I can't believe it's already the end of April! This has honestly been one of the fastest semesters of college for me. While slightly sad that my college career will be ending in Decemeber, I'm so exicted to get a chance to do something different and enter the "real world." Whether or not grad school is on horizon...I don't know yet. If I do decide to enroll, it won't be for at least several years. For now, I'm doing two internships over this summer in Rockford and seeing where those lead me. I will be a Marketing/Development Intern at the Discovery Center Museum as well as being a part-time Marketing Intern at the Rockford Dance Company
I feel so blessed to have gotten BOTH of those internships without really even trying. I'm looking forward to working with and learning from some great people and hopefully making connections that will help me in the future. Not to mention, the Riverfront Museum is such a fun place and it's super convenient that both offices are located there :) I'd love to be able to find a small summer job, but no luck with that so far. With or without a summer job it's going to be a busy but fruitful summer. With what little free time I will have, I want to fully enjoy the summer weatherr that I've been missing these past 8 or so months.
~Ellen
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The Bachelor
I wrote this little blurb for a Human Sexuality assignment and thought I'd share it on here :)
One of my guilty pleasures is watching the Bachelor. For anyone not familiar with the show, it's basically about one guy dating a group of girls over the span of about two months and eventually narrowing them down to one he proposes to at the end of the show. There's just something about the drama and romantic dates that draws me in, but the show is a far cry from being a model for healthy sexual behavior and the relationships formed in it are usually dysfunctional.
The bachelor and the girls on the show waste no time being physical with each other, many of them kissing on the first episode when they talk for the first time. I feel like that totally downplays any significant of a kiss and makes it more of a greeting than something to share with someone you care about. As the show progresses, the bachelor kisses more and more girls, makes out with them in hot tubs, and even is shown skinny dipping with one of them.
All the girls are in hysterics because he is kissing other girls while at the same time kissing them and that's 90% of the shows dramatic material. On the last episode of the show when he's trying to decide which of the last two girls he is going to propose to, he has overnight dates with both of them. This really bothers me because it makes sex so meaningless. Sleeping with a girl the night before you propose to a different girl is not normal or healthy and makes the proposal seem fake.
Most of the relationships formed by the bachelor and bachelorette don't last and I'm not surprised. During reunions, the couples often talk about how their relationship struggled while the show was being aired because they were forced to watch their significant other have physical and emotional relationships with a group of girls before finally choosing them.
I think the whole scenerio and premise of this show is using sexuality and relationships in the opposite way God intended them to be used and that's proven by the weak success rate of the show's relationships. At the same time, the show itself has gone on for many seasons and myself and many others aren't really fazed by the content. At least not fazed enough to stop watching it.
One of my guilty pleasures is watching the Bachelor. For anyone not familiar with the show, it's basically about one guy dating a group of girls over the span of about two months and eventually narrowing them down to one he proposes to at the end of the show. There's just something about the drama and romantic dates that draws me in, but the show is a far cry from being a model for healthy sexual behavior and the relationships formed in it are usually dysfunctional.
The bachelor and the girls on the show waste no time being physical with each other, many of them kissing on the first episode when they talk for the first time. I feel like that totally downplays any significant of a kiss and makes it more of a greeting than something to share with someone you care about. As the show progresses, the bachelor kisses more and more girls, makes out with them in hot tubs, and even is shown skinny dipping with one of them.
All the girls are in hysterics because he is kissing other girls while at the same time kissing them and that's 90% of the shows dramatic material. On the last episode of the show when he's trying to decide which of the last two girls he is going to propose to, he has overnight dates with both of them. This really bothers me because it makes sex so meaningless. Sleeping with a girl the night before you propose to a different girl is not normal or healthy and makes the proposal seem fake.
Most of the relationships formed by the bachelor and bachelorette don't last and I'm not surprised. During reunions, the couples often talk about how their relationship struggled while the show was being aired because they were forced to watch their significant other have physical and emotional relationships with a group of girls before finally choosing them.
I think the whole scenerio and premise of this show is using sexuality and relationships in the opposite way God intended them to be used and that's proven by the weak success rate of the show's relationships. At the same time, the show itself has gone on for many seasons and myself and many others aren't really fazed by the content. At least not fazed enough to stop watching it.
Procrastination Problems
As I hurried to finish an article before my 10 am meeting, i wondered to myself "why did I put this off 'till now??" I had a relatively free weekend and I could have easily devoted 45 mintues of that time to writing an easy 500 word article. Instead, I literally waited until the last possible second to complete it, causing myself stress and not allowing myself to do the best possible job.
Unfortunately, this is just a small example of the many times I've found myself in such a situation. It happens every semester without fail. I'd like to think I'm getting a little better but it's still a persistant problem in my life. After thinking a bit about it I've come to the conclusion that procastination is ultimately caused by choices I consciously make to do or not do something. I know I can fight procrastination by simply chosing to do something but for some reason doing that sometimes seems like the hardest thing in the world.
I did a little online searching for ways to help me fight this terrible disease...I really like these tips I found on personaldevelopmentmaster.com
1. Take small steps. When you’re putting off starting a large project it may be because it seems like a huge task that’ll eat up all of your time. Instead of expecting yourself to work for hours on end, try starting with 10 minutes. This will get you going on it and then it will be easier to continue.
2. Give yourself breaks. While sitting down for 8 hours to complete a task sounds daunting, try dividing it up into small steps and take a break when you complete each step. Another method is to give yourself a 10 minute break every hour.
* Go for a walk in the fresh air, surf the ‘net, or text a friend on your break. Doing so will refresh your mind so you can get back to your project with renewed energy.
