Randy tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012-09-11:/cehd/randy//16597 2013-02-15T19:38:08Z Movable Type Enterprise 4.31-en My Own Personal Study Habits tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2013:/cehd/randy//16597.385553 2013-02-15T19:18:27Z 2013-02-15T19:38:08Z I think in general I think I am an overall pretty good test taker. I am a decent test taker if anything my averages are pretty good when I take test which is probably the best thing about my test... xion0650 I think in general I think I am an overall pretty good test taker. I am a decent test taker if anything my averages are pretty good when I take test which is probably the best thing about my test taking skills. What leads up to this is ultimately my studying habits and how well I know the subject.

The number one rule I go by is to not study excessively and especially not before a big quiz or test. My reason being is because I don't like to cram study because when I cram study and finally go take the test I feel unready for it. My philosophy is that I would rather relax before a big test that way I can get the rest I need to take the tests and I feel better about it after I am done taking it.

Another thing is that I think it is just best to know all the information beforehand. Cram long before the test and quiz and review over the week before testing that way the one day before the test can be used for minimal studying and relaxing before the big day.

My second plan is to study before the test in the case that I couldn't find time to study at all. If I couldn't find time to study I would definitely make some time to cram in info. Though I don't like doing this sometimes the situation just doesn't allow time. I do the best as I can as a college student.

Some more things that also helps with studying is too have practice quizzes or tests which are always nice to have. Another thing is to have people you can study with because it's a way to review with each other.

Places that I really like to go study is Keller Hall right behind Lind Hall, MCAE in Appleby Hall, and I like Folwell Hall right on University Ave. These are the places that I enjoy going to the most because I find I can focus well in these places and I sometimes meet friends here so it is a win-win situation.

Back to study time! 

]]> The Story of My New Bought Computer tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2013:/cehd/randy//16597.385171 2013-02-12T21:19:37Z 2013-02-12T21:42:42Z Around 3 weeks ago was when I had bought my new computer and I finally just got to use it today. It all started when I got it on the 21st of January just waiting for my brother to bring... xion0650
So my new computer just came in today and I picked it up all the way from the Fedex at Washington Ave and I live all the way at 8th so the walk there and walk back was very long nearly took me an hour to get home but it was worth the commute. I sent in my computer back to fixed on January 22nd and it finally just came in. I am very sad that it took more than 2 weeks to get it back but I got it. 

So now that my computer is in working order it works perfectly fine and if you are wondering the computer that I have for school is a 15.6" Acer Aspire. I really like it so far and it's the perfect size for me to bring to school as my other computer is just to big for me to bring to class with me. now that I have my computer it'll make my life easier now during class I can take notes on the computer and not have to  worry too much about space and I have access to power points online which helps a lot. So as of now my new computer is going to be my main computer and the one that I have been using is going to go to my brother since he doesn't have a working computer. It is sad that I have to part with my gaming laptop but I won't part with it for too long at all hopefully. 


]]> The "Almost" First Month of School tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2013:/cehd/randy//16597.385070 2013-02-12T01:56:49Z 2013-02-12T03:25:09Z So lately I have just finally kind of caught up in my classes and definitely having a harder time now than I have had for awhile. Just recently I visited my High School and went to go talk about my... xion0650
Some of the classes I'm taking require a lot of reading like Global History, University Writing, and my lecture classes. In general there is a lot of reading that I need to do and in all honesty not really ready for the pace but regardless I have to get stuff done so study it is. So far in terms of grades so far I think I am doing decent but just hanging in there and trying to get as much sleep as I can because I know that last semester I didn't do too well with sleep at all which was really bad and took a toll on my grade. This semester I hope and will do better, I  am very determined to do so at the moment. 

