Cerritos College Self Reflection
Diaz 1
Oscar Diaz
Ni Bueno
HED 100 – 25072
15 October 2014
Self-Reflection
After a long hiatus from academics I decided to return to school. I was an excellent student in High School but never really took to the college life when it came to academics. After working full time job for several years, returning to school as a full time student seemed merely like a dream. I thought of taking some classes as a part time student but could never bring myself to commit to it. When I finally decided to go through the process applying to Cerritos College, late this summer, I knew I had to put an educational plan in place. As I looked over the courses I would need to fulfill my general education requirements, I took the opportunity to enroll …show more content…
in this
Health course. After a fairly intense 9 weeks that included several quizzes and exams, I am glad I took this class.
The course started for me as any ordinary course. I read the first chapter and even though
I knew I was supposed to treat the material for personal reflection, it did not appeal to me on a personal level. As I moved on throughout the chapters and units I started to see the connection in all of the material being covered. I realized very quickly this entire course was speaking to me concerning all aspects of, not only physical well-being, but my mental and emotional health. I was constantly asking myself the question (as inferred in our text), how can I change? Although, in my head, I worded it differently. I asked, how can I improve? There are many helpful suggestions and tools that I can and should utilize throughout my new college career. Things to assist me in my stress levels for example. Breathing techniques and mandatory breaks from
Diaz 2 studying are things that I have implemented into my daily routine. I have a full time job as
Shipping Supervisor at a manufacturing plant. I have many responsibilities. So with a busy job, a stressful commute and taking multiple college courses, I have no choice but to balance my activities. I have learned that exercise is more important now than ever for me. I am not as young as when I graduated from high school. Therefore, it is critical that I not only eat healthy but add some physical activity besides the simple walking I do at work. I am more conscious now of eating a more balanced and healthy diet. I haven’t been to a doctor in years for a checkup. But, as life would have it, as I started a new job and benefits became effective, I was reading Chapter 13 on consumer health as I was actually trying to pick my insurance plan and pick a doctor so I can schedule an appointment. The timeliness of this course is priceless.
As the class moved along and I started to internalize the material, I already knew firsthand what drugs and alcohol abuse can do to a person. I have had my share of experiences with both substances. Also, being an ex-smoker, reading about tobacco and cigarettes only reinforced to me that it was a good idea that I had quit. I do not have plans to take it up again.
Life is so full of medical complications and personal tragedies. I’ve had friends die in drunk driving accidents. The data detailed for us chapter 8 was, unfortunately all too easy for me to swallow. I still have the bad habit of looking at my cell phone while driving. I reply to texts, while trying to look at the road. I have tried to discipline myself to not do these basic things. So many of the points throughout the textbook spoke to me because most are things that I, like so many others, just take for granted. When I read in Chapter 6 about prescription drug use and chapter 12 and about diseases, I could not help being reminded of everything I had already learned from my personal experiences in living alongside people affected by asthma, diabetes, and cancer. I have been all too well exposed to multiple prescription drugs, having to pick them
Diaz 3 for people I’ve had to care for. I’ve been fortunate to not have complicated health issues like some individuals close to me at different points in my life. However, after going through the material in this course, I have been reminded very clearly of the importance take care of all aspects of one’s health. For example, even in having to submit our blood pressure reading, it was a reminder to me that I should get regular check-ups.
As I studied the chapter on a healthy cardiovascular system and learned what can cause the different arrhythmias, this course took an even serious tone for me. My mother had suffered a stroke after decades of dealing with Lupus. So, as a child I had already been exposed to the breakdown of several physiological parts and their importance. My mother had pointed out anatomy parts so I could not only understand their function but to comprehend the importance of taking care of oneself as much as possible. She also had a heart murmur. So much of the course material resonated with me.
It is ironic that as I have started this phase in my life of going back to school full time and working full time, I have been so busy that I don’t have the time to cook like I did just a few months ago. As a result, my eating habits have regressed a bit. I knew that it would take me a while to get into a new routine. This class also touched on the subject of time management.
Several textbook exercises had me planning my days and weeks out. I have to account for study time, break time, personal time, etc. Most of these habits I had already adopted into my routine.
However, the reinforcement of these ideas have given me renewed validation. I am pleased that the ideas I learned in this course come from scholarly sources.
It was a pleasure to study material that is essential to all of us in everyday life, yet presented in an academic atmosphere.
In considering how I learned the material in the course and what behavior patterns I observed, I noticed that this type of online course if most definitely textbook driven. There isn’t
Diaz 4 anything that we were quizzed on or any exam question that did not have a clear answer or explanation in the text. Whenever I would get stuck on a question, a quick look up on the topic utilizing the key terms would point me in the right direction. My conclusion was simply that I could not simply skim over the material, but had to read the chapters carefully paying close attention to details. I used the etext highlighting tools to highlight key ideas. I also utilized the supplemental material proved by the etext but going through some of the videos and taking the practice quizzes after reading the chapter. I have applied these similar patterns to my Political
Science online course. I read the chapter, highlight key ideas, watch the supplemental videos, and take the practice exam questions. Because of this particular discipline I have been
fortunate enough to maintain a grade of over 90% in both courses. This is most definitely a habit that I will keep, as I begin my next 9 week online course in Psychology 101. I realize that not all courses are the same but maintaining good work habits is vital. The concepts I learned from this course in regards to taking care of myself from a physical, mental, and emotional standpoint are an integral part of my life as I journey on to whatever the future hold for me.
Diaz 5
Works Cited
Lynch, April. Choosing Health. Upper Saddle River, Bejamin Cummings, 2014. Print.
Frost, Shelly. "How to Balance Life and Work as a College Student." Demand Media: Global
Post. Print.
