Lessons From the Past: How to Achieve Success in A New Year

Oh hey guys,

Look at that, It's a New Year and I'm still the same bum (joking, but not really joking). On this post, I will reflect on my journey to where I currently am and give you guys some advice based on my successes and failures (For similar posts, click these links: here and here, and here). Skip to the bullet points at the end if you just want a summarized version minus my mumbo jumbo. Either way, let's go!

This last New Year's Eve, December 31st, 2016 was a unique one. While prior New Year's had been filled with deep contemplation and uncertainty, this time around, I found myself in an unusually calm state. This was a first for me since adulthood. At first, I could not understand why I felt the way I did, all I knew was that it was different. I had just submitted the final draft of my capstone project for my doctoral program three days ago, a burden that had consumed my mind and body most of the year. I had no deadlines to meet nor any pending decisions from an application. I soon came to realize this was the first time I was going into the New Year burden free. Not only was my plate free of obligations and pending decisions, but it had been replaced with opportunities and certainty. I chuckled upon this realization and thought to myself, "so this is what a sense of accomplishment feels like." If you can't already tell, this had not always been the case.

To be honest, I never really liked the New Year, especially for this reason. It was a reminder of failed attempts--a reminder that I was not where I wanted to be. No matter how hard I tried to ignore these thoughts or have a positive outlook on the situation, my failures always plagued my mind. It was not until I got accepted to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Northern Arizona University in 2015 that my doubts began to lift. It took almost four years for this change to occur. Tired of repeated failures during this period, I made a decision one New Year that I would not physically rest until I became succeful, which I wrote down. On this same note, I wrote down specific areas in my life that I wanted to become successful at, what that success would look like and steps I needed to take towards attaining that success. I will make mention that my definition of success is based on the accomplishment of goals and self-growth, with no monetary implications. This pact set me on a journey of self-discovery and growth, filled with many, many, many rejections. But this period taught me many great lessons.

First, time is EVERYTHING, respect it.
I've had my fair share of mourning and feeling sorry for myself, but at the end of the day, that never changed my situation. I quickly came to detach myself from self-pity and grew an obsession for time. I was on a mission for success and time was not in my favor--EVERY minute had to have purpose in attaining my success. I found myself agitated with activities that consumed my time and didn't get me any closer to attaining my goals. I gave up activities that squandered my time, such as going out to the clubs or binge movie watching. As obsessive as it may seem, I learned to respect and value my time.

Second, opportunity isn't always around, sometimes you have to make it.
An entrepreneur by my definition is one that takes destiny into their hands. Utilizing my time more wisely allowed me to be more productive and apply for more positions and programs but this did not materialize into any opportunities. Following my motto of seeking solutions and not problems, I examined myself as an applicant and asked what ways I could improve--I needed experience. I was not taught this in my undergraduate--I assumed I would have the world at my hands after graduating, after all, I had a college degree. The world did not care for my degree, or my volunteer and internship positions. I faced the plight of a young applicant, I had no experience and no one was giving me the opportunity to gain experience. I decided I would forge my own destiny with or without the assistance of anyone or any programs acceptance. I did this by writing my strengths, weaknesses, skills, and accomplishments, essentially making a curriculum vitae. If you haven't noticed by now, I am a huge advocate of writing things down--your mind will trick you into overestimating or underestimating situations! In essence, my list was summarized to "college graduate with training in biological research and critical analysis with some life experience." These were the tangible skills I was bringing to the table. From this, I chose what I could work on with the resources available to me (money, equipment, infrastructure). This blog and my other blog are a result of this. On The Gist, I use my critical analysis skill to discuss topical issues that interest me. On here, I give advice on matters concerning college and how to make the most of your undergraduate career. Both blogs are free to run and I could promote them through social media. Many people have gone down this route and have made successful careers from blogging--maybe my blog will blow up one day as well, help a brotha out. My reason for starting the blogs was not to seek fame or money. I put a lot of effort into my writings and did the research necessary to support my articles, producing, in my opinion, quality products reflecting my skills and capacity. While there was no opportunity for me to gain experience and build accomplishments, I found a way to produce concrete products that I can, and do add to my resumé. Blogging served as a unique platform to showcase my competency and was a great addition to my resumé, which always seemed to impresses interviewers. I also improved on some of my weaknesses through blogging; I became a better writer and communicator. So, in the midst of scarce opportunities, I was able to create an opportunity, essentially hiring myself and adding that experience to my resumé.

