EME2040 Class Blog 1: Introducing me.

 Hello readers! I am Styles, and this is my first ever blogpost of any kind. My mother blogged for a while, and even won an award for it so it makes sense that I would end up writing one eventually; it must be a genetic trait. To be fully honest, I am not comfortable sharing information about myself online. I barely have a public online presence, which is not without purpose. I believe strongly in first impressions, and I want to be in control of them. If someone dislikes me or judges me then so be it, but I want those judgements to come from private interaction and not a public presence. This is all a very long winded way to say that I will not be sharing a lot of personal information about myself on here, especially while I am using my real name. You, the reader, will get to know me through my reading. One impression you may already have, I am a verbose individual that has not yet mastered the skill known as brevity.

Thats enough about me; its time to make my way through the other paragraph topics. Be warned, I will rarely make smooth transitions from one topic to the next on this blog. After the last year we have all used technology in an educational setting. Zoom and Canvas have dominated our scholarly lives in what was, depending on your major, either a really smooth and comprehensive experience or a frustrating hellscape where your emails go unresponded and your assignments could not be found under the assignments tab (sorry to any STEM majors out there). Use of technology is vital to my work as a student. The only resource I bring to class is my laptop, because it is all I ever need. As a History major I have grown very proficient in Microsoft Word, which isused for writing long papers for my classes. There have been months where I have looked at a Microsoft Word document more than I have my own eyelids, because I prioritize school over food, water, sleep, and sanity. The setting in which I engage with my education is technological, and its worked wonderfully. 

Though I was not aware of it until today, I am already deeply entrenched in my own Personal Learning Network. I am attached to it even when I am taking notes in an in person class. I use Canvas to see what I need to work on, I use Microsoft word to do that work, and I gather information from a variety of other sources. Social Media plaatforms, email, and GroupMe allow me to engage with others whenever I may need assistance, and I gather information and sources through the FSU Library website. My life is built around my academic goals in the study of History. Upon reflection I find it to be an impressive PLN that I gradually built up, unaware of what was being created. But in my life there are two PLNs: My academic PLN and my NFL Football PLN. Taking a step back and examining the two, the Football one is significantly more complex, effecient, and impressive. 

So I guess the priority list goes: School, Football, Water, Food, Sleep. Not a bad name for a blog; "History, Football, Staying Alive". Maybe next time. For now though I will conclude this blog and return to my writings and my aspirations.

To passions and papers,

Styles Davis