Though it’s not like the traditional classroom/environment, MOS 2205G has not only been a huge learning experience but has also helped me to meet new people, new friends.  

From our many blog posts to our constant class collaborations to our assigned article readings, this class is one I will not soon forget. I can now go on job interviews, enter group projects, and even venture into regular new environments more confidently and comfortably because of this class. Every (if not, a vast majority of) class(es) we complete an assignment with our “teams,” which taught me to work better with a group of people I did not know prior to. The designated role sheet also makes it easy for group members to stick to their parts for that class which eliminates any room for miscommunication, ensures that everyone is involved and even encourages all members of the group find out who they want to be in future group assignments (i.e., devil’s advocate, presenter, mediator, etc.). Although it hasn’t been long, by practicing the behaviors of ‘good’ listeners stated by my favorite article of the class thus far, I have already begun to see improvements in my relationships with classmates, family, and even my peers.  

At first, I was uncomfortable with the setup of the classroom because of how interactive it was. Though I’m usually a social butterfly, university has turned me into such an introvert. MOS 2205 has taken me back to my real self. I’ve been on two teams so far and a classmate who remained a teammate of mine said she noticed how I’ve ‘come out of my shell’ since our first team together. I’ve hence grown to love the informal and welcoming culture of the class. To my surprise, though they were sometimes a pain in the butt, I enjoyed the RAT for the most part. They forced me to build my self-discipline, which eventually trickled over to my other courses.  

It’s very hard to say what has been the most valuable part of this course. I feel as though I have learnt so much valuable practices and gained so much new information that I cannot single out one specific thing. However, my favorite thing thus far is neither of the previously mentioned, it was becoming close friends with one of my classmates (I won’t mention her name to avoid any pressure, etc.). Prior to MOS 2205G, I had (literally) 1 Canadian friend, the others were either international or back home. But it feels good to have a friend London who already knows the fun things to do, the cheap stores to buy groceries, and a bunch of other things. She’s a sweetheart and I am so thankful that this class allowed us to bond (whether over late assignments or family drama). 

This class has also taught me some things about myself. I’ve learnt that I adapt to my surroundings, even when I shouldn’t. Previously, I thought I was both extroverted and introverted, but I’ve come to find out that I’m not. I, Acacia, am an extrovert. I’m extremely outgoing and when comfortable enough, I’m pretty sure I can talk someone’s ears off. That’s just it, when comfortable. In quiet/unfamiliar surroundings I put on this shell that somehow shields me from the world. I’m terrible at being the real me when I meet new people. I tend to feed off who they are and give them who I think they’d appreciate me being. Surely it is a bad habit that I must work on, though to be honest, it is not on my top 10 Habits to Break list.  

If I could change only one thing about my approach to MOS 2205, it would be my attitude. From the second class (I was back home for the first), after seeing the set up, I instantly got ‘turned off’ in a sense. Then, after hearing about how the class was midterm and exam free, I became very relaxed and lackadaisical, this quickly came to an end when the RAT began. I firmly believe that all BMOS students should take this course, I believe it can teach them what it is to be a good businessperson, not just a standard, white-collar businessman/businesswoman.  

To conclude, MOS 2205G has honestly equipped me with healthy, beneficial practices that are sure to last a lifetime and I am so appreciative that I was able to experience this course.  

Welcome back to keeping up with Acacia!  

Sadly, this blog post isn’t about me, instead, it is going to be focused on an article dually written by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman, titled “What Great Listeners Actually Do.” 

After reading all three, very well written, pieces, I chose What Great Listeners Actually Do because it was the only article that I seemed to be unexplainably interested in. Though short, the piece was very informative and very quickly proved to me that I am not a good listener, I just thought I was. 

I naturally assumed that good listeners were like sponges, they just sat (or stood) there quietly, hearing the speaker out & interjecting a “mm,” “wow” or “really?” every so often. It turns out this idea was only the tip of the iceberg. Zenger and Folkman compared great listeners to trampolines, saying that they are people you can “bounce ideas off of.” The scholars go on to say that, based on their studies, rather than merely absorbing the speaker’s ideas, good listeners seem to be people that “amplify, energize and clarify” the speaker’s thinking. Imagine my surprise, coming from a culture where speaking whiles someone else is speaking (cutting them off) is considered to be of the utmost disrespect. We were taught to wait until someone is completely finished talking before interjecting, because some way, somehow, if you didn’t, you’d be sure to miss the “essence” of what was said. However, after reading and taking the time to understand this article, I agree more with the two scholars than I do my former teachers. It follows logically to ask some questions during the listening process as opposed to after seeing that: 
1) with lengthy conversations, the listener can forget their question by the end, 
2) this is the best way that the speaker can be sure the other person is actually listening, and, 
3) it makes the conversation much more cooperative. 

