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bildungohnealtersgrenze · 7 years

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Here is the deal, I am sure we all feel the same about the fast changing world and all the exciting things happening around us. I am not saying that everything we see is great or event horrible. It might be just the perspective on how we see things. Are you familiar with Ritzer? Ritzer was a sociologist who lived in ….. and talked about the changes in society due to a phanomen called McDonaldisierung. What does this really mean? Here we go, I think McDonaldisierung is a process of fast movement. Fast movement due to companies telling you how lucky you are to get this great deal. In the beginning of McDonald, they had to sell you how lucky you are to pay less if you agree to clean up your own food in the restaurant (McDonald, Starbucks and all other fast food restaurants we really know). In real, Mc Donald figured out a system to make money by getting into your head by selling you a different experience in partaking your food. Slightly cheaper than in a Restaurant were the waiter is serving you. Mc Donald sold you the comfort of eating out at his place. Bringing your garbage to the bin, and cleaning up after you. It does not bother any of us since you are made to feel home. The kids can eat like at home and even play in the dinning hall. In real, the company saves a tone of money through this business model. Now guess why so many companies followed this model and changed the way we live today? Got it? I don’t think it happened because they care much about you or your family, but they do care about your money. The result of a few decades of fast food business models is obesity, unhealthy ways of eating, fewer family meals and so on. Even at home, we live their business model of calculation, predictively and efficiency. It´s totally implemented in our society and lives at home.

A quick story for you: My child´s group is going to china next year and in return, we are getting a child from china for a week. I am very excited and looking forward to our little visitor. One mother told a story of a child they once hosted, the child is of course the only child at home since China has the one child policy. The children face many expectations back home; early getting up, school, short breaks, more school, tutoring, music lessons, dinner and more school until late at night. No time for family life. During the one week with his host family, he experienced for the first-time what family life can really look like. They played games, eat dinners together and so one. The child was so grateful for this experience and asked the family to repeat it night for night. To be honest, that´s how we are going to live, if we don’t put a stop to it.

Back to more theories about our changing society. In the working environment, our lovely cooperation’s, we call it flexible capitalism. Working in a cooperation, we accept to live with low loyalty und little identifications, short term employment or a change of roles every few years. Due to those changes, high competition between teams, colleagues, partners, leaders and so on. What are the result of such an environment we have to face day by day. Little social connections, fewer social relationships, loneliness and much more. Cooperation’s handing out short term contracts with very little protections to their employee´s. I grew up in Germany. A contract with an employer was always based on an unlimited stay unless you did something really wrong. You identified yourself with the company and became very loyal, if not you looked for another company, a better match. Today, you have to create a profile like a company would do to sell his product. In sociology, we speak of a product, you as a working person are the product (you produce by getting education and lots of certificates and experiences), you as a product can only produce money as long as you are healthy and as long as you keep up with the standards of a good product (always a little more to difference you). The world is full of products – can you see the competition? McDonald is telling us how much he loves us, we are family and wants to serve us, we are family! Can you see how much it has changed the way we live and operate or better are operated??? It is all about money and more money and you have the right to go with the flow of create your life the way you want to life. Remember, money is an important exchange, but how much do you need, will always to be determined on your desired life style. Which sacrifice are you willing to take. Will it be worth it at the end? Is it maybe time to slow down and think about the giving options out there once more and our wants?

