Category: Random Musings (page 18 of 30)

Lessons, thoughts, helpful tips and more

“Think Like a Tomato: A Guide to the Pomodoro Method” by Nicole Pinera

We thrive on the ping of new notifications, two paragraph long summaries of three-hundred page novels, and fifteen second video clips… and it is killing our productivity. When it’s time to sit down and study or write that final essay that’s been hanging over your head all semester, it can be hard not to start mindlessly scrolling through your phone. I’ve found a technique that helps me focus and get work done. Especially as UD Honors students, who typically have too many commitments and just not enough hours in the day for every one of them, being productive and focusing on the task at hand is a lifesaver.

For anyone who knows a little bit of Italian (disclaimer: I don’t, I used Google Translate), you’ll know that “pomodoro” translates to “tomato.” If you don’t get how a tomato can help you do your homework, don’t worry; there’s a fun backstory to this simple but effective productivity method. A college student named Francesco Cirillo used a tomato-shaped kitchen timer to break his work up into 25 minute blocks, followed by a short break. The concept, originally devised in the 1980s, stuck, and this widely popularized technique is known as the Pomodoro Method today. Continue reading

“Artes Vita: The Intelligence Quotient” By Abhigna Rao

You know that feeling when you’re in a serious Zen writing mode and you’re not looking at the screen because the letters on the typewriter are all that matter right now but then you decide to take a quick peek to make sure that the cursor is still in the right place and you realize that somewhere along the way you accidentally HIT THE CAPS LOCK BUTTON INSTEAD OF THE SHIFT KEY AND NOW YOU’RE SCREAMING EVERYTHING THAT YOU’RE WRITING WHILE CONTEMPLATING IF IT’S REALLY WORTH IT TO GO BACK AND FIX EVERYTHING?

Yeah. Today was an aggressive Monday. Anyway.

So, I’ve calmed down slightly from my initial adrenaline rush, which was quite evident in my last post (and roughly 36 seconds ago), and I’m back with quite the riveting topic of discussion: intelligence. What exactly is intelligence? How is it defined? Are some people really “smarter” than others? Where does the distinction lie between feeling smart and being smart? Continue reading

“Check in With Yourself” by Avery Beer

This is the time of the school year when it all seemingly hits: midterms, life, and even the extra five pounds that you have gained from your mid-semester poor eating habits sneak up on you. But, really. Life gets a bit crazy when the leaves start to change. The bliss of summer is over, your tan starts to fade, and you realize that you are deep into the semester. It is important at this time to check in with yourself. Take time to reflect on your current state. How are you doing? Sometimes, in the whirlwind of being college students, we often forget that we deserve to care about our own well-being as well. Not only is it okay to do this, but it is encouraged! You may not hear this from your professors, your advisor, or even your friends and family, but that is why I am here to be your reminder!

Your mind and body are kingdoms of their own and deserve to be treated as such. They deserve to be nurtured and attended to. In the midst of essays and exams, relationships and social life, we lose track of ourselves. Just the other day, I was so caught up in everything that I honestly lost my cool for a minute; and it took that moment for me to realize that it is okay to take a step back and take care of yourself. Whether you recognize it or not, our brains move a million miles an hour, and sometimes we need to physically force ourselves to slow down. Continue reading

My Greatest Lesson: Navigating Ambiguity by Carlos Benito

College presents us with the greatest density of resources that we will ever know. Experts in any field reside here and the university is brimming with advisors and support staff whose sole purpose is to help us succeed. There lies the greatest enigma that no one can help answer, what is success? How do we define it now and how will our definition change in a time where every dawn brings a new disaster? No one can answer that for you, but I believe everyone faces at least one common obstacle on their quest for success – ambiguity.

Ambiguity is that fog of uncertainty that clouds the path to success. If any of us hope to find success, we must learn to chart our way through this fog. As noble as it may seem to storm in, suffer then finally succeed, there is an easier way. Ambiguity, despite its inherent nature, is always composed of the same few components. If you can anticipate these components and come ready with your response you will find success with less strife.

Component 1: Chaos

The universe is defined by entropy, and our lives within it are no different. We know our lives are most commonly filled with a specific flavor of chaos: disorganization. If we know we will encounter disorganization we must preemptively prepare a response. For us at UD, that response comes in the form or advisement. Everyone at UD has unique and useful knowledge, from a student’s review of a professor to an advisor’s wisdom in course selection, no one’s experiences can be disregarded as “worthless”.  Talk to students who have taken the course you wish to take and ask them what they thought of the professor. If you understand how the professor runs his/her class you can format your actions accordingly.

Component 2: Human Error

We all know people are not perfect but few actually take that into consideration before taking action. When a class is composed of a professors, TAs, preceptors, lab coordinators, and other staff, you can anticipate having at least some errors or inconsistencies due to miscommunication. If you know that will happen, prepare for it. I combat this by meeting with each staff member separately to understand what they value academically and emotionally as well as how they communicate with the other members of the staff. If I know how one person grades or one person is consistently out of step I can anticipate problems and clean up issues before they arise. This does not make any specific person’s knowledge, time, or opinion any less valuable. All it means is that it will take extra effort on your part to understand their thoughts and more often than not you will benefit from that extra effort.

Component 3: Failure

This is by far the hardest component of ambiguity to come to terms with. The failure we face can be caused by many factors, but I choose to look at failure on my terms. It can be easy to say failure came from human error or disorganization on the part of others but in the end it doesn’t affect them nearly as much as it affects you. With that in mind, you have to look at every failure as a consequence of your actions. It doesn’t matter whether it was or not, but you only have control over your emotions and your actions so anger towards anyone else is not useful. Sometimes failure is truly a consequence of your actions. When that times comes – and it will – you have to be ready. That preparation comes in the form of building a reputation of dedication, hard work, and responsibility. If everyone understand the values you stand for, even in your darkest moments they will still stand behind you. Then it relies on you to modify your plan to better prepare for a similar scenario in the future.

It is my belief that every person’s success is determined by their actions. With that in mind, you must make it your duty to make use of your support and sail forth towards ambiguity and towards your idea of of success. Safe sailing my friends.

“Reunion Run” by Erin Jackson

I recently ran the Café Gelato 10 miler alongside an amazing assortment of individuals whom I couldn’t have imagined together in any other circumstance. To be honest, I was not in my best shape and I didn’t know anyone else running the race, but I figured if nothing else, it would be a wake up call to myself to start working out more. Anyway, I am not going to write about myself because that would be boring; I want to write about my state and my school and how lucky I am that they are in the same place.

I didn’t know anyone else running when I registered that morning. However, once I began making my way over to the start, the reunion began to unfold. People from all parts of my past were crossing my path. Some I said hi to, others I maybe only smiled as they walked by, not noticing me. Still others I didn’t acknowledge at all for I didn’t know how to. Friends from high school cross country, freshmen to seniors, showed up in various stages of in-shape-ness since the glory days of having scheduled time to run together every day. More familiar faces included parents of friends, old teachers dating back to middle school and beyond, and that person I did that one project with one time but don’t know if they’d recognize me so out of context. Continue reading

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