I think in terms of studying my first place contender for a place to study is definitely Keller Hall because it has good wireless and is very comfortable. My second place contender is probably Folwell Hall because it's really quiet there and the rooms provide a good studying atmosphere. These places are definitely places that I like study on my down time and since I am staying on campus full time I will be at these places most of the time now. I am making a lot of time for studying now so my basic schedule is going to be go to class, study, and work. 
]]> My Winter Break tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2013:/cehd/randy//16597.383812 2013-01-31T19:41:51Z 2013-01-31T20:05:51Z My winter break was quite refreshing and nice but I honestly felt it dragged on, still I can't complain about a month long break. I was happy class was done with for a month and I had my time for... xion0650
I went to work 3 days out of the week stayed home most of the time baby sitting the kids. I even decided over break to get a new Laptop for school (since I can't bring my home laptop with me to class) and I bought one. Sadly that story will have to wait another time. But overall went out a couple of times hanging out with some of my closest friends eating out at my new favorite place, Pagoda's right hear in Dinkytown where I live. Occasionally I came back to Minneapolis to spend the night. After being at home for winter break I was happy to be back in apartment. 

Though I didn't do too much over winter break I enjoyed the change of pace from waking every morning to go to class to being able to get in the extra 2 hours of sleep I've been needing. Since we're back my sleep schedule is place, school is back in my head, and Break is over so now I have to step my game up and finish the rest of year strong. 

Upcoming Blogs Topics: First Week of School, My Computer, Study Habits, Second Week of School
]]> End of First Semester Thoughts @ The U tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/cehd/randy//16597.380455 2012-12-10T23:11:20Z 2012-12-11T00:21:19Z The semester is almost done and I can't help but think that time is going by faster than I had anticipated. This school year for me went by pretty fast this year and maybe it's schedule, not having to be... xion0650
Honestly I was considering maybe going to a two year because I didn't really know if I was ready for this college experience but I thought hard and I decided that since I'm already here I will persevere and continue my education here at the U of M. I really like the U and I don't want myself holding myself back be the reason for me leaving the U. 

Going to better things, I only ave one final to take which is a relief. I think multiple finals would be overwhelming for me but I should get used to it soon because it is not going to get any easier. Otherwise the final so far so good just have to be ready to take that final and do well on it then right after comes the start of my winter break.

I think overall my experience here at the U was really great so far and met a lot of new people and made new friends. After being here for the past couple months it really has change my opinion about the U. Didn't really like it at first before I was admitted but now I really do enjoy it and do not regret coming here. The U of M is a really great place and it is a really great school for me. 

-Randy Xiong

]]> The Winter Times Are Here! tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/cehd/randy//16597.380268 2012-12-09T23:18:30Z 2012-12-09T23:31:19Z Right now I am back at Saint Paul with my family hoping to make it back to Minneapolis but sadly the snow is keeping me from getting there. The weather is just too bad to allow me to actually get... xion0650
I am wondering if Minneapolis is just as bad as Saint Paul right now. It seems like the snow hit all around the Metro and many other places in Minnesota. To be honest it's kind of refreshing to see all the snow in December. I remember seeing snow last year but it would all melt the next day which made it less of burden for everyone. I barely had to shovel last year. 

This snow is keeping me from getting back to where I need to be but I can't let it stop me from finishing off the semester as best I can. So I will be on track with my studying to make sure that my semester ends well. 1 week and a few days is all until semester ends and I have to end it on a strong note!
]]> Blackout tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/cehd/randy//16597.375359 2012-11-09T18:22:38Z 2012-11-09T19:07:20Z xion0650
Later that evening after voting was done I went back to the house and went to relax. For a few hours the power was perfectly fine until lights started to flicker. Around 8:40pm the power started to die out and then we finally lost power at our house. I looked outside and noticed that the power was out for the whole block. I kept telling my room mates the power was totally out for the whole block except for 3 houses across the street. 

My room mates and I decided to not stay in the house so we ended up going back to campus. While driving out to our destination we noticed that all of Dinkytown was totally out also which was surprising, I even found it funny that McDonalds was also out of power. We went to Keller Hall to study and wait until the power was back on. So we gather our things for our little adventure to Keller Hall. In all honesty I enjoyed this experience because I got to enjoy spending time with my room mates outside of the house. We just made the best of our time their studying and watching the election results. We ended up staying for about 3 hours even when we were notified that the power was back on which was about an hour after we left.