Changes are great of course. Living during the time before the industrialisations, no way, we really don’t want to go back there. Looking at Karl Marx’s and his believes that the new political economic theory that he was espousing – scientific socialism – needed to be built on the base of a thoroughly developed materialistic view of the world. He believed that our social class determines our social life, he also only differentiated between two classes, the bourgeoisie (the one who have money and products to work with and the proletariat (the ones who have only their hands to work with and of course their brain power to support their family). It is much easier today, thanks to people who started to fight for changes and improvement, thanks for advanced technology and education for all. (I realize that we can discuss and go much deeper, but I will leave it as rather a brought idea and let you look up the ideas your selves a little more. Social changes have been important for us but how far is it bringing us and why are we still so unhappy as a society? We have political, world leaders, who are simply bored with what they do and looking for fights and conflicts. Those leaders around the world, the ones who are bored looking at more power and trying to take it from you. Watch out! This does happen in some countries around the world and I will let you determine which countries are heading this way. Really, do we really still need to fight for land and power? Can we not just be happy with what we got and share with the ones who missed the boat or otherwise challenged. Can you imagine how easy life would be in many emotional ways as well as in materialistic ways. People would feel secured and supported. I am not sure if cooperation´s want you to feel this way, because that would not trigger the buying power. We only buy staff if we really, really need something and to fulfil out wants. Go to TJ Max … do the people in there because the winter coat does not fit anymore (in some cases that is the case) or do people (including me) buy stuff there because it gives us quick satisfaction and that feels like a quick hug.

I feel like, as older I get, that I am not willing to be as controlled as I am, but I realize that my chances are limited since a cooperation is anonymous -to who do you talk to if you want less control. Hard to get to a person … because there is no one person responsible anymore.

Power – control is upon all of us – it is difficult to find the person in charge. In a Ted Talk, Eric Liu once said, “The right thinks democracy comes from the power of the government. The left believes power resides only with cooperation’s. The blind thinks good things just happen and the cynical thinks bad thinks just happens because it just does.” He invites us to take control and not to believe that power is something “big people” can only use, getting your idea across is very important, especially in a changing society like ours. Find your way, find your voice in your own community even if it´s your own family you want to guide and inform. Beginning by collecting the right facts, the work should not stop you since knowledge and the right information and sources are the power big cooperation’s and the media is using. Just like that. Power is confidence and believes.

The power of the big wide web … but more later.

(All images in this gallery were provided NASA / NSSDC) and

(https://pixabay.com/en/chess-strategy-chess-board-316658/)

Here is the deal, I am sure we all feel the same about the fast changing world and all the exciting things happening around us.

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bildungohnealtersgrenze · 7 years

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Time has arrived – we are preparing for our finals. A exam which will decide if you have either wasted 6 month of hopefully hard work or if you can move on …. how are we going to master our anxieties?????

I have finished my first degree in business many, many years ago. I am working (25 years later) on my second degree- kids are growing up and it would be fun to have a second opportunity to make a difference out there. Learning habits – study habits have not changed I noticed but the way we learn today surely has. Lucky you!!!! I am in my second year – in Germany we study three years since most of the general studies are done in Highschool. Another exam; I am getting a little excited. Here are my inputs and recommendations on how to use the last little bit of time we have left before the exam:

I don´t think we can master by leaning back during summer – I tried that once ….. did not really lean back …. My husband and I moved a family of 5 twice that year internationally. DONT TRY to pack too much into the weeks before, it is just not worth it. Plan well – everyone knows that right?! Martin Schuster, a psychologist and author of the book “Better learn habits” (in German “Besser lernen”) says, if you just realised what needs to get done, don´t think, just DO IT. Get your book and notes and get started.

We really need to get started with a study guide friends – even God had a plan before he sent down his helpers to create earth!!! 🙂 A plan is a must and so easy. Make sure you know what the teachers wants you to focus on. Bullet points and maybe page numbers or URL names so you don`t wast time looking around when you get to it. Ask student who have written the test before – often exams stay the same to make it easy for the people correcting.

Take your planer and see in how many weeks you have left and how many chunks of time you have on those days. (Please don´t forget to schedule your GYM time as well – better to write it right in) Why??? It has been proven that your focus will be much stronger if you take care of your body too. Mind and body are connected. why do we need to exercise when we study hard. “Recent human and animal studies show that regular aerobic exercise has profound effects on the brain. A recent New York Times article, “How Exercise Could Lead To A Better Brain” , describes experiments performed on mice at the University of Illinois. Mice who ran regularly on a wheel had more neurons—brain cells—than those who did not.” (http://www.aiuniv.edu/blog/september-2012/5-reasons-college-students-should-make-time-for-exercise) I am sure you can find even better sources then the one above.

