Entry #11 Peace out

As 2015 comes to a close, Another semester has come and gone...

And honestly, I couldn't be more stoked about it.

Mainly because this is the last English class I will ever have to take.

But for those who are barely setting foot into the exciting world that is English 102 next semester, don't sweat it!

Sure, you're going to be bombarded with essays and buried under hours of mind numbing research, But it wouldn't be college if you weren't. Luckily there's a bright side for you to look forward to. Blogging.

It's a refreshing break from the mundane cycle of essays that we've all become accustom to in our years as students. And personally, the freedom that comes along with these blogs is something that I greatly appreciated. I was able to write about almost anything I wanted. From procrastination, to how to play the ukulele while still getting credit. It's been great.

Being able to have a place where you are allowed to present your own topics and opinions in a creative way has been an amazing learning experience. It's a great way to incorporate technology into our education and push others towards being comfortable online. And with the way each blog is so customize-able, it's kind of like a little window into your classmates minds. Each one is entirely unique and really lets you get to know who you're learning with on a more intimate level.

Overall, blogging has been a great assignment that was cool enough to actually get me excited to write. So don't get too bummed out about essays, You can always retreat into your blog to write about whatever your heart desires.

So peace out guys, and good luck.

TL;DR Semesters over, time to sleep for a solid month.

Entry #10 Matrix

In this day and age where almost everything is on computers and technology advancements occur everyday, it becomes crucial that we educate ourselves to keep up. One of the best ways that you can do this is by learning how to code. 

While you may be thinking "this is irrelevant to me, why would I ever need this??" Consider the fact that even just having coding as a skill on your resume makes you a much better job applicant as it shows you are knowledgeable about the massive changes taking place in society by means of technology. This makes you valuable to any company.

Most people are intimidated by coding, and honestly it does seem pretty intimidating at first, especially when you take into account that coding has its own languages. But once you get started you find that, at least at it's basic level, it is a very manageable and achievable skill.

There are tons of places you can find that will teach you what you need to know, but personally I have found a couple that I think are really your best bet to getting started in the right direction.

If you've never written a single line of code before you can check out one of these pages and just follow through their tutorials. It won't get super into it, but you'll get there eventually.

To start out with basic HTML and CSS coding I highly recommend checking out www.w3schools.com. They also have tutorials on Java, PHP, and even Bootstrap. But stick to HTML and CSS for beginning.

There's also www.codecademy.com and dash.generalassemb.ly/ which both also uses tutorials to teach you the basics on how to create your own webpage and manage through HTML.

TL;DR Learn how to code unless you want to become outdated

Entry #9 Media

Media is everywhere we look and it effects every aspect of our lives. Over the past few years with the help of ever advancing technology, media has become a staple in our everyday activities. Listening to the radio, watching tv, checking social media, all common activities that the average individual does every day.

With such a large reach it seems almost impossible to escape it without literally living out in the woods cut off from society, bear grylls style. Obviously I'm not going to do that, so the only way I can really live with it is by simply dealing with it.

I can't watch the news anymore without nitpicking everything they do wrong. From presenting the information in a clearly biased way, to just plain getting it wrong [sometimes on purpose]. The news and other public broadcasters of current events have lost my attention. It seems like everywhere I look someone is trying to push their own agenda down my throat instead of just telling me whats going on unbiased.

So I try my best to find multiple accounts of an event that all add up before I accept it or make my own decision and move on. 

Unfortunately that's not the case with everyone, and I'm seeing that more and more.

In my own personal sphere I often catch my mother spouting off about topics in which she is very ill-informed and quoting the exact things that were just said on the news as if that was the whole and definite truth. 

TL;DR take everything with a grain of salt and research for yourself.

Entry #8 Ukuleles

Have you always wanted to learn an instrument but felt like it would be too difficult?

Don't sweat it, because there's an easy way to get started.

Kind of like how the recorder that we all learned to play in our 1st grade music class is a cousin of the flute, The ukulele is like guitars' little brother.

The ukulele is a beautiful little instrument that originated in Hawaii; and is often referred too as a little guitar, because that's exactly what it is! The only difference apart from size is that where a classic guitar will have 6 strings, the ukulele only has 4, making it even easier to play.

Obviously to get started you need to get your hands on a uke of your own. But often when looking around for a new lil uke the prices can seem a bit daunting, but not to worry! Like guitars, ukes come in many different makes, models, and even sizes. They can range anywhere from $15 to $1,500 so it would be a good idea to do some research before making a solid decision. Personally when I first started out I found that the Cordoba Protege U1 was a solid choice. It was durable enough to last me a couple years and sounded great. But best of all, it was only $45.

So now you have your uke, how do you start to play it?? The obvious answer is to simply go on YouTube and search "ukulele for beginners" but I'll spare you that effort and just link you to a good channel with a very good teacher.

His channel is very simply called The Ukulele Teacher and he is honestly the best one I've found so far. Apart from teaching you the basics from how to tune your uke, to actually playing chords, he also posts videos on how to play the latest pop songs, so you're always up to date.

After getting comfortable with your ukulele and gaining the skills necessary to play, you will have all the knowledge you need to move on to a guitar as they are really, very similar.

Just take baby steps, and soon you'll be a musical master.

TL;DR Get an Ukulele and learn how to play sweet music