Learning Challenge: Happiness Jar Results
For this week's Learning Challenge, I decided to write a blog post detailing the results of the Happiness Jar challenge I started. I meant for this challenge to be a week long, but I missed the opportunity to write about it last week, so I'm doing it this week. Essentially, I was supposed to write at least one thing each day that made me happy that day and put it in a jar. At the end of the week, I would open that jar and reflect on what I wrote.
The last two weeks were actually super stressful, but I managed to find something each day that brightened the day for me. The top mark on that list was the midterm exam I took two Thursdays ago in Introduction to Analysis II. Introduction to Analysis I was the first class I didn't earn an A in by the end of the semester, and that really put me down for a long time afterward. So, I was naturally worried about the second installment of the course. I tried new study habits to help remember the theorems, definitions, example applications, etc. just so I can try to do better this time around. It actually paid off, because I scored a 92% (in comparison to the 73% exam average I had in the first class)! It was one of the higher grades in the class, and I definitely think I'm going to earn an A in that class now. It was super exciting for me and helped relieve quite a bit of stress.
The Tuesday after that I also had a Topology exam, and I haven't received my scores back for that test yet. However, I did spend the weekend studying for it. I was also worried about this exam because I felt like I didn't understand what was going on in class with connected/path-connected spaces. My professor released a load of practice exam problems, though, and I quickly found out I actually knew a lot more than I had thought. So - I think it was Saturday - I wrote down that I studied and felt incredibly prepared for the upcoming exam in that class because it made me happy. Consequently, I think I did well on the exam. The practice problems were great preparation for it in my opinion.
I'm still not sure what the challenge means by "Was the experiment a success?" However, looking back has made me realize I actually have things going great right now so I shouldn't worry too much about the future. I'm graduating this semester with a B.S. in Mathematics, and I'm not even 19 yet. The only thing that is getting in my way of true happiness is probably graduate school. I still haven't heard anything back from the Ph.D. program I apply for here at OU's math department (As in whether I was accepted or not)! Neither have my friends, it's just stressful not knowing I suppose.
The last two weeks were actually super stressful, but I managed to find something each day that brightened the day for me. The top mark on that list was the midterm exam I took two Thursdays ago in Introduction to Analysis II. Introduction to Analysis I was the first class I didn't earn an A in by the end of the semester, and that really put me down for a long time afterward. So, I was naturally worried about the second installment of the course. I tried new study habits to help remember the theorems, definitions, example applications, etc. just so I can try to do better this time around. It actually paid off, because I scored a 92% (in comparison to the 73% exam average I had in the first class)! It was one of the higher grades in the class, and I definitely think I'm going to earn an A in that class now. It was super exciting for me and helped relieve quite a bit of stress.
The Tuesday after that I also had a Topology exam, and I haven't received my scores back for that test yet. However, I did spend the weekend studying for it. I was also worried about this exam because I felt like I didn't understand what was going on in class with connected/path-connected spaces. My professor released a load of practice exam problems, though, and I quickly found out I actually knew a lot more than I had thought. So - I think it was Saturday - I wrote down that I studied and felt incredibly prepared for the upcoming exam in that class because it made me happy. Consequently, I think I did well on the exam. The practice problems were great preparation for it in my opinion.
I'm still not sure what the challenge means by "Was the experiment a success?" However, looking back has made me realize I actually have things going great right now so I shouldn't worry too much about the future. I'm graduating this semester with a B.S. in Mathematics, and I'm not even 19 yet. The only thing that is getting in my way of true happiness is probably graduate school. I still haven't heard anything back from the Ph.D. program I apply for here at OU's math department (As in whether I was accepted or not)! Neither have my friends, it's just stressful not knowing I suppose.
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| A photo of the words "Happiness", "Happy" in a dictionary. Source: flikr. (I included this image again because it's honestly a good image relating to happiness) |
Ryan,
ReplyDeleteJudging by what your realized from your happiness jar, it does sound like the experiment was a success. Sometimes it takes the palpable act of drawing our thoughts out into the physical world to be able to put them together in a measurable way. As silly as it may sound, every Wednesday we have a High-Low-High discussion at our dinner table where each of us takes a turn sharing the good and the bad of our week so far. It usually takes a moment for each of us to decide what fits the bill for our highs and lows. In that way, it forces us to think about it in an engaging way that forces us to consider that things aren’t as bad as they may seem and that some things are out of our control. It’s certainly one way to remind ourselves that we can be happy! With that, I wish you happiness and good fortune in your endeavors!