You know after a long week sometimes I just want to get away and do something that is satisfying.  This past weekend I did just that. I took a break away from my house, school work, and even friends. I just needed to relax and clear my mind, its nothing better than relaxing and clearing my mind especially after such a long week. This weekend came with more than just relaxing, I received a special surprise from a special person. I received a Wii!!! My goodness it was such a special gift because I wanted one for so long and I finally have one to call my own. The Wii is the greatest getaway and the greatest work out plan, it is so satisfying. I have a new friend one that guarantees me a great time! I am so happy… I cant wait for Christmas!

Around this time of the year I always see some of my peers walking around so strangely as if they are in a battle field hiding from someone,  I noticed this last year and again this year. I never really understood it, some of them would be in full gear as if it’s a costume for Halloween others would walk around with huge toy guns, darts, and even rope sometimes. It all seemed so weird to me, I wondered last year what was going on? I never really paid too much attention, but the only thing I knew was whenever I saw someone running for their life, I knew that they were playing Human vs. Zombies, and I knew to get out of their way fast!  I thought wow, where do college students find all this time to have so much fun to run around the campus from each other. From the outside the game looks like an intense man hunt (if you ever played that game you would know exactly what I am talking about). One day I was walking through the campus center and I noticed that there was a sign that said:  “Sign up table for Humans vs. Zombies” In my head I was thinking “are you serious? Again I have to see my peers running around on campus having all the fun in the world! My goodness, I have to admit watching them play this game makes me so jealous, I mean this is intense, it is serious.  In between classes I see some of them running for their lives, hiding, and even hunting their next victim. As crazy as it seems I wish I was a part of it, what a way to have some fun! I had to blog about this because I was thinking to myself today if I was playing I would be a zombie for sure!  why didn’t I sign up?  It just looks so fun I could imagine myself playing this game with a bunch of my friends I could imagine how much fun we will have. Besides what other time in the world will you ever get to be a zombie on a college campus? I can’t believe I missed out on the opportunity to become a zombie!

Ok so I promised that as soon I posted the first blog and once I settled down then I will talk about my summer and plans for the semester. I guess this is great because I haven’t  really had time to process anything. For a lack of a better word my summer was ok I guess, I can’t really describe it because I didn’t spend my time going to theme parks, hanging out with friends or family, or going to the beach. All I did this summer was work! My summer was a down grade from how my semesters are. I took an online class which was more adventurous than my days, I also interned at the Children’s Center on campus, which I absolutely loved! It was a great experience; this internship was actually connected to my online class. I also participated in the McNair program this past summer, I spent many days reading articles and doing research, preparing presentations, and preparing  for both the LSAT and GRE my summer was fairly hectic, lots of preparation! Summer in Oswego is not bad at all.I spent the summer preparing and I will spend the semester developing and implementing!

For the semester I am facing all sorts of emotions,  why?I am not sure, maybe its because I am a Senior! Yup, that explains it all. All I have been thinking about is Grad- schools, my LSAT and GREs… I just need to get the ball rolling to start the new chapter of my life.

I know you guys are expecting me to start off my first blog by letting you know how my summer went and what are my plans for the semester but today I have something completely different for you, something that’s way more important… Don’t worry eventually I will give you the update! Here is the reason why I decided to skip all of that  it’s because I have something on my mind, which I would like to call the ” Declaration.”

Yeah I know you’re wondering what in the world is Sherrifa talking about?  Well I am a senior spending my last days of exploration in the land of Oz, and I have all these plans and dreams, where I want to go, what I want to do, who I want to work for, how much money I aspire to make with my BA, and the list goes on and on. All these hopes and dreams are because I want to be successful, and of course I do the preparation to fulfill all these dreams. I learned something very important this summer and I want to share it with you because it helped me understand what to do with your dreams, how to approach success. Ever since I have been making progress towards living in the moment and growing with new prospects and knowledge.

This summer I read a book by John C. Maxwell, ” How Successful People Think,”  Of course I am reading this book because I am panicking, I am thinking oh goodness it’s my senior year, I am going out into the real world, I am going out in the professional field, I want to be successful, who do I turn to?! But that was my first mistake, it shouldn’t have been now that I was hoping to focus on my success, so I say to you all… go and find a John C. Maxwell now!!! This is the time. It doesn’t have to be in a book, it can be your mother, mentor, or professor. Work towards your success now, don’t wait, make connections, reconnect with yourself, develop new plans! Don’t wait until senior year or before the interview, don’t wait!!! Don’t hope for success work towards it every day, maximize your resources.

That’s it ladies and gentlemen, that is the “Declaration” I am not just talking to my peers, I am speaking to everyone, get to it!!!  I will leave you with these last notes from John C. Maxwell, I hope you can use these words for encouragement,  to be a star,  to be spontaneous,  to pave your own path, and  to develop new plans to achieve your success. This is what John C. Maxwell said:

” People who rely on hope for their success rarely make change a high priority. If you have only hope, you imply that achievement and success are out of your hands.”

