Narcissism, Good or Not?

Narcissism: self-love: an exceptional interest in and admiration for yourself; "self-love that shut out everyone else"
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&pwst=1&defl=en&q=define:narcissism&sa=X&ei=fi3GTMrKN4P98Aau59UQ&ved=0CBkQkAE


     Is narcissism actually considered a bad thing? I believe it could be but not necessary all the time. I believe it is truly fine to love yourself. Loving yourself is very healthy and I feel like everyone should love themselves in some way. If you don't love yourself who will? Having confidence in ones self is important in order to be successful now and later in life. However, narcissism does have its down falls. Some people take it to far and believe that they are the greatest person in the world and give no one else credit. I believe their is a difference between loving yourself and also loving other people then loving yourself and no one else. Being conceded can also fall into the narcissism category. People take it too far and it is ridiculous. For example, I love myself and give my self compliments all the time because I feel like it is a great thing to do. I am not going to sit here and try and act like I don't love myself because then I would be lying. People who seem to doubt themselves are the people who do not achieve their goals in life. Another example would be from the reading. "At the end of the day I love me and I don't think that's wrong," says Sharise Tucker, a 21-year-old senior at Southern Connecticut State, a self-professed narcissist. "I don't think it's a problem, having most people love themselves. I love me." I completely agree with Sharon 100% because her and I share the same outlook on narcissism. I was also reading what other students had to say about the matter in their blogs. Alexis stated some great facts on the matter and I believe she did a wonderful job explaining the different types of narcissism. I loved this article because it explains both view points and I can say I agree with both to some degree.

Midterm Grades Already?!

                   During these past few months I have come to realize that high school and college are very different. They have very different for many reasons. However, one reason stands out the most to me. The work load. The work load in college is much more intense then it is in high school. I remember going a whole week without having any homework or anything even due. I loved it and seemed to have no worries. Unfortunately, college is way different from high school. Since being here I have had the most homework I think I was ever assigned in all my 4 years of high school. It was definitely a change I had to adjust too. Before I knew it was midterms. I thought to myself, "Midterms already?" I was shocked and nervous to say the least. Although, I believe I am where I wanted to be with all of my classes, there is one class in particular that I am scared about. Geography seems to be the class I am struggling the most in. Unlike all my other classes, geography is a lecture hall and it seems to me that the professor doesn't really care about your individual grade and just wants to teach and get out of the class room. However, I seem as if I am studying, and doing the best I can to keep up with the class and nothing is working. I have learned that for this class I will have to study A LOT more and dedicate more time studying. Besides from geography being a mail concern I feel confident in all my other classes. I will like to set some goals for myself to help me further better my academic career. For the remainder of the year I will like to study more and try to ask more questions in class. I believe if I keep my eye on those goals I will become a better student in the long run.

Coming out of my Comfort Zone

                This week I decided to try something new and exciting, something I have never done before. I usually like to stay in my comfort zone, as well as many other individuals,but I decided not to. Although it may seem easier that way, it also doesn't help to broaden your horizon. Now,  I am not saying I never like to branch out and try new things, I just rather stay comfortable and do the things that come easy to me. This week was different. At the student center they where having something that is called an, "Oxygen Bar." I personally have never heard of an Oxygen Bar and for some reason I was immediately interested. I wondered why it caught my attention so much but I believe it was because so many people were talking about how "cool" and "fun" they were. I was so excited to try it, but I was also nervous. Not knowing anything about this thing was very worrisome. So after contemplating about it I finally decided to go on and do it. I can to realize it wasn't such a big deal. All they did was supply you with tubes that you put in your nose and you just breathe in different scented gases. To my surprise I found this to be extremely fun! Usually, I'll try new things but I never seem to really enjoy them. However, this time was different. I am so happy I got out of my comfort zone and tried this Oxygen Bar. Despite my fears sometimes, I love to try new things and in the future I will try to be more spontaneous!

My Project

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JGv7NazAI8

Family Weekend ! :)

This weekend has come! Family weekend finally! I am very excited because my mom, dad, and two sisters will be up here on Saturday. Since I live in New Jersey I do not get to see them a lot. I actually haven't seen them since I moved into Southern in August. I miss them all very much and words can't describe how happy I am. I am very close with my family that being so far away and not being able to see them frequently is definitely a change for me. However it's a change I decided to have and honestly its not as bad as I thought it would be. I talk to my parents and sisters at least 3 times a week which makes this whole process much better. Me and my sisters share such a great bond and i cant wait to actually get to talk to them it person. They are my best friends as well as my sisters. My oldest sister is  pregnant and I haven't seen her since she told me the news. When she told me she didn't even have a little bump. So, I am so excited to get to see her and touch her belly! I feel like I am missing such an important time in her life and that makes me so sad. She knows I have to be in school and understands but I just wish she I could be with her during her pregnancy. I bought her a little 'Southern Connecticut' bib for her baby and I can't wait to show her! Saturday is going to be so great and I cant wait to show my sister's around campus since they have never been here before! Family means the world to me and this weekend will be awesome!

