Introducing Me: Olivia Bennett

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 My name is Olivia Bennett. I am a secondary education English major. This is my second semester at Upstate. I have transferred around quite a bit. Before coming to Upstate I went to North Greenville University and Spartanburg Methodist College. I like to think that all the transferring around I have done gives me a unique perspective at education. 

As far as hobbies go, I like to go to the gym. I started going to the gym in my first year of college and I've been going ever since. When I first started going to the gym it was just a way for me to avoid the famous "freshman fifteen." Four years later and now the gym is a place for me to challenge myself, learn new skills, and allow the stress of school to melt away for an hour or two. I definitely recommend going to the gym for any of my classmates who are feeling overwhelmed by school or are feeling overwhelmed in general. There is no better way to clear my mind then sticking some earbuds on and start climbing on the stairstepper.

When it comes to sports I played tennis in high school and played tennis while attending Spartanburg Methodist College. I do not really play tennis much anymore. Occasionally my boyfriend can talk me into playing a game but for the most part, I consider myself retired. 

I keep two little boys for about 18 hours (give or take an hour) throughout the week. I have been working for the family for going on four years. The eldest boy is nine and the youngest boy is two. Some days are better than others but for the most part, I enjoy keeping my kids. At this point, I've been with the family for so long it would feel odd not having two little boys in my life. I like to think of my job as a learning experience. I have learned so much about children from my kids and I hope to apply that knowledge in my future classroom. 

I know this is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but I like to learn by just listening and taking notes. I'm not a very big fan of hands-on learning. My dislike of hands-on learning may just be because I like to be left alone while doing school work. To help me be successful in this course I would say the biggest thing I need is patience and understanding. I say this because we're already almost done with week two and I have encountered so many obstacles with technology so far this semester it is not even funny. It is so easy for me to misunderstand something or not realize something needs to be turned in when everything is done online. I think by being patient and understanding it helps me not to freak out so much if I somehow miss the turn in box for an assignment (which I kid you not happened to me this week). I put too much stress on myself as is regarding grades and school. 

During my childhood and adolescence (elementary school/middle school age) the books that stand out to me most are the Warrior Cat series. I used to (and not even going to lie still do) love reading them. The fantasy world of wild, clan cats sucked me as an adolescent. The characters were relatable (even though they were cats) and the characters were memorable. I can still tell you just about anything that happened in any of the books. I only read Warrior Cat books for a few years, mostly because there are like forty plus books in the series, not even counting the manga and special edition books. I would check the books out at the library and buy the books with birthday and Christmas money. To this day these books hold a special place in my heart. 

Books have meant a great deal to me throughout my life. I have always enjoyed reading and letting myself get immersed in the stories. Reading is extremely relaxing to me and allows me to just take a break from my life. When I read I don't have to worry about what I still have to do that day or what grade I made on a certain test. Reading allows me to take the place of the main character and simply enjoy the ride. I could not imagine life without books and the comfort they bring me. 

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