Dear Future Me ( A Message to Myself)

Featured by bloomingandwilting

Dear Future Me

Hey you! Yes, you, I’m talking to you,  the writer of this post, I can’t say your name because you want to remain anonymous.

It’s me , I’m you but from the past. So you know that you used to struggle a lot, in so many aspects, you were very hopeless, and so you decided to change your life for the better. Well you tried. So now I am going to speak today about my experiences and my goals and what I hope to achieve when I am in your place, in the future. Speaking of which,  where are you? Please write back and actually inform me as to where you are and what you are upto.

So to start off, I am in the co-op program for Life Sciences at a university in Canada, again I can’t specify which university due to privacy reasons.  Why did I choose a co-op program rather than a normal program? Well to start off, experience, experience and did I mention experience? Although its not the only reason for joining this program, it is a big reason. Experience is key in job searching, I’ve heard many personal stories on how several people graduated university but were having a hard time with job searching. A university degree does not guarantee you a job, but experience, social, technical and employable skills do increase those chances. To add to that , experiential learning is also a large reason as to why I chose co-op. What better way to excel in what I do, than to actually apply and experience what I am reading and listening about? I also learn better this way and can refine my already existing skills and more importantly learn new and better skills to do well in what I specialize in. Furthermore, I want to build and refine employable skills, I want to improve on myself not only as a student academically and socially but also in terms of employable skills, and professionally.

So to improve in these various contexts, I will explain to you the different goals I have decided to strive towards this semester.

In terms of academics, I want to achieve at least a 3.5 gpa. Why? Because I want to to be well knowledgeable in what I do, not just pass the course, and get my degree, I realized that I had no motivation and no goals to work towards last semester, and now I want to change that. How will I achieve this goal to have goals and work towards something? I will start off by changing my study habits. Within the next two weeks I will begin to attend every class, and not rely on web-option. Also, I will make sure to be properly and thoroughly prepared for the lab components for the biology and chemistry courses by reading through the entire required lab information. I will also try to complete and submit my assignment at least 5 hours before the assignment is due, rather than leaving it to the last minute. Also, I will read the textbook while also studying from the lectures, and will complete the textbook questions for extra practice.Lastly, I will attend the facilitated study group sessions for at least 2 of my courses. Overall I will slowly work on my goals, I will build on these habits as time goes on. When I achieve this goal, I will make myself proud, and will be happy that I achieved something that I worked hard for. I will also feel more motivated as now I have many goals and aspirations.

In terms of personal goals, I need to improve my confidence and improve my mental health. How will I do this? To start off, I attend counselling sessions to reflect on my life and learn how to deal with stress, depression and anxious thought.I was lost and had given up hope these past two years. I need to change and overcome my mental health issues. Firstly, I began meditation, I started with 5 minutes everyday. Meditation is great for overall mental health as research has proven that it increases grey matter in your brain which is linked to improvements in certain cognitive abilities such as awareness and memory. Also,  I will also  go to the gym at least 3 times a week, for an hour on the elliptical machine. Why? Exercise is proven to help with depression. It improves focus , and not only helps with physical health but also mental health. Furthermore I immediately notice an improvement in mental clarity post workout. How will I improve my confidence? I have started taking risks, for an example, the creation of this blog in itself was a huge step out of my comfort zone, and I am growing to quite like this. Also, I am beginning to join extracurricular activities. I will try to get involved in extra curricular activities once every two weeks. I will also tell myself every morning that I am capable and I can do this. I will also make a daily checklist on my phone to keep track of the days events and deadlines. This will help with the management of stress and hopelessness, as I will take things step by step. After I achieve this goal, I will be ecstatic as I will understand that obstacles in life can be overcome and if not overcome completely, they can be managed, while also helping me grow as a person.

For professional goals, I want to experience various settings to decide on what I wish to do career wise, post graduating.I had no idea what I was going to do career wise, this previous semester, however I have decided that I enjoy neuroscience. I want to pursue a career in neuroscience. To realized technical skills required for biology, chemistry and psychology are definitely needed. I will improve my skills with Microsoft Excel, as biology has several components which require statistical analyses. I will do this by watching YouTube videos on how to properly navigate the software. Furthermore, I want to improve my analytical skills as this will help with research oriented fields. To work towards my goals, I will apply to a work-study job position for the summer, and possibly for the fall and winter semesters too. I will try to get a job as an undergraduate lab assistant. This will help me develop and refine technical lab skills. Furthermore, I will apply for this position through CLN. I will improve my resume and get it peer revised through the AA and CC. This position will help me develop the employable professional skills needed in a lab or a research assistant position. When I apply for a co-op position these skills and experiences will hopefully help me land a position as a research assistant. I will also join extracurricular groups such as the Psychological Health Association and will look up different groups to see if any will help with with my future co-op placement and will help with my resume. Additionally, when I achieve these goals, I will be super happy as hopefully I will be working towards a career that I enjoy and love. I will also believe in myself more, as I will realize that I really can do this, and do well in what I choose to do. Also, I will start to work towards making  difference in this world, whether it be through helping someone with their problems, or even discovering the cure to any incurable disease, or maybe improve current treatment options for certain diseases and health issues. Whatever it may be, I will try my best to have a positive impact on society and make a difference, and leave a permanent footprint in this world.