Benefits of a Peer Mentor

                

"A mentor is an experienced person who provides information, advice, support, and encouragement to a less experienced person, often leading and guiding by example of his/her success in an area." -http://www.ccsf.edu/Services/Mentoring_and_Service_Learning/HTML_Pages/PeerMentoring.html

 Before coming to college I never experienced having a peer mentor. Of course in high school I had a guidance counselor who helped me whenever I needed anything or whenever I needed to talk to someone. But at times I felt as if they didn't enjoy helping and just did it to get it over with because it was their jobs. However, getting a peer mentor in college was way different. Kaitlyn is very helpful and is always happy to answer any questions we have or listen to any concerns we have. As a freshman I didn't really know what to expect. I knew I would have questions and concerns and honestly, I was nervous. I was nervous because I wasn't quite sure who to go to. By having a peer mentor such as Kaitlyn it made me feel 100% better. A peer mentor is meant to help us improve our communication skills, study skills, help us interact with certain events on campus/let us know times and places, and help us build our confidence as undergraduates. I am very proud to say that Kaitlyn meets all of those requirements. By having a peer mentor I feel more comfortable to attend certain events going on around campus and interacting with more students and faculty. One of my favorite things that Kaitlyn does is update us on upcoming events on campus. As a student a lot of things are going on and you tend to lose track of when certain things happen. By Kaitlyn letting us know dates and times, it helps so much. I have learned so much from my peer mentor. Such things include, interacting more on campus, better communication skills, and becoming more confident as a freshman in college. I am so thankful for all that Kaitlyn does in our INQ class and will remember this for the rest of my life.

Future Miss. Toscano

                  When I was younger I remember what every adult used to ask me. "What do you want to be when you grow up." Rapidly my answer would be, "A Vet!" I would just say that because what little kid doesn't love animals and helping them? I never really put much thought into it since I was only a little child and wasn't concerned with my future. However, as I grew up I was forced to think about my future. Its weird in a way. I remember being a little kid and not having a care in the world! Now I was being forced to grow up? How crazy! All throughout high school I would contemplate what I wanted to do for my profession. I would continue to think about it and I came to the conclusion of something that had to do with little kids. I love little kids and I absolutely love helping people. So I put two and two together and figured I may want to be a kindergarten teacher. Although I wasn't fully convinced I still had the idea in the back of my mind. However, it wasn't until my senior year that I came to a decision. During my senior year I took a class that was called, "Family Life Skills." In that class we learned about little kids and about 3 times a week we would hold a pre-school for them. Each student was assigned a pre-schooler and it was honestly such a learning experience. I loved helping all the little kids learn new things and inspire them. Watching them grow was so amazing and I loved every minute of it. I am so grateful I took that class because it made me realize what I wanted to do for the rest of my life!

Blogger Perfection

              What makes a good blog post? Have you ever come across a blog that is very dry and boring? It makes it almost impossible to continue reading. So what makes a good blog post you ask? I believe many things go into a well written blog. Creativity, significance, interesting, fun, enjoyable, and individuality are only some of the factors that make a great blog post. Without these factors the blog will be very boring and wont catch the readers attention. Catching the readers attention is something a good blog post has to have. By catching the readers attention it grabs him or her in and allows them to explore your blog post with interest. Some people get the wrong idea about blogs. They believe that they are boring and useless. However, when you create a blog that is enjoyable to read it engages the reader and makes them want to come back for more. In my opinion blogs that tell us a story and let us into their lives are the best ones. Everyone loves a story and it seems to be easier to read when it is. In this INQ class many students write amazing blogs. For example I LOVE the way Alexis writes. She lets us into her personal life and isn't afraid of what anyone thinks.http://alexisinqblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/petrone-in-your-heart.html . Her words flow so easily and freely. Another blogger in this class that I admire would be Michelle. I love the pictures she uses. It catches the readers attention and draws us in for more! http://inq101molsen.blogspot.com/. This class is very talented and I truly enjoy reading and exploring all different blogs!