Learning Challenge: How to Focus With ADHD

As someone that struggled with undiagnosed ADHD for years of my life, I have learned lots of different ways to pay attention while studying. It all has to do with the environment you create for yourself.

So many thoughts,so little time

1-If you know you are an easily distracted person, don’t sit in your room or in a highly populated area (the basement of the Biz) because you know you’ll end up just watching people walk around and not actually on the work in front of you.

2- Orchestra and piano music often help create a tone for work, especially for those who have to do a lot of writing. These types of music allow you to block out sound without confusing your thoughts with the singer’s lyrics.

3- Pressure can make perfect; I’m not saying to procrastinate everything (especially tests!) but for assignments that are smaller, if you know you focus well under pressure, sitting down and convincing yourself you have to have it done by a certain time may be the way to go!

Famous Last Words: Journaling an Escape

Journaling with Coffee is my Happy Place

To me, writing is an outlet that when utilized correctly, can open doors to so many worlds and different levels of the imagination. As a Public Relations major, many people probably assume that my best writing is done in the classroom, but that is not true. The best writing that I do is done in my own personal journal.

A History of my Journaling

I have been journaling since I was probably 8 years old. Though I do not still have those “diaries”, I do have my old notebooks from as far back as my sophomore year in high school. Looking back at how much my life, ideas, and thought processes have changed over the past six years is amazing, and I am so glad that I have had the chance to keep them going. It is sometimes a struggle trying to keep up with journaling while in school, but I do the best I can and keep especially life changing moments in there, even if I have to just randomly scribble them in.

Outside Influences

Other people influence my journaling by influencing my life. If someone is doing something particularly interesting, I’ll write about it. It’s fun to look back and read about what others were doing at certain time periods, and hear how my relationships with other individuals have changed. My sophomore year of high school, I became super close with my now best friend. Seeing how our relationship has changed over the years as we have grown is extremely fascinating and I love to see how things evolve.

Ultimate Goal

One day, I hope to have a daughter and be able to hand my journals down to her. I would probably give her one or two a year, starting when she is 15 so she can see where I was in my life at those points in time and know that everybody has struggles and adventures, even if it is hard to comprehend a past you never lived in.

Growth Mindset: Growth in Your Other Classes

Growth in Your Other Classes

Forever Busy

This semester is probably my most challenging and work excessive one to date. Below are the challenges I face in each one.

Weight Lifting: This class begins at 8:30 in the morning (so early) and sometimes I feel like gets in the way of my study time. I do know that I need to work out, it is good for my mind and body.

Solution: I can study my materials for other classes (or do the reading for this one!) while riding the bike or speed walking on the treadmill. This will make it so I am getting in my cardio and feeling ready for the day academically.

PR Research: This class requires the most time. We have a quiz once a week, a group assignment and single spaced papers that are 10+ pages due all the time. It is stressful and I find myself having anxiety over it.

Solution: Take a deep breath. Every semester has the classes that you have to just do the best you can in. When it comes to freaking out over my GPA, I need to tell myself that this will be the one class I can allow myself to get a B/C in and move on. This does not mean you failed, it just means you needed to share your time with other subjects, and that is okay.

Mythology and Folklore: This class only stresses me out because of the stories and the portfolio. I love the readings and commenting, but sometimes the writing takes a long time and can be forced because it has to be about a specific area.

Solution: Use this class as my “me” time. Doing extra credit activities (like this one) relax me and allow me to reflect much like my journaling has always done. If I can use this type of activity as an alternative to journaling, I can calm myself and reflect on my day. I like the topics of Growth Mindset, so this can be a great time to think about school and relax some at the same time. Get out the stress research brings through this!

Life of the Mind: This class requires lots of reading (300+ pages per class) and is very intense in this way. There are quizzes over all of these readings as well that ask questions over little details.

Solution: Set aside a certain time to take these quizzes. Typically, I do them whenever I am submitting my work for Mythology onto Canvas. It makes it so I don’t feel like I am spending as much time on it. Since I had just submitted assignments, I feel like I have just checked some items off my week’s list, and therefore I can focus on the quiz more and less on everything else I need to do.

The American Presidency: This class is very interesting and is the last for my minor. It has a lot of writing assignments and can get stressful.

Solution: Do the readings on the treadmill and come up with paper outlines! Find key terms while reading so you don’t have to go back and find them again later on.

Internship: Apple Corporate: This is not only a class credit, but also a job. This can determine your future and you need to put time into it.

Sports in Public Relations: This is my favorite class this semester. I have a huge project coming up in it, but if I can embrace it and make it fun, this can be something I enjoy and make not feel like a forced activity.

Reading Notes: Folklore of the Congo (Part B)

Biography: Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort (French Congo) by R.E. Dennett (1898): link here

Stories in Section:

-The Antelope and the Leopard

-How the Spider Won and Lost Nzambi’s Daughter

-The Turtle and the Man

-The Gazelle and the Leopard

-The Fetish Sunga

-The Rabbit and the Antelope

-The Fetish of Chilunga

-The Leopard and the Crocodile

Why the Crocodile Does Not Eat the Hen

-The Three Brothers

Hiding from the Antelope

FAVORITES

The Antelope and the Leopard

Fav Quote: “The leopard one day bet his life to the antelope that if he hid himself the antelope would never find him.”

Moral: Kindness goes a long way

The Turtle and the Man

Fav Quote: ‘"Let us build a large trap," said the turtle," that we may catch an antelope." The man agreed, and they set to work and made a very large one.’

Moral: share

The Fetish of Chilunga

Fav Quote: ‘Girls who are given in marriage by their parents to ugly men and who object to them on that account are taken to the holy ground. Then they hear a voice speaking to them, saying: "Are you then so beautiful that you can afford to despise these good men on account of their ugliness?" Then their hands are tied behind them, and there they remain prisoners until such time as they are willing to marry the men.’

Reading Notes: Stories from the Congo (part A)

Biography: Notes on the Folklore of the Fjort (French Congo) by R.E. Dennett (1898): link here

Stories in Section:

-How the Wives Restored Their Husband to Life

-How Gazelle Got Married

-The Vanishing Wife

-Another Vanishing Wife

-The Jealous Wife

-Ngomba’s Balloon

-The Wicked Husband

-How Kengi Lost Her Child

-The Twin Brothers

-The Younger Brother Who Knew More than the Elder

Favorite story in section: How the Wives Restored Their Husband To Life:

-Nenpetro: great hunter

-three wives:

The Dreamer (N)

The Guide (S)

The Raiser of the Dead (F)

-Nenpetro was killed by an ox

-N dreamed of his killing

-S showed them where to go to find him

-F brings him back to life

-Nenpetro says Fulla Fulla “is the most to be prized” because she brought him back to life

Which do you believe is Fulla Fulla? 

-many of the stories have to do with familial relations and one being better than the other (better sister, wife, etc)

-importance of animals

-everyone was “fine” “beautiful” “handsome” “great”

-multiple wives in many of the stories, cultural variations