3A Motivation + Mindset

In todays world, many people get motivated to do things because of the reward in the end or just because they love what they're doing so much. 

Shakespeare once said,     

"There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so" 

What does this mean? How does this relate to motivation and the different kinds of motivation? After analyzing this into my own words I've come up with a conclusion that will hopefully help you understand this better as well. Shakespeare's quote explains how motivation has no good or bad outcome, but with the exception of when you are thinking. For example, when you are thinking about if you should do your homework or not you can have motivation to complete all your homework so that you have the weekend off, or you can have no motivation to do the homework at all and leave it for last minute. The good outcome of this can be for you to complete the homework and your motivation knows if you do it then you have the whole weekend free. The bad outcome can be if you have no motivation and do not do it then you to deal with it last minute and not complete your homework as well as you would have if you did it before the weekend.  

Lets look at the quote in another way, shall we. Between intrinsic motivation vs. extrinsic motivation and growth midst vs. fixed mindset, I believe that intrinsic motivation and growth mindset are similar and extrinsic motivation and fixed mindset relate as well. Intrinsic motivation is when the motivation you have is based of off the pleasure you are getting from the activity not caring about the reward; when extrinsic motivation is the motivation you have is only because of the reward you are receiving in the end. These relate to the quote because with intrinsic motivation you get the good side of the motivation because you are enjoying what you are doing and with that motivation nothing else matters. With extrinsic motivation the bad you are getting out of it is that you are just worried about the reward in the end and not valuing the experience of the activity you are doing. 

Like intrinsic motivation, a growth mindset has some similar key components. With a growth mindset the abilities you already have can grow to improve, but only if you work at it and want to make them grow. The intrinsic motivation with growth mindset is that you want to be a better student lets say and you work hard long hours on doing extra work and attempting to better yourself in one subject. 

With a fixed mindset you also do your work, but maybe you may think you are one of the "smarter" kids and only worry about the grade you receive and what classes you are placed in. You are the "smarter" kid, so your parents probably do not reward your effort, but only the letter grade you are receiving because that is all that matters. With extrinsic motivation it can affect a fixed mindset as well relates to the quote, that with these two things your motivation and mindset are set on rewards and the letter grade and not value the process. But with intrinsic motivation and a growth mindset, you are valuing the effort you put forth and the experience you maybe enjoyed in knowing that you have improved for the better and not worry about the letter grade. As long as you improved, that is what is rewarding to you.  

3V What drives you to keep up?

In life you have to be motivated to do things or overcome things. But what does that mean? Motivation means reasons for why you are acting a particular or what is driving you to do something. For example, in college you have to be motivated to learn or even just to show up to class and listen because you want to learn and be successful, right? So what is motivating you to go to class and learn is you wanting to be successful in college and in life. 

Still don't get it? Ok, then lets look at it like this. If you tell a younger sibling if he or she does her homework with all the right answers, then he or she will be rewarded with a trip to the zoo. He or she wants the trip to the zoo, which is what is motivating them to get their work done. Motivation is something that many people use in life to get things done, get over fears, reach their goals, and many other ideas. 

In my social issues class today we went over a few terms that were new to me. They were an unwanted assumption and subjectivism. I'm sure you're thinking what these words mean too! 

An unwanted assumption means taking a assumption for granted without good reason. An example of this is stereotyping. For example, if you know someone named Jose Rodriguez, you automatically think he speaks Spanish or is Spanish just because of his name. 

Subjectivism means that one's truth matters of our own individual opinion. For example, if I say that the earth is flat, I think that I'm the only right because I am never wrong. Everything that comes out of my mouth is always the right answer. These words have to deal with the chapter we are learning which is about critical thinking. 

            Hope you learned some new words today as well! 

2B My Goals

What are you goals?

