Add your brainstorming topic here... by Reham Althalemi

Q1: Academic Integrity

ralthalemi — 2024-06-21 19:44:14 UTC

I have abided by the HFC Academic Integrity Policy completely and this assignment is all my own work!

Q2: Chapter 10-- Holland's Career Tests

ralthalemi — 2024-06-21 22:22:22 UTC

My first test result was "ICA".
My second test result was " ISC".
It was interesting to see how these are both similar but one test determined I was more artistic while the other said I leaned more social. Either way, the tests placed me high in the investigative interest which is something I knew I enjoyed. This includes problem-solving and analysis but I did not expect it to be my main characteristic. There weren't many career options for ICA as I have figured out, but the main careers were data analyst and design engineer which never sounded appealing to me. Therefore, maybe I should look into them or maybe I should try retaking the first test. The conventional aspect makes sense to me as I have always been a perfectionist and prefer to be in an organized environment. The test showed that I and C work well together which shows me strengths I can lean into for my future career path!
Conversely, I believe the second test result matched my current career path much more and made a lot more sense to me! ISC code's mix of Investigative, Social, and Conventional still has the analytical aspect of " I ", but has that social aspect to be able to connect with people and create relationships which is something that I enjoy in healthcare. I'm studying to be a dermatologist and I was drawn to this career path because of patient interaction. Healthcare seems like a great fit of ISC because it is analytical and data-based ( I ) with structure and organization ( C ), but needs a social person to connect with patients on a personal level and make them feel heard ( S ).

Q3: Flow

ralthalemi — 2024-06-22 00:18:23 UTC

After reading about flow and how our textbook describes it as "total absorption in a challenging, goal-oriented activity", I recalled a recent time I felt this while studying for my Anatomy and Physiology 2 course. I usually become anxious when I am studying for this course because it is a lot of information and has a heavy load since it is accelerated. However, I enjoy learning about the different systems of our body and how everything operates. Specifically, I was studying blood flow in the heart and how it is like a central pump to circulation throughout our bodies. The way I study is by listening to the professor's lecture on the slide show and taking notes as he's speaking. I became so engulfed by the whole process of blood flow step by step and how it is so precise and unique. It was almost like a story I wanted to understand fully. Before I knew it, I had reached the end of the lecture with over 15 pages of notes. I had forgotten I was studying and was purely motivated to understand the complex concept. As the book said, I had entered this other state of consciousness where I forgot everything going on in the world around me and was in my flow. I don't often experience flow because I usually jump over boredom and flow and go straight to anxiety because I stress myself about everything. However, when I do it feels great and I feel very accomplished!

Q4: Chs 13 & 14

ralthalemi — 2024-06-22 01:08:09 UTC

As we grow older, people often put a negative view on it and think that you won't have much of an exciting or fulfilling life once you grow up. However, I have learned that is not the case and read some insightful things from chapters 13 and 14 that will help me live my life to the fullest in my later life. The most important information that stood out to me in chapter 13 is the section " Decoding Some Keys to Happiness in Old Age" ( pg. 378). Although there was some great advice throughout the chapter, I gravitated towards this one because it focused on mindset which is one of the few things we have control over in our later lives. The main point is to live life positively, see aging as a time of development to feel you are making a fulfilling difference and remain lovingly attached. This has been shown to help happiness in old age and makes you more likely to live longer! The most important information I learned from Chapter 14 is intermittent fasting. I had heard about intermittent fasting over the years but was also skeptical about it, like the author. However, after hearing how it can improve blood pressure and heart rate (pg. 397), which is something older people often deal with that hinders their quality of life, I was much less skeptical. On top of that, its ability to boost mental capacity and energy really drew me to it. Not only does this way of eating help physically but also mentally which is important for later life. This helps a great deal with being able to enjoy life and live it to the fullest!

