Sorry I did not paste the URL here..
but here it is...
http://www.elfeportfolio.blogspot.com
Mercy!I did finish it before 1:30PM!!!!!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The tale of Elfisian Art
Target audience: my peers, friends, and people with similar interests.
Tone: casual, friendly, and passionate.
“Elfisian Art” refers to a spontaneous free style art form created by the most random and nothing-about-to-do person, Elfina. Its mysterious spontaneous concepts are marked as the international influences she absorbed from different cultures and contexts. She strongly believes that art itself is like a bowl of mixed salad –a harmonious blend of different cultures and experiences, while the ideas still retain their original form. Instead of focusing on the practicality and technique of producing an art, she believes the soul of a piece is the ideas and personality it expresses. Yet, this is not the byproduct of expressionism. Elfisian Art intermediates between expressionism and conceptualism. This art not only stresses on free personal expression through art, but also encourages a wide coverage of international concepts. In other words, Elfisian Art is a free personal expression that incorporates a mixture concepts and techniques from different countries.
Yes! Isn’t it too abstract to comprehend? This is how my art likes to confuse people with the world they belong and the ones untouched.
Welcome to the mysterious tale of Elfisian Art. In this new era of art expression, you will enter a world that amazes you with plenty of bizarre and rebellious concepts, as well as unknown techniques: the collage of the East and the West; the rebellion against conventional expressionistic art; the fusion of international beliefs, you name it! Just open your mind and indulge yourself into this exotic gallery ☺
Tone: casual, friendly, and passionate.
“Elfisian Art” refers to a spontaneous free style art form created by the most random and nothing-about-to-do person, Elfina. Its mysterious spontaneous concepts are marked as the international influences she absorbed from different cultures and contexts. She strongly believes that art itself is like a bowl of mixed salad –a harmonious blend of different cultures and experiences, while the ideas still retain their original form. Instead of focusing on the practicality and technique of producing an art, she believes the soul of a piece is the ideas and personality it expresses. Yet, this is not the byproduct of expressionism. Elfisian Art intermediates between expressionism and conceptualism. This art not only stresses on free personal expression through art, but also encourages a wide coverage of international concepts. In other words, Elfisian Art is a free personal expression that incorporates a mixture concepts and techniques from different countries.
Yes! Isn’t it too abstract to comprehend? This is how my art likes to confuse people with the world they belong and the ones untouched.
Welcome to the mysterious tale of Elfisian Art. In this new era of art expression, you will enter a world that amazes you with plenty of bizarre and rebellious concepts, as well as unknown techniques: the collage of the East and the West; the rebellion against conventional expressionistic art; the fusion of international beliefs, you name it! Just open your mind and indulge yourself into this exotic gallery ☺
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Blueprints & brainfarts
1. As a rough draft, I am planning to set up a blog-like ePortfolio to talk about my artistic interests.
Ideally, I want to build a personal ePortfolio website. But my limited technical skills and time may not allow me to do so...
The focus will be more on my fine arts prospectives, the art skills I learned, and the favorite artists and collections. One section will be an introductory page about my journey to arts. I will write in a narrative style that is similar to the "JOURNEY" journal we've written. A timeline about my growth in Art will be presented on the next section. The next section will be a display of art skills I've learned throughout my life. This display will either be a number of video clips that demonstrate the procedures of making some particular art piece, or a video that acts as a gallery that displays all my past works.
The basic format of my ePortfolio will be graphic-based. Maybe even the introductory page will be an art of typography.
In terms of potential outside evaluators, I will invite professors who have an interest in art, or those i know who love art as much as I do. Beyond campus, I will first approach my friends who are specializing in the art and design field. If possible, I will try to look for the owners of art galleries, and see if any of the artists are willing to evaluate on my ePortfolio as an outsider.
As for self-evaluation, I will create a forum to collect feedbacks from my audience. In order to ensure a fair amount of response. I will send invitations to friends to view my ePortfolio and ask them to give me feedbacks. A second opinion provides an objective view to the overall picture. I believe these opinions foster the process of self-evaluation. In addition to collecting public opinions, I will write a brief report to myself to recall the effectiveness and shortcomings of my preparation. This aims at preparing myself for future productions in ePortfolios.
Okay, after talking about the idealistic stuff, it's time to get into something real-the realistic timeline.
Week9: I will begin my brainstorm(brain-fart) process by doing lots of research and drafting.
Week10: First draft
Week 11: Evaluation, fine tuning, and Second draft
Week 12: More fine tuning before Friday. Final draft due.
2.
Out of all the Youtubes I've watched, I particularly select 3 of my most favorite infomercial clips.
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3tDd1Czu90&feature=related
SJSU did a really great job in promoting their honors program in a very commercial way.
Sweet and Short. But it draws attention to students, but it's lack of information.
2.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRBnvL1mZDg
UAB sets up a very informative and formal presentation. What impresses me most is the intertwining between interviews and and an actual honors class. Although it is more lengthy, it gives a taste of profession and seriousness to the message. It also reminds me of those professional television programs too!
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1y9grd0sJw
Accidentally, I found another interesting infomercial clip by Seton Hall. The clip is short and brief with only 2 hosts speaking on behalf of the honors program. There isn't any students' testimonial nor live videos of the honor classes like UAB. But I think it is also effective because it appears as a professional advertisement. The benefits and function of getting into the honors program is straight forward and clear. The length of time is tolerable. I particularly like the special effects and the background at the back. It makes the video stands out and looks more professional than many other infomercial clips!
