places are in India as you probably saw in my earlier post this week!

Favorites?  That's always tough, but what can I say I have always been a Harry Potter fan from day 1. Would you all believe me if I told I actually listen more to Hindi songs and watch more Hindi movies than English ones? My all time favorite movie is Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham and love listening to Yeh Ladka Hai Allah. Just because my career dreams are all over the place I am still living it up like a college student, eating anything and everything and not being able to pick a favorite. I love food and all things related. My passion for cooking food stems from my parents who are the stars of our kitchen at home. When we cook we love to dance and sing and make sure we laugh a lot and make some very tasty food items. My mom makes about 99% of her dishes from scratch so when the time comes to make something from a box my brother and I know to put in a little effort and make a better tasting dish from scratch. 

With school, volunteering, and work, my gym is my place to decompress from the long day. I started Cross Fit about two years ago and have loved every day of it. In addition whenever some time free time comes I love to cook, dance with my little cousins, and watch movies. 

Thanks for reading! I know that was a lot, but in a nutshell I am a busybody and enjoy working in whatever form it may be. I love life and enjoy every moment of it!

Favorite Storybook

Reading Through Other People's Work Feels Like Story Time

My first storybook I came across that interested me was Nursery Rhymes: Connecting the Dots. When I was looking through the stories I was truly intrigued. With a heritage that is deeply rooted in India, nursery rhymes were not a staple of my childhood. I had Indian lullabies sung to me so this storybook's concept was really interesting to me. I loved the fact that on the first page the writer provided a short introduction to each short story so you can easily choose a story to start on. At the end of each story the author also includes the nursery rhyme that the story was based on and that was great. The introductions did a great job of explaining the topics and peaking the reader's interest. I did read through two of the stories and honestly I enjoyed reading through them. The easy layout does help in maintaining the reader's attention. The overall physical layout of the pages was clean and very easy to navigate. 

The second storybook I came across was Aladdin Adventures. I have loved anything and everything related to Aladdin for as long as I can remember. So when I came across this title it peaked my interest as to what kinds of stories I would find. And I was happy to find some really good writing and was not disappointed. It was a different layout than the other storybook. There were the titles of the storybooks at the top, but not short introductions on the first page, which would have been easier to see which story I would like to start off reading. The introduction was good, but I think my style is very different compared to this writer, but the introduction flows well with the rest of the storybook. The layout of the introduction was easy to follow. As for using the design, I don't think I will use this particular design. 

The third storybook I came across is Seeking Love. I loved this intro! It was short and fun. I would like to use something like this, that immediately captures the audience's attention and keeps the reader wanting to read on. It is a different take than the type of literature I normally read so I think that is another reason to why this introduction made me want to continue on with the story. I know as a reader I prefer certain genres so this type of writing is different and maybe I might try it. I love to experiment so maybe I might with my blog. The design of the introduction was very easy to follow and great overall. 

Oklahoma City, Ayodhya, and Mumbai...My Favorite Places

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Growing up in Norman with Oklahoma City just 30 minutes away never made me want to move to a bigger city like Dallas. My one stop shop for everything and anything from shopping to food to entertainment, OKC has it all!

(Downtown OKC, News OK Photo by Cooper Ross)

Ayodhya, Utter Pradesh. The birthplace of Ram, an Indian God, is city of peace and serenity with   cold temperatures year round and an army of monkeys. Ayodhya is an important religious site in the Hindu religion and one of the most beautiful cities at night. 

(Banks of the River Saryu, India Times)

Mumbai, Maharashtra. One of the most populated cities of India, it is the tourist destination. Some of its best features are the Gandhi Museum, Supreme Court of India, and Bandra-Worli Sea Link. 

(Versova/Juhu Beach in South Mumbai)