Cassidy's Creative Journaling (Portable Life Muse

University life has not been an easy lifestyle change. Being away from friends and family is hard, especially the cultural change from Hawaii to Oregon. For me, it’s always been hard to adjust to a new place with new people. But eventually, I found myself with a core group of people and a sort of understanding of “this is my life now” and I got to get used to to it as well as make the best of what I have and try to have a fun time. Overall, I find myself enjoying it here but there is still that part of finding a core group of people that I don’t think I found yet. I don’t really have any close friends that I could consider reliable, or people that I can open up to. This may have to do with the fact that I’m still really wary and still trying to get a hang of how people are here, which is much different from home. I keep telling myself that I have to be more friendly and a lot more open but every time I try, it’s just so hard because my fear of embarrassment or shame or overstepping my boundaries always get’s in the way. So that is still something that I am trying to change. Right now, I’m trying to do so but I’m still a little reserved.

What I do like about myself, though, is that through it all I’m always friendly. If someone comes to me first or strikes a conversation, I’ve always been friendly. I have a firm belief that everyone deserves kindness and that a first impression is important. So if I want a person’s first impression of me to be positive, I have to act positively. Once I’m comfortable with someone, it’s so much easier for me to be open with them. So I want to take these steps, even if they are small, to become a more approachable and conversational person.

In a few years, I hope I can become more extroverted. I want to overcome my fear of embarrassing myself and just put myself out there. There are so many people at this school to meet and friends to make that just because I might not get on with the first person I talk to doesn’t mean I’m doomed to fail every single time. I’ll try to connect with people from my classes and and strike up conversations to make friends with people around me. If I got to parties, I’ll talk to more people rather than just sticking to my original group. I’ll be the one to approach rather than wait for someone to come to me. I will overcome my fears and grow into the person I want to be.

Through making my portable life museum, I found that I learned a lot about myself through collecting the items necessary as well as arranging them in a certain order or way. First of all, like I’d known before, family and friends are very important to me. I often fight with my family or get annoyed with my friends on occasion, but the bottom line is that I love them all a whole lot. They are the most important people in my life which is why I decided to put them in the second to lowest level. Other than my physiological needs, they are what’s most important in my life and the hardest for me to lose. I chose pictures of my friends as well as letters from from some of them so that in certain circumstances, I can have those items to remember them by.

I also realized as I was putting this together that there are some things that are important to me that I didn’t really realize that put some perspective on my life. I realized that I wish I had my old journal from back home because if there’s something that I want to remember, it’s the things that I wrote and drew in that journal. I used to think that was a silly journal where young, stupid me would put silly thoughts but I realized that no matter how stupid, that journal still represents who I am or was, and still remains a part of me.

Working on this project has definitely made me more appreciate of my life. The fact that I have loving and supporting people surrounding me shows the kind of love that I have for which to be thankful. The items I collected to represent my physiological needs showed me that I’m lucky to have the basic things I need to be healthy that others may not have the privilege of having. All the other things I had such as my minerals and make up and journal made me feel lucky that I have these luxuries.

Overall, my portable life museum made me appreciate my life a lot more and everyone and everything in it. There’s a lot that I don’t appreciate having that this project made me rethink. I’m really glad that I was able to realize this and be thankful for every opportunity that comes my way and every person I welcome into my life.

This term I visited my GTF from my Philosophy & Pop Culture class. For the class, we are assigned three essays throughout the term and I was finding trouble figuring out the essay prompt for the second essay we had to write. I met with my GTF because I was hoping she would be able to break down and clarify the questions and aim of the essay prompt so I decided to meet her during her office hours.

I actually found it really helpful going in to see her because she really did help me with what I was hoping to figure out. She was able to break down the essay prompt and also give examples to further help me understand what it was that we were expected to write. I also was able to think of some of the ways in which I wanted to tackle the topic and she was really helpful in giving me insight and options. She would say if I wanted to write about this particular thing, I could expand on this other area we discussed in class, or if I choose to argue something this way, I have to make sure I’m touching on this important aspect as well.

When writing my essay, I kept a lot of what she said in my mind and it actually made it easier for me to figure out what to write because since she would be the one grading my paper, I could figure out what exactly she was looking for me to explain. When writing my papers, about half the time is used trying to think of my thesis because I can’t start my papers without having a clear idea of what I want to write so because I went in to talk to her, I finished my paper way earlier than I usually do. I was later more pleased to find out that I got a pretty high (higher than my previous) grade on the paper and was satisfied with my work.