Q5: Real Age Results

ralthalemi — 2024-06-22 02:37:37 UTC

I was expecting to be older than my age due to my irregular eating habits, so I was pleasantly surprised to see I was about a year and a half younger than my actual age! The first interesting piece of information I learned from this is second-hand smoke. One of the first variables that is making me older is being exposed to second-hand smoke, which is a bit shocking. I personally don't smoke and don't plan on it, however, some of my family members and coworkers smoke nearby me. I knew it wasn't the best to be around but the test brought up some alarming facts. Secondhand smoke kills tens of thousands of people each year and causes accelerated aging due to cancer, heart disease, and lung disease. The second helpful piece of information is how stress is affecting my age. Although I understand it's not good to be stressed constantly, I did not realize the impact it had on my health. If left unfixed, it decreases immune system effectiveness and increases the risk of accidents and infections. Furthermore, it affects the health of arteries that can lead to heart disease and age you quicker. The website gave helpful tips to reduce stress such as meditation and tai chi. Hopefully, I will age less quickly now that I know what to look out for!

Q6: Living to 100

ralthalemi — 2024-06-22 18:42:29 UTC

As I was taking this test I was a bit confused by some of the questions. I was not sure how some of the questions had any correlation with life expectancy such as flossing and calcium supplements. Once I got my results I was very happy to be expected to live to 99 years! I expected my constant stress and regular caffeine consumption to decrease my life expectancy by at least a couple of years. The first interesting piece of information I learned is the importance of flossing. I have to admit I floss pretty regularly as I take dental hygiene seriously, but I will miss a day or two during the week. However, the website states that flossing every day can add a year to my life expectancy, which is double the years added to cutting out caffeine! Furthermore, flossing daily decreases the likelihood of gum disease, and according to the test, the inflammation of gum disease and heart disease are linked. The second helpful piece of information is the benefits of taking 81mg of aspirin every day. Aspirin is a known blood thinner, taken every day, it can improve not only heart but also brain health. With the increased health of these structures, there's also a decrease in conditions threatening them, such as heart attack or stroke. Once I've made sure it's okay with my PCP, I hope to incorporate this into my daily life and possibly add 2 years to my life expectancy!

Q7: Life Stages

ralthalemi — 2024-06-23 03:45:43 UTC

After learning about the different stages of life starting from infancy all the way to old-old I think every stage of life is beautiful. Each comes with its own advantages and challenges of course. The stage I think is ideal is emerging adulthood for many reasons. This is the stage where you get a chance to explore different paths in life. It's an exciting time in our lives when we experience a great deal of emotional growth ( pg. 290). It is also when most of us experience great health and don't have to worry about it as much during other life stages. During this period, many get to think about where they would like to work and explore different careers. It's a time of self-discovery and being able to truly understand yourself and what you want in the future. Furthermore, this is the time when we form intimate relationships, fall in love, and find someone who matches us. According to our textbook, homogamy is the driving force in finding a partner ( pg. 300)! I'm a bit biased because I'm looking forward to this stage of my life of what it will bring. I believe Freud said it best, " the ability to love and work," is the definition of health mentally!

Q8: Feedback about this Course

ralthalemi — 2024-06-23 14:15:50 UTC

I personally enjoyed this class very much! I have always been curious about different age groups, how they are affected, and our lifetime development. That is why I viewed this class as more of a fun learning experience than a mandatory class. I liked how the class was structured being well-organized. It made it easy to stay on top of assignments and make sure I didn't miss anything. I also enjoyed your teaching style, usually in online courses it's very independent and there's not much interaction between other students and the professor. However, that was not the case this semester because of your way of teaching and our discussion boards! I disliked the workload for this course. Even though I know this is an accelerated course, I did not like how we had to worry about multiple Achieve assignments, large discussion board projects, and exams all at once. It became overwhelming with my other courses at times. Other than that I think this is a great course and I don't have much to say in terms of improvement. I thoroughly enjoyed this course and would take it again!