Carlos D. Otero Acevedo

Timekeeper, Harmonizer, Runner

Participation in World Cafés

Since I did not have a concrete idea to present to the class, I decided it would be better to join a group that did. Among the groups I decided to listen to were one that involved giving support to sex workers, creating an extensive mesh IT network, one that involved turning passions ito a reality, and one that involved the consumption of insects. Eventually, I decided to settle on the group I am now, which deals with alternative food systems within the college. It was one of the only two groups that’s seemed to have a somewhat develop course of action, which is why I ended up choosing it.

Learning Compass

01_Where have I been?
1. I have learned most of my academic skills from formal schooling. And I have learned my social skills through extensive observation of people I am around. Other knowledge I have acquired from the media I consume, the books I’ve read, the places I’ve traveled, the people I’ve talked to, and the extracurricular activities I’ve been a part of.
2. Some of my critical learning experiences include the time I spent tutoring some younger kids, as well as my peers, and my exposure to the 2016 election, which was what prompted my interest in news (politics especially).
3. I have graduated high school and have some college experience.
4. My work experience comes from my hours of community service and the time I spent working at my mom’s medical office.
02_Where am I now?
1. I am very detailed-oriented, always deliver, can be focused, and I believe I am empathetic. I have also been called funny. /I can become lost in the details and lose sight of the big picture, I can become easily distracted, and I have been known for spreading myself extremely thin to the point of exhaustion.
2. I have the option to participate in extended study abroad programs or try to get an internship (such as the Washington State Legislative Internship).
3. If the task involves a lot of reading, dividing it with my peers and listening to it as I also read has been effective. If the task involves a considerable amount of writing, extended periods of time without interruption (usually at night) has shown to be effective, especially if I am very, very tired. If it involves learning in a classroom environment, an inductive style of teaching with both visual and audio cues have been the most effective, lectures especially.
4. Most of my motivation comes from a sense of obligation. I am enthused by the idea of learning about how we humans interact at every level. I find endlessly fascinating, which is the reason I look forward to traveling and learning (when I feel adequately prepared) so much. In short, it’s fun to be a sponge.
5. Really, my main challenge is a lack of time. And that can only be solved by either finding more efficient ways of doing things or, more realistically, cutting other things out.
6. It depends on its length. If they are about five to fifteen minutes, as most of my free time is, I mostly watch TV shows or play video games. If they are closer to an hour, I usually take a nap. If it is a rare occurrence in which I have an extended period of free time, I might go out with friends or spend time with my family, though these activities are usually carved out of my sleep schedule, rather than my use of free time. Since my personal goals primarily involve social interactions, games and TV shows give me potential conversation topics, napping allows me to continue functioning on a threadbare sleep schedule, and my extended “free” periods of time allow me to create or deepen bonds.

03_Where am I going?
• My long-term strategic goal is to graduate college.
• My short-term goal is to find a better system to become more efficient (and hopefully be able to sleep more often), finish my sophomore year, and find a direction career-wise.
• I want to be able to understand people better in order to more effectively listen and communicate, be more focuses and learn a new language.

04_How do I get where I want to go?
I plan on trying to find plenty more people with whom to split our respective workloads. Decreasing it would create more time, which is my primary roadblock from researching for possible passions, career paths, having fun, increasing my time with loved ones, doing better work, and most importantly, sleeping.

05_How do I know I have reached my goals?
I will know I have reached my goals when I can say I sleep a healthy number of hours every night, when I can say I am totally confident in my work and my ability to learn and retain information. I will know when I discover what it is that I want to do with my life, when I discover my passion, and subsequently create a plan to achieve that dream. I will know when I can honestly say I have an extremely tight-knit group of friends, whom I know everything about and vice-versa. And I will know I have reached my goal when I can say I am both happy and satisfied with my life.