One thing that I definitely will take from this experience is to expect the unexpected in the college life.

]]> My blog thus far... tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/cehd/randy//16597.375330 2012-11-09T17:33:15Z 2012-11-09T18:19:01Z To all the CEHD Student blog readers, I am truly sorry for the time I was gone as most of the time in which I was absent I was studying for my exams and work. I am going to get... xion0650

]]> The Weeks So Far @ the U: Part 2 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/cehd/randy//16597.370924 2012-10-11T18:21:02Z 2012-10-11T18:30:02Z In my last blog I had expressed my frustrations away. I was in a time of need then. Now that I'm getting more into college everything is becoming less hectic and more relaxing. I survived the first month of college.... xion0650 In my last blog I had expressed my frustrations away. I was in a time of need then. Now that I'm getting more into college everything is becoming less hectic and more relaxing. I survived the first month of college. The key is to just keep at it and not give up. It is now week 6 and I am quite busy with mid-terms in two weeks I really want to prepare myself for what is to come. Two weeks is quite a bit of time but time flies and soon there will be no time to study. I don't want to give up the chance to study at all it is just too crucial for me at this point.

In the latest mid-term I took I got an okay score if it was an in class I would've not done as well as I did. I am thankful that it was a take home mid-term. So I need to study hard for this next mid-term because after that there is finals after thanksgiving break. I am quite amazed at how fast school is moving along it is already around half way through the semester and time is not slowing down for anyone.

I feel the need to just be more proactive about managing my life right now. I priorities that I need to straighten out. I am slightly falling behind in a few of my classes and I need to get back on track. This is the true account of what it is to be a first year student in college. There is no time to waste for education, sometimes you just have to pull through and be strong. It is as simple as that. This is my account on being a first year student in college. Find a rhythm and stick with it.

My Little Room Montage.JPG

]]> The Weeks So Far @ the U: Part 1 tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/cehd/randy//16597.368295 2012-10-06T20:22:55Z 2012-10-06T20:47:00Z So school has been good even though I had some rough times during the start of my fifth week with money being a big frustration for me. It is really tough coming into college not having to worry about money... xion0650
I was given some advice before I came to college. One of the teachers at my high school told me: "Don't worry about money while you are in school." 

My friend who I am living with too also told me not to worry about money and just have fun and study hard in school. I was being too pessimistic about the situation and he was right. Sometimes even when money is an issue I can't allow that to keep myself from a great education here at the U of M. 


]]> The Weekend Medley: Friends and Family tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/cehd/randy//16597.366525 2012-09-25T02:07:03Z 2012-09-25T02:24:28Z I felt this weekend was a combination of great times I had with friends and family. First off I had a great weekend with my roommates driving down to Chicago. I've never really experienced just being able to go somewhere... xion0650 I felt this weekend was a combination of great times I had with friends and family. First off I had a great weekend with my roommates driving down to Chicago. I've never really experienced just being able to go somewhere far without having to ask my mom if I could go. It is a little weird that I don't have my mom here nagging me all the time while I am in college. We took a road trip to participate in a tournament for a card game called Cardfight!!Vanguard which is a trading card game similar to Yu-Gi-Oh! We took a 7 hour Drive to Milwaukee. Milwaukee was our rest stop for the night, we were all so tired out from the drive already and all the electronics were dead. That night we rented a hotel and just stayed up late practicing for the tournament the rest of the night. 
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Our first rest stop in Wisconsin!