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iMWsLscrP0
JMU's infomercial clip is very casual and close to students' taste. However, I think its informality might make the honors program a less serious consideration. And it doesn't help elevate the greatness of an honors program.
5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g1P-TDt4oc
As for SUNY honors program, their campus tour approach is too lengthy. I think they provide too much information that may tune off many students. But there is more than enough details about the honors program for sure.
In my opinion, the Foothill Honors Infomercial can be in between (1), (2), and (3).
If time allows, it is even better if the honors institute can produce two versions of infomercial. A short version like SJSU's to draw instant attraction. And a longer one that provides information to the curious crowd. I would propose an intertwine between the interviews of students and faculty, and some parts of the classroom atmosphere. The interviews can also include testimonials from students who have graduated as an honors scholar.
Make sure there's good background at the back, flashy name tags at the bottom of the screen...
After all...make it look professional!
Ideally, I want to build a personal ePortfolio website. But my limited technical skills and time may not allow me to do so...
The focus will be more on my fine arts prospectives, the art skills I learned, and the favorite artists and collections. One section will be an introductory page about my journey to arts. I will write in a narrative style that is similar to the "JOURNEY" journal we've written. A timeline about my growth in Art will be presented on the next section. The next section will be a display of art skills I've learned throughout my life. This display will either be a number of video clips that demonstrate the procedures of making some particular art piece, or a video that acts as a gallery that displays all my past works.
The basic format of my ePortfolio will be graphic-based. Maybe even the introductory page will be an art of typography.
In terms of potential outside evaluators, I will invite professors who have an interest in art, or those i know who love art as much as I do. Beyond campus, I will first approach my friends who are specializing in the art and design field. If possible, I will try to look for the owners of art galleries, and see if any of the artists are willing to evaluate on my ePortfolio as an outsider.
As for self-evaluation, I will create a forum to collect feedbacks from my audience. In order to ensure a fair amount of response. I will send invitations to friends to view my ePortfolio and ask them to give me feedbacks. A second opinion provides an objective view to the overall picture. I believe these opinions foster the process of self-evaluation. In addition to collecting public opinions, I will write a brief report to myself to recall the effectiveness and shortcomings of my preparation. This aims at preparing myself for future productions in ePortfolios.
Okay, after talking about the idealistic stuff, it's time to get into something real-the realistic timeline.
Week9: I will begin my brainstorm(brain-fart) process by doing lots of research and drafting.
Week10: First draft
Week 11: Evaluation, fine tuning, and Second draft
Week 12: More fine tuning before Friday. Final draft due.
2.
Out of all the Youtubes I've watched, I particularly select 3 of my most favorite infomercial clips.
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3tDd1Czu90&feature=related
SJSU did a really great job in promoting their honors program in a very commercial way.
Sweet and Short. But it draws attention to students, but it's lack of information.
2.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRBnvL1mZDg
UAB sets up a very informative and formal presentation. What impresses me most is the intertwining between interviews and and an actual honors class. Although it is more lengthy, it gives a taste of profession and seriousness to the message. It also reminds me of those professional television programs too!
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1y9grd0sJw
Accidentally, I found another interesting infomercial clip by Seton Hall. The clip is short and brief with only 2 hosts speaking on behalf of the honors program. There isn't any students' testimonial nor live videos of the honor classes like UAB. But I think it is also effective because it appears as a professional advertisement. The benefits and function of getting into the honors program is straight forward and clear. The length of time is tolerable. I particularly like the special effects and the background at the back. It makes the video stands out and looks more professional than many other infomercial clips!
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iMWsLscrP0
JMU's infomercial clip is very casual and close to students' taste. However, I think its informality might make the honors program a less serious consideration. And it doesn't help elevate the greatness of an honors program.
5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g1P-TDt4oc
As for SUNY honors program, their campus tour approach is too lengthy. I think they provide too much information that may tune off many students. But there is more than enough details about the honors program for sure.
In my opinion, the Foothill Honors Infomercial can be in between (1), (2), and (3).
If time allows, it is even better if the honors institute can produce two versions of infomercial. A short version like SJSU's to draw instant attraction. And a longer one that provides information to the curious crowd. I would propose an intertwine between the interviews of students and faculty, and some parts of the classroom atmosphere. The interviews can also include testimonials from students who have graduated as an honors scholar.
Make sure there's good background at the back, flashy name tags at the bottom of the screen...
After all...make it look professional!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Choices
Ok, this time I am trying my best not to PROCRASTINATE 30 minutes before class starts...
It's a tough task!!!
I was compelled by Steve Jobs' incredible determination and confidence in making choices for his future. Although his choices seem to be arbitrary and effortless. The dots really smoothly connect to be a line that leads him to an astounding career.
His main strategies are simple:
1. trust your intuition and fate
2. Focus on what you love
3. The motivation from death
Honestly speaking...Easy to be said, hard to be done!
But I am moved by his educational philosophy, and I would definitely want to apply these ideas to my own theory of living.
Life is full of choices. Some might think the future is a pitch black foreign land that no one can step in to make a choice with confidence. I put life as another casino place like Les Vegas. A place where you might lose millions of dollars or become a millionaire in a fraction of a second. The future is like a gamble. It is a colorful wonderland with too many choices. The intended choices and unintended choices are all mixed up in a bowl. Therefore, it is right that one "can't connect the dots looking forward; but only connecting them looking backwards"(jobs). However, the arbitrary occurrence of many events in life can never tell us the relevance until we look back. Hence, all we can rely on is "our gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever"(Jobs). Yes, like my parents always say,"things happen for a reason". We have to believe that there is somehow a supernatural force in us that helps leading us to the right path in the middle of nowhere. As I grow up, I face more choices. (Recently will be the choices between two great Universities) Not until am I willing to put faith on my intuition that I will be able to move forward with a better option. It is always the little faith like the one we have as a kid that actually shapes us to be greater adults.