I will say this to you, place value on your success, leave no room for hopes, starting make blueprints for your dreams.

This is supposed to be the best time of the year; you know happy to pack up and go home to start the summer, however I’m STRESSING!!!!!! Like many other college students. I cannot wait for finals week to be over with, I am looking forward to spending my summer here in Oswego, doing McNair, a summer internship, a summer course, and possibly a summer job…Talk about Fall semester downgraded! I cannot wait until Friday, the end of all my finals and the beginning of my summer!!!

Spring is one of the greatest times to spend in Oswego.  For students who are taking classes here there are so many things to enjoy with the change of weather. The snow is melting, so we get to see how beautiful the campus really is. Then suddenly the grass gets a little greener, the breeze feels amazing, and you can finally take a walk around the lagoon. Walking to class does not become such a hassle anymore, and these may seem like little things but after a long rough winter they are all things to appreciate and love while being here.  Spring is the time to pack up the heavy coats and huge winter jackets to start showing off your new summer gear. You start to enjoy the morning sunshine that hid from us the whole winter; spring is the time for Oswego to shine. There is so much to do before the summer hits, for many of you who have never experienced a summer in Oswego, spring is the time to take full advantage, because it is absolutely beautiful. It is the time to take a walk to Rudy’s for some  good fresh food, or you can take a walk down to Bev’s and enjoy some delicious ice cream! I am very excited that it is Approaching sooner than later, and all I can say is THANK GOD FOR SPRING!!

I was thinking about the highlight of my week, and I have to say that my Bio- Psychology class was a true highlight for me. Bio- Psychology?! I know you are thinking what could be a highlight in that? I know I probably would would be thinking the same thing if I read that someone said that was the highlight of their week. However I must share with you why this class made me so excited. It was actually the lab portion of the class that I loved so much. Usually lab classes are never fun, you always end up writing boring lab reports and you walk out of there not learning anything because you spent the whole time rushing to complete the lab so that you don’t have to stay the whole three hours, Isn’t that true?

Well my lab class was not the typical. I must boast and say, there are no boring lab reports required.Students actually have the opportunity to engage in Experimental Education, a method that has been successful in enhancing education amongst learners. With Experimental Education, learners get the opportunity to work effectively while learning in a more enhanced and active environment. With experimental education learners get the opportunity to implement what they learn from textbooks or lectures.

In my class we had the opportunity to work on a real human brain!!!! It was so exciting, it was a real human brain!! First I have to say that I was excited for many reasons but the main one was because I had the opportunity to see an actual human brain! Not only did I see it, I touched it, I learned about the different parts of the brain by actually searching for them, and organizing the different parts with colored push pins. Reading the textbook had nothing on actually working on a real human brain. Do you know how much understanding that experiment provided for me? A much better understanding, I am excited I was blessed with the opportunity.

So I will say experimental education is a very important factor in education, and it should be practice to help provide a better understanding of the things learned. Some times it compliments others learning styles, overall it will increase understanding, but what is especially guaranteed is class interaction, and what’s better than that!

I am so happy to have a brand new start this semester. Spring Semester is always my favorite; it brings hope to new beginnings. This semester I am looking forward to being focus, devoting quality time to my studies, and preparing myself for the next step in my future.

Last semester I realized the mistakes I made. I was overloaded, and I needed to balance myself. Being in college sometimes you could get caught up in a world that is so different than the world you should actually be living in. I am laughing at what I just wrote, but it’s true it makes perfect sense! Being a college student you could get so caught up its ridiculous! Don’t get me wrong college offers a world of opportunities. There is so much to explore in this world, so much is at the door step. For me, I sometimes like to embrace it and try it all; and that can become a problem. As I am writing this I am thinking how could I not? Sometimes people say to me, “Just do what you love.” You know what my response is to that? How do you do what you love unless you search for it and do it all! However I did learn that sometimes doing it all, or doing too much is not always healthy. This semester, I am actually taking the opportunity to not exactly do what I love, but more than likely doing the things that are effective to my life, and the things that allows me to balance a world that is not so chaotic. However, I do recommend doing it all until you find it all, at least even once .

I would like to use this semester to find my balance, remain focus, and embark upon new and wonderful experiences. So far everything has started off wonderful for the new semester! I’m satisfied with my classes, and I did not have to spend a lot of money on my textbooks. My first day of classes was liberating, I felt so relief that I didn’t have to worry about 7-8 classes (buying books for all of them), 22 credits, and three jobs. Yes unfortunately this was my life, and not to mention my other engagements and priorities. This semester I am taking only 15 credits, with two jobs, both which I enjoy. This is the second time that I will return to taking lesser credits since my second semester freshmen year. I am definitely going to enjoy relaxing and enjoying free time on my hands, and attending some campus events, and doing some volunteering.

