Week 11 Growth Mindset

This will be my final post! I can't believe I'll be done with this class after I post my last growth mindset challenge. This class has taught me so much in just a few weeks. I decided to make my last post about growth mindset because learning about growth mindset was my favorite activity each week. For this week's challenge, I browsed through the growth mindset quotes by Carol Dweck. I loved her one of her quotes so much that I made a quote poster out of it as shown below:

Quote by Carol Dweck. Source.

No one wants to fail. There is such a negative connotation when it comes to the word failure. It's almost synonymous to quitter and good-for-nothing. But is that what failure really means? It had me thinking. What is the definition of failure? According to Dictionary.com, the first definition of failure is the "lack of success." So if you failed, you didn't succeed. Nowhere in the definition did it say that you can NEVER succeed once you have failed. My failures don't define me unless I dwell in them. My biggest academic fear at the moment is being rejected from medical school. I need to remind myself that if I fail to get in, I have to face the problem, deal with it, and most importantly learn from it.

Week 10 Growth Mindset

For this week's post I read an interesting article called The Force of a Growth Mindset vs. The Dark Side of the Static Mindset. This article relates growth mindset to the best series ever: Star Wars. I wouldn't consider myself the biggest Star Wars fan, but I have watched all the movies more than once. My brothers and I are so pumped for the new Stars Wars movie that is coming out this December. I can't wait! Moving on, an educator who was also a Star Wars fanatic related the growth mindset philosophy to Star Wars. He also provided the two infographics below:

Yoda represents the growth mindset. Source: mrkremerscience.com

Darth Vader represents the static mindset. Source: mrkremerscience.com

For those of you who are not familiar with Star Wars (you must watch it), the green character is named Yoda. He was Luke Skywalker's apprentice. In order to teach Luke the Jedi ways, Yoda taught Luke to see the world from a different perspective. Instead of fearing challenges, Yoda told Luke to trust himself and of course the Force within. Darth Vader is the villain of the series. He represents the static mindset. In the movies, Darth Vader felt threatened by anyone who is more powerful. He also allowed his fears to consume him which lead him to the dark side.

It was interesting to think back to the movies and realize how each character's actions fit the growth mindset and static mindset perfectly. Yoda believed that any challenge could be conquered if you had faith in yourself. There was no fear in Yoda's character, only wisdom. On the other hand, Darth Vader lashed out on the Republic and took his feedback in a negative manner. It really made me think how a different way of thinking could have two completely different outcomes. In other words, the way I perceive myself and my efforts could make me a Yoda or a Darth Vader.

Week 9 Growth Mindset

One of the growth mindset challenges is to find a challenge in each class and relate them to one another. I'd figure this would be a great way to organize my problems and find a solution to each of them. Let's start with this class.

Epics of India: My greatest challenge in this class is to find the time to complete the weekly assignments. This class comes with a lot of busy work, and busy work requires time. Each week there are at least 6 assignments. If you include the extra credit then there are 13 assignments. I can't complain about the extra credit though. In fact, I'm extremely grateful that there is extra credit!

Chemistry of Beer: This is another online class I had to take to complete my chemistry minor. I had my final last week! I'm officially done with the class and completed my chem minor. I enjoyed the format of this class because we had lecture just once a week, which usually ended early, along with weekly online quizzes and discussions. No exams. My challenge with this class was that I kept forgetting about it. We had so little assignments to do each week that sometimes I forgot I was even enrolled in the class.

Pathogenic Microbiology: This class is so much fun! I love learning about pathogenic microorganisms and how to combat each disease. However, my greatest challenge of this class are the exams. Every single exam is scheduled on a Monday. This wouldn't be so bad if I didn't work over the weekend. For the past two exams, I started studying Sunday after I was off work, but by that times it's so late in the night that I don't want to study.

Colloquium - Modern Protest Movements: Colloquium is another class I struggle with because we have to read all the time. I'll admit that I neglect this class because I try getting by with reading one chapter instead of the four chapters that were assigned. However, this class only has 20 students, and we each have to discuss key points from the chapter in front of the class. Not only that but our exams are all in-class essays. That means I really need to know what I've read to do well on the exams and to gain discussion points. If I had to choose just one challenge, it would be speaking in front of the class. Every student sounds so smart and logical when they speak, but when I speak, I feel insecure and stupid. It's pretty embarrassing...

Molecular and Physiology of Microorganisms Lab: This class sucks the life out of me! I know I've already written about my struggles in this class in every post, but that's because I spent so much time on it. It is the most difficult lab that I have taken by far. I believe the class average on the quizzes is a 17%. Oh and don't you dare write in pencil for any assignment because pencil work gives you a 0. My professor hates pencil. Ink only. The lack of format of communication made lab a headache. You're given the goal of an experiment, then it is up to you and your lab group to figure out a protocol and method. There is no laboratory manual and only minimal guidance. With that being said, my lab group and I struggled. We had no idea what we were doing which reflected on our lab reports. We failed our first quiz and first notebook check. It was a disaster. The greatest challenge in this class is communication. I need to communicate with my professor and with my lab group. Without them, I'm lost.