Focus on what you love...This is a very idealistic philosophy that many successful beings have brought up. In other words, it means to follow your dreams. With the cut-throat competition and high materialistic expectations on parents, it is hard for younger generations to simply focus on their dreams. But this is just the right thing to do! While life is uncertain, many parents and children would prefer a safer route to achieve materialistic success. Some will force themselves to pursue jobs that are "renowned" to be prestigious and highly-paid. But who defines success? And what is prestigious? To do what you love to do is always a win-win situation that will ultimately bring you to the top of the cream. It is the passion and talents you have that push you to overcome all obstacles and challenges in life. Steve Jobs is right. "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life". Your family have different opinions. Your friends have too many opinions. To live what they want you to be is just the worst thing you can do.
To me, this philosophy really moves me to have a better breakthrough. I was raised in an intellectual type of family, but was destined to be an artist. I was first upset about myself because it feels like I always fail in satisfying the expectations of my family. However, after I came to the States and also read Steve's speech tonight, I found that following my passion is a key to success. After working at the Design Center for almost half a year, I truly feel that this is actually right! Business?Law? Doctor? NO, I am a designer!
"If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right"(Jobs).
The most compelling question I found is :"If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?"(Jobs). This is a very powerful question to convince someone as confusing as I!( I always get stumbled by choices) It reminds me of a similar strategy I use in shopping: "If I buy this top, will it be useful to me?" (the answer is always "no") But that really helps saving a lot of money! By the same token, this question will clear out most of the irrational confusions, and helps me to make a better decision.
In terms of the usefulness in ePortfolios, I think the intuitive power can use as a driving motive to filter out all the worries about the technical elements of building an ePortfolio. Since ePortfolio is still a very new technology, many of us have no clue about the methods, the functions, and the benefits. Using a pure instinct will keep our focus on the theme and content, which are the juicy parts of an ePortfolio.
Moreover, building up an ePortfolio is not always easy. The limited knowledge we know about the ePortfolio world will definitely discourage us from completing a good one. Therefore, to pick a favorite topic instead of choosing something to meet the expectations of the audience or instructors will definitely flavors up the process. Besides, it is the different passion and opinions we have that helps create various unique and personal ePortfolios.
Last but not least, take your ePortfolio project seriously! When you have a risk of procrastinating, ask yourself :"If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" Maybe that sounds a bit too serious...maybe let's put it in this way:"If today were the last before the deadline, would I want to do what I am about to do today?"
Building an ePortfolio is a quality-based process. There is no other better way than to plan ahead. (what else does not?) So dear procrastinators (including me) need to keep our heads up by reminding ourselves that we'd better get things done earlier!
Oops, I guess I wrote too much..But it's only half of the task...
to be continued...*yawn*
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I LOVE HONORS INSTITUTE!!! :)
Strengths: The Honors Institute has built a really great reputation on campus and beyond. Therefore, it makes students feel brighter and smarter if they are taking honors classes. (To a certain extent, the honor classes are more difficult in general)
Besides, they ensure the high quality of teaching in the honors classes. While the level of difficulty is elevated, the quality of lecture is also guaranteed. I found there are more interaction and challenges in honors lectures.
The pool of students are hardcore and bright. Most of the students who apply to the Honors Institute are those who are seeking for serious education. Therefore, I enjoy discussing issues with my classmates, and fear not to be singled out because I talk too much!
I think the procedures for getting in is quite easy. This provides opportunities for a bigger group of students.
The faculties are really helpful and friendly. Especially for my case, I would like to thank Bernie Day, the Honors Director, and Dr. Scott Lankford, one of the great Honors instructors whom have been offering me so much assistance and valuable advice. They have a huge database and experiences to help me making the best decision for transfer. Besides, they become my great mentors. Despite the busy schedules they have everyday, they are more than willing to share my happiness and difficulties, regardless it's academic or personal. I gain a lot from that aspect.
Weaknesses:
There are only a few things I want to pick on..
First, the geographical location of the Honors office!
It is way to far on the side of the campus. I always have a hard time walking all the way to seek for help! Since the campus center is no longer at the library Quad, I think it will be great if the office can move to a place that is convenient to most students. For example, the new campus center area. (Just a thought)
Second, the lenient requirements for being an Honors student creates a huge population of students with admission guarantees. And this also lowers students' incentive in working harder in class since it is so easy to get in. It makes the honors classes become the same as any ordinary classes. If the Honors Institute restricts the qualifications, I think this will enrich the competition, and makes the name of an Honors student more prestigious overall. ( I am not sure if I had put this in a right way...)
Third, sometimes I feel a bit lost about who I should go to, or what I should do with the Honors Institute. And I am sure many students don't have the chance to know more about the Institute itself and its benefits. Many of my friends don't know the other guaranteed admissions and scholarships except UCLA. It will be great if the Honors Institute has some workshops to introduce the program to students. This will allow students to gain a better understanding the reason for applying to Honors, and what is it all about. And they won't miss the chance of gaining the utmost of it.
It's a tough task!!!