Tournament day we drive down to Illinois barely having enough for toll fees on the way there. We make in time to the hotel and we meet up with the other Minnesota guys playing in the tournament. We just wait and wait until we actually get in to register ourselves. Once that was done we got one game in for practice and finally after an hour of waiting the tournament officially started. Long story short my roommates and I lost at the third round. We all went one and three but two of the Minnesota guys made top eight and one of them actually took second at the whole tournament so he won a free trip to Los Angeles to play at North American Nationals. Pretty disappointed because being top two could have been any of us but the great thing about going was getting free stuff there. 
So we had already decided that if none of us make it to at least top sixteen we would leave after we get our promotional cards and that is exactly what happened. We went straight home after we got done playing a picking up a friend in Milwaukee on the way home. Yet another 7 hour drive home. The drive did not seem too bad at all though because me and my roommates just talked about life all the way home. 
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This picture is during the ride back to Minnesota. Very cold and rainy weather so the sun was nice to see.

We got home really late around 11:00pm. I ask my roommates to drop me off at home but sadly no one was at home when I hoped for at least one person to be there so I end up getting dropped off at my sister's house. I was at my sister's place for night and I got to see all my nephews. I really miss seeing them because they have grown a lot and I don't see them daily anymore like I used to. It was nice just to be around family that night and through the next morning. In the morning my sister cooked a home cooked meal which was really delicious, I had to get seconds. 

That same day I went to my work place to go hang out with my buddies over there to tell them my experience at the Cardfight!!Vanguard Chicago Regionals. I showed off to them what I got over there bragging about my pro status just for fun. Despite telling them I lost I had a good time just playing cards with them and learning how to play the famous trading card game Magic. That night also one of my bosses actually treated us out to eat at a restaurant in the east side of Saint Paul. 

This whole weekend was just a nice break from school and was a mix of spending time with friends and family.  

]]> Week1,2, and 3: The College Life is the Life for Me! tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/cehd/randy//16597.366521 2012-09-25T01:59:00Z 2012-09-25T02:02:55Z My first week of school was quite smooth considering all the chaos going around with people scrambling to buy books or trying to find classes right after welcome week. I felt quite relieved to finally be in college from high... xion0650 My first week of school was quite smooth considering all the chaos going around with people scrambling to buy books or trying to find classes right after welcome week. I felt quite relieved to finally be in college from high school. There is so much free time to spare I usually don't how to use my time. Most of the time after class I just go back home and rest. Welcome week and moving in triplex was very tiring and I really needed the rest. Despite the multitude of activities, classes were a relief for me. I remember going to high school eight plus hours with no breaks and now that I'm in college I have long breaks, great classes, and a lot of time in general. 

My second week was a bit more troublesome. This was the week where I started working full shifts at my work place. So my Thursdays and Fridays were dedicated to work which then I would spend time on the weekends just doing homework and what not. This didn't exactly happen the way I wanted it to. I spent the first part of my week going back to St. Paul to run some errands and just to go hang out for a little bit with my roommates. That night we didn't get back home until 10:00 pm and I was scrambling to do my Tuesday homework. So I ended up being a little behind for the week. The highlight of this week was Thursday before going to work. I got to jam out with two of my friends I made during welcome week and I also met some new people while playing guitar right outside of Coffman Memorial Union. Sadly I had to leave for work so my fun was cut short. The reality of the college life: Managing time. 

The third week of college was nearly identical to the second but with a little more involvement as I get my work life more settled in. During the week I actually went back home to St. Paul to find my head phones and sadly I didn't find them. I came back to Minneapolis just to find out I left my Ipad and my phone back in St. Paul. So I go back to St. Paul to pick that up really late into the night. That was my college adventure for this week. The highlight of this week just like the second week was jamming out with my friends only this time we went to HMSA to go jam out which was a lot more fun this time around. Well no matter what happens I still manage to have a good time every week even with all the mishaps. 

]]> Randy's blog - coming soon! tag:blog.lib.umn.edu,2012:/cehd/randy//16597.365264 2012-09-13T16:14:10Z 2012-09-13T16:14:44Z Randy is a new student blogger in CEHD. Look for his first blog post in the next week!... College of Education and Human Development http://cehd.umn.edu Randy is a new student blogger in CEHD. Look for his first blog post in the next week!