I was just thinking about how much I hate traveling around the holiday time; oh goodness Thanksgiving break is coming up soon!! I started thinking about how I’m going to make it home? Where I’m getting the money from to buy a ticket? Is it even worth spending a lot of money to go home just for a couple days when I am going home soon for Christmas break? I would love to see my family, but then I started thinking about how families get on your nerves on a regular basis, and on holidays even ten times worst! I don’t know how much I am into the holiday feelings that are floating around, I hear so many people talking about how much they cannot wait to go home; to see their dogs, their favorite nephew, their uncle Luke, and oh by the way aunt Susan is coming up from Virginia, so thanks giving is going to be extra special. Why can’t I share that same excitement? Why can’t I be excited about the fact that my Nini might come up all the way from Georgia? Why am I not excited that we might have dinner at my aunt Jenny’s’ house? And we will laugh, and argue, and eat dinner at 11pm when we said it would start at 5pm SHARP!!!

Thanksgiving is such a special time, and I think I should be happy about this break, actually I think of all the breaks, Thanksgiving break is well deserved, it’s right at the peak of the end of the semester… so before we stress ourselves out, why not go home, eat your life away, be satisfied for a couple of days, and then come back and get ready to pull all of hair out while preparing for finals week. It is well deserved, I should feel like I want to go home, I need a break from this place, I need to rejuvenate!! What better place to do that than home sweet home .

I could just imagine how horrible I would feel if I missed out on some fry chicken, bake macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes pie, oxtail, curry chicken and all (my family is Jamaican, we hardly ever do turkey, only if they feel like following tradition). Plus my Nini is coming up, Oh my God she is so funny, why wouldn’t I want to laugh until I am about to choke. Missing out on cooking with the women in my family would almost be like a social crisis, that’s when we share stories, and the older women school the younger women on how to cook a good meal. Having members of the family calling asking what time dinner would start, and even if we tell them the time, they still show up hours later than the time we originally told them!! That is priceless!! We gossip, we share the same stories from last thanksgiving, we always have someone’s boyfriend who we have never met before sitting at the table with us, and the best of them all we throw down on a wide selection of some good food while giving thanks. Moments like those are so worthwhile, and they are so important, and I wouldn’t want to miss it for anything in the world!!!

Last week was a fairly busy week for me, but honestly I learned so much in one week. I would say that this week I spent so much time observing everything around me,  from people I spoke with, to the environment I was working in; and I found  out that observing is good for the soul it allows you to self reflect.  There was something that sparked my attention last week, and it struck me to think about my observation; Now when reading further, I ask that you do not think about this blog as an opinion or a judgmental statement, but rather as a simple observation theory about true self development.

This is what I learned, People love to compete, and often they create secret competitions that allows them to compete; but they don’t compete to win, they compete for self fulfillment and completeness, and this I will explain later on. People who compete for those reasons are the ones who I believe have missing elements in their lives.  So to explain things a little better,  I would say people hate to feel incomplete or out of the loop. So remember when I said that people who compete in that way are the ones with the missing elements in their lives; Well because they have missing elements they find things that will fill the spot of the missing elements; and this is where the competition starts.  Now because the spots of the missing elements are filled they begin to feel like: A) They are ahead of the competition B) they are complete because the empty spots are filled. But here is the problem, in order to be in the competition or ahead of the competition; you have to find elements that have substance and elements that have true meaning. This is a lesson that can help towards finding true happiness. By no means am I trying to define “True happiness” but most importantly to say that really there should be no competition, people should not just do things for their “secret competitions.”  Honestly the competitions are not meaningful at all.

So with that shared, you’re probably thinking this girl is about to get real philosophical on us, but that is not what this blog is about.  It’s not even about my theory. The theory was needed in order for you to understand what I would be saying in the rest of this blog. This Blog is about Self Evaluation; Evaluation of one’s self, your purpose, your circle, your commitments and even your engagements.  There is something that I learned from my advisor, and not necessarily that he taught this to me by telling me, but more so because of a little joke  that I have with him, but I realize that the joke is true.  I told him earlier last week that the reason why I enjoy going to him is because it’s like a counseling session, and he is no ordinary counselor who tells me what to do and how to do it; but he allows me to evaluate myself and find those elements with true substances.  

So to put an end to the competitions and those  elements  with no substance,  the first step to take is to find someone,  a mentor, a friend whose perspective you trust, or even yourself.  Just simply take some time on your own and evaluate yourself. In order for it to work you have to evaluate with an open mind logically and critically. The main purpose is to find those elements with substance that works for you and eliminate the ones that don’t. Now remember elements can be anything; from the things you eat to the people you hang out with, “your circle.” When you find the elements with substances, enhance on them, and if you have tons of elements with no substance but don’t know how to let them go, first thing I would like to encourage is trying something new, take the opportunity to step outside of your element and those things that constrict you. Then you should also try this thing that I would like to call “process and Progress.”  Think like this, slow process can bring forth huge progress, but only through deliberate and critical engagement of defining a purpose.  Try it, it might work for you!

To end this I would like to say self evaluation is not about being in the competition, it’s not even about winning the race, it’s about YOU having what it takes to deliver and accomplish through empowerment and true achievements.