I was compelled by Steve Jobs' incredible determination and confidence in making choices for his future. Although his choices seem to be arbitrary and effortless. The dots really smoothly connect to be a line that leads him to an astounding career.
His main strategies are simple:
1. trust your intuition and fate
2. Focus on what you love
3. The motivation from death
Honestly speaking...Easy to be said, hard to be done!
But I am moved by his educational philosophy, and I would definitely want to apply these ideas to my own theory of living.
Life is full of choices. Some might think the future is a pitch black foreign land that no one can step in to make a choice with confidence. I put life as another casino place like Les Vegas. A place where you might lose millions of dollars or become a millionaire in a fraction of a second. The future is like a gamble. It is a colorful wonderland with too many choices. The intended choices and unintended choices are all mixed up in a bowl. Therefore, it is right that one "can't connect the dots looking forward; but only connecting them looking backwards"(jobs). However, the arbitrary occurrence of many events in life can never tell us the relevance until we look back. Hence, all we can rely on is "our gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever"(Jobs). Yes, like my parents always say,"things happen for a reason". We have to believe that there is somehow a supernatural force in us that helps leading us to the right path in the middle of nowhere. As I grow up, I face more choices. (Recently will be the choices between two great Universities) Not until am I willing to put faith on my intuition that I will be able to move forward with a better option. It is always the little faith like the one we have as a kid that actually shapes us to be greater adults.
Focus on what you love...This is a very idealistic philosophy that many successful beings have brought up. In other words, it means to follow your dreams. With the cut-throat competition and high materialistic expectations on parents, it is hard for younger generations to simply focus on their dreams. But this is just the right thing to do! While life is uncertain, many parents and children would prefer a safer route to achieve materialistic success. Some will force themselves to pursue jobs that are "renowned" to be prestigious and highly-paid. But who defines success? And what is prestigious? To do what you love to do is always a win-win situation that will ultimately bring you to the top of the cream. It is the passion and talents you have that push you to overcome all obstacles and challenges in life. Steve Jobs is right. "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life". Your family have different opinions. Your friends have too many opinions. To live what they want you to be is just the worst thing you can do.
To me, this philosophy really moves me to have a better breakthrough. I was raised in an intellectual type of family, but was destined to be an artist. I was first upset about myself because it feels like I always fail in satisfying the expectations of my family. However, after I came to the States and also read Steve's speech tonight, I found that following my passion is a key to success. After working at the Design Center for almost half a year, I truly feel that this is actually right! Business?Law? Doctor? NO, I am a designer!
"If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right"(Jobs).
The most compelling question I found is :"If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?"(Jobs). This is a very powerful question to convince someone as confusing as I!( I always get stumbled by choices) It reminds me of a similar strategy I use in shopping: "If I buy this top, will it be useful to me?" (the answer is always "no") But that really helps saving a lot of money! By the same token, this question will clear out most of the irrational confusions, and helps me to make a better decision.
In terms of the usefulness in ePortfolios, I think the intuitive power can use as a driving motive to filter out all the worries about the technical elements of building an ePortfolio. Since ePortfolio is still a very new technology, many of us have no clue about the methods, the functions, and the benefits. Using a pure instinct will keep our focus on the theme and content, which are the juicy parts of an ePortfolio.
Moreover, building up an ePortfolio is not always easy. The limited knowledge we know about the ePortfolio world will definitely discourage us from completing a good one. Therefore, to pick a favorite topic instead of choosing something to meet the expectations of the audience or instructors will definitely flavors up the process. Besides, it is the different passion and opinions we have that helps create various unique and personal ePortfolios.
Last but not least, take your ePortfolio project seriously! When you have a risk of procrastinating, ask yourself :"If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" Maybe that sounds a bit too serious...maybe let's put it in this way:"If today were the last before the deadline, would I want to do what I am about to do today?"
Building an ePortfolio is a quality-based process. There is no other better way than to plan ahead. (what else does not?) So dear procrastinators (including me) need to keep our heads up by reminding ourselves that we'd better get things done earlier!
Oops, I guess I wrote too much..But it's only half of the task...
to be continued...*yawn*
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I LOVE HONORS INSTITUTE!!! :)
Strengths: The Honors Institute has built a really great reputation on campus and beyond. Therefore, it makes students feel brighter and smarter if they are taking honors classes. (To a certain extent, the honor classes are more difficult in general)
Besides, they ensure the high quality of teaching in the honors classes. While the level of difficulty is elevated, the quality of lecture is also guaranteed. I found there are more interaction and challenges in honors lectures.
The pool of students are hardcore and bright. Most of the students who apply to the Honors Institute are those who are seeking for serious education. Therefore, I enjoy discussing issues with my classmates, and fear not to be singled out because I talk too much!
I think the procedures for getting in is quite easy. This provides opportunities for a bigger group of students.
The faculties are really helpful and friendly. Especially for my case, I would like to thank Bernie Day, the Honors Director, and Dr. Scott Lankford, one of the great Honors instructors whom have been offering me so much assistance and valuable advice. They have a huge database and experiences to help me making the best decision for transfer. Besides, they become my great mentors. Despite the busy schedules they have everyday, they are more than willing to share my happiness and difficulties, regardless it's academic or personal. I gain a lot from that aspect.
Weaknesses:
There are only a few things I want to pick on..
First, the geographical location of the Honors office!
