Time Strategies

After looking at The Myth of "Too Busy" and 3 Steps to Recapture again, I can honestly say that my time management skills have really improved. I unfortunately had to take the MCAT this past summer in order to apply to medical school, and so my time management had to be nearly perfect. I had to juggle 15 hours of my classes at OU along with 12 hours a week of MCAT online classes for over four months. My sanity was tested, but time management ultimately was my saving grace in keeping my mind sharp and my mental health decent. Comparing my past time management skills to the current, I can say that these who articles just solidified my confidence that I am moving in the right direction.

Improvement is Key!

Technology

I must admit that when taking Indian Epics in the past, I was terrified about all of the technology and tools that I had not ever used before. Now, I can honestly say that I look forward to using Blogger and other things that I became surprisingly familiar with. I did not think that I would be able to do things as well as I had liked in the previous class, but now I know that the tools actually aren't that complicated and that I can use some technology that I would have considered way too advanced for me in the past with ease. I am excited to see how much better my project and assignments will be now that I have a little bit more experience under my belt.

A Good Ole' Apple Computer

Assignments

I am really looking forward to this class, especially after taking Indian Epics previously. I really enjoy the freedom and flexibility of how this class is structured. In Indian Epics, I loved the storybook project the most. I also really love writing, and so I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to take a storyline and twist it into something new.  Project feedback really helped me to move my project forward previously, and so I am going to use that extra credit opportunity to try to do so for others as well. Just like in Indian Epics, extra credit is always something that I like to take advantage of, and so I will most likely find myself doing some extra reading this semester!

A Picture of My Dog Jessie: This is a Representation of the Smile I have when Someone Gives me Constructive Criticism 

Growth Mindset

Considering I have previously had Professor Gibbs's Indian Epics class I can recall the Growth Mindset assignment, however, I have had an abundance of assignments in between. Therefore, I decided to revisit the videos as well as my post from last year to see how my viewpoint has changed. I really like that this assignment is something that can be taken into many different branches by each student. For me, one example that I pointed out in my previous blog from Carol Dweck that is so relatable is the overwhelming feeling as a student to achieve an A despite the lack of actual learning and/or retention. I think life overall can have this issue in which we are trying so hard to achieve a goal or reach a point of success, that we don't actually realize what it takes to get to that place or what is learned along the way. Of course this isn't always the case, and in fact I really like the example of  practice in sports or performing arts in order to get to a championship or competition. I know that I personally can say from an athletes point of view that "just getting an A" doesn't cut it. As a golfer, I had to practice or I wouldn't be invited to a regional, conference, or state tournament. Therefore, if I were to slack off, I wouldn't even get the opportunity to fail! Thankfully, I can say that I feel that I am growing as a person and find myself stopping to smell the roses instead of zooming along in life just to get to an end point. Sometimes in life we metaphorically can be stuck by a few thorns along the way to our goals, but overall that can help us grow as people as well. 

Stop and Smell the Roses by April 6/17/11

Introduction to the Eclectic Megan

Hello all!
My name is Megan Renee Palmer and I am a senior this year at OU. My major is religious studies, and I am also a Pre-Medical student. I started off as a biology major, but after taking courses with Dr. Kimball and Dr. Hicks-Keeton, I found my love for religious studies to be major worthy. I enjoy the opportunities to take non-math/science based classes that give my brain a change with courses that interest the other half of my mind. For example, one of my favorite classes I have ever taken is The History of Heaven and Hell. Professor Shepkaru did a spectacular job in keeping the three hour, once a day course interesting and engaging. I highly recommend taking at least one class of his or the other two professors I mentioned previously, as all of them had classes that flew by because I enjoyed them so much.

In regards to my future plans, my plan is to go to medical school (podiatry school specifically). I find weird/gross medical procedures fascinating and luckily have been exposed to some pretty awesome experiences in person thanks to multiple volunteer opportunities in an E.R., wound care center, children's hospital, and many more. Blood, smells, and puss doesn't bother me one bit! I also plan on getting certification for certain cosmetic procedures post doctorate in things such as nerve mapping, varicose vein dyeing, and amputee reconstructive surgery. Not only do I enjoy the anomalies of the human body, but I also want to make people feel better both physically and mentally. Especially in regards to their legs and feet, people get very insecure about their abnormalities. I want to help provide relief so that they can live their lives not having to worry about hiding who they are or what they have, Everyone is beautiful in my opinion, but I want to help others feel that about themselves.

Speaking of insecurities, I have a few faults of my own. About four years ago I was diagnosed with body dysmorphic disorder, anxiety, and depression. Anxiety and depression unfortunately run in my family and is a genetic/chemical issue, however, the B.D.D. stems from a rather dark time in my life where I struggled with an eating disorder (as well as over working out) due to bullying in my grade-school years. Thankfully, I have God and my family by my side. I won't go into the personal details, but with their help, I am doing much better than I was and overall I am much healthier.

Now that all of the deep, heavy stuff is out of the way... I'm now going to talk about my favorite activity. I love to golf and I have been golfing since I was 11 years old. It is so relaxing yet challenging and I enjoy spending family time on the course. Not to mention, Top Golf is much more fun when you know what you're doing! I'm really close to my family, especially my older brother who is an OU graduate/current Putnam City West teacher and my cousin who is three days younger than me. She goes to OSU (sadly) and somehow we actually ended up being sorority sisters as well! Golf is a great way for us to spend a few hours together just enjoying each others company as well as some friendly competition.

