Well, I’m being a good girl and taking classes during the spring term so I can graduate somewhat on time with the proper endorsements. I’m in a web design class and a physical science class. When I enrolled, I thought, “no big deal, right?” HAHA. Try colossal deal. My strengths, according to my prospective degree and training ought to be Physics, Engineering, and Multimedia, seeing how my major is Technology and Engineering Education and all. Well, no, actually. At least not when it comes to theory, sequence, and logic. I once took a test to see what kind of learner I was. As I predicted, my learning style was overwhelmingly visual, off the charts visual. My logic level was at about 5%. This explains a lot about me and my childhood learning experiences, with my awful math scores even though to this day I can tell you about almost every picture in my math textbooks from the beginning of time.
So logic… not my thing. Which makes the theory of Physics quite difficult. Ironically, give me pictures and numbers and I’ll be fine. But, when it comes down to what one thinks might happen, I can trick myself into thinking that any one of the scenarios outlined on the test is indeed true, even when the answer really is NONE OF THE ABOVE. In my web design class this is equally frustrating as I fight through the syntax and logic of programming. There’s a serious disconnect between all that programming garbage and the visual product. WYSIWYG is my friend, CSS is not.
As of today, I am (hopefully) pulling out of floundering. I learned that sometimes you can’t be the best at everything, and I am doing my best to be OK with that. I am also coming to grips with the idea of asking questions. I am not above that, I realized. Last night my friend and I had a great discussion about what makes a great learner, based on President (then Elder) Eyring’s talk, “A Child of God.” Here are some great points I drew from it that apply equally to spiritual and intellectual growth:
- A great learner welcomes correction.
- A great learner keeps commitments.
- A great learner works hard.
- A great learner helps other people.
- A great learner expects resistance and overcomes it.
We were having Family Home Evening together and it was my turn to give the lesson. I knew I had some old talks stashed away somewhere, so I grabbed one without looking and it ended up being exactly what I needed to hear. It certainly put me in my place and reminded me that God loves me.
Here’s to a better week in the world of academia.
[RACHEL]
Doesn't he look cozy?
Greg Laswell. I secretly wished to marry this man when I was 18. I’ve come a long way since then as matters of the heart go, but I’d still kill to see him live. Maybe one day when I’m 21… and in California… I guess patience is a virtue, as they say. But seriously, I’d walk to California just to see his show. He’s walked me through heartache with his first release, Through Toledo… and now his latest EP How the Day Sounds has cast a ray of sun on my life as I find my heart again. Heartbreak was his muse when he started out, and amazingly, it wasn’t overkill or cliche. The feeling of Through Toledo– I almost want to go design and call it texture– was real and touching. It was the story of a man who lost what he loved the most. How the Day Sounds takes on a whole new tone, and shows that Laswell knows how to sing about more than just hurt and loss. His music in this EP is like the stillness after the storm. It almost says, “I’ve been through hell, but the sun is coming out… it’s a new day and I’m OK.” Listen here, you might just find a little of yourself in his music.
[RACHEL]
Filed under: Music | Tags: bedtime tunes, rock, sappy, sonic youth, superstar, the carpenters
Today, I listened to Bedtime Tunes for the first time in a little while. While enjoying the soothing tunes, I was surprised to hear a cover of Superstar performed by Sonic Youth… a song I’ve only ever heard by The Carpenters (although I have read that many others have their own special version of it). I watched Juno a few days before, and the song had its few seconds in the film. I remember being just as surprised to hear it then. Now, I’m not much into Sonic Youth, and the most I ever get of the Carpenters is when I’m in the electronics lab at school… but I must say that this teamwork puts a whole new feeling into the words of the song. It’s an entirely new perspective. Karen Carpenter sings almost sappily about lonliness. When Sonic Youth performs it, everything about it suggests an undying and painful longing. In my opinion, the voice and sounds fit the lyrics in a much better way… and for some reason, it stuck me straight in the heart. Go here to listen to em both!
[RACHEL]