It is way to far on the side of the campus. I always have a hard time walking all the way to seek for help! Since the campus center is no longer at the library Quad, I think it will be great if the office can move to a place that is convenient to most students. For example, the new campus center area. (Just a thought)
Second, the lenient requirements for being an Honors student creates a huge population of students with admission guarantees. And this also lowers students' incentive in working harder in class since it is so easy to get in. It makes the honors classes become the same as any ordinary classes. If the Honors Institute restricts the qualifications, I think this will enrich the competition, and makes the name of an Honors student more prestigious overall. ( I am not sure if I had put this in a right way...)
Third, sometimes I feel a bit lost about who I should go to, or what I should do with the Honors Institute. And I am sure many students don't have the chance to know more about the Institute itself and its benefits. Many of my friends don't know the other guaranteed admissions and scholarships except UCLA. It will be great if the Honors Institute has some workshops to introduce the program to students. This will allow students to gain a better understanding the reason for applying to Honors, and what is it all about. And they won't miss the chance of gaining the utmost of it.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Foreword
Interesting enough, I just realized this "extra-credit" assignment as for the 7th week's task is already a challenging task for procrastinators.
The incredible number of tasks, and the huge amount of information that has to be read in order to write four responses become the biggest workload ever among all the journals I wrote for this class...
After reading all these articles, I found that I am a typical procrastinator mixed with perfectionism, which I think it is a terrible "syndrome".
Besides, now I am also committing the same mistakes as usual -to procrastinate on my journal that talks about procrastination. Ha ha how ironic.
1. Structured Procrastination:
In the past, although I procrastinate all the time, I still stereotype it as a very bad habit that everyone has to get rid of. However, I am surprised that there is actually an interesting yet healthy type of procrastination on the planet. (which is good news to me)
This helps me to evaluate the ways I procrastinate, and how it can be used in a more efficient manner.
I totally agree that there are things that sound incredibly important and have really strict deadlines. And the deadlines and regulations always freak me out too much that, I ended me giving myself too much anxiety and pressure to get it done at last minute.
However, some deadlines such as for school admissions, tax payment, and some important competitions cannot be missed. These are the deadlines that cannot be missed or screwed up. In this case, I believe the serious consequences of losing the chance totally outweigh the benefits of procrastination. And I think any reasonable human beings who want to succeed -regardless they are procrastinators or not- will be more willing to overcome their fear of procrastination and get things done on time.
After all, structured procrastination is a better way to deal with things at last minute. To a certain extent, I sometimes will organize my to-do list in a similar fashion. I keep mind-notes about my daily agenda, and prioritize each task according to its urgency and importance. To make procrastination more organized will eventually have a positive impact on one's overall productivity and efficiency.
2. The universal illness - Procrastination
I can't help but chuckle when I look at the categories of procrastination and the excuses people have to procrastinate...because my situation applies to most of them!
While the previous article provided me a better way to procrastinate, this article helps me to diagnose my problem. I realized that I procrastinate because I am a ultimate perfectionist(a little bit over the limits) and I have a low frustration tolerance. As a perfectionist, I always tend to delay my tasks because my fear of not doing things completely right. Sometimes my anxieties toward criticisms and denials become great obstacles to prevent me from starting things earlier.
However, perfectionism also causes unnecessary self-destruction and guilt when I realized the stupidity of procrastinating. Hence, I am also in a dilemma between two polar opposite forces - dragging and pushing.
Moreover, I have low frustration tolerance. I will tend to put things aside if they are time-consuming, boring, and the deadline seems far away. Just like the Anthropology online class I am taking this quarter, I need to read at least 4 chapters of reading in order to answer 2-3 questions every Monday. Sometimes I even need to watch a 2-hour documentary in addition to all the materials I need to cover. I already felt too overwhelmed and woozy right after I read the syllabus. Besides, the other problem is I don't really enjoy the process...Therefore, every Monday will be the time I stay up really late to jam everything in one night, which is a really terrible experience. But I can't help to start it early!
As a side note, I also particularly like the examples of excuses the author cited..such as:
Even though procrastinating can be evil, I think it sometimes gives us fantasies and fun times when we are slammed with tons of tasks that God knows where to start.
3. Good and Bad Procrastination
I totally agree that procrastination is hard to cure. It's like an addiction or fear in most people's hearts. Some people are completely into procrastination; and others are victims who are trying to improve their problems, but have not yet succeeded. Instead of digging into our brains to find a cure, why don't we just try to convert it to a positive energy and be type-C procrastinators?
According to Paul Graham, type-C procrastinators "put off working on small stuff to work on big stuff". They are successful people who try to divert their attention to small tasks that can later contribute to the bigger tasks. Admittedly, big tasks are scary and time-consuming. They are always dreadful to be dealt with. Many people have a hard time battling against the temptation of putting down the big stuff, and do the easy small stuff. It's reasonable that small things such as errands and leisure hobbies are more enjoyable and greater sense of accomplishment. However, the reality is, we have big things to do! Even if we become a coach potato, this won't drive away the big nasty tasks. They will always haunt us back unless we get them done.
To be a good procrastinator, is to have the ability to control the big tasks. Don't let the big projects control over you. There are several tips Graham offers that I think are very effective solutions to my situation. First, chop the big task into small chunks, do it little by little. Small tasks are always easier to swallow than the gigantic ones. This will definitely encourage me to start things earlier. Secondly, change my mentality to delight and easy attitude. In other words, try not to scare yourself before you even start doing anything. Last but not least, share the work with friends. A supportive group pressure will eventually push you to accomplish more than you are able to.