Visiting my GTF was really helpful to me and I’m glad I went. I’m usually very introverted and quiet, and it’s just in my nature not not speak up in fear of being rude or sounding silly. I’m often hesitant to ask for help because I don’t want my teachers or peers to think I’m less intelligent because I don’t understand it the first time. It may be a bit of an irrational fear but it’s something I think about often, making me less likely to seek help. However my fear of failure trumped this fear which resulted in me going to ask for help and I think it really helped. My GTF was so understanding and helpful that I’ll probably be more comfortable going in a second time when I need help. It also makes it easier for me to seek help from my other teachers as well and I’m really glad I got to go through this experience.

So far, keeping journals for the class has been a little tedious but for the most part, I do think it is important. Creative journaling is a way to document the things that are happening in our live such as our struggles, enjoyments, goals, and wishes. Creating the weekly routine of creative journaling requires us to think about what’s happening in our lives. I think this is important especially in this day and age where everything is so fast paced. One minute we’re doing something the next minute we’ve moved on to something new. There are hardly any times where we stop and take a break to appreciate everything that is going on in our lives and I feel that the creative journaling allows us to do that. As it becomes a habit, we might learn to appreciate the life we’re living, naturally.

Journaling can also serve as a creative outlet. Sometimes I’m frustrated or stressed out and as my personal creative outlet, I like to make video edits. It’s an activity I enjoy and doing it allows me just a small escape from the stress of reality and I always find myself a little happier after I’m done. Journaling can work in this way for people too. Sometimes writing down your problems or feelings in general can be cathartic. In a way, creative journaling is like a diary. Personally I like how the journal forces me to write. Writing has always been something I find myself comfortable with and typically enjoy in the academic setting. When faced with the decision on whether I’d rather take a test or write an essay, I’d usually choose to write the essay. In taking a test, there’s always a factor of not knowing what to expect. You can prepare and study but there’s always a chance you might not know exactly what’s going to be on the test. When writing an essay, given guidelines, you have a pretty good idea of what to do. It may be a little more time consuming but I like it because I like knowing what to expect. I can plan out what I want to write and I can always do further reading or research to strengthen my essay.

Of course, writing an essay is not always fun if you have to write about something you’re not necessarily very interested in but that’s what I like about creative journaling. While following the general prompt, you can basically write about anything you want. It’s also pretty informal so you can allow yourself to write with a stream of consciousness. Creative journaling is a form of expression and a creative outlet. It is free form art as well as a way of appreciating the life we live.

Being completely honest, scrolling through my audit was pretty intimidating. It may be surprising to know how much red colored font and a capitalized “NO” can scare me, but it really does. I know I shouldn’t worry too much since I am a first year student and it was updated only a month ago, but it’s still terrifying knowing that I have a lot to do to graduate and I don’t even know what classes I want to take. As an Undeclared major, I’m constantly worrying about what I like to study and what I want to do in my future because I like to have a plan. It’s even more stressful because I, like many other students, am pressured to finish school and earn my degree in 4 years at most. I’m not completely freaking out however, because I know that there are many academic advisors on campus that can help us get on track and figure out how to choose what classes we want to take.

In terms of general education classes, I’m not too worried about what to take as this can be a way of taking some classes that you are really interested in even though they may not correlate with your major to closely. Although I’m Undeclared, I told my advisor I had interest in being an English major. She put down some classes that would be a part of the English major requirements but also, if I decided I didn’t want to go in that direction, it would end up fulfilling the general education requirement.

I’m interested in being an English major because my English classes had always been my favorite classes throughout elementary, middle, and high school. Both writing and reading were things that I found myself enjoying more than solving equations or understanding functions at a molecular level. I always preferred writing essays to taking tests and even though I had skill in other subjects, English was just my favorite. However, going to college I wasn’t  sure what I could do with an English degree that I could enjoy in a job which was why I cam in undecided. But now that I’m kind of exploring my options, looking through the English major website again, I just feel like maybe this could be a good fit for me.

In terms of finding a minor, I think I’d be interested in pursuing a minor in business. I’ve always thought about majoring in business but I just don’t really find myself being too invested in a business world. I do think that it would be good to have a little background in business so I thought a minor might do me well. Another minor I might be interested in as well is media studies. I’ve always been really interested in film and media and I just think that it would be really interesting to explore media studies a little deeper.

I hope that I can find out more about other aspects of student academic life such as study abroad opportunities when the advisor comes to visit!

Life at university is an incredible experience. I met new people and made new friends, I found great classes with interesting topics, and I got to experience a newfound freedom. However, there are a lot of things that I miss about home. I miss being with my family and having them there physically to support me. I miss having family dinners and talking about my day and hearing about things that happened with my parents or my brothers. I miss my friends, from home, because they are the closest friends I have and seeing them at school or at soccer practice every week was the highlight of my day. And of course I just miss my home. Oregon is a completely different place from Hawaii; there’s the cold and rainy weather compared to the hot sunny days from home. There are the changing colors of trees surrounding me rather than the warm, sandy beaches of home.