I of course have to include something about my precious dogs. I have a Yorkshire terrier named Jessie and a Bishon Frise named Mia. Jessie is an 12 year old princess who weights a whopping 6 lbs. She still acts like a puppy and she is my sunshine on a cloudy day. She has the most adorable face in the entire world and I love her so much. I got her on Easter three years ago from my grandparents. Her original owner passed away from cancer, and the husband wanted to give Jessie away, as she was just a reminder of his deceased wife. She had a rough time adjusting in her new home as an older dog at first, but by now she knows that she is spoiled rotten and that she will forever receive constant love and attention from her second mommy. I also have my angel Mia who is 13 years old and is blind. She has cataracts, but her retinas are detached as well. She is my childhood dog and I love her with all of my heart. She is the biggest sweetheart you'll ever meet. Plus, not many people can say that their dog has an afro! I also have to mention that I am the proud aunt of Colt and Jack, the two craziest blue-heeler mixes that you'd ever meet. I am also the god-mother/aunt of the biggest pet bunny I have ever seen named Thumper.

                                 Jessie and Mia on their way to Remington Bark 2017    
                    

                                               Colt, Jack and Thumper Cuddling the Day Away 

Lastly, I am going to be the typical 20 year old girl and brag about my super sweet boyfriend. He recently moved all the way from Florida to Oklahoma just to live by me! He was born in New York, New York and is 100% Polish. He speaks Polish fluently and most importantly can cook traditional dishes. I believe I talked about how much his family has influenced my new found love for Poland in a previous post, so feel free to check that out as well! He is a tall, red head and he has the most true, ocean blue eyes I have ever seen. Even though he is a total Pokemon nerd at 24 years old, I couldn't be happier with my total goofball boyfriend.

Honestly, I could type all day about my life and the things I love, but I'm afraid I have to save some things for later. Overall, I am an artsy, crafty, book-loving, sappy, horror-movie hating, Lany and Billie Eillish listening, animal loving, sporty, emotional 20 year old young woman. I guess you could say that I am an all around type of girl, but there is nothing wrong with being eclectic right?

Three Storybook Favorites

Looking through the archives of random projects from both classes, I could see that not only were there projects that I had explored before from taking Indian Epics in the past but also my own project! However, I decided it would be helpful to find three projects that I had not seen before. 

One: The Brave Hedgehog 

I was immediately drawn to this story because I absolutely love hedgehogs! In fact, I have a large tattoo of a hedgehog on the right side of my ribcage.  I really loved the overall layout of the project and enjoyed the introduction that explained just how this project was going to be presented through the eyes of these adorable little creatures. I also appreciated the explanation of how the life of a hedgehog or hedgehogs could relate to the stories within the course. 

This is a picture of my hedgehog/lotus tattoo on my right side. I had it done at ZSR Gallery Tattoo in South Oklahoma City by an artist named Matt. 

Two:  A Whole New World

This story title caught my eye because Aladdin happens to be my favorite Disney movie. I liked the recap that the author provided on the introduction page of the storybook project because I know that not all readers are as obsessed with Aladdin as I am, and may not be familiar with the original characters. One of my favorite things to do last semester was to take an original story and combine it with something more modern (like Aladdin) in order to make it more relatable or even readable to people of this generation, and so I really appreciated the overall storybook project. 

Three: Toto's Adventures in Oz

Yet again my eye was caught by a story that I absolutely loved as I was growing up. The Wizard of Oz is a classic story that is easily relatable to many other stories and so I can see why it was chosen as a platform for this project. The pictures of Toto were icing on the cake in my opinion, but I may be biased because I am a yorkie owner. The author did a great job in using a variety of descriptive words in each page of the site and I look forward to visiting this project again in the future for some inspiration for my own. 

Favorite Places: The Best of Both Countries

Why choose one when you could choose two? Although India and Poland seem to be polar opposites, they are the two places I want to visit so badly. 

 Akshardham Temple in Delhi, India By Russ Bowling                                https://www.flickr.com/photos/robphoto/2727868694

As a religious studies major, I love to learn about how countries are influenced by religions, and I have to admit that the influence of religion in India is by far one of the most fascinating in my opinion. My love for India and it's culture started far before my decision to become a religious studies major. When I was a young girl, I read a book series Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck. Long story short, I finished the entire series in two days. I hope that one day in the future I can visit, along with my cousin who also fell in love with the culture through books.

   Akshardham Temple in Delhi, India By Russ Bowling

                                     

Poland Coat of Arms

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coat_of_arms-poland.svg

Poland may seem like a strange place for a twenty-one year old girl to choose as a desired place to visit, and I cannot say that it is a normal choice. However, Poland holds a special place in my heart. My boyfriend is Polish and his mother immigrated to the U.S. from Poland when she was only 18. His family is very set in their traditions and although I am still learning, I fell in love with their culture and language. My boyfriend had a difficult time regarding mental illness two summers ago, and after spending nearly two months in Poland, his entire life changed for the better. I can honestly say that I feel like I owe this beautiful country my boyfriend's life. We "joke" about having a honeymoon in Poland, but both of us know in hour hearts that we most likely will go there after all.