4. Miscellaneous weaknesses
Apart from procrastination, perfectionism has always been giving me a lot of pain. Although this attitude has been pushing me to accomplish things with promising results, I sometimes end up pushing over the limits. This in turns harm my own mentality and efficiency.
If perfectionism is not handled well, it can cause a lot of side effects. Stress is one of my terrible aftermaths, and so as the fear of failure. Whenever I am doing some big tasks, my perfectionism always drive me to a point when I am afraid of starting things because I cannot stand any imperfections. Sometimes I could not sleep nor eat anything because of some stupid mistakes I made that have left some scratches on my accomplishments. (such as the rejection from UCLA) But hey, this is not a big deal after all!
After going through several hysteria, I have enough! I can't stand jumping on burning coal all the time. In order to solve this problem, I learn to accept the reality. Besides, I treat my tasks as games. Games have winners and losers. And if I screw up, I just lose a game. Also, I practice structured procrastination to distract myself from these fears. I try to do smaller tasks to accomplish my bigger tasks. These are pretty effective strategies that I am trying to adopt. And they are still pretty feasible in curing my hysterical perfectionism.
Interesting enough, I just realized this "extra-credit" assignment as for the 7th week's task is already a challenging task for procrastinators.
The incredible number of tasks, and the huge amount of information that has to be read in order to write four responses become the biggest workload ever among all the journals I wrote for this class...
After reading all these articles, I found that I am a typical procrastinator mixed with perfectionism, which I think it is a terrible "syndrome".
Besides, now I am also committing the same mistakes as usual -to procrastinate on my journal that talks about procrastination. Ha ha how ironic.
1. Structured Procrastination:
In the past, although I procrastinate all the time, I still stereotype it as a very bad habit that everyone has to get rid of. However, I am surprised that there is actually an interesting yet healthy type of procrastination on the planet. (which is good news to me)
This helps me to evaluate the ways I procrastinate, and how it can be used in a more efficient manner.
I totally agree that there are things that sound incredibly important and have really strict deadlines. And the deadlines and regulations always freak me out too much that, I ended me giving myself too much anxiety and pressure to get it done at last minute.
However, some deadlines such as for school admissions, tax payment, and some important competitions cannot be missed. These are the deadlines that cannot be missed or screwed up. In this case, I believe the serious consequences of losing the chance totally outweigh the benefits of procrastination. And I think any reasonable human beings who want to succeed -regardless they are procrastinators or not- will be more willing to overcome their fear of procrastination and get things done on time.
After all, structured procrastination is a better way to deal with things at last minute. To a certain extent, I sometimes will organize my to-do list in a similar fashion. I keep mind-notes about my daily agenda, and prioritize each task according to its urgency and importance. To make procrastination more organized will eventually have a positive impact on one's overall productivity and efficiency.
2. The universal illness - Procrastination
I can't help but chuckle when I look at the categories of procrastination and the excuses people have to procrastinate...because my situation applies to most of them!
While the previous article provided me a better way to procrastinate, this article helps me to diagnose my problem. I realized that I procrastinate because I am a ultimate perfectionist(a little bit over the limits) and I have a low frustration tolerance. As a perfectionist, I always tend to delay my tasks because my fear of not doing things completely right. Sometimes my anxieties toward criticisms and denials become great obstacles to prevent me from starting things earlier.
However, perfectionism also causes unnecessary self-destruction and guilt when I realized the stupidity of procrastinating. Hence, I am also in a dilemma between two polar opposite forces - dragging and pushing.
Moreover, I have low frustration tolerance. I will tend to put things aside if they are time-consuming, boring, and the deadline seems far away. Just like the Anthropology online class I am taking this quarter, I need to read at least 4 chapters of reading in order to answer 2-3 questions every Monday. Sometimes I even need to watch a 2-hour documentary in addition to all the materials I need to cover. I already felt too overwhelmed and woozy right after I read the syllabus. Besides, the other problem is I don't really enjoy the process...Therefore, every Monday will be the time I stay up really late to jam everything in one night, which is a really terrible experience. But I can't help to start it early!
As a side note, I also particularly like the examples of excuses the author cited..such as:
- Mañana - "I'll do it tomorrow."
- Contingent mañana - "I'll do it tomorrow, if ..."
- Grasshopperism - "I need to have some well-earned fun first."
- Escapism - "I've got to get out for a while to clear my mind."
- Impulsiveness - "My problem will be solved if I change my major, or attend a different college, or... "
- Music and reading - "I'll relax a while and then get started."
- Cavalry to the Rescue - "The professor will get sick and cancel finals!"
Even though procrastinating can be evil, I think it sometimes gives us fantasies and fun times when we are slammed with tons of tasks that God knows where to start.
3. Good and Bad Procrastination
I totally agree that procrastination is hard to cure. It's like an addiction or fear in most people's hearts. Some people are completely into procrastination; and others are victims who are trying to improve their problems, but have not yet succeeded. Instead of digging into our brains to find a cure, why don't we just try to convert it to a positive energy and be type-C procrastinators?
According to Paul Graham, type-C procrastinators "put off working on small stuff to work on big stuff". They are successful people who try to divert their attention to small tasks that can later contribute to the bigger tasks. Admittedly, big tasks are scary and time-consuming. They are always dreadful to be dealt with. Many people have a hard time battling against the temptation of putting down the big stuff, and do the easy small stuff. It's reasonable that small things such as errands and leisure hobbies are more enjoyable and greater sense of accomplishment. However, the reality is, we have big things to do! Even if we become a coach potato, this won't drive away the big nasty tasks. They will always haunt us back unless we get them done.
