MLLL 4993

(picture obtained through a Pinterest search for #growthmindset, photo by Sylvia Duckworth and  image can be retrieved here ) I had not previously heard about the Carol Dweck growth mindset paradigm, but learned about it through her Ted Talk, "The Power of Believing That You Can Improve", and another video "How to Help Every Child Fulfill Their Potential".  The whole point of an academic education is providing the tools for individuals to apply later on to be self-sustaining in a field they desire. A lot of the way education is structured loses sight of that larger purpose because it focuses on short-term goals (i.e. grades). Grades are used because it is a concrete way to view progress and knowledge. However, grades can be detrimental because they might not accurately reflect what they aim to measure (i.e. improvements throughout a course) and deter hopeful students. It is not simply the grades, but how the system is structured (grades are necessary for almo...

I'm a psychology/pre-pharmacy major. A lot of people think of therapists when they think of psych majors, but it is a very broad field with plenty of subfields (primarily based in research and statistics) of cognitive, industrial/organizational, forensic, neuro-, developmental, clinical, and social psychology (among others)! Some short-term goals are to graduate this May and attend pharmacy school. The best class I took last semester was my Spanish class because it was one of the last general education credits I needed where I can not really pick the course topic. The class was interesting and informative, but finally finishing it alleviated some stress.  I have recently been reading Michelle Obama's recent book 'Becoming'. It is quite popular right now it seems and I received it as a Christmas gift. So far I love it!  I've always been fascinated with her journey and hearing it from her words is lovely. I have a lot of favorite food, but my favorite food would ...

Badass Biblical Women I enjoy reading about the experiences and perspectives of women because as a woman, it can be empowering. I thought this particular piece would be interesting because a lot of biblical literature focuses on men and even when women are mentioned, it does not really give insight to their position. Further reading showed the author was very intentional with her piece. Three women (Judith, Bathsheba, and Ruth) are chosen with quite different backgrounds to highlight the diversity of women in the bible, as the author emphasizes. These female chronicles are not meant to argue how these women demonstrated feminism or point out the misogyny in the biblical context. Rather, it is to give insight to what their lives are like which we do not usually read or hear about, which in itself is breaking barriers. What I appreciated most is the author's note after the story. These notes contextualize a story which can be almost overwhelming to read at first. Not only are thes...

 (Photo of the Delicate Arch as found at Arches National Park,  photo by FindMyMojo ) In March 2017, I was lucky enough to visit Arches National Park. While I do have some experiencing camping and hiking, I have not really been to any national park. Arches National Park was my favorite place during this trip for a multitude of reasons. We stayed here for about three days, so naturally I felt more familiar with this park than the others. More than that, it was the self-reflective and trying experiences that enchanted me. A place will really stick to you when you wake up on the verge of shivers at 6 am only to change clothes and hike 3 miles to view rock formations, to the heat picking up in a time span scientifically questionable, to receiving the worst farmer tan-lines to date, to ultimately watching the sunset whilst voraciously nibbling on a sandwich made solely of peanut butter. The description might paint this granola lifestyle as painful, which at times it very much...