Summaries what ever your need to know – time might be a little short – you have a few options my dear:

Asks someone who has done it already and use your friends work as study notes.

Write it up yourselves, the more effective way, since what ever you write will also stay with you ) According to

a recent study in a forthcoming issue of the journal Psychological Science, using pen and paper, not laptops, to take notes boosts memory and the ability to retain and understand concepts.)

Record your notes and listen to them everywhere you go. (We went on a family bike ride for over a week – I had recordings of my books and listened to chapters one at a time. I am really surprised how much has stayed with me!!!!

Here is a site with free programs and some feedback: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/five-apps/five-handy-apps-for-recording-audio-notes/

If you can not memorise certain parts of the stuff you need to know – try making a personal connection. I am studying sociology, Bourdieu is one of the most important sociologist we will remember for a long time. He talks a lot about the HABITUS, the power of social change. He approaches power within the context of a comprehensive “theory of society” which like that of Faucault. Bourdieu said that a created HABITUS is created through a social process, rather than individual process leading to patterns that are enduring and transferrable from one context to another. Basically if you are born into a family who likes to live simple, education were limited due to financial reasons or tradition, Bourdieu said that you will only under rare circumstances change who you are, you wont be able to change that since moving up a level in society will make you rather uncomfortable, noticing the unfamiliarly of it, further more, you need more money and connection to get the same education or live like the group above you or better the group who plays in a different field (he difference in different forms of “capital” in his theory) .. long story, very interesting and go and read his books. .

“MY personal links, I create to remember his theory and connect his thoughts to others of his kind completely, are the people around me and my own upbringing, I try to transfer it to my life and at times use names I have a relation to … like Uncle Gerd … or remember, Grandpa Kneip ….”.

Study-help is important, index cards, posters, mind maps, recordings, Skype chats with other fellow students. ( I work with other students a lot via Skype to repeat material and discuss – very produktive!!!)

Structure is kind of essential believe me. I have children which like to interrupt. Finding blogs of study time will help you to fallow your list. Working alone in a library can be boring and demotivating, but a few hours alone time in the library will not hurt you. Take a break in between, to be honest, every hour at least, just for 10 minutes or so. Picture your brain like a muscle, they also need to rest and stretched so often. Healthy behaviour: If you can not purchase lots of fruits and vegetable (typically for students) make sure to take subelements. Your body and your brain is very complex and need good mix of healthy nutrition – not just pizza and chocolate.

A study has shown that a freshman, one in four students, gain 10 lbs or more in their first year of college. Ultimately, fast food and unhealthy snacks simply don´t provide you with the nutrition you need to perform well in school. A good diet can enhance your academic performance. Go for it!

I believe that your daily calorie intake should not be more than 2200 calories a day if you are between 19 and 30 years of age. (according to USDA). I don´t have that pleasure anymore … so, much less for me since I am much above 30 … and unfortunately my system has slowed down … nevertheless … I cheat by working hard at the GYM. Some sweets are good for the soul! By going to the GYM, I can avoid the the pounds I don´t need to have on my hips and clear my mind. (My mother was really obsessed with her weight for many many years …. I inherited that part and get very sensitive about it. Still, you have to find your own comfort level, just make sure its healthy for you – since you are worth it :)!!!!

Get rest, more than 24 hours of sleep has the same weakening result than 1.0 level of alcohol in blood. Get your 7 – 8 hrs a night and built a routine. Best of luck. I will stop here and prepare for my own exam now. Writing is a wonderful task and I hope this blog might help you a little. Nothing magical and every has been said many times, but here just a slide reminder.

Another student trying to accomplish what has been accomplished many times 🙂

DONT FORGET YOUR TREAT 🙂

Exam Preparation HELP Time has arrived - we are preparing for our finals. A exam which will decide if you have either wasted 6 month of hopefully hard work or if you can move on ....

#bereite dich zur Uni vor #fertig für die Uni Uni preparation #study guide #Study help. lernhilfen #Studyhelp #Unileben #University life

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