Time Strategies

 "Time Strategies"

Time management is something that I'm learning about and learning quickly because I'm just fed up of wanting to get things done, but taking to much time, procrastinating. It annoys me and makes me feel bad because I've wasted time that I can't get back, but that's something I have to work on, letting go, not letting myself worry about all the time I've wasted over the years and instead, start managing my time better, prioritizing things that mean more to me and getting ahead of my goals in the right way, not in the sense of juggling to many things at once. I want to get the most out of everyday, and when I get into bed at the end of the day, I feel accomplished knowing I got what I wanted to get done, done no matter how big the goal, big or small it's still done.

The two articles are read were the "The Important Habit of Just Starting" and "The Myth of Too Busy", I needed to read them right now at this moment in time, it's just another boost of the hard truth I have to stop avoiding doing things to get to where I want to be. I have to start making every minute of every hour of every day count, because it all adds up, even when you think it doesn't, it does....

I found the two articles I read very useful, this is the type of reading I actually enjoy, things to help me better myself both physically and mentally so I can achieve the things I want and have dreamed about for years. They also made me want to stay up to date with my college work and even get ahead with it so it doesn't interfere with my goals and dreams outside of college that are more meaningful than course deadlines.

I think the biggest time management challenges we'll face this year will be the group projects which sadly are used in more than one of the modules. The fact we are in a pandemic will make this work harder because we can't meet up and show each other are progress, it's all online, I'm just not sure how  it will work, but we'll just have to make it!! I found web design difficult last year so I know that I'll have to make time to look over things that I found difficult last year.

The only time management skill I would say I have is every morning I get up and write down certain things I want to get done today, whether it's going to the gym or reading at least two chapters of my book or anything else that I prioritize on that day.

The image is from wikimedia, here's the link, thanks for reading catch you on the flipside!!!.

Taking Advantage of Technology

 "Taking Advantage of Technology"

Technology is something that is consistently changing and can be hard to keep up to date with it considering how fast different mediums which fall under the umbrella of tech are advancing, from computer software to electric cars. All the technological tools listed on the module website seem very fitting for the module but also other areas of the course.

Blogging is listed as one of the tools that we will learn to use more to our benefit and education as we move into the coming weeks, right now all I would be using a blog for would be for updating my course work or reading up on interesting topics. I'm very familiar with "bookmarking", as I'm sure other students are as anyone you uses the internet for entertainment and especially shopping know what bookmarking is and how to use it to their benefit, like having your go to online shopping website marked on you're internet browser so all you have to do is click on it and it will bring you where you want to go.

This learning environment is a lot more community based than the rest of the modules we do in the course. Whether it's web design or digital video technique we are given work to do on the day, told the deadline then and there even if we are given the project late which did happen during first year. The fact that all the work that we have to do from now until the end of the semester is already there for use to do, that's not normal, normally we're given tasks each week whether we're cramming or waiting ffor the work to be given to us so we can get it done. It's just abnormal, and better than any of the ways the other lecturers are delivering their work.

Graphics is something really new to me, that's a field I'd love to explore a bit more to see if I'd be interested. I haven't heard of any of the tools listed under the graphics on the cdm site, such as Canvas or "Cheezeburger", and I've only heard of "Unity3D" and "WordPress" because of Shaun mentioning it in class. It seems like a very exciting new skill to learn about with a broad range of avenues to explore.

The image if from Flickr, here's a link, thanks for reading!!!.

 

Assignments

 "Assignments"

I really like the layout of this module as it is completely different to how the others give out and mark course work. The fact that the module has a whole website dedicated to the course work is amazing. The layout of the website is very easy to understand and looks great too. How the lecturer has layered out the work from week 1 to week 12 is a good idea so we can look at all the work that has to be done and not be shocked when a big project is just dumped on us one day in class.

The assignments I'm looking forward to doing are the twitter tasks, because their very different to "normal" college work. Even though we did blog posts last year a part of me loves doing them, but I also hate them at the same time because you just spend hours typing and sitting down on your laptop. The assignments I'm really looking forward to doing more reading which is listed as one of the few core assignments that we will have to do. At the start of lockdown I wasn't the biggest fan of reading but I've really gotten into it over the past few months and can see the benefits, so anything that gives me the chance to train my mind, and learn I'm looking forward to starting.

I really like the idea of having extra credit, it's different to the rest of the modules we're doing this semester. Two of the extra credit tasks really interest me, the "Growth Mindset" and the "H.E.A.R.T" tasks. I didn't think that it would be covered in any module this year, or next. I really enjoyed the videos on the growth mindsets we were given to watch, I found them very motivating as someone who's never found academia an easy task and was never given that instant congratulations because my grades were never great at the beginning of anything, so I'd love to learn more about that and at the same time gain extra points to finish the module sooner.

The image is from wikimedia, here's a link, thanks for reading another blog, at this point I feel like I'm writing a book!!!. 

