Writing Case Studies (First Class after Midterms)

 

      Hi Everyone! Welcome back to my blog! Above is a screenshot for my Writing Fundamentals Class, our first class after Midterms. It has been a long 3 weeks without Writing Fundamentals Class. 

Yesterday we learn't about case studies and what makes a good case study. Our teacher showed us an example of a case study on Tik Tok but it was in a video form. The case study basically explained how Tik Tok was originally known as Byte Dance and it was originally made for lips-ing but then it grew all the way to sharing short videos. Now, Tik Tok is a monopoly in the video making industry. The case study also told us that Tik Tok was able to overcome its competitors vine and musically. Tik Tok makes a lot of money through advertisements and they also have very good artificial intelligence to recommend people what to watch. However, there are issues to regards to what they do with the data of the users and all that. Tik Tok can also create peer pressure among teens and might not be used in the right way, for example there was this viral video on Tik Tok which made fun of Indonesian policeman and it can be offensive to some people.

Stay Safe and Healthy ! 

Sudiksha Budhrani

Writing a Press Release

 Hi Everyone! I am Sudiksha Budhrani... Today I will be sharing my forum assignment where I have to write a press release. The challenge this time is to make a boring, dull piece of A4 paper like document, into something fun and interesting. We had to write a press release, approximately, 250 words about a new course that will be opening at Binus International. The course that I choose was kitchen psychology. I tried making a video below which I have shared below. 

Baking Waffles

 Hi Guys, Welcome back to my blog.

Today I was craving for some waffles and decided to make them ! It came out really yummy like crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. I was really satisfied with the taste of the pancake. I ate it with diet ice cream so the ice cream is healthy and not very sweet. I got it from EZO Cheesecakes, and the one that I posted above is the Biscoff flavoured ice cream.  Just a tip, if you want your pancakes to be softer you can use breadflour instead of normal flour. I also made this pancake without egg, I used milk, breadflour, baking powder and salt.

Twisted Diwali 2020

    Hi guys, welcome back to my blog. Yesterday, 14 November 2020 was Diwali or Deepavali. It is the Indian New Year also known as the festival of lights. This festival symbolises new beginnings, light over darkness and good over evil. Festivities usually last for 3 days and we usually visit our family members, have a feast usually in every house that we visit, visit temples, play and watch fireworks. Our houses are usually decorated with "diyas" which are small oil lamps made from clay. Diwali is actually celebrated because of the Hindu Lord God Rama and how he managed to return back to his village after 14 years of exile. On Diwali we usually eat vegetarian ( don't consume meat or eggs ) because prayers are going on so we want to be as pure as possible. We also have to eat at least 1 meal with 7 vegetables in the same meal of a belief it is to cast the evil eye. During Diwali, children and adults who are not married usually get envelopes fill with money from their elders. 

    

This year's Diwali has been pretty different because people do not need to dress up. People are just in their pajamas and wishing their family members on zoom. My family is really big because during Diwali I usually meet my grandma's family and grandpa's family for both my moms and my dads side. So it's really a lot of people that I usually meet and the parties are usually till late night about 3 am. This year I did not meet anyone, I stayed safe at home and met everyone on zoom. We played a lot of games and had fun. This Diwali has a different meaning because it taught me to activate my divine light and there is no need to waste money and make so much very big parties. Often the small and simple things in life can make you happy. 

Those pictures are my Dad's side of the family

These pictures are from my Mom's side of the family

Stay Safe Everyone ! 

Sudiksha Budhrani

First Mid Exam at Binus International

Midterm Exams !

 Image from: http://www.clipartpanda.com/clipart_images/

by-the-time-he-got-into-high-6879703

Hey guys! It is me again Sudiksha Budhrani! Welcome to my blog.. Today was my first take-home exam, because of the pandemic we cannot go to the university and do our exams face to face so our exam is online for this semester. Today was a very scary experience since it was my first university exam. We also had to write a 1200-1500 words essay for one of my courses Academic English 1 with only 1 days notice. We were given a total of 10 topics to choose from 5 were expository topics and 5 were cause and effect topics. There was a lot of pressure especially since I had to adapt to using turnitin and there was also this foreign website which I did not really know how to use. I was really worried wether or not I could finish the paper on time. I also had some anxiety like wether or not I submitted the document properly in the correct format or correct file name. I was so scared that I actually had to email my professor and asked his favour to check wether he received my paper just for the sake of my sanity. There was also so much pressure on me knowing that this specific paper was 20% of my GPA so I just had to do my best. 

I am going to attach my essay below for you guys who are interested to read it. Thank you so much for visiting my blog! I hope you guys stay safe and healthy! 

Sudiksha Budhrani

  SPONTANEOUS DECISIONS: WHY ARE THEY MADE                                                        1 

  AND WHAT ARE THEIR CONSEQUENCES                                                                  

Spontaneous Decisions: Why Are They Made and What Are Their Consequences      

          

By: Sudiksha Budhrani  / 2440043811

Faculty of Economics and Communications Binus International University

Professor: Mr Andrews Thren

9 November 2020

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There are 5 techniques in decision making which are rational, avoidant, dependent, intuitive, and spontaneous. Firstly, rational is when you logically think through your decisions before choosing in the end. Secondly, avoidant decision making is trying to avoid deciding for as long as you can. Thirdly, dependent decision making is asking the help and advice of other people before making a decision. Fourthly, an intuitive decision is a decision made based on your gut feeling. Lastly, a spontaneous decision is a quick and unthought decision. Spontaneous decisions are decisions without an exact plan in mind, it is something like just going with the flow and doing what feels right at that exact point in time. “Plans are an invitation to disappointment.” (Landy, Coil) I will be further explaining about spontaneous decision making, why they are made, and the consequences of making a spontaneous choice. 

