Generative Research

I. Close to Me- The six things that are closest to me are:

1. Islam

2. My best friend and "monkey" (nickname)

3. My sister and best friend

4. My parents

5. My cell phone

6. Entertainment media

I couldn't live without my faith because it is a guiding factor that has shaped my life. So many of my relationships with people and things have changed or been broken but my relationship with my faith and God has stayed constant, even if it goes through cycles.

Though my faith is extremely meaningful to me, entertainment media like TV shows, movies, and music are essential to my life. They provide me much needed escape from my daily life or troubles. They also make me happy and provide fun, easy activities. I usually access these with my laptop.

Though I have a complicated relationship with my parents, one where there has been a lot of tension, at the end of the day, they truly love and care for me. They have done everything to provide me such an amazing life and continue to do so. I couldn't live without them and am extremely thankful for them. I turn to them with every major decision, as much as I may want to pretend to be "grown up" and independent.

The five things that I care about are:

1. School/Education

2. My future

 3. Money and Quality of life

4. Nature

5. My three other best friends 

I drew a shooting star to symbolize my future. I also connected it to education with an arrow. I care a lot about my future, and have invested a lot in it throughout my school career with grades, internships, and more. As I prepare to graduate, my future is becoming alarmingly close. I am excited to see where I end up.

I care greatly about money and quality of life. I'm truly blessed to be where I am, and mainly it allows me to hope and dream, which I really care about. I have an easy and comfortable life, and I'm very grateful.

I'm not exactly an outdoorsy person- I can't see myself going camping every weekend- but I love nature. I care about being able to sit outside on a nice day, soak in the sun by the lake, or appreciate the gorgeous natural beauty we have around us. 

II. Digital Ecosystem- I use web search, online video, Twitter/Facebook, and more, national newspapers online, and blogs and forums to feel connected to the world. 

I primarily get most of my news/entertainment/updates from Twitter and Facebook. I get almost all my news from Twitter, or if friends link articles on Facebook. I also enjoy getting life updates from friends on those outlets and Instagram. I also stay updated with products on Wanelo.

I also use blogs and forums a lot, namely BuzzFeed and other websites like that. Several websites use gifs and memes which depict every day situations we all relate to. I enjoy visiting these.

My first venue to learn about anything is to Google it. This is why web search is what I most use. I utilize this for everything from learning about new technologies, events, activities, concepts, and more.

III. Typical Weekday- I wanted to add a few descriptions on busy points of my day here so they could be seen easier-

1. There are several bullets between my lunch and study periods. This varies based on the day- Monday and Wednesday I am in class for a large part of this time, eat quickly, and focus on trying to be productive on campus. When I come home on those days, I'm usually exhausted and don't study until later. On Tuesday and Thursday, I come home earlier and eat lunch, take a break, then study. On Fridays-weekend, I usually work and do more fun things, and study in longer periods. Shopping, hobbies, web, work, and clothing (changing) all find a place here. 

2. Another busy time is between study time and dinner. This is similar to above, it's a more flexible time that I may be studying, watching movies, catching up on E! News, using the web, and cooking. Because I don't have prior commitments, it varies daily. 

3. The rest of my day seems to be pretty evenly split in activities. In the morning I am usually getting ready, and if I have time I do some homework and watch a show. On weekends I have breakfast with my roommate and usually head to campus in this time if I am going there. The night time can be a time of heavy studying before deadlines, job applications for full time, or just relaxing and being on Facebook and watching shows. On weekends, this is a time for going out and hanging out.