3. Make a plan. It’s easy to continue on the path of procrastination when your goals remain unclear. Give yourself a strict deadline if necessary. Write down the tasks you need to complete and the details of those tasks. It’s a way of holding yourself accountable for what is or isn’t done at the end of the day.
4. Get to the root of the problem. Sometimes there’s an underlying reason why you’ve been procrastinating on one specific issue. You might not be able to identify this reason until you really think about it. If you can identify the reason, you might solve your procrastination problem for that specific issue.
5. Reward yourself. While a break might seem like a reward, you can promise yourself other types of rewards for completing tough tasks. Decide on something you want to have or want to do. Allow yourself this luxury once you’ve completed the task at hand.
6. Believe in yourself. When you believe in yourself, you gain a passion for life and an enthusiasm that will help you get through the day. Once you believe in yourself, you have the power to get over procrastination and reach your ultimate goals in life.
7. Do the least-liked task first. When your day consists of many tasks you need to complete, start with the one that’s hanging over your head. While you might be procrastinating against all of them, once the bad ones are out of the way, your day will improve.
8. Schedule fun tasks, too! It’s important to make time for yourself, so enjoyable tasks should be a part of your day, too. Since your to-do list is usually packed with undesirable tasks, you should include enjoyable activities as well.
I'm definitely going to try to put some of these into practice today and hopefully improve a little in this area. I guess this first thing I should do is stop procrastinating homework by blogging....
Over and Out ;)
Ellen
Unfortunately, this is just a small example of the many times I've found myself in such a situation. It happens every semester without fail. I'd like to think I'm getting a little better but it's still a persistant problem in my life. After thinking a bit about it I've come to the conclusion that procastination is ultimately caused by choices I consciously make to do or not do something. I know I can fight procrastination by simply chosing to do something but for some reason doing that sometimes seems like the hardest thing in the world.
I did a little online searching for ways to help me fight this terrible disease...I really like these tips I found on personaldevelopmentmaster.com
1. Take small steps. When you’re putting off starting a large project it may be because it seems like a huge task that’ll eat up all of your time. Instead of expecting yourself to work for hours on end, try starting with 10 minutes. This will get you going on it and then it will be easier to continue.
2. Give yourself breaks. While sitting down for 8 hours to complete a task sounds daunting, try dividing it up into small steps and take a break when you complete each step. Another method is to give yourself a 10 minute break every hour.
* Go for a walk in the fresh air, surf the ‘net, or text a friend on your break. Doing so will refresh your mind so you can get back to your project with renewed energy.
3. Make a plan. It’s easy to continue on the path of procrastination when your goals remain unclear. Give yourself a strict deadline if necessary. Write down the tasks you need to complete and the details of those tasks. It’s a way of holding yourself accountable for what is or isn’t done at the end of the day.
4. Get to the root of the problem. Sometimes there’s an underlying reason why you’ve been procrastinating on one specific issue. You might not be able to identify this reason until you really think about it. If you can identify the reason, you might solve your procrastination problem for that specific issue.
5. Reward yourself. While a break might seem like a reward, you can promise yourself other types of rewards for completing tough tasks. Decide on something you want to have or want to do. Allow yourself this luxury once you’ve completed the task at hand.
6. Believe in yourself. When you believe in yourself, you gain a passion for life and an enthusiasm that will help you get through the day. Once you believe in yourself, you have the power to get over procrastination and reach your ultimate goals in life.
7. Do the least-liked task first. When your day consists of many tasks you need to complete, start with the one that’s hanging over your head. While you might be procrastinating against all of them, once the bad ones are out of the way, your day will improve.
8. Schedule fun tasks, too! It’s important to make time for yourself, so enjoyable tasks should be a part of your day, too. Since your to-do list is usually packed with undesirable tasks, you should include enjoyable activities as well.
I'm definitely going to try to put some of these into practice today and hopefully improve a little in this area. I guess this first thing I should do is stop procrastinating homework by blogging....
Over and Out ;)
Ellen
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Growing Up...Thanks A Lot Toy Story 3
I hate the thought of growing up.
Especially since it's already happened and there's nothing I can do about it.
I've permanently left the carefree, fun-filled place I once called my life and exchanged it for a reality full of sleep deprivation, stress, drama, and responsibilities. This fact has been hitting me especially hard the past year as I near the end of college and wonder what my future will look like...knowing it's only a matter of time before living with my parents and in my old room will be looked down upon because I'm "to old" instead of the norm I've always known.
I'm excited for the new life I have/will have as I grow older but part of me will always miss the memories and feelings of being a kid.
I wish that just for a day I could go back to playing with my American Girl Dolls, watching Disney Movies, and jumping into my Dad's arms when he comes home from work...not caring about anything besides my toys and my little world.
That little girl is still inside of me, she's just expressed in a different way and I hope she never fully goes away.
Especially since it's already happened and there's nothing I can do about it.
I've permanently left the carefree, fun-filled place I once called my life and exchanged it for a reality full of sleep deprivation, stress, drama, and responsibilities. This fact has been hitting me especially hard the past year as I near the end of college and wonder what my future will look like...knowing it's only a matter of time before living with my parents and in my old room will be looked down upon because I'm "to old" instead of the norm I've always known.
I'm excited for the new life I have/will have as I grow older but part of me will always miss the memories and feelings of being a kid.
I wish that just for a day I could go back to playing with my American Girl Dolls, watching Disney Movies, and jumping into my Dad's arms when he comes home from work...not caring about anything besides my toys and my little world.
That little girl is still inside of me, she's just expressed in a different way and I hope she never fully goes away.
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