Time Strategies: Things that Unsuccessful People Do and More!

Hello VagaBuddies!

We are talking about time management strategies today! Fun!

I honestly wonder this everytime, then my friend tells me "I dont know how you do everything you do." So I guess I just overwork myself: University of Waterloo Writing and Communication Center

I have always been a quite involved person (in high school I juggled cross country, theater, advanced classes, drum line,  and several clubs at the same time, and I've only slowed down a tiny bit!), so time management is a skill that I always need to keep improving. This isn't to say that I don't have any time management skills; I would say it is quite the opposite. I just recognize that I could always get better (read: I could spend less free time mindlessly scrolling through dance trends on TikTok).
One of my biggest problems is that I feel like I don't have much time in the day, so I was immediately attracted to the article 3 Steps to Recapture Time. I found this article really interesting, especially the part about "Recognizing the Pruning Season." I always find it difficult to finally quit a project before completion, but it is definitely important to let a project go when it isn't working. It's hard to put time and creativity into something that just won't bear fruit.
The second article I read was 11 Ways Unsuccessful People Mismanage Their Time, which attracted me with a good title. I am a firm believer that a good way to learn is to understand why the other way is wrong, and this article does exactly that. By pointing out traits that lead to time mismanagement, such as not planning fun time or even scheduling at all, it inherently tells what to do instead. For me, the time "mismanagement" strategy I most related to was juggling too much, because I constantly feel like I am pulling myself in different directions. However, one way in which I combat this is to plan ahead for challenging times and decide in advance what order to give things up. For example, if my schedule gets busy, the first thing I will stop doing is tutoring math, since I am fortunate enough to be able to get by without that paycheck for a week or so. That extra ten-fifteen hours a week would help me get back on track and back to my normal routine.
One thing that I hope to incorporate into my time management strategies would be pruning, the art of cutting things out. I hope to use this to limit my unproductive time in between various activities throughout the day, so that I can be productive during the day and actually get a full eight hours of sleep at night!
Here's hoping for more sleep!

Technology Tools + Extra Browser Extensions!

Welcome VagaBuddies!

Since this is my first online class, I was already mentally preparing myself for a different structure compared with my other classes, but this class also seems to be different than a typical online course! I did appreciate that it was explained why Canvas isn't used very much in this course, and I also appreciate all the helpful links that are provided to us!

Meme about how I learn practical skills and everything with technology: MemeBase

Most of the technology tips (especially about browsers and browser plugins) I was very familiar with. I do have a couple more browser extension suggestions!

Firstly, for all those who care that the earth is burning, I recommend Ecosia! Ecosia replaces your default search engine (which is probably Google or Bing), and uses profits from your searches to fund tree planting projects all over the globe! Not only are they very transparent about their profits on their website, but even independent reviews are also always positive! It's a great way to incorporate green living in your everday life.

Another suggestion I have that EVERYONE needs to download is Honey. Honey is another free browser extension that automatically searches the internet for online coupons and then checks all of them in a couple while you are just sitting at the check out page of your favorite online store. Then, based on how much you save, you also receive "honey gold," which can be spent on more bonuses. Basically, it's a must-have for online shoppers.

I hope that you find either of these extensions useful, and happy internet-ing!

Vaga-Buon Voyage!

Class Assignments Review

Hello VagaBuddies!

First of all, enjoy this meme I made about this class:

Created using Meme Generator

Just as a general review of this class, I am very optimistic! As a biochemistry and linguistics major, this is very different than anything I have studied previously, and I am excited to dive into the world of Indian epic poetry! 

Overall, I think I am most excited for the storytelling aspect of this class. I am a creative person, and I don't get a chance to be creative in my other classes very often. This is also why I am excited to try out the microfiction extra credit assignments. I have read a lot of the six words stories blog, and it is amazing how talented authors can convey a whole story in just six words. 

For those of you in my class, I can't wait to read your stories!

For those of you not in my class, enjoy the rest of my Vaga-Blog!

Growth Mindset: an Inspiration or an Oversimplification?

Welcome Vagabuddies,

Today, I will be discussing the "Growth Mindset," popularized by psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck, as well as a few criticisms on this educational philosophy.

In short, the Growth Mindset approach to education holds that there are two basic groups of students: students with a fixed mindset and students with a growth mindset. Students with a fixed mindset are students that view intelligence as a fixed trait, and they will only seek problems that will make them look smart. On the other hand, growth mindset students view intelligence as a skill that can be developed, and they see challenges not as a potential failure but as an opportunity to learn. Having done research on these mindsets for a few decades, Carol Dweck in multiple Ted Talks has given numerous examples of applying her advice to foster a growth mindset. This advice usually has the theme of praising effort and persistence rather than skill, with phrases such as "You did really well! You must have tried very hard" being preferable to "You did really well! You must be really smart." 