For the first four classes listed, my biggest challenge is time. I need to prioritize my time to fit every class's need. I'm done with chemistry of beer, so I just need to manage my time for colloquium, patho and epics. I started working ahead in this class which gives me leeway. I could start taking off work the Sundays before my patho exam to give me time to study or at least begin studying a week early. For colloquium, I have to work on my self confidence and not be afraid of what everyone will think of me. I've already improved in lab. My lab group and I meet at least three times a week to work on our lab reports together, and we try to obtain clarification from our professor and TA.

Overall, I just need time.

Running out of time. Source.

Week 8 Growth Mindset

I found the perfect infographic that I need to incorporate into my life! It literally lists all the phrases I use on a daily basis. Here it is:

There's always room for improvement. Source.

I know I have said every single phrase listed on the left side at least a thousand times, especially the sixth statement (math is not my friend). Growth mindset puts a strong emphasis on improvement rather than viewing mistakes as permanent failure. In order to improve my self-confidence, I'm working on shifting my perspective on my mistakes from "this-is-the-end-of-the-world" view to a self-improvement view. For example, at the beginning of the semester, I was really struggling in my molecular lab class. This is by far the most difficult lab I have ever taken in my college career. I failed my first quiz and my first notebook check which really took a hit to my grade and self-esteem. I constantly thought to myself:

"I can't do this."
"I want to quit."
"This class is too hard."

Fortunately, I had an encouraging lab group that helped me break through my slump. As a group, we focused on our short-comings and ways to improve our studying and lab reports. A couple weeks later, I aced my quizzes and had the top lap report grade. My professor even complimented on my improvement! Now I have a new way to frame my problems. Instead of putting myself down and thinking that I don't have what it takes, I try to use what I know to attempt the problem. All I need is a little faith in myself.

Moreover, I like how the infographic also lists the "I'm awesome at this" statement. This shows me that even when you are skilled, you should keep your humility. I'll admit that sometimes I think I can do anything when I feel comfortable, but then I make a mistake! Words to live by: Never let success go to your head or failure go to your heart.

Week 7 Growth Mindset

For this week's growth mindset post, I began to explore cartoons and motivators that involved the growth mindset philosophy. I looked through a couple until I stumbled upon an infographic that really spoke to me.

The many faces of ingenuity. Source.

This infographic shows the process of being a genius which involves much more than just intelligence. In fact, intelligence isn't even listed in the graphic. Instead, ingenuity takes inspiration, perspiration, improvisation, aspiration, contemplation, exploration, daily frustrations, imitation, desperation, and pure elation. What I took from this graphic is that everyone who is willing to put in the work and effort to become a genius will be a genius. Every individual on this Earth is more than capable to inspire, contemplate, imitate, and much more. I also liked how the image incorporated the dark side of ingenuity such as frustrations and desperation. In every journey, there will be obstacles, but there is always a solution to overcome any obstacle. Another interesting point of the graphic are the percentages. According to the infographic, genius is 29% perspiration (the most) and 0.1% pure elation (the least). In other words, it takes a lot of work to reach your goal, but I guess that short moment of elation makes it all worth it. I strongly believe that nothing worth having in this world comes easy, and ingenuity is definitely worth having.

Week 6 Growth Mindset

For this week's growth mindset challenge, I decided to learn more about growth  mindset with the links provided. I read an article called Creativity in the Classroom, and it was about how a teacher had incorporated growth mindset themes into his classroom. He had three techniques to encourage creativity among his students: open-ended projects, genius hour, and creative team building. Open-ended projects are self-explanatory. The teacher designed projects that allowed the students more freedom with the project instead of following a strict rubric. In his example, the teacher used presentations as his open-ended project, and the students chose what type of presentation (video, poster, class activity etc.). Creative team building is about solving complex problems with a group, however, the problems aren't your average math equations. The teacher gave his students marshmallows, pasta sticks, and tape, and asked them to create the tallest free-standing tower. Anything that deals with marshmallows, count me in! My favorite technique was the genius hour. For an hour a day or once a week, the teacher permitted his students to use classroom resources to research their passion. The students become so engaged in their genius hour, that they don't realize that they're doing homework! I like the idea of genius hour because it gives kids an opportunity to discover their passion, and perhaps, maybe even find a career that interests them at a deeper level. I really admire this teacher for investing so much of his time and resources to encourage creativity in his students. Nowadays, school curriculum focuses mainly on passing standardized exams and maintaining a high GPA. How can anyone be creative when students are taught to think the same? Study this book. Pass the test. Move forward. Does a score on an exam really define an individual? Why must we quantify everything? Several questions popped into my head as I read the article, but my main question is why aren't more educators teaching growth mindset?