The scholars grouped the results of their research into 4 main finding sand concluded that good listening:  
1) is much more than being silent whiles the speaker is talking, 
2) includes self-esteem building interactions, 
3) is considered to be more of a cooperative conversation, and, 
4) involves listeners who tend to make suggestions.  

I believed myself to be a good listener because, despite having what the article refers to as “distractions” (I.e., phones, laptops, etc.) in front of me, I would, for the most part, maintain eye contact, make subtle interjections, and I would always ask questions after whoever’s speaking was finished, even if I knew the answer. The article spoke about this and it turns out, I was, at best, a level 3 listener, which sucks because I prided myself with my ability to make my friends feel comfortable to talk to me about anything, but who wants to confide in someone they don’t consider to be a good listener? No worries, I have already begin enhancing my listening skills by asking my roommates about how their day went just to practice the four (4) main findings of the article’s study. I hope to see improvements soon. I think it will help me in the future by making more people feel comfortable enough to talk to me and might even open a few professional jobs. Nonetheless, being a good listener is always a good trait to have. 

To conclude, the article in its entirety was surely a good read. Zenger and Folkman did an amazing job ensuring that it was clear and well written. 

I’m aware that this post was well below the word count limit, but I said everything I took away and didn’t want to fill it with junk information. 

Who is she?
My name is Acacia and I’m a 20 year old, second year, international student. I’ll tell you more about where I’m from soon, bare with me. I love the ocean and would trade almost anything for it to be entirely clean, I hate almost every form of pollution more than anything in the world (I can tolerate noise pollution to a minimum), and I absolutely love dogs. They’re my favourite domestic animals, as for wild, and in general, pumas have my heart, by a landslide. However, whiles we’re on the topic of dogs, this summer I lost the love of my life to the Parvo virus. His name was Lobo and I got him for my 20th birthday. I’d love to tell you more but my heart still hurts so maybe we’ll get into that at a later date, maybe.

• 

A Brief History of the Girl You See
I was born and raised in The Bahamas, the most beautiful island ever (if I might say so myself). I have 5 half siblings and 1 whole sister. My parents separated when I was about two (2) and since my dad had no other responsibilities, he took my sister and I and raised us all by himself, he’s kind of my super hero. Over the years my mom and I became best friends so now I’m really close with both parents and I love that. My dad basically forced my sister and I to partake in sports (I played soccer, she played rugby), which now I’m thankful for, but back then it was a pain in the butt. I ended up on The Bahamas’ national soccer team (he brags about it to this day) and was captain of my high school soccer team when I was in grade 12. I’m a little bit ashamed to say that because I think I’m the most tired person I know right now. My daily routine consists of sleeping, eating, coming to class, doing homework, and sleeping again. I’m working on that.. slowly.
Back home I’m the biggest extrovert, but coming here showed me I really don’t know how to make new friends, it’s probably because I hardly ever feel comfortable enough to talk to people first. Hence, I’ve settled into my new role of being an introvert, and all of my friends back home have noticed it. Apparently, I’m much more.. “quiet.” I didn’t make it any better with my newly found love for sleeping every time I’m not occupied so, as a “New Year’s Resolution,” I’ve decided to work on that too. It’s not exactly failing, but it’s barely working, if I’m being honest. So I’ve decided to either start the gym or get a job.
I started working as a summer student when I was sixteen (16) and have worked every summer since. I’m actively looking for Canadian employment so feel free to offer any suggestions.

• 

• 

The Ideal Me
I’m currently enrolled in BMOS, specializing in Accounting. I want to be a lawyer and an accountant. I intend to study Law in Buckingham after I take my CPA exam. Eventually, I’d like to partner up with another amazing lawyer, and have a partnership law firm, I’d also be able to oversee all of our books, just in case.

Extras
This term, I’d like to get at least a 3.6 (I double major and honestly I have no clue why). Also, I’ll like to make new friends. I’m not sure how I’m gonna do this yet but I’ll figure it out soon enough. I like to talk about pretty much everything. I’m not very transparent but I’m an amazing listener. I love being a “diary.” I always feel like my friends have to be able to confide in me completely, without judgement and that they need to be able to feel 100% comfortable around me. Not to be a Debbie-Downer, but I know how sucky feeling completely alone is, so I never want my friends to feel that way.
It’s not always rainbows and butterflies though. I’m extremely impulsive, very blunt (which sometimes comes off as “insensitive,” I hardly take my own advice, and sad to say, I’m almost always right. I’m not built for soft people but once I love you there’s absolutely nothing I wouldn’t do for you.

Overall, I’d like to think I’m a good person with a good heart. I’m far from perfect and I’ll be the first one to admit that, but we’re all a little broken one way or the other, what matters is what we choose to do with the pieces, and I’ve chosen to put them together as best as I know how. So, that’s all I have to say about me, I tried not to leave too much out. If I did, and you’re curious about something, please feel free to ask me about it!


All photos used are mine.

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
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• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

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