Growth Mindset Motivational Poster: Pinterest

Critics of Dweck's Growth Mindset, such as fellow psychologist Dr. Dave Paunesku and writer Alfie Kohn, state that this approach has the same shortcomings as many other education suggestions: it blames students for failures instead of the system. Growth mindset does little to resolve students' real problems like a troubling home life, an unwelcoming classroom environment, and other systematic problems.

For my own thoughts, I ultimately found the critics of the Growth Mindset unconvincing. Although they did raise thoughtful critiques about the educational system and the problems with putting the blame on students, some of the critics seemed too nebulous to be useful and often included ad hominem attacks on Dweck. I doubt that anyone would unconditionally support the idea that the educational system is perfect, but that doesn't mean that Dweck's research focusing on student attitudes is useless. I enjoyed Dr. Paunesku's commentary, which challenged some of her advice, but not the general conclusions of her research. I am personally a bit more on the side of growth mindset rather than against it. 

As a math tutor for children in grade school and high school, it was easy to visualize these mindsets and categorize some of my own students into the two categories. I will conservatively apply some of Dr. Dweck's advice when I am tutoring, because I do think that praising their approach and their persistence will be more beneficial than just a simple "Wow! Good job." 

Overall, I am excited to explore this growth mindset approach more as the semester continues.

For now, Vaga-Buon Voyage!

Introduction to Daniel the Vagablond

Hello VagaBuddies! Welcome to my Vaga-Blog!

My name is Daniel Pfaff and welcome to this blog! (If you are confused about the title of the blog, or the first line, go read the P.S. section at the end of this post.)
Here is my bland college introduction: I am a Junior majoring in Biochemistry and Linguistics. I am from Kansas City, MO. And my favorite style of potatoes is some nice thin french fries (Think McDonalds but like better).

Me halfway into an eight hour hike in Northern Italy: Personal Photo. 

For a little more in-depth about my studies, I would eventually like to go on to study neurolinguistics in grad school (which is the study of how the brain processes language), but that is very long term. In the near term, I love learning languages! Besides random little phrases in various languages, I have studied Latin for many years, I speak Italian at an almost conversational level, and I am just starting to learn ASL!

Adjacent to my love for languages, and a drive for me to learn other languages, is my love of traveling. I was lucky enough that my family could travel around the United States as a kid, but my focus in the last few years has been international. I have done a bit of traveling throughout the Caribbean, and I studied abroad at OU in Arezzo, Italy last spring semester. I had the amazing opportunity to work as an English teaching assistant for an Italian high school, and my students probably taught me about their slang, hobbies, and customs just as much as I taught them (I even taught them a bit about Ultimate frisbee, which I play here at OU!). My love for travel is actually the inspiration for my blog name! (Scroll down to the bottom of this post for further explanation). I traveled throughout a lot of Europe while I was there, and I will continue my world traveling throughout my life!!

Heres some more fun facts about me:

- I have visited 12 countries

- I collect national flags at the country's capital and I have seven flags so far. 

- I have driven a steamboat down the Mississippi River.

- I biked 50 miles in one day (but I am not a biking guy at all. It was rough.)

- I can recite 100 digits of pi.

- I am the 2011 State Fence Painting Champion in Missouri.

Me overlooking the Florence skyline last spring: Personal Photo.

Well, that's all for now! I hope you got a little bit of my energetic, friendly personality, and if we ever meet in person feel free to say hi!


P.S. - Vagabond (noun) [vag·​a·​bond | ˈva-gə-ˌbänd] : a person who wanders from place to place without a fixed home; one leading a vagabond life. (Merriam Webster)
Yes, I am going all in on vagabond puns. Go big or go home right? Actually vagabonds don't have a home haha jokes.
P.P.S. - I will admit I did kind of maybe steal the word Vagabuddies from a travel YouTube channel called the VagaBrothers, so go check them out. They did a great 6 month travel around the world challenge video series a few years ago, so I highly recommend that!