Be open to new perspectives. Source.

week 5 Growth Mindset

I have always enjoyed browsing through the growth mindset memes for fun, but I have never made a meme before. So for this week's growth mindset challenge I decided to make a meme! I'm more of a dog person, I made one with a Saint Bernard puppy. I tried using Cheezburger to generate a meme, but I couldn't figure out how to start one, and I didn't want to create a log in. So I made my meme through GroupMe which has an option to use meme captions on the photos that you upload. My friends and I have a blast using this feature. Sometimes it becomes too much fun and no studying gets done... My meme says "Big Dreams Start with Baby Steps." I chose this caption because people tend to forget that there was always a beginner before there was an expert. The hardest part of any challenge is actually starting it. My brother has always told me that once you get past the beginning, then the hardest part is over. I'm the type of person that is afraid of change, but I always need change. It's complicated. I believe that everyone should have a dream or something that excites you. Chase after that dream even if it seems impossible. All it takes is determination, passion, and some baby steps.

Puppy Saint Bernard Hoping to be a Rescue Dog. (Personal Meme, Photo Source).

Growth Mindset Week 4

I decided to try the writing challenge for this week's Growth Mindset post. Over my college career, I have always been the type of person to do every assignment as early as I can. I cannot procrastinate. Leaving assignments or studying to the last minute is not part of my work ethic. Some people may see this as a positive attribute, but it also has its down side. For example, I stress over completing assignments early therefore I stay up late to finish them early. If I don't finish an assignment early, I feel like the world is crashing on me. So for my writing challenge, I decided to write my storytelling post an hour before the deadline. I wanted to experience the time pressure of submitting the post on time and see how it would affect my writing. It really did affect it. I was constantly looking at the clock which distracted me from actually writing a coherent story. The story that I wrote wasn't my best work at all. A reader could definitely tell that I rushed it. My story lacked creativity and a concrete plot. In all sincerity, my story looked like word vomit. So what I've learned is that I don't write well under pressure. Maybe that's why I start my writing early so I can brainstorm ideas while I type and edit. Lesson learned: do not write under pressure. It's just not for me.

Cats learn too! Source

Growth Mindset Week 3

I recently read a storytelling post that was based of Hanuman's leap. It was my favorite storytelling post because it was about a boy who chased his passion for science which later helped him find a cure for his mother's sickness. The author was inspired by a line in Hanuman's leap which read, ""when he was still a child he had thought the sun to be a fruit growing in the sky, and sprang easily three thousand leagues toward it." I believe that Hanuman really demonstrates a growth mindset because he saw a challenge and pursued it until he was successful. Although other characters bashed on Hanuman and ridiculed him, Hanuman pushed himself until he made his leap. Stories about inspiration really encourage me to continue pursuing my own dreams even though I feel like it would be easier to give up. Class, homework, work, commuting, and other obligations make me want to rip my hair out. Characters like Hanuman are great reminder to never give up on a challenge just because it is difficult. Just like Hanuman and the boy in the story, I can reach my goals too.

Cat running towards its goal! Source

Week 2 Growth Mindset

The challenge that I decided to do this week was the writing challenge. I wrote my storytelling week 2 post with different writing style, and I really enjoyed it! I read another peer's writing style, and it was from a first-person perspective. I also read another person's post that incorporated the villain's point of view so I though that was interesting too! I decided to try a bit of both. For my storytelling, I wrote a narrative from the hero's side and from the villain's side. I'm not sure if it is my best writing technique, but it definitely allowed me to be more creative in my writing since I was presenting a plot from two point of views. What I learned from the new writing style was mainly character development. I had to be cautious with my word choice in order for the hero to be perceived as heroic and for the villain to appear malicious. Brainstorming dialogue was the most enjoyable part because it really gave my character life. I realized that adjectives were crucial for portraying my character's thoughts. Overall, I'm glad that I decided to write differently, and I can't wait to explore other writing styles!

Look for opportunity. Source

Growth Mindset

I have never heard of Dr. Carol Dweck before, but I really believe in her concept of a growth mindset. It's frustrating to see your grades that say failure or whenever you attempt an online assignment and the word "incorrect" appears repeatedly. In fact, it's so aggravating that I give up. I become so discouraged that I would rather have someone tell me the answer than to learn what I am doing wrong. However, I had a math professor who didn't grade our homework assignments based on the correct answer. He graded our effort to complete each problem, then he explained where we made a mistake. I learned much more quickly and more effectively with this method. I wasn't afraid to calculate the wrong answer anymore. Instead, I attempted each problem. Sometimes my answers were bizarre, so I recalculated my answer. I would redo each problem until I felt that this could be a reasonable answer. The point is that I continued trying because that's what mattered to my professor. Over the course of the semester, I began to understand how to solve the calculus problems and was calculating the right answers. It was much more encouraging to hear my professor say, "Nicole, great job you were on the right track!" than to hear "No sorry that answer is wrong." I am definitely excited about learning more about the growth mindset because I feel like there are students just like me who learn better in this manner.

The growth mindset challenges are stimulating! I actually started the "Talking About Mindset" challenge today without knowing it was a challenge! I was so intrigued by Dr. Dweck's Ted talk that I turned to my friend next to me and asked her if she has ever heard about growth mindset. It was a fascinating conversation, and we share very similar ideas about the concept. I can't wait to hear other people's opinions about growth mindset.

I also began to look at mindset memes. The one below really stood out to me because I quote the same Japanese proverb all the time! It's a great way to say never give up.

Fall down seven times, get up eight. Source: Laura Gibbs, Proverb Laboratory