To be a good procrastinator, is to have the ability to control the big tasks. Don't let the big projects control over you. There are several tips Graham offers that I think are very effective solutions to my situation. First, chop the big task into small chunks, do it little by little. Small tasks are always easier to swallow than the gigantic ones. This will definitely encourage me to start things earlier. Secondly, change my mentality to delight and easy attitude. In other words, try not to scare yourself before you even start doing anything. Last but not least, share the work with friends. A supportive group pressure will eventually push you to accomplish more than you are able to.
4. Miscellaneous weaknesses
Apart from procrastination, perfectionism has always been giving me a lot of pain. Although this attitude has been pushing me to accomplish things with promising results, I sometimes end up pushing over the limits. This in turns harm my own mentality and efficiency.
If perfectionism is not handled well, it can cause a lot of side effects. Stress is one of my terrible aftermaths, and so as the fear of failure. Whenever I am doing some big tasks, my perfectionism always drive me to a point when I am afraid of starting things because I cannot stand any imperfections. Sometimes I could not sleep nor eat anything because of some stupid mistakes I made that have left some scratches on my accomplishments. (such as the rejection from UCLA) But hey, this is not a big deal after all!
After going through several hysteria, I have enough! I can't stand jumping on burning coal all the time. In order to solve this problem, I learn to accept the reality. Besides, I treat my tasks as games. Games have winners and losers. And if I screw up, I just lose a game. Also, I practice structured procrastination to distract myself from these fears. I try to do smaller tasks to accomplish my bigger tasks. These are pretty effective strategies that I am trying to adopt. And they are still pretty feasible in curing my hysterical perfectionism.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The journey
The call
It happened during the time when my Psoriatic Arthritis came to the worst state. That's the most miserable moments when I had to skip schools, and stayed home aimlessly for months. When I felt like my life just came to an end, I suddenly met my friend whom just about to transfer from Foothill College. I remembered that day he just came to give me a short visit. As usual, we chat about our daily routines and some random jokes. Then we came across the topic about study abroad. He challenged me,"why don't you try to apply for Foothill College? It is a fantastic place to learn, to grow, and to find your future." His compelling words just rang in my ear even now—I still can't believe that I had gone thus far to overcome all the pain and obstacles I would possibly encounter, and came to this foreign land alone to pursue my dream, my future.
The Allies
Without the support of my family and my friends, I would not have succeeded in accomplishing all the tasks I was obliged to. It was my parents who have given me both financial and mental support throughout my journey in America. Studying abroad is not as easy as people imagine. I cannot imagine how helpless it can be sometimes to be alone in a unfamiliar foreign place. Fortunately, I also have a close relative live close by. Despite their heavy financial burden, they had provided me shelter and unconditional help at all times. Last but not least, I met a lot of fascinating friends at Foothill College. They helped me to get through a lot of obstacles, and have comforted me in times of failure.
The Ogres
Of course, obstacles are inevitable. Life is not perfect...I think one of the biggest obstacles I have is my health. My unstable health condition gives me a lot of unexpected disruptions in life.
I still remember, I had another major pain stroke after the day I arrived the United States. And I had to spend the entire winter quarter just to wait for recovery. Hence, my health has made my journey into a gamble.
The Threshold Guardians
Of course they are the Foothill admissions!
The Road of Trials
During the course of my journey, I encountered a lot of unknown challenges. In order to meet the basic requirement to transfer, I had to take a lot of classes that I have never heard of. Besides, the dominant language has become English, which is my second language. Despite the obstacles, I saw a rapid improvement in my knowledge and personality. Besides, I met a lot of friends and mentors on the way. They inspired me, and directed me to the right direction. Without their support and advice, I would not have been able to climb to the peak of my journey.
The Return Guardians
By guessing the title...I guess it is about the people I met whom had succeeded in completing their journey?
Indeed, I did meet a lot of experienced seniors who were graduated, or have transferred to their most desirable University. I asked for their guidance and advice. And they are more than willing to share with me their journey as well. That's the moment when I feel the intertwine of the future and the past. They are like prophets who were able to acknowledge the wisdom, guide the way for the inexperienced.
The Homecoming, or Completion
After all the hard work and accomplishments...I am proud to say that I got accepted to Berkeley. Mission accomplished!
*I am now at the final phase of my journey in pursuing my academic future—"The Homecoming, or Completion". I returned home with pride and glory. My parents and friends all applauded for my victory. However, this is just the beginning of another story for I will advance to a higher level after I transfer. I know my upcoming journeys will be more difficult. But I am prepared for the next level.
It happened during the time when my Psoriatic Arthritis came to the worst state. That's the most miserable moments when I had to skip schools, and stayed home aimlessly for months. When I felt like my life just came to an end, I suddenly met my friend whom just about to transfer from Foothill College. I remembered that day he just came to give me a short visit. As usual, we chat about our daily routines and some random jokes. Then we came across the topic about study abroad. He challenged me,"why don't you try to apply for Foothill College? It is a fantastic place to learn, to grow, and to find your future." His compelling words just rang in my ear even now—I still can't believe that I had gone thus far to overcome all the pain and obstacles I would possibly encounter, and came to this foreign land alone to pursue my dream, my future.
