Our generation is incredibly lucky. We have so much technology and many methods of communication that allow us to get in touch with people in a matter of seconds. While this is certainly beneficial, and I would not want it any other way, I made a change in how I communicate with people a majority of the time, and I encourage you to make this change too.
When people say that they are “talking” to someone, are they really talking? Probably not. They are most likely texting, snapchatting, or communicating in another similar form. While it is convenient and helpful to send someone a quick text, it is not really talking. When I was in seventh grade and I had my first boyfriend, we would spend hours on the phone “talking.” We were not actually talking; we were texting - there is a difference! One day, my parents said that I could not text him for more than fifteen minutes a day and, if I wanted to communicate with him more, it would have to be over the phone. I was not happy about this! Fifteen minutes seemed like barely any time and I did not like having this limitation. Soon after, I realized that my parents were on to something. I ended up loving the time spent talking on the phone. Receiving voicemails was so exciting and I enjoyed having real conversations much more than I liked sending hundreds of text messages back and forth. I liked my parents’ “rule” so much that I incorporated this new idea into many of my relationships. I called old friends on the phone, and I asked friends to FaceTime when we started texting. All in all, hearing my friends’ voices or communicating with them face to face was much more rewarding and meaningful than through screens. Something else that I have noticed when communicating with teens my age is that when we are together in-person, snapchatting, going through Instagram, and social media notifications can get in the way of our time together. Even when this does not happen to me personally, I have observed it at school events and at restaurants where groups of friends are at dinner tables together - so many people are on their phones! When people are on their phones while they are with others, they are not being completely present. In my opinion, time with other people is some of the most special time there is. When I am out with friends or family, I try to put my phone in my bag and do not look at it until I return home or am alone. I always end up enjoying myself much more when I do not look at my phone. The tendency to look at your phone when you get a notification is normal - notifications are there to try to get you to go on your phone - and wanting to send someone a text when you have something to say is completely understandable - it is so convenient! What I hope is that this post will shed some light on my perspective on communication and how our phones are not always helpful when interacting with others. Do you prefer texting, FaceTiming, or calling your friends? Are you someone who likes to be on your phone when you are out with people or do you put it away? Regardless of your preference, maybe we can all try to be more cognizant of how we communicate with others. Are you texting or talking? Are you listening to what someone is saying or are you more focused on what someone snapped you? Let me know what your thoughts are on this topic in the comments below! I would love to hear what you think and hear your perspective on texting and other forms of communication.
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10/13/2020 5 Comments I Got My Grade Back...Uh OhIf you are a student like me, you know school is filled with grades and tests. Grades and scores can be derived from a range of things, from quizzes to unit tests to midterms to Advanced Placement exams to the SAT. No matter the significance of the test, at some point or another you are bound to get back a score that you do not like.
This topic is of particular importance to me this week, because I recently got my SAT score. While the score I received is considered very good and I worked hard studying all summer, I fell short of my goal. I was very disappointed. I had worked hard. I had my hopes set on seeing a certain number, and that score was not achieved. While I am still disappointed, I know it was only my first attempt, I was not far from my goal, and I have other opportunities to achieve my desired outcome. Plus, I am feeling much better because I altered my mindset to view the events in a different way. I want to share some of my thought processes, and hope that they will help you when you get a grade you are not happy with, regardless of if it is from a small quiz or your final exam. The first thing I found helpful was allowing myself to be upset. It is perfectly understandable that I was upset. I had a set of expectations for how I would perform and those expectations were not met. I did not, however, allow myself to be upset for long. I gave myself two days to be sad and think about how disappointed I was, but after those two days it was time to move on. Another thing I reminded myself of was that there was absolutely nothing I could have done differently to have gotten a higher score. When I was reflecting on my months of studying and how prepared I was for the test day, there was nothing I would have done differently. I studied for many hours and put forth a solid effort. I do not wish I studied more, because I studied the amount that was right for me. The night before the test I went for a walk, ate a good dinner, and went to bed early. The day of the test I ate a good breakfast, wore comfortable clothing, and focused. I entered the “testing zone.” I had prepared and it was time to execute. Understanding this and coming to this conclusion, helped me be more at peace with the test results. My preparation was, what I would consider, perfect. This leads to something else I told myself, which was there is no changing my score. I can be disappointed with what I got, but there is no way the number will change. All I can focus on is doing better next time. I cannot change the past, but I can control what happens in the future. I can go and take the test again. While I prepare for my next test, I will work hard and stay motivated. I need to convince myself “I got this!” because, if I go in with that mindset, I will do much better than if I dwell on the past. Those were some of the things I used to change my mindset from disappointed to positive. If this situation relates to you, I hope sharing my experience and thought processes will help! A major takeaway for both bad test grades and many other things in life is to work hard, have no regrets, and know you cannot change your past but you can change your future. Have you received a test score you are not happy with? It is not something people normally like to share, but it is normal and part of life. Do you have any failed testing stories? Let me know in the comments. |
AuthorLover of adventures, traveling, family time, fashion, soccer, writing, and more, Madeleine is giving you all the real and relatable content you have been looking for. Archives
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