First of all, spontaneous decision making gives us relaxation and it lessens stress. When you make a spontaneous decision, you go with the flow, you don’t have any expectations of the outcome and you are ready to accept whatever happens. Moreover, making a decision without thinking is not always bad because sometimes the decision can be made with your gut or your subconscious which rarely goes wrong. (Yu, n.d.) Spontaneous people are also less worried about life because they can move on in life without blaming themself for their hasty decision, they are also able to understand that life will proceed. Spontaneous people also believe that everything will happen under God’s will, everything will happen under his plan for us. No matter how much we plan, if it is not the best thing for us, it will not happen. People that do not plan the situation do not have any expectations of how the situation will turn out, which leads them in being less disappointed. They usually make decisions based on following their instinct, which sometimes can make more sense than using your brain. (Duczeminski, 2015)

Furthermore, spontaneous decision making makes people more creative. Spontaneous people do not limit themself to how society labels them or follow standards of the media. They are lost in their imagination, in their drama and fantasy of life. They are not scared of the judgments of the world because what they do is based on their passion and it is for themselves, 

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their happiness and not anyone else’s. (Duczeminski, 2015) Marc Chagall once said, “If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing,” We are so used to making a plan, following it, and expecting that everything happens as per what we want it to be. We don’t give space for our decisions and our choices to be creative because everything is very basic and usual. When you make a crazy decision, sometimes without even thinking, it is when you lose yourself in the opportunity around you. This does not limit you in what you do. Creativity is something special, it is magic that happens when you least expect. (Oppong, 2019)

Last but not least, spontaneous people are happier. They want to make the best out of every moment in their life and will grab every opportunity that comes their way. Moreover, spontaneous people are more resilient towards the mistakes of their decisions and are willing to take the next best step going forward. (Morewedge et al., 2014) “An average American makes 6,709 spontaneous decisions per year.” In addition to that, based on a study conducted by OnePoll, spontaneous people were 40% more content.” Further research also suggests that 56% of the 2000 Americans surveyed said that they have made an important spontaneous decision in their life and have been content with the result. Humans get bored easily and making an instant decision is the element of surprise in our life that creates that excitement which contributes to our happiness. Oftentimes, when something unexpected happens, people which are fast decision-makers usually look at it in a positive light which also makes them feel good. (Digitalhub | Surprising Percentage of People Feel Happier after Spontaneous Decisions - Digitalhub, 2020) 

On the contrary, making a spontaneous decision has its flaws too. I will discuss the consequences of making a hasty decision which includes an unpredictable or negative outcome and stress.

First of all, making a quick decision will lead to an unpredictable outcome which could be negative and lead to regret. When we decide without really thinking through the possible outcomes, we are not ready for what will happen. Although, people that make instant decisions argue that they will be happy with whatever the outcome is that only works if the outcome is 

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favorable. The real question is, what if the outcome is not what they desire or had in mind. They will blame themselves, feel regretful, and will not be able to move on from that 1 bad decision in their past. What is even worse is that they keep the grudge and continuously hate themselves because of that mistake they made in the past. (Anderer, 2020) For example, when someone gets a tattoo without thinking and they want to get it removed because they don’t like it. The experience of getting it removed can be very painful and remorseful. The removal of a tattoo with a laser can be very painful since it takes about five to 15 treatments to fully remove it. Of Course, there are pain-numbing creams and antibiotics but these only lessen the pain and do not fully remove the pain. (Nikishado & Nakajima, 2013)

Last but not least, making an unprompted decision will lead to stress. People often regret the decisions that they make without thinking it through. The negative outcome usually makes people feel stressed out. For example, someone makes a bet and he bets everything because he was obsessed with the money he could win and he does not think of the outcome. If he loses this bet which could be his home, all his money which he saved for the past 20 years. The situation will make him stressed and he would probably be thinking about how he is going to feed his family and where they are going to stay which can make him go through a lot of stress and anxiety or even worse end up with depression. (Bergland, 2016)  

To conclude, life is to be lived not planned. Based on QuotesGram.com, “The best decisions are made without thinking.” Life is a journey in which we should live to the fullest, enjoy every opportunity, learn from every failure, and forgive ourselves for every bad decision. Sometimes, we need to realize that everything is God’s plan. Every experience that did not go our way is meant to teach us something or another. We should not stress, hold grudges, and let our past mistakes haunt us because that is not how life is supposed to be. In life, learning will always happen until you get old and it is important to make the most out of every moment. Life is a play, it's a drama, sometimes we make a decision without thinking it’s okay, don’t do it the next time. A spontaneous decision should not always be regarded as a bad thing because what if you decided to give your leftover to an unfortunate person on the road, it is not a bad decision.

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Wordcount: 1279

References

Anderer, J. (2020, June 13). Live in the Moment: Spontaneity Could Be Key To Happiness, Survey Suggests. Study Finds; https://www.facebook.com/StudyFindsorg/. https://www.studyfinds.org/spontaneity-key-to-happiness/

Bergland, C. (2016, March 17). How Does Anxiety Short Circuit the Decision-Making Process? | Psychology Today. Psychology Today; Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201603/how-does-anxiety-short-circuit-the-decision-making-process

Cole, S., & Kvavilashvili, L. (2019, December 5). Spontaneous and deliberate future thinking: a dual process account | SpringerLink. Psychological Research; Springer Link. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00426-019-01262-7