Third, accept and even appreciate rejection.
I learned that rejection was not a reflection of my ability but a result of improper fit between two parties. I don't think anyone took rejection harder than I did and it made me question and doubt myself. Of course, there was still room for me to grow, but like Kanye said, "man, are these dudes that much better than me?" Was I really this bad? But like most stimuli, the effects slowly tapered and with this tapering off came a moment of enlightenment. Due to my desperation, I applied to jobs and programs that make me cringe now that I look back. Although desperate, I soon realized my goal was not to just get accepted but to get accepted where I needed to be. In essence, my rejections kept me on the right track and this gave me confidence when I was applying for programs and interviewing. I stopped stressing so much on trying to portray what I thought programs wanted in an applicant, and began telling my story and expressing myself. I was Ochuko, and if you were going to accept me, it would be based on every part of me including my failures. This approach reduced the chances of false positives. Through rejections, my confidence was strengthened, something I had lost.

In the words of my mother, "so, what am I saying?" My success in 2016 and subsequent peace I experienced going into the New Year was not the result of what I did in 2016--it was the culmination of experiences and my decision to chase success years ago. I went into 2017 with a peace and confidence I had never had before. I am certain this year is going to be even better and I credit the journey I have endured and opportunities I have seized. Those experiences have formed the foundation and enabled me to handle the opportunities presented to me now. I have started my year on fire, kicking off my photography business, I have a series of photography exhibitions planned, I landed two promising internships for the year, and I am in the process of developing a publication platform for my DPT program at NAU where I will be writing more focused articles, amongst other things.

I graduated from my undergraduate program in December 2012 and started my graduate program in August 2015. Of the four years of uncertainty I faced, this period from undergraduate to graduate school were the hardest and most challenging but also the most impactful on who I am today. The hardship of that period cultivated behaviors and skills that manifested themselves in 2016. I hate to give the cliché phrase of "work hard and never give up." We all know this. Instead, I will leave with this summary of things I learned from my past that you can use to start your journey to success.

1) Time is scarce, respect and value it.

2) An entrepreneur is one that takes their destiny into their hands. Don't wait for opportunities, harness the entrepreneurs mentality and create your own--sometimes your skills and ideas might be beyond the scope of established norms.

3) Find a platform to utilize and strengthen your skills. Social media is a great platform and it is FREE!

4) When it comes to a resumé, nothing is insignificant as long as you can tie it in appropriately and it is of high quality, except meme page manager; that might be harder to sell.

5) Rejections are not a reflection of you or your abilities, but rather a result of improper fit between two parties. Embrace rejections, they will guide you to where you need to be and let you know where you shouldn't be. Time is too precious to spend in the wrong place or doing the wrong things.

6) ALWAYS learn from your experiences. Only a fool goes into a situation and comes out saying that it was a waste of time. Like I said, your time is precious, if you're going to do something, make sure you learn something from it. Listen more than you speak and ask questions. Ask that interveiwer, whether you got the position or not, what areas of strength you displayed and MORE importantly, areas that you can improve upon.

7) WRITE THINGS DOWN. Your mind will deceive you but the ink never will.

Choose to be successful from this year on. Happy New Year,

One love

Doctor of Physical Therapy Information Session

Good news anyone! (a high five for whoever got the reference)

My campus is hosting a FREE information session concerning the application process for Physical Therapy school. It is a great opportunity to have your questions answered if you are looking to apply to a DPT program or if you are on the fence on choosing a graduate path. Here is the excerpt from the page:
"Interested in physical therapy school? Have questions about the different programs in Arizona, PT school life, or the application process?

Join us at this informational presentation with Q&A. Representatives from every school in AZ will be present to take your questions -- NAU, AT Still, Midwestern, and Franklin Pierce!

