Planning for the Future?

Sometimes it's hard for someone to plan ahead, whether it's a day, a month, or five years from now.  For people like myself, I love having a plan for the long-term and short-term future.  I just hate being uncertain about what is going to happen next.  Planning helps me organize my day and schedule.  Even writing reminders down helps me keep track of what I need to do.  Planners and to-do lists are my favorite as I remember what up-coming events and assignments I have.  At this time last year, I knew what classes I was going to take in my last semesters, I knew when I was able to see my friends, and I knew what I could handle.  It was the same way in high school:  I knew what classes I would take, what extracurricular activities I would participate in, and how much free time I would have.

Now, as I get closer to graduating and becoming a productive member of society, I've realized that there are so many uncertainties that I'm going to face soon.  How am I going to find a job?  What school will take me in?  When will I apply for my Master's degree?  Where will I go for school?  Can I afford it?  I have more questions, but I thought I'd stick with the basics.  Although these are genuine concerns, I can also recognize when things are out of my control.  Unfortunately, there are instances where I'm not going to know what will happen the next days or months, that is happening to me right now.  It's hard to trust in something that I'm not sure what it is.

Maybe this is a lesson; maybe I should stop worrying about things that are out of my reach.  Maybe I should enjoy the time I have with my friends and family and go out and have some fun.  I think of myself as a laid-back, down-to-earth, but recently, I've considered myself over-worked and stressed.  The future is unclear, but I shouldn't let that worry.  I'm sure that as I look back, this will be nothing compared to what I'll face in the future.  I know there's more to look forward to, so I should think about that rather than worry about uncontrollable events.


THREE HOURS AFTER I WROTE THIS........

Car accident.

A New Way to Organize Ideas


There is nothing I love more than graphic organizers.  Being a visual learner, I feel as though seeing how different concepts connect through Venn diagrams, or sequence starters, and concept maps.  Even a simple chart helps me organize my thoughts, rather than reading pages of information and attempting to retain it all.

That's why I tried an app called Popplet.  Popplet is a mind-amp that helps teachers and students organize information by connecting bubbles together.  It's a simple app that can be used for teachers in every grade and can be followed by any student.  It can be very useful for students with learning disabilities, ESOL students, or AP students.  Students can use Popplet for group projects, or teachers can teach an introduction lesson, like I did.  You can embed videos or upload pictures to enhance the Popplet.  A couple things to keep in mind: you can change the color of the bubbles, but you can change the font.  It was a little difficult uploading the videos, but it will still show them.  If you want to assigne a fun, little project, I would definitely use this!

http://popplet.com/app/#/3911733