Mythology and Folklore (Spring 2021)

      I'm going to start by saying that time management is a particularly weak point for me. I have always gotten my assignments and tasks done on time, but not necessarily in a timely fashion, often completing assignments the day they are due. I once wrote a 10-page research paper within a day and a half due to procrastination (though this is an extreme case, as I did have some personal issues going on at the time as well). Sadly, the mythical land of tomorrow is where most of my assignments end up pushed to as I progress further into the semester, as I am better at managing my time at the beginning of the semester. Many courses that I have taken have discussed effective time managing, as it is essential for the college student toolbox, but I just seem to have forgotten my toolbox in the trunk of my car. I feel like I have gotten better about managing my time and completing assignments before they are due, but I still have a few that will sneak up on me throughout the se...

      I will probably never be considered a tech guru, but I like to think that I am at least decent with technology, which is kind of necessary in the times of COVID-19. Using a laptop and the internet has definitely been a familiar experience to me during my years in college, something I did not interact with much during high school. I actually have a sister who is 8 years younger than I am, and I do not think she realizes exactly how far technology has come in such a short time. Her first phone was a touch screen while mine was a TracPhone, as touch screens had yet to become a norm for tech devices. As a kid, my family had a classic, clunky computer and monitor set up, a set up I was not allowed to use on my own. Many of my afternoons would be spent at my friend's house, where you could either use the phone or play on the computer, and we were often kicked off of playing Webkinz when her mom had an important phone call she was expecting on the home line.  Yay for ...

      I have mentioned before that I entered OU as a Biology major, only adding my Letters degree in Spring 2020, so my experience with writing has been quite limited. Obviously, I still had some gen ed requirements to finish when I began my freshman year, and these often involved writing, but not creative writing. Since elementary school, I've considered myself to be a poor writer, even though I love the idea of writing fictional stories and stories based upon the worlds created in other novels, series, and short stories. For this semester, I am really excited to explore more creative writing, as the writing I am typically assigned is research and just reiterations of information found across the web. Beginning a paper, or in this case, a blog post, can be a bit difficult sometimes, as you want to have a catchy hook or something that sets the tone for the rest of your work. This often leads to hours of simply staring at a computer screen, but hopefully, I will not get hu...

      In her talks of the growth mindset, Carol Dweck emphasizes the importance of challenging the mind, not just giving it tasks that it can easily accomplish. While I think this is a great idea, I know that I would be quite anxious if I was continuously given problems I could not quite solve. Growing up, I have always been a straight-A student, with a few Bs here and there, but very rarely. A system in which I could easily complete the assigned material was what predominated my education, even in advanced courses that I took. I love new challenges as much as the next person, but when it comes to a grade, I prefer to do work that I can quickly catch onto and complete relatively easily. While in college, I have expanded my horizon quite a bit with the courses I have taken, from philosophy to anthropology to biochemistry, but always a subject that I knew I was likely to do well in. Though when I signed up for my first anthropology course, I guess I was following a sort of ...

      Hello everyone! My name is Lanney, and I am a Senior here at OU, double majoring in Biology and Letters, along with following a pre-med track. When I first started here at OU, I was only a declared Biology/Pre-Med major, but last year, I had a Latin professor who talked to me about the possibility of also majoring in Letters. Ultimately, I think I decided to earn a degree in Letters because of my professor and also the content within the major, which is a little bit of everything, from philosophy to literature. Hopefully, I will attend OU medical school once I finish my undergraduate career, looking to become a pediatrician, possibly specializing in oncology. My career choice seems quite specific to a lot of people, and that is because it is. Many individuals who go into medical school have yet to decide on the specialty they wish to pursue, preferring to experience clinicals first, to get an idea of which they really enjoy. The primary reason why I plan to go into ...

        The first storybook that popped up at random when I opened this assignment was one that immediately caught my interest: Memoirs of a Land Not So Far Away . This story is another look at the world of Oz, a land quite familiar to many of us. The author strays away from the typical retellings of the story of Dorothy and instead focuses on the witches of Oz, both good and bad. I really liked the style of writing that was utilized, with each page being narrated by a different witch of Oz. Along with telling tales from different points of view, the author also has plenty of notes at the end of the stories, comparing her own rendition to the books and other renditions of the Wizard of Oz. There was also an excellent use of images, making the reader feel as if they were reading an autobiography or personal diary. Introduction Image (which I find to be quite cute)     The next storybook I read was one that I personally picked after browsing the list of story...

    As a kid, I was pretty active, constantly outside playing with my cousins and then my younger sister when I was a bit older. However, my days of running around outside are long past me and I spend most days in my room, vegetating in my bed. Coming home from a stressful day and laying in bed is one of the most cathartic experiences for me. I would attach an image of my actual bed, but it is covered in blankets and stuffed animals, so you probably would not even be able to see the actual bed. Instead, I have provided an image of a cartoon bed that looks in no way similar to my own, but we do not need to see how messy I am so it is a good thing, I think. Cartoon Hospital Bed I also decided to attach a personal image of two stinkers that aren't allowed on my bed. (There is another puppy that is slightly in the photo, but she is sweet so she has special permission to be on my bed.)

  This is the first proper blog I have done so let's hope it goes well this semester!