Storybook Favorites: From Mermaids to the Brahmazing Race

EPIC WOMEN TELL ALL (link)

Cover Photo for Epic Women Tell All. Panchakanya, a pre-1945 lithograph from Ravi Varma Press, Authors listed: Anant Shivaji Desai, Ravi Varma Preaa, Source: Wikipedia

I loved how this storybook not only retold the stories with a bit of a twist, but also fleshed the characters in a believable setting that was consistent. Other blogs that retold stories were often disjointed, but this blog had a really consistent and just generally well-written narrative that was entertaining and modern. I'm not very familiar with the Ramayana (I am excited to read it for this class!), but the stories were still explained enough that I could easily follow them. I also enjoyed the "feminist twist" the author included in the retelling, which gave the characters fun and modern attitudes. Overall, wonderfully crafted and very entertaining.

THE OTHERS IN WONDERLAND (link)

This storybook had a great twist on it: retelling a common story from a different character's (or characters') point of view. The introduction specifically of this storybook did a good job of explaining the idea and the motivation behind the project, which provided great context for reviewing the rest of the storybook. The writer did a good job of using the Rabbit to connect the stories together, but it still felt as if the storybook was missing a few stories. Overall, I liked this storybook because it did a great job of reinterpreting stories and adding lore and new motivations to characters that were lacking a fully developed character in the source material.

THE BRAHMAZING RACE (link)

Webpage "Logo" crafted by the student, Jason Yingling: image

Not only was the storybook wonderfully crafted and well-written, but it was based on a pun. I love puns (obviously). Anyway, I also enjoyed how this storybook, in distinction from all the others I reviewed, made a specific effort to include information about the geography in which the stories take place. This contributed interesting and worthwhile context to all the stories while still remaining thematically consistent. Throughout the storybook, I also enjoyed how the characters within the "Brahmazing Race" made reference to the Ramayana and the scenes within it, having legitimate impact on the story being told. For example, several nods are made to Ravana's misdeeds throughout the storybook, leading to more terse and tense interactions than with the Ramayana's hero, Rama. Overall, I loved the unique spin that incorporated both the stories of the Ramayana, the geographical context of the stories,  and a potential travel itinerary to boot! 

MERMAIDSONLY.COM (link)

This was the only blog that made me laugh out loud. It was also one of the first blogs I visited, which unfortunate for the other blogs, since it set such a high standard. The set-up as an online mermaid-dating site was hilarious yet well composed and thought out. Importantly, the storybook felt complete and it felt like each page was made specifically for this project, unlike some of the other storybooks. It was such a unique idea, and it was executed very well, despite what seems to be somewhat sparse source material. Nevertheless, whatever tidbits of lore that this storybook was based on seem to be incorporated into the project well. This was my favorite storybook that I found. 

Kansas City and Arezzo: My Favorite Places

KANSAS CITY, MO, USA

My first favorite place is Kansas City, MO, my hometown. I believe that it is the perfect midsize city in America, but that is a topic (probably more like a TedTalk) for another day. Overall, KC is known for BBQ (which tends to be a bit sweeter than Texas style), Jazz, and a huge amount of fountains (Kansas City allegedly has the most amount of working fountains in the world!). I personally love how Kansas City, despite having around 2 million people in the KC Metro area, still feels like a small town in that everyone knows each other. One of my favorite places to go hang out with friends is the Plaza, a shopping district modeled after Seville, Spain!

PS: Kansas City is mostly in Missouri, which I know is confusing. Kansas City itself was actually founded before the state of Kansas, and both are named after the local Kansa Native American tribe that was originally on that land. There is also a Kansas City, KS, but practically everything notable about Kansas City is on the Missouri side. 

Plaza Shopping District in Kansas City, MO: Wikipedia Commons

Kansas City Skyline overlooking Union Station: Wikipedia Commons

AREZZO, ITALY

My next favorite place, and the place I consider to my second-home, is Arezzo in Italy. I studied abroad in Arezzo in Spring 2019, and I threw myself into local Italian life. One of the first things I did when I arrived was get to know a few local Italian university students like Lisa, Marta, Christian, and Giuseppe. Uniquely, that semester, I also spent a couple hours a week as an English Teaching Assistant at a local high school, teaching Italian teenagers about different aspects of American life such as slang, sports in America (especially football), holidays, food, common idioms, etc. Through this internship, my coordinator,  Laura Terrazzani, would frequently invite me to her apartment for authentic Italian meals with the rest of her family, and I was also invited to several school events such as an Italian improv show (all in Italian, oddio) put on by some of my students! When my family came to visit, it quickly became their favorite place in Italy due to its unique local history as a major Roman city and the host of a bi-annual joust (La Giostra del Saracino),  and its general Italian small-town charm. I know I will be back to visit soon, because I have made some life-long friends there.

Overview of Arezzo: Wikipedia Commons

Piazza Grande in Arezzo: Wikipedia Commons