Whenever I find myself missing home, I think of the things I can’t do now that I am here. I can’t watch football on Sundays with my dad or go to the beach every weekend with my friends. I can’t got to UH Men’s Volleyball games and cheer on the team as they face off opponents in the WAC. I can’t tease my brother or laugh at my mom’s silly antics everyday. But at the same time, all the memories I have of my family and friends makes me happy. I’m grateful for having these experiences because they have shaped me into the person I am today and the person I want to be. I use both my happy memories and sad ones to push me forward and succeed because I know that I want to make those close to me proud and make sure I don’t make the same mistakes I’ve made in the past.

In order to remember these memories, I carry with me my journal with entries of some of the fun things I’ve done last summer. I brought along with me photos of my family and friends to remember how happy they make me. I keep any letters they send to me to remember that they are supporting me from home or wherever they are. In order to keep myself going and succeeding, I carry with me my phone, iPad, and computer to continue to keep up with my work and other things/events. I carry with me the will to learn and the determination to keep on working even when things get rough. I carry with me my open heart so that I may still be the empathetic, caring person I am, so that I don’t lose who I am.

Reading “The Things They Carried” made me realize that even the most boring material things can define who we are. It made me realize that what we carry, in a sense, defines who we are, and that we don’t want to lose that.

I think that working in the library and engaging in that activity was a really helpful way to get to know what resources are available to me. I think the library is really helpful because it’s more than just a place to read and borrow books, print papers, or to study. You can find so much more by using the resources available such as find out how to find scholarly articles online, where I can go to find what I need when the library isn’t available or doesn’t have what I need, or I can even see what game consoles and games are available for use.

What surprised me with the first assignment was how much I could find by just using the library website alone. We were able to pretty much figure out all the answers by searching through the website. One of the neat things I thought was really cool and helpful was the “Talk to a librarian” chat option. It was awesome to be able to talk to a librarian just through the website so maybe if I was at my dorm or somewhere else I could still get the answers I was looking for. Another thing that comes in handy is honestly how big the library is. When I first saw the map and found that it was 4 floors, I was a little intimidated and wonders how it was necessary for a library to be so large. But then as I saw how much was available for student use and to find information, I was glad it was there.

Regarding the website again, I was surprised to find out where it could lead. I mean I could go to different places such as the research guides. The research guides are librarian recommended and have categories such as group, subject, type, and owner all in order to find things easier and quicker if you know what ballpark you’re looking in. They have the hours posted, location and maps to find the many different libraries on campus, and how to get in contact with the library department and staff.

My group didn’t get to finish the little scavenger hunt activity so I don’t think I was able to find everything I needed and so I think that there are definitely things I don’t know yet or need to find out about but it’s comforting to know that there are so many ways for me to get the information. Exploring the library, I believe that it has so much to offer to the students and also to the faculty and staff. Another cool part of the library (in my opinion) is the fact that it has a cafe on the bottom floor so if I ever get a little hungry or am craving a coffee while in the library, I don’t have to venture far!

Over these past few weeks at university, I have found that there are certain item that have become extremely important in my college life. However, one of the items that I recognize as really important and am so glad I have with me is my iPad. I use it so often, almost as much as my phone, and probably more often than my laptop. I love using my iPad for classes and homework because it’s so much easier to bring with me because it’s easily more portable than my laptop. I use Notablility to take notes, that way I have the option to type notes or write them, and I can draw pictures if needed. I also found out there’s an app for Canvas, which allows me to find out assignments from the app and download PDFs from the Canvas app to other apps like Notability. With this tool, I can download the readings for my classes in Notability and write little notes in the margins or highlight important parts or passages.

Although I love iPads, they are definitely pretty pricey and I advise you incoming college students not to go out of your way to buy one if you already have a laptop. While they are extremely useful, a laptop works equally as well. But if you do happen to have an iPad that you may use at home, I definitely recommend bringing it to college with you. An iPad can even connect to a physical keyboard via Bluetooth for those who are not comfortable typing with the touch screen keyboard.

While I find my iPad, among other things, an essential part of my college life, there are also a few item that I have found myself not needing. Some of the people in my hall have their own printers in their rooms and while it may be convenient, it is also very expensive. There are so many places on campus that allow you to print for a very minimal fee (around $0.08 per page) or even without charge. Some of my teachers don’t even require me to turn in any physical copies of papers, but rather electronically. Therefore, I don’t deem it necessary to have one in your room so I don’t recommend paying hundreds of dollars just for one.