Please direct your family & friends who are interested in Physical Therapy to this event page! Contact: Beth Horn (bk396@nau.edu), Cruz Romero (cr374), or Maggie Delaney (md472@nau.edu)

September 26, 6-8pm at the Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix, see you there to answer all your burning questions!"

Follow the following link to go to the event page and sign up: EVENT PAGE

Cheers!

Major Keys To Success, Bless Up!

Hello Undergrads,

Happy New Year! I Hope you are all doing well. By now you must have all begun your spring semester or are beginning within the week. I hope you are all excited for the new semester and got the classes you want to take, I know how frustrating signing up for classes can be! 

As you begin the new semester, look to improve from the previous one. Ask yourself where you were lacking last semester and see if it’s an area that can be improved on or compensated for. There are three things that I urge each of you to prioritize this semester; time management, resources, and consistency.

Time management: 

This is rather straight forward and a concept I'm sure each of you have been lectured on tirelessly. Why the broken record? It is because this is a skill that people suck at, even adults struggle with it, myself included. It is one of the simplest but yet one of the most powerful skills one can possess. To be able to efficiently plan and schedule your days means that you will be able to complete tasks in a timely fashion, minimizing errors and unnecessary stress. So why do we suck at it if it is so simple and beneficial? It is because life happens. We are easily distracted, whether it is social media or laziness. We each have our unique distractions that prevent us from effective time management thus minimizing our level of productivity; as a college student this will be reflected on your performance in school. 

Alright, time management is important, we get it! Now what? Well, understanding the importance is one small part to the solution. Understanding what things occupy your schedule and which are distractions is the next step, and the bulk of the solution. 

I am a fan of writing things down because our mind has a funny tendency of distorting reality to please us; habitual tardiness will seem like once in a while occurrences, our abilities overestimated. How many times have you thought to yourself, "pshh, I could do that", only to downplay your failure after a couple attempts. The point I am trying to make is that we are not very accurate at estimating and assessing situations. That is why I believe writing down the things that are distractions, or take up a significant amount of time on your schedule will be invaluable. Also, just because something takes up a significant amount of time on your schedule does not make it a distraction, in fact it could be vital, but noting it will allow for efficient time management. Once you have a list of both things, see which are necessary and which aren't. Based on this, make modifications, reallocating time from things that aren't necessary to things that are, especially if you realize you are pressed for time on the things that are. Below is an example of a list you can make.

Distraction	Take up time
Video games (1.5 hrs/day)	School (6 hrs/day)
Social media (1 hr/day)	Sleep (7 hrs/day)
TV/Netflix/Movies (1.5 hrs/day)	Workout/exercise (2.5 hrs/day)

-       As you can see, distractions are the things you could do without but are fun leisurely activities, which are perfectly fine, while the things that take up a significant amount of your time are more vital.

-       Based on this, there are 4.5 free hours to either study or do something else. Let’s say you need more time to sleep because you are feeling tired. That comes out of the free hours. Any other modifications will come out the free hours until you are left with none, then you have to start modifying how much time you spend doing various activities. There are variables which you can’t change, such as hours spent at school, so it will have to be taken out of somewhere else, ideally from the distractions side.

Now that we understand the importance of time management, we can talk about tools to help you manage your time.

Google or any platform that provides the tools I am about to mention should be your best friend. I personally use Google because I am familiar with their product, my program (most educational programs also) use their service, and they have a good selection of tools. I also use Windows to a lesser extent, but they provide identical tools as Google, just for people who have a Microsoft (outlook) account. Calendar is one google app I use extensively; it's useful for planning my day and reminding me of important times. This will help you remain punctual and organized especially if your schedule is busy. There are cool features with Gmail that allow you to simply add events or reminders to your calendar if you receive an email containing a date or time. If you have an Android phone, you get direct notifications sent to your phone to remind you of upcoming events. There are other cool features with the calendar app, most of which you guys probably know of, but to the others, now you're in the know. If you need more information or if anyone wants to add additional tips for these services, please leave a comment.

Most of these services also provide cloud storage which is perfect for transporting various contents without the need of a physical storage device. 