The Allies
Without the support of my family and my friends, I would not have succeeded in accomplishing all the tasks I was obliged to. It was my parents who have given me both financial and mental support throughout my journey in America. Studying abroad is not as easy as people imagine. I cannot imagine how helpless it can be sometimes to be alone in a unfamiliar foreign place. Fortunately, I also have a close relative live close by. Despite their heavy financial burden, they had provided me shelter and unconditional help at all times. Last but not least, I met a lot of fascinating friends at Foothill College. They helped me to get through a lot of obstacles, and have comforted me in times of failure.
The Ogres
Of course, obstacles are inevitable. Life is not perfect...I think one of the biggest obstacles I have is my health. My unstable health condition gives me a lot of unexpected disruptions in life.
I still remember, I had another major pain stroke after the day I arrived the United States. And I had to spend the entire winter quarter just to wait for recovery. Hence, my health has made my journey into a gamble.
The Threshold Guardians
Of course they are the Foothill admissions!
The Road of Trials
During the course of my journey, I encountered a lot of unknown challenges. In order to meet the basic requirement to transfer, I had to take a lot of classes that I have never heard of. Besides, the dominant language has become English, which is my second language. Despite the obstacles, I saw a rapid improvement in my knowledge and personality. Besides, I met a lot of friends and mentors on the way. They inspired me, and directed me to the right direction. Without their support and advice, I would not have been able to climb to the peak of my journey.
The Return Guardians
By guessing the title...I guess it is about the people I met whom had succeeded in completing their journey?
Indeed, I did meet a lot of experienced seniors who were graduated, or have transferred to their most desirable University. I asked for their guidance and advice. And they are more than willing to share with me their journey as well. That's the moment when I feel the intertwine of the future and the past. They are like prophets who were able to acknowledge the wisdom, guide the way for the inexperienced.
The Homecoming, or Completion
After all the hard work and accomplishments...I am proud to say that I got accepted to Berkeley. Mission accomplished!
*I am now at the final phase of my journey in pursuing my academic future—"The Homecoming, or Completion". I returned home with pride and glory. My parents and friends all applauded for my victory. However, this is just the beginning of another story for I will advance to a higher level after I transfer. I know my upcoming journeys will be more difficult. But I am prepared for the next level.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Exploring Digital Storytelling
Unfortunately, the sound card of my laptop is broken. I missed the chance of exploring all the fantastic samples on Dr. Helen Barrett's website(I can only guess the meaning by watching the slides) Among all the approaches in storytelling Dr.Barrett mentioned, I am particularly interested in storytelling about my life, the people around me, and my turning points.
The entire setting of the ePortfolio will be in a Biography format that consists of my voice and others' voices. I will roughly describe my life dating back my childhood. I will be the main storyteller of this narration. On the other hand, I will also intertwine my story with interviews of people who know me well enough to tell people the insights of my life and their opinions about me. I believe that a second opinion is always more objective and convincing than my own preaching about myself. Besides, this creates multiple dimensions of my life. Different voices will make a "2D" video presentation into a 3D sensual prospective. In this case, I will interview my parents, my brother(I guess he will be the most honest person to talk about my good and evil side!ha ha), my mentors, close relatives, teachers, friends, or maybe even the Janitor I meet on campus every morning!
Second, I love every single people I met in my life. They are fantastic and almost everyone has inspired me to progress and improve in a positive way. Without their presence, I would not have been able to be the person I am right now. These are fantastic stories I want to share with the world. Similarly, I encountered many miraculous turning points. I cannot talk about myself without addressing these moments. In my ePortfolio, I will definitely add on these precious moments with touchy music background and pictures in addition to the voice recording. Also, if possible, I will attach several relevant video clips that my parents or friends have captured in times of my turning points. Of course, I will also express my gratitude and give credit to the people whom have guided me to overcome the crossroads and turning points in my life.
That's pretty much about it...I hope that's the right approach I am going with your instructions. :P
Anyway, my point of weaving other people's voices and stories into my story is that I believe there's an unbreakable linkage between one person and another. One's life is a collage of other people's decisions and stories. This is the philosophy behind my storytelling.
The entire setting of the ePortfolio will be in a Biography format that consists of my voice and others' voices. I will roughly describe my life dating back my childhood. I will be the main storyteller of this narration. On the other hand, I will also intertwine my story with interviews of people who know me well enough to tell people the insights of my life and their opinions about me. I believe that a second opinion is always more objective and convincing than my own preaching about myself. Besides, this creates multiple dimensions of my life. Different voices will make a "2D" video presentation into a 3D sensual prospective. In this case, I will interview my parents, my brother(I guess he will be the most honest person to talk about my good and evil side!ha ha), my mentors, close relatives, teachers, friends, or maybe even the Janitor I meet on campus every morning!
Second, I love every single people I met in my life. They are fantastic and almost everyone has inspired me to progress and improve in a positive way. Without their presence, I would not have been able to be the person I am right now. These are fantastic stories I want to share with the world. Similarly, I encountered many miraculous turning points. I cannot talk about myself without addressing these moments. In my ePortfolio, I will definitely add on these precious moments with touchy music background and pictures in addition to the voice recording. Also, if possible, I will attach several relevant video clips that my parents or friends have captured in times of my turning points. Of course, I will also express my gratitude and give credit to the people whom have guided me to overcome the crossroads and turning points in my life.
That's pretty much about it...I hope that's the right approach I am going with your instructions. :P
Anyway, my point of weaving other people's voices and stories into my story is that I believe there's an unbreakable linkage between one person and another. One's life is a collage of other people's decisions and stories. This is the philosophy behind my storytelling.
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