So, future me,  in the meantime, here’s a good video that you can watch to help you if you ever feel unmotivated.

 

 

Sincerely;

-Blooming and Wilting  😛

 

 

An Introduction

Featured by bloomingandwilting

Hey Reader!

I hope everyone is doing well.

This is my first blog post. The reason I started this blog is because I decided I needed an output, for my day to day life. You must be wondering why? Firstly, it helps with daily stressors, as writing is a coping mechanism. Another reason is because there are lessons I have learnt in my day to day life, that hold great value to me, and I need some way to remember them, so what better way to remember them right? I’ll just post them for the whole world to see. LOL. Also, I feel as if maybe writing about my opinions and experiences may give another perspective or outlook to someone who wants to view situations analytically, and also draw observations and conclusions based on these viewpoints. Another reason for this is because, I want to raise awareness about certain topics that may be stigmatized or in which there is a great deal of misinformation and misrepresentation being spread. Overall, I am still new to all of this, but I will try my best to give the reader a good insight and experience. Enjoy the stories and opinions to come.

Have a great day

-blooming and wilting

FOUR

by bloomingandwilting

When I was four

I saw the sun rise at dawn

It spread its rays

and soon began the day.

 

But then it drowned

and so did my light

Dawn to dusk

Awake to asleep

Impermanence crept

into my dreams

 

the blood in my heart pumped

through four corridors

the atria and ventricles

my hopes were floored

 

Little did I know

That life worked the same way

living to die

yet dying to live

 

A constant cycle

like time on a clock circles

No end to the tragedy

tick tock

and then it stops

 

 

 

-Blooming and Wilting

 

 

 

“Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover”

by bloomingandwilting

I’m sure we’ve all heard that famous quote “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Its rings true across the spectrum. Growing up, you never realized the effect of attire,appearance and race on the way people perceived you. One can deny that oh no in our society , we don’t judge people by their appearance but rather by their character and whats in their heart. But that kind of outlook on this subject is an anomaly. Going to school, I noticed that people who were dressed better and wore nicer attire , were definitely shown more respect, and were treated better too. In terms of race people were evaluated and stereotyped. Even in terms of attractiveness, the more perceived attractive individuals were definitely shown more leniency and were judged less. This idea of attractiveness was dictated and created by the media and society. Maybe it has to do with socioeconomic status and the classification of attire or it could merely be that we as humans are drawn to  “pretty” people and things. This idea of being “pretty” and attractiveness is a social construct dictated by the media and society too. It could also be the idea of stereotypes about certain cultures, religions and races that are present in our society.

Students themselves would dress better and change their appearance in the name of social acceptance. Its something subconscious I feel, maybe it has something to do with psychology, but it does exist and is very apparent for the observer. I feel as if it also depends on the way the person was brought up. There are also several factors that affect this way of thought. The desire for social acceptance is a normal trait, everyone wants to be socially accepted and liked. I feel as if some people claim that this is not true and do not care for such things, but I also feel as if maybe the absence of social acceptance may make them realize that yes in fact we all do want to be socially accepted. The absence of social acceptance, draws enunciation on it, similar to how in order to feel the strength and value of happiness, a person may need to experience sorrow or sadness. There’s no rainbow without the rain, and there’s no light without the darkness. A juxtaposition is needed to create this variance.

However, as I grow older, I do notice that in institutions or social groups where education and grades are prioritized over superficial aspects such as appearance, there is a great deal less of this. People are more focused on judging and respecting an individual based on their intelligence level or their perceived intelligence level which is analyzed by their grades. I have a strong opinion on this too, and will discuss this further in another post. But for now, the lesson I have learnt is to avoid judging or summing up a person, without actually knowing and understanding the person. A person, needs to be evaluated and judged less, and understood more. People do change, and perception is VERY subjective. The way I see one thing may differ greatly from the way you see things, and the way someone else may see things. People all have different morals, views and ethics and even clear statements can be misinterpreted, so talking out this statement and understanding this statement properly is important too.  However, despite all this , there still does need to exist a system of judgement to dictate moral and ethical issues, and basic human rights. But overall, I believe that we as humans have a right to respect regardless of other medial factors.

-Blooming and Wilting