Resources: 

Resources are essentially any tool, structures, or persons that help you successfully accomplish any task from homework, internship, to school in general. The list is vast. This post you are reading, this entire blog is a resource. Its purpose is to assist you and give you solutions to roadblocks you might encounter in your education. Resources are abundant for college students, unfortunately most of these resources are not common knowledge, you usually have to dig deep to find them. And when you do find these resources you should make it a habit of sharing it with your fellow classmates. Call it karma or whatever, but I believe there is never a negative in sharing knowledge and helping others succeed. As I've mentioned, there is an abundance of resources available to college students especially through your school. 

The library is one of these resources provided by your school. There are free books for you to borrow. While other people spent hundreds to thousands of dollars on books, I spent far less because I used available resources. For calculus, the tutoring center had books which I could either do homework with or take pictures of and use later. I had an old calculus book to practice with as well. The library had some of the books that I had to read for some of my classes. Friends had extra books and there were cheap books available through student run bartering pages on Facebook. My strategy was to view the required and recommended text for a class as early as possible and then searching through all my resources to see if they could be found there, if they weren't on there I would switch the class. There are courses that are required and ones that you genuinely are interested in, if that is the case you obviously don't want to drop these classes and the books might prove to be useful investments, but if that is not the case, I say save the money. 

I mentioned one resource earlier that I will elaborate on, that is tutors! Calculus was the hardest thing I had encountered. I was able to succeed in that course because not only did I manage my time wisely, but I utilized the tutoring center. I can only speak for my alma mater, University of Arizona, that had a fantastic tutoring center that helped with a plethora of subjects, but I assume other schools should have this.

Your advisors and professors are also useful resources. They have a wealth of knowledge about the coursework, different programs and majors, scholarships, internships, and solutions to many of the problems you might be facing. There is help around the corner everywhere in college, you just have to connect to the right people to get that help, don’t be shy to ask questions. And like I said, your friends are also resources. Surround yourself with people who are active in their program and school; you will pick up a few gems from them.

Consistency:

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the main event, the reason you all came here, CONSISTENCY!

Everything I have said before this pales in comparison to the value consistency has. If you've ever heard anyone speak to you about success but did not mention consistency at least a hundred times (sarcasm, but seriously) lied to you and did you a disservice. Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing is a product of one attempt. Sure there are one in a million scenarios but if you are a numbers person like I am, I wouldn't place my bet on that probability. Google, Apple, Microsoft and many other powerful corporations are all the products of consistency. These powerhouses were not built in one attempt. The founders had to be consistent with good practice. Consistency does not equate success, because you could do bad practice consistently. Time management and utilizing your resources aren't things that you're going to do once and see success, they must be reproduced and done on a consistent basis. A lackadaisical approach will give you lackadaisical results. You must learn good practices and be consistent with those practices, also developing and improving upon those practices for success. If you notice you are not performing the way you want with your academics, it will behoove you to switch practices until you find something that reaps rewards and be consistent with that practice. Unsuccessful people are ones that continue down a path that has failed them before. Consistency can lead you into and keep you in failure or it could lead you into and sustain your success, the key is to find good practices and be consistent with those practices. 

So, what you are telling me is, if I follow these three things I will get straight A's and become a millionaire?

Of course, when have I been wrong.... Kidding, but this is a small piece to the puzzle that I hope will help you achieve greater success with your studies. There is no one right answer. Always have an open mind and be willing to learn, because I believe there is a lesson in every interaction we have. 

One love

Phoenix healthcare students please read!

Hey guys!

Sorry I have not been active on here for a while, but I am back! This is a more specific post that pertains to students in Phoenix, Arizona that are in school for healthcare. The SHOW (student health outreach for wellness) Clinic is an awesome opportunity for students going into healthcare to get involved and possibly get hands on experience, depending on level of experiences. The Clinic provides free healthcare to disadvantaged populations and presents an opportunity to give back to the community! The link to their website is provided below; please consider visiting it to learn more about this great opportunity and see how you can get involved. If you do not have the time to commit to the program still consider visiting the website and sharing it with others who may be interested and you can also make donations through the website if you feel inclined! Not only will you be partaking in a rewarding experience, you will also be gaining experience and adding value to your resume!

