How I've grown

I have definitely learned a lot about what it takes to make it through college while having fun and achieving a decent grade at the same time. The next step for me is to put that knowledge to use. I've learned that you can't do well in a class when you don't study, or go to class at all, like you could in high school. I've learned that just because you're in college, it doesn't mean you should go wild. I've also learned that organization and scheduling are very important skills to learn that will make getting through, not only college, but life much easier.

What does the Hixson Award mean to me?

For me, the Hixson Award is a chance for me to prove my worth to society. It is true that without this scholarship I wouldn't be able to attend this university due to the debt that would be accumulated without it, but for me that isn't the biggest thing I am appreciative for. This award means to me that there is someone or people  out there that believe(s), not only in me, but that I can help this society in a positive manner. And for me, that is truly the greatest reward.

Social Media Week

I learned that engaging in social media can be a very important move in your career depending on how you decided to use it. You could decide to use social media in a unintelligent way that involves friends and trying to seem "cool" or you could use it in a manner that is more appropriate, such as showing potential employers that you would provide an asset to their company or business. What really surprised me was that social media networks and blogs account for more than one out of every five minutes spent online. The top three areas where Americans spend their time online are social media and blogs with 22.5 percent, online games with 9.8 percent, and email with 7.6 percent. I know that online media may well dominate the social category as far as usage, but i believe that personnel encounters are far more important than any online social media.

MTBI

According to the MTBI personality test, I make decisions based on feeling compared to thinking. Those who prefer thinking tend to decide things from a more detached standpoint, measuring the decision by what seems reasonable, logical, causal, consistent and matching a given set of rules. Those who prefer feeling tend to come to decisions by associating or empathizing with the situation, looking at it 'from the inside' and weighing the situation to achieve, on balance, the greatest harmony, consensus and fit, considering the needs of the people involved. It surprised me that I make decisions based on feeling. If I was in a leadership position, say a dictator, I think I would make decisions that would be for the greater good of the group which may involve making decisions that are harmful to some people. 

Bucket List

College:
3.0 GPA
Campanile
Study Abroad
Get a tattoo
Host a party
Graduate

Life:
Get married
Have kids
Own a house
Start my own business
Travel from one coast of the U.S. to the other
Go to at least 25 states
Go to at least 3 of the continents
Bungee Jump
Sky dive
Climb a mountain
Climb a volcano
Die from a natural cause
See Stonehenge
See the Eiffel Tower
See the Statue of Liberty
See the Northern Lights
See the Pyramids in Egypt
Niagara Falls

Put an x in the oval of the option that applies: Good( ) Better( ) BEST!(x)

As the sweat dripped from my brow, I couldn't help but feel like I had the world in the palm of my hand. The name of the game is Call of Duty. The objective is to use preparation, cunning, and determination to defeat your opponents. By combining these elements I was able to overcome a difficult challenge.

I had been practicing for weeks against the computerized players in an attempt to better myself before I moved on to the online multiplayer. This was necessary because playing people online is a much more difficult task than taking on thoughtless drones. Eventually, after days of sniping and back-stabbing the computer players I felt I was ready to play with the big boys.

At first, I had difficulties adjusting my playing style to the more skillful and thought-out skirmishes with the online players, but it didn't take long to grasp ahold of the tactics needed to be successful. Soon enough I had the skill and wit to be considered a "high threat" when playing other people. There was one game in particular that not only did I earn this title, but it was the greatest game I had ever played.

The game started out like any other. I used my typical strategy of hanging back and sniping out the enemy from afar. After six or seven kills I decided it was time to mix things up a bit. There was a particular building that the enemy was holed up in, so I told my comrades to hit the north side of the building with everything they had while I flanked from the south. They got into position and let the bullets fly. Grenades were being thrown from all directions and the yells of the slain echoed throughout the corridors. As I entered the building I picked off two of the three remaining enemies with a well-timed hand grenade and finished the last one with a barrage of bullets through the cement wall, scoring a headshot on the enemy on the other side. After a few minutes of wondering around and scoring a few more kills, I ended up in a building, no teammates in sight, with little ammo, and enemies everywhere. I barricade myself in a room with only a window and one door for exits. I placed my only claymore at the entrance to the room and waited as I heard the footsteps get closer to my position. Before I had time to react, a smoke grenade was thrown into the room and I knew the enemy would be rushing in. My claymore went off almost immediately afterwards, killing the person who set it off. The second guy I took care of with the last of my remaining bullets. I had very little time before the rest of their squad would come into the room and easily take me out so I did what came to head first. I ran over and picked up the gun of my fallen foe just as two grenades were lobbed into the small room. Just before they exploded I leaped out the window onto ground below. Instead of running away like anyone else would have done, I was determined to finish what they had started. I ran back into the building, went to the room I was previously in and killed two guys who were trying to figure out where I went. As I exited the building, I picked off a few stragglers who refused to flee after seeing my obviously superior skills. At the end of that intense game, I ended up with 20 kills and 0 deaths.

In conclusion, I see the relation of what it takes to be good at Call of Duty and being successful my first semester of college. How I prepared by practicing with the computer players before doing the real thing is like studying before taking a test or a quiz. By being determined to succeed and never giving up, I can make it through difficult challenges that may arise during college. Lastly, I can use my cunning to make it through any tough situations that I may face.