Oscar Diaz
Ni Bueno
HED 100 – 25072
15 October 2014
Self-Reflection
After a long hiatus from academics I decided to return to school. I was an excellent student in High School but never really took to the college life when it came to academics. After working full time job for several years, returning to school as a full time student seemed merely like a dream. I thought of taking some classes as a part time student but could never bring myself to commit to it. When I finally decided to go through the process applying to Cerritos College, late this summer, I knew I had to put an educational plan in place. As I looked over the courses I would need to fulfill my general education requirements, I took the opportunity to enroll …show more content…
in this
Health course. After a fairly intense 9 weeks that included several quizzes and exams, I am glad I took this class.
The course started for me as any ordinary course. I read the first chapter and even though
I knew I was supposed to treat the material for personal reflection, it did not appeal to me on a personal level. As I moved on throughout the chapters and units I started to see the connection in all of the material being covered. I realized very quickly this entire course was speaking to me concerning all aspects of, not only physical well-being, but my mental and emotional health. I was constantly asking myself the question (as inferred in our text), how can I change? Although, in my head, I worded it differently. I asked, how can I improve? There are many helpful suggestions and tools that I can and should utilize throughout my new college career. Things to assist me in my stress levels for example. Breathing techniques and mandatory breaks from
Diaz 2 studying are things that I have implemented into my daily routine. I have a full time job as
Shipping Supervisor at a manufacturing plant. I have many responsibilities. So with a busy job, a stressful commute and taking multiple college courses, I have no choice but to balance my activities. I have learned that exercise is more important now than ever for me. I am not as young as when I graduated from high school. Therefore, it is critical that I not only eat healthy but add some physical activity besides the simple walking I do at work. I am more conscious now of eating a more balanced and healthy diet. I haven’t been to a doctor in years for a checkup. But, as life would have it, as I started a new job and benefits became effective, I was reading Chapter 13 on consumer health as I was actually trying to pick my insurance plan and pick a doctor so I can schedule an appointment. The timeliness of this course is priceless.
As the class moved along and I started to internalize the material, I already knew firsthand what drugs and alcohol abuse can do to a person. I have had my share of experiences with both substances. Also, being an ex-smoker, reading about tobacco and cigarettes only reinforced to me that it was a good idea that I had quit. I do not have plans to take it up again.
Life is so full of medical complications and personal tragedies. I’ve had friends die in drunk driving accidents. The data detailed for us chapter 8 was, unfortunately all too easy for me to swallow. I still have the bad habit of looking at my cell phone while driving. I reply to texts, while trying to look at the road. I have tried to discipline myself to not do these basic things. So many of the points throughout the textbook spoke to me because most are things that I, like so many others, just take for granted. When I read in Chapter 6 about prescription drug use and chapter 12 and about diseases, I could not help being reminded of everything I had already learned from my personal experiences in living alongside people affected by asthma, diabetes, and cancer. I have been all too well exposed to multiple prescription drugs, having to pick them
Diaz 3 for people I’ve had to care for. I’ve been fortunate to not have complicated health issues like some individuals close to me at different points in my life. However, after going through the material in this course, I have been reminded very clearly of the importance take care of all aspects of one’s health. For example, even in having to submit our blood pressure reading, it was a reminder to me that I should get regular check-ups.
As I studied the chapter on a healthy cardiovascular system and learned what can cause the different arrhythmias, this course took an even serious tone for me. My mother had suffered a stroke after decades of dealing with Lupus. So, as a child I had already been exposed to the breakdown of several physiological parts and their importance. My mother had pointed out anatomy parts so I could not only understand their function but to comprehend the importance of taking care of oneself as much as possible. She also had a heart murmur. So much of the course material resonated with me.
It is ironic that as I have started this phase in my life of going back to school full time and working full time, I have been so busy that I don’t have the time to cook like I did just a few months ago. As a result, my eating habits have regressed a bit. I knew that it would take me a while to get into a new routine. This class also touched on the subject of time management.
Several textbook exercises had me planning my days and weeks out. I have to account for study time, break time, personal time, etc. Most of these habits I had already adopted into my routine.
However, the reinforcement of these ideas have given me renewed validation. I am pleased that the ideas I learned in this course come from scholarly sources.
It was a pleasure to study material that is essential to all of us in everyday life, yet presented in an academic atmosphere.
In considering how I learned the material in the course and what behavior patterns I observed, I noticed that this type of online course if most definitely textbook driven. There isn’t
Diaz 4 anything that we were quizzed on or any exam question that did not have a clear answer or explanation in the text. Whenever I would get stuck on a question, a quick look up on the topic utilizing the key terms would point me in the right direction. My conclusion was simply that I could not simply skim over the material, but had to read the chapters carefully paying close attention to details. I used the etext highlighting tools to highlight key ideas. I also utilized the supplemental material proved by the etext but going through some of the videos and taking the practice quizzes after reading the chapter. I have applied these similar patterns to my Political
Science online course. I read the chapter, highlight key ideas, watch the supplemental videos, and take the practice exam questions. Because of this particular discipline I have been
fortunate enough to maintain a grade of over 90% in both courses. This is most definitely a habit that I will keep, as I begin my next 9 week online course in Psychology 101. I realize that not all courses are the same but maintaining good work habits is vital. The concepts I learned from this course in regards to taking care of myself from a physical, mental, and emotional standpoint are an integral part of my life as I journey on to whatever the future hold for me.
Diaz 5
Works Cited
Lynch, April. Choosing Health. Upper Saddle River, Bejamin Cummings, 2014. Print.
Frost, Shelly. "How to Balance Life and Work as a College Student." Demand Media: Global
Post. Print.