Week One: Muddy

Hello there world! If (by some chance) you are still following this blog from my study abroad experiences in China, I am now writing about my learning experiences in my computing class ISM 3004. As part of my course grade, we are to post blogs discussing what was either the most clear or confusing thing that was covered in that week's material.

For me, the task of blogging for this course will undoubtedly be the hardest task for two reasons.

1. I am absolutely terrible at putting my thought into words. 
2. I understand that I have to write about what is muddy or clear to me, but I'm really not certain how I'm supposed to expand upon that idea for a whole blog post.

I'm going to expand on my second reason first. Once I state that I don't understand something, am I supposed to talk about all the ways I don't understand? Criticize my instructors and point out flaws in their teaching methods? Admit that I am an all around lunkhead? I understand that I am responsible for the material on quizzes and exams in the future, so being the "good student" I am, I will look into alternate explanations of the material so I am not entirely clueless. Will writing out my new found understanding of a concert really help me understand it better? Maybe. Even still, for the concepts that I understand best of all, am I looking into new applications of the concepts? Explaining why it is important? Or, just rehashing using different words?

Now for my first reason. The (in)ability to eloquently turn my thoughts into words. Especially onto paper (or in this case, my computer screen). This is something I've ALWAYS had trouble with. It honestly takes me three times as long as the normal person to compose something. So before I even sit down to write about my weekly blog, deciding what I will write about is going to be a toughie. My outlook on life is to take things as they come, file that little nugget of information away in the proper place in my brain, and don't really dwell on it unless it really strikes a chord with me. **Warning: Professors of ISM 3004, please don't take offense to this next statement** I honestly believe that I will have difficulty finding at least one thing every week that truly resonates with me. In the many many classes I have taken at UF in my 7 semesters here, I can only think of 3 classes that have actively engaged me and made me think all semester long. I hope this class doesn't become just another number, but one of the few that truly stands out in my memory when I leave Gainesville for good in May.

So we'll see how this fun little experiment turns out in sixteen weeks. In the mean time- adios, sayonara, auf wiedersehen, au revoir, zai jian, or plain old goodbye.