Growth Mindset

Challenge by Arya Ziai

I have not heard of the growth mindset or of Carol Dweck before this. The concept is brilliantly eye opening. I am guilty of not focusing on schoolwork as much as a should because I waste my time overthinking all my possibilities, but this semester I am determined to improve and take on challenges. Challenges encourage learning and growth. My biggest struggle is prioritizing schoolwork, family, work, and a social life, so it is my personal goal to achieve a high GPA this semester to make up for my previous lousy semester.

Time Strategies

Tomorrow by Seaternity

The class has just started, but I have come to a realization that procrastination is a terrible habit that should not be done with this course or any other class in general. The blog posts take time and can’t be done in a quick manner. I am going to admit that procrastinating is one of my weakest flaws. In How to Beat Procrastination, they mentioned to confront the downside of inaction. That really resonated with me; I avoid the consequences of procrastinating at all costs. Why do it now when I can put it off until tomorrow? I need to realize the pros of starting something as soon as possible for the best results.

Reading Options

Week 2: Ovid’s Metamorphoses

I love reading about tragic love stories, so as soon as I read the part about Zeus’s disastrous love affair I was lured in. I do not know much about this topic, but the overview mentioned Zeus and Phaethon which are familiar names to me. Sadly, the main thing I think of for Zeus is the character in the movie Hercules. 

Siddhartha Gautama by Sacca

Other: The Life of Buddha
When I was in middle school and high school I attended a Vietnamese Buddhist youth group. I did not learn much about Buddhism itself because I attended the temple to make friends and learn Vietnamese. Siddhartha Gautama, enlightenment, and nirvana are familiar to me; however, a lot of other information will be new to me. I am interested to learn more because of my background.

Other: Chinese Fairy Tales
As well as being Vietnamese, I am part Chinese. There is nothing better than learning about fairy tales to be more enriched on a culture. I have seen tons of movies and shows growing up that most likely derived from some of these stories. I am excited to see if any of them are familiar to me.

Storybook Favorites

Chandler, Rachel, and Monica listening to a story.

(Source: weheartit)

1. Friends: The One With All the Stories

To start off, this is such a clever idea! The introduction actually introduces all the real characters of Friends and briefly mentions their typical hang out location. The descriptions warm my heart up because I am a huge Friends fanatic. The television series named each episode as “The one with ____”, and the writer of this page also named each story accordingly. I greatly appreciate that. It is amusing to see how the stories are based off of ancient legends, which turn to a realistic Friends episode/story. The design of the page is simple and fitting.

2. Tragically Ever After

Upon first impressions, the pages give off a mysterious and eerie feel which draws me in more. The design compliments the stories and idea very well. The introduction describes a spin on the traditional happy ending to fairy tales, and that is a really interesting idea. I wanted to continue reading because the writer draws you in with suspense of the unknown. It is a very unique approach to something so classic. There is something slightly satisfying about reading a fairy tale that is more on the realistic side because real life does not always have happy endings.

3. Gossip Girl: The Dirt on Hawaii’s Elites

Originally clicking on the link I expected a page that was more luxurious because of the original Gossip Girl television show; however, the idea is precious. The words on the side bar were a little difficult to navigate because the color almost blends in with the background as well. The introduction is spot on perfect! It brought me flashbacks to the show. It built my eagerness to read more about the juicy gossip of Hawaii legends. Sadly the background affected the way I read things because it gave off a dated vibe and I was imagining a more modern take, but that might have been what the writer was going for. 

Introduction of a Dogless Dog Lover

Me! Personal photo taken by Madison Curley.

Hello! My name is Sheena Nguyen. I am a junior Advertising major with a General Business minor at the University of Oklahoma. Originally coming into college my parents were against me focusing on an Advertising career because they thought it was too unstable and deceiving, so I previously attempted to get a Marketing major. I realized that I want to be creative and design graphics/videos, but marketing did not include any of that. Regardless of what my parents wanted me to do I am in college to do what best fits me. I switched to advertising as my focus, and I love it!

