When I first arrived at the University of Delaware, I was bright-eyed and hopeful for my four years ahead. It was the moment I had always been waiting for, what had made all the late nights studying and staying in on the weekends worth it. I was prepared to work hard towards my dream of becoming a doctor, something that, while difficult, I had to achieve. I wanted to prove those who told me I would never make it, wrong. Continue reading
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
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
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
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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