SHOW Clinic: showaz.org

One love

SCHOLARSHIPS!

Here is a scholarship website I came across, sponsored by the US department of labor. Check it out to see if you qualify for any scholarships, it'll only take 10 minutes of your day! "10 minutes could save you a lot on your education" ;)

 And congratulations to all the recent graduates! I hope your education equips you for the next chapters in your lives, whether in the workforce or further education. Keep your passion burning and chase your goals vehemently!

Scholarship site:

http://careerinfonet.org/scholarshipsearch/ScholarshipCategory.asp?searchtype=category&nodeid=22

Reminder: FAFSA

Good day,

I hope all of you are enjoying your spring break! I just want to give a reminder on the upcoming deadline for financial aid application for continuing students. Please take the time to visit FAFSA to see the deadline for your corresponding state, and fill out your application to see what you qualify for. I will do my best to post any financial assistance opportunities I come across. In the meantime, refer to my previous posts for the AXA scholarship as well as other internship opportunities. Remember, the sooner you apply for these opportunities the greater your chances are of receiving them and the less stressful things will be.

Good Luck

Citation: What, Why, How?

Citations! The source of every high school students fantasies. I can still palpate the joy that surged through my high school English classroom whenever a paper that required citation was assigned. Obviously I am being sarcastic. Everyone hated those assignments, but luckily for me, and others who decide to continue our education, we won't have to worry about citations anymore. Sarcasm once again! If you plan on continuing with higher education, you will learn to become best friends with citations. It is a necessity for higher level writings for reasons I will elaborate on.

As annoying as citations may seem, they are quite useful not only to you as the author, but also to potential readers and the sources themselves.

First, let us look  at how citations benefit me, the author? If you are reading this article, chances are that you need to know something about citations whether it is for an assignment or for your own use. It is good to utilize citations in your writings because it gives sound evidence that you can base your propositions on regardless of what it may be. Imagine listening to someone who always blurts out questionable statements, for example, claiming that the government is collecting data from our cellphones. As a spectator, the first question I am thinking of is, how do you know that? What information do you have to back these claims you are making? There are plenty of people that make claims like this lacking any source to back their claims. The result is a void argument and a questionable reputation. The more often this occurs the less likely people will take your propositions seriously whether it be through your writings or statements. This can in turn be detrimental and cause hindrances for future works. This can all be avoided by utilizing sound sources and citing them. Personally, I have come to enjoy using writing as a medium to translate my ideas and thoughts. I write about things I am passionate about and try my hardest to depict those ideas in the most effective manner possible. Citations have become a powerful tool that I have utilized in backing my claims and producing strong proposals. As a writer, you should be passionate about the material you produce whether it be for an assignments or personal ventures. Citations will ensure your material will withstand any critique that might be thrown at it.

As a reader, this is greatly appreciated because I can rest assured that the resulting material is of high quality. Whether the material you are reading is simply to acquire general knowledge or to be utilized for another material, both the author and the reader benefit greatly from the utilization of citations. As a reader, you get the additional benefit of having links to other materials that can provide you with further reading on related topics.

How about the original authors? Well, the most obvious benefit is the exposure your work gets when it is cited. Not only is the person who is using your material going to read your work, but also other people who could potentially read that persons work. As an author, this is also a nod of approval for your work. This should excite you because your work is being appreciated and contributing to the world of information.

Altogether, citation is a great tool that transcends much farther than points on an essay or avoiding plagiarism. Citations help with the propagation of knowledge. My advice for students is to put the effort towards understanding citations and taking the time to utilize citations and to do so properly. Below are a series of links that will help you understand citations as well as databases that provide accurate data. Feel free to comment on this post if you have a good links not mentioned on here.


Citation Generator:

Citation Machine
http://www.bibme.org/

How To:

http://www.wikihow.com/Cite-Sources
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/02/

Databases (free):

Google Scholar
CIA World Factbook
Worldbank
http://www.data.gov/
http://www.regulations.gov/#!home
http://www.usa.gov/
    - Other .gov and .edu websites. Do an advanced google search for the topic, filtering the results for       .gov and/or .edu