University life is amazing because it’s such a change from life at home. You get a sense of independence and freedom because you are in charge of your life and you decide what you want to do. It’s important to be curious because you can learn so much more than by being timid. You only go to college for a limited time so I suggest you make the most of it!

Life at University is incredibly different to my life back at home. The biggest thing that I had to overcome/ get used to, as I’m sure many other first year students also had to get used to, was living away from my family and all my close friends from home. However, after a few days, I started to get used to living in a dorm room with a roommate, sharing bathrooms and showers with around 20 other girls, and just experiencing campus life.

Right now, one of the best things about my situation right now is the relationship I have with my roommate, Milana. She’s so friendly and introduced me to her other friends and I find myself spending a lot of time with her both in and outside of our room. The chemistry between us is really good because we tend to agree on a lot of things because for the most part we have the same views. I also like the fact that I live on campus and can be close to my classes, to the rec center, and the dining halls. I feel like being on campus just really helps me incorporate myself into the life here. I also find all of my classes to be incredibly interesting and it’s so nice to have a change and be able to have a much wider variety of choices instead of small choices within the subject classes I was required to take in high school.

However, while I do love the campus and my life at university, there are some aspects of my time here that I wish were different. One of the small things I don’t particularly enjoy include the actual dorm showers. Since it’s starting to get colder now, I like to shower with warm water but the thing is that with these showers, in order to get reasonably warm water you have to turn the handle all the way. It wouldn’t be so bad if the handle didn’t control the water pressure as well. The result of this problem was that if I wanted a warm shower, I’d have to deal with getting pelted at all over my body. Otherwise I could have a nice spray but be totally freezing the entire time. Another thing I hope to change is the fact that I don’t have any other means of transportation other that my two feet. I didn’t invest in a bike because I’m not a very strong bike rider, I was against a skateboard because with that I’m 100 times worse, and I felt that a scooter was really weird. And coming from Hawaii, I couldn’t exactly bring my car here from home (not to mention that the parking permit is expensive!). So hopefully in the future I’ll improve my biking skills and invest in a bike so that I’m not hustling to class everyday, or having to leave an extra 15 minutes early.

I hope that in a few months I can develop into a more informed, more open, better student/person through the classes I take, experiences I go through, and the people I meet. I tend to be really friendly but also really shy, and will often not speak up if there is a possibility I may be embarrassed or thought of as rude. Throughout my weeks here, however, I’m already finding myself to be more open and also using my voice when necessary. I hope that this behavior will continue until I no longer feel hesitant to talk to others or speak up when I have something to say.

I love life at university right now and can’t wait for what comes next!

As an incoming freshman her at the University of Oregon, there is so much I have yet to find out and discover about student life and campus responsibilities and overall, what it means to be a part of the Duck family. Being a part of a FIG is a perfect way for me to get to know people and possibly make new friends, but it’s also great to have a FIG assistant that is there to offer advice and help me throughout the term. Going into my one-on-one conversation with FIG assistant (Rebecca), I’ve had a few questions in mind that I would like to ask:

I’ve been thinking about getting a job this year to earn money on the side while I study. Would you recommend that for a first year student?

I’m really interested in getting a job because I want to be able to make money to spend or save at my discretion. However, I’m a little worried that maybe because this is my first year here, would it be bad to get a job now because my main focus should be to focus on my studies and work on incorporating myself into the college lifestyle?

If I plan to graduate in 4 years, when would it be absolutely necessary to commit to a major?

Coming into college, I listed my major a Undeclared because while I know which subjects I was good at and enjoyed in high school, I never really knew what I wanted to pursue as a career. Because of this, I’ve always been worried about when I have to choose my major because I really want to graduate in 4 years and I want to know how much time I have to try new classes before I make a decision.

Is there a way that I can find out more information on clubs to join?

At the flock party where many clubs were out and had stations, I tried to look at all of them but the ones that I was able to spend time at weren’t really ones that I found interest in joining. I was wondering if there was another way to find out all the clubs they have here at UO and see if there are some that I’d like to join.

What’s the best way to stay on top of all my assignments?

Coming from a pretty intense college preparatory high school, I know how stressful it can be to keep on top of all my homework. In order to stay organized I’ve tried using planners but I always find myself not using them towards the end of the year because I just tend to look at my syllabus everyday to see what’s due. However, I realize that sometimes I tend to miss some important things and then I end up scrambling at the last moment to finish whatever assignment was due. I also tend to get distracted often and procrastinate (oops!) and want to be able to work diligently and without interruption. Is there any advice I can be given on how to be a diligent student and avoid procrastination?

So far, these are all the questions I can think of asking but hopefully when I have my one-on -one conversation, if I have anything else to ask, I will be able to ask them without hesitation!