Before college started I knew that the workload would double or triple compared to what we had in high school. I knew I had to manage my time so that I could balance having fun, but also making sure that I did my work with my best work ethic. A couple goals I set for myself are to spend at least two hours in the library doing homework every other day. Also, to stay on top of my work and when things are due I'd start using my planner at all times. This has helped me stay on top of things and finish my work, days before it is actually due. For the people that do know me, in high school I never really used my planner, but I did stay on top of my work even without one. High school was more layback so the use of a planner would've been helpful, but was not necessary to stay on track for an average student. In high school I would leave everything for last minute because I would prioritize going out and having fun rather than get my school work done first. Now in college it's a completely different game. This is why I have set these goals, which have been helping tremendously. Now that the amount of work we are getting now is a lot more, it is also more independent learning and self assessed. If we want to be successful it's our job to take control of that and make it happen. We have to guide ourselves through that path in order to reach our goals. Going to the library and spending time there doing homework has also helped myself concentrate and actually understand the work in front of me. The library is such a great place to get work done because it's quiet. When it comes to work that involves reading articles or books (which is basically in every class) I have to have silence. I need to be in a place where there is no noise and nothing to distract me at all. This is why going to the library has been a helpful resource that I'm taking fully advantage of. With these goals, I believe that my college education will be a successful one. 

2V Being the Initiative

                                                              What does initiative mean to you?

The word initiative has many things to do with what we have been learning not only in inquiry, but also the rest of my classes. Initiative to me means for you to start something yourself before others do. You’re the one who leads either a group or start a conversation or discussion in class. I am taking initiative in my education because now that college is here, I have to learn how to manage my time and further my education in the right path if I want to succeed. Everyone has to take an initiative step in their life to make things happen for the better. Two new vocab words from another class that I have learned are xenophobia and xenocentrism. Xenophobia means to be afraid of something outside of your own group, and xenocentrism is believing everything in your group is bad and everything outside of your group is good. These words relate to my social issues class because we are learning about the different types of barriers when it comes too critical thinking. Both of these vocab words are types of groups that are examples of barriers. 

2I New Student Convocation

Today I attended the New Student Convocation. My ideas of this event was that the President of the University was going to give a long speech about how our University is great and welcoming our class of 2017 to the community. As the ceremony began my roommate and I did not think it was going to be so formal. All the deans, vice presidents, and student’s representatives were lined up walking into the Lyman Center in a single file towards the stage. The ceremony began, we were welcomed and the deans were recognized along with the vice presidents of other parts of the University. It was a very welcoming ceremony and the President did a great job on ensuring us that we will make the best out of the years we have at SCSU. There were 6 students from our class chosen to represent us and read the amends that we all agreed to take part of.  As the ceremony came to a conclusion I left with the motivation to involve myself in organizations and clubs and to take advantage of the resources all around campus to make my college education a successful and rewarding one. 

2A Thinking Process Develops

After all the readings we have had to do this week all of them have had different point of views on how to be successful in college or what may be affecting you from advancing in your academic path. Some articles I agreed with and others just did not catch my attention. What I have learned from all of these though is that college is the place where the way you think and how you think changes completely. In the article, “How to become a better thinker in college?” states, “The students who make great mental leaps, and really become more sophisticated thinkers, are those who have more than enough time to think about, work on, grapple with, and revel in their coursework”. This quote relates to my social issues class because we are learning about critical thinking and how to become a critical thinker. Learning how to think critically is vital in college because as we progress in our education we learn how to think differently and more advanced.

Sitting in front of the class is definitely one of the tips I will be putting into use for the rest of my college education. By sitting in the front personally, I can pay attention, focus on my work and the material being taught, and have less of a chance to doze off or not be able to understand/hear what the professor is saying. By taking this tip I believe that I will do better in my classes and succeed as a student. One point I did not agree with was about how grammar is the most important thing to know. Yes, I believe grammar is important, but to base job applications off of grammar and determines if you get the job or not is ridiculous. There are more important keys to being successful than just having great grammar skills.