I am a music freak and have a variety of genres that I enjoy listening to. If I had unlimited money you would never see me at school because I would attend as many concerts as possible. One minute I could be listening to Kodaline and the next I’ll be switching to Chance the Rapper. A song that's been stuck in my head is Your Shirt by Chelsea Cutler. 

NYC Immersion group.
Personal photo taken by Alyssa Gaddis.

In addition to my love of music, I also love traveling; however, I sadly do not have the funds to go everywhere I want to. It is my personal goal to someday find a job which will allow me to travel across the nation or even across the world. Last semester, I was able to visit New York City for an immersion trip with Lindsey + Asp (a school run advertising and public relations firm). It was incredibly beautiful, but I never expected New York to smell so awful!

Any and all kinds of dogs are my favorite. I’m currently not allowed to have dogs at my apartment, so I am very deprived of puppy love at the moment. Nevertheless, my guilty pleasure is watching dog videos on Instagram and Facebook. I follow about 15-20 dogs on Instagram because why not? Dogs are the ultimate stress relievers.

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(Sorry, I added so many visual items! I’ll update my intro as the semester goes on)

Week 1 Story: I Doubt My Fire is Out

(Venice)

I doubt, I doubt, my fire is out;

My little wife isn’t at home;

I’ll saddle my dog, and I’ll bridle my cat,

And I’ll go fetch my little wife home.

~ ~ ~

After years of endless fighting and bickering, I realized I could not live this way any longer. My husband will not listen to my words or even look me in my eyes, so I decided it was time to start a brand new chapter in my life. I packed my bags and left without a single word of goodbye.

We never got to travel or see the world like we planned. He was always tied down to his job. It was lonely coming home from work and no one being there to greet me for hours. My husband used to make empty promises saying we will someday be able to go here and there, but after so many years he stopped mentioning those hopes and dreams. They meant nothing to him anymore. The first of many signs our relationship was withering away.

It was time for my fresh start. It was always my dream to explore Europe. It was supposed to be our dream… but my husband probably does not mind I did not go with him. He barely came home to see me anyways, and the only time we saw each other we fought like no other. The smallest things will turn into a fight we never expected. How does that happen if you love someone? Shouldn’t we get along?

Two weeks passed and not a single phone call from my husband. I guess our fire really is out. No sparks are left to even fight for me to come back. Deep down I was hoping he would come after me.

The following week I started noticing small gifts and trinkets next to me when I woke up. There were no notes or signs of anyone that left those for me, but I kept every single item.

One night, I was roaming the streets of Venice, and I felt as though someone was following me. I turned back, and much to my surprise it was my husband. I doubt, I doubt, our fire is out.


Author’s Note: This story is based on the nursery rhyme “I Doubt, I Doubt, My Fire is Out” quoted above. I added my own twist on the story by expanding it into the woman’s point of view instead of the original husband’s. It shows a different perspective. I enjoy watching romance movies, and those typically include a struggling scene that ends with a happy ending.

Bibliography: The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang.

Favorite Place: San Francisco, California

Foggy Golden Gate Bridge by photographer

Brocken Inaglory. Source: Wikimedia.

From the bustling city to the calming sea breeze, San Francisco is my favorite place to be. I have only been able to visit once, but I know someday in the future I will go back and possibly move there. There is just something about the city that is incredibly inviting. 

San Francisco street by photographer

Alejandro De La Cruz. Source: Wikimedia.

You wake up to a fog covering the whole city, and it is nothing like the fog we experience in Oklahoma. Once the San Francisco fog lifts, that is when you know the day is off to a beautiful start. You can go across town to be embraced by the ocean air or get lost in the crooked and colorful streets. Though the roads are not too difficult to navigate I somehow managed to get lost anywhere I went; however, that experience made me fall in love with the city even more. San Francisco is a city with diverse personalities and thousands of friendly faces. I can't wait to go back someday and experience this all over again.