A Growth Mindset

 "A Growth Mindset"

Before I knew that this would be a topic covered in any module this year, during lockdown the overall topic of self-help, mindsets and mental strategies became a big topic of my life, even before this pandemic it was, but since this has all unfolded this year it's at the front of my mind. But, before today I've never heard of Carol Dweck, but I have heard and read about both growth and fixed mindsets. During lockdown I read a book called "Commit", written by a highly qualified mental strength coach Enda McNulty. This is a topic I really believe in, and believe that to be successful in any aspect of life it all starts with a mindset that is positive and one that is constant training just like any other muscle in your body. I believe you should train your mind more than the rest of your body, which will help develop all others areas of life.

I know that now I have a "Growth Mindset", in the past I have been full of self doubt, depressing thoughts and was prone to negative thinking when minor things went wrong, I'd always asked the world "Why me". But now I know that just trying to be positive in bad situations can change your mental state and slowly progress to having a constant mindset that is all about growth and positivity.

I know for a fact that a growth mindset leads to success in all different disciplines from professional sports to software development. A growth mindset is what gets successful people up earlier than the rest so they have more time to grow mentally but physically also, whether it's getting up that bit earlier to read a few chapters of a book, or go for a run or to the gym before work, making the time count. This is a topic that gets me excited, because it's a way for me to give the the mental edge over others, and helps me believe what I'm working for is possible no matter how crazy. 

My mental goals for this semester, and for the entire year are to just keep reading, training and exercising my mind, be positive in times of doubt and uncertainty, and overall trying to be as happy as possible as much as possible.

Image from wikimedia link here.

Introduction To A Future Happy Person!!!

 

Hi, guys my names Aaron Goodman, and I'm a second year Creative Digital Media student, at T.U Dublin, Blanchardstown Campus.

My first year in college, excuse me!!, University, was a year full of highs and lows. At the beginning it was a lot for me because it had been two years since I was in any class setting. I took time away from going straight to college because when I left school I had no idea what to study in college and to be honest going to college was never a goal of mine, to be honest it still isn't. I decided to go to college because I was faced with the reality of working an "unskilled job", that works you like a dog, and rewards you like one too. For about two year I was getting up at 3, 4 and 5 a.m. in the morning at the earliest to drive 45 minutes to lift and drive around suitcases, huge instruments and even surfboards for 8 to 12 hours 6 to 7 days a week, so I decided if I wanted a better life, education can give me a better one, maybe not my dream life, but a good one.

First year was a fun one, I learned that I know a lot more than I thought and that some people have no common sense and no almost nothing about everything. My favourite module from last year would had to of been a combo of both storytelling and narrative or intro to digital media, because I love making an editing video, that's mainly what I came here for, plus have the skills for good careers in web design and graphic design. For this year my goals are similar, instead of just passing my modules , I want to get C's and B's, you know, why not, let's go for a couple A's. I'm going to fast forward in the timeline and now we're in September 2020, post full lockdown, I went to the cinema for the first in 6 months, I think!!. I saw the new Bill and Ted Movie: Face The Music, it was just as funny as the 2 originals.

Moving on from what I saw in the cinema, let's talk about my career, or "life" goals. I have big dreams, I always have, my dream is to be an entertainer, from making YouTube video's, to being in movies and everything in between, evening interviewing/podcasting. I'm working towards them everyday, actively and consistently, I know dreams like that are very difficult to achieve, but I'm working hard day and day seeing small progress, I'd rather it take a bit of time then come quickly and not appreciate it. The rules say I have to include at least one picture in this thing, this "thing" feels like it's taking forever to type, might as well be writing a book, but you do that in college, don't you?? spend hours typing, writing.

Anyway here's that one picture that I have to put in otherwise this would off all been for nothing, here's a link to it, it's from my Instagram.

If you're reading this congrats on wasting you're time, you've gained nothing from reading this, good job, good luck if you're still reading, Jesus Christ stop!!!

My Favourite Game

I think  it was way back in 2009 when I got my first gaming console for Christmas, before I got my PS3 the only gaming I had really done was on my neighbours PS2 or our family Wii, and the only games we would play on that were Sing Star and Mario Kart. I was so happy to be getting an actual PlayStation because I was the last one out of all my friends to get one. Along with my PlayStation I got games like Midnight Club Los Angeles, Lego Star Wars and a couple other that I can't remember. After having my PS3 for about a year I had played through all the games I had and asked my mom if I could get Grand Theft Auto 5 because both my neighbors had the game, my mom said "No, it's to violent, maybe when your older".

After maybe two years of begging for the game my mom finally caved in and allowed me get them game, I was so happy that I told my neighbours and they all came over to play. Me and my friends played the game for hours and hours, daily. My friends always wanted to complete all the missions and get money and go from level to level, while the only thing I was interested in was going around stealing cars and shooting at people praying I wasn't going to get arrested. 

That's what the game was for me at that age, doing all the things we're told not to do because you would get in trouble, or worse got to jail!!!. It was an escape from reality, all the things you could get away with, that's why GTA 5 is my favourite game, because of how realistic and unrealistic the game can be. I spent too many hours sitting around playing that game and since then I never play any games, I think I started playing those games because my friends were and they always kept telling me that I'd have so much fun playing it. I don't think I've played it in over 4 to 5 years, I'm just not a gamer, never was.

Anyway thanks for reading, got a bit sad and gloomy there, also the images are sources from Flickr, here's the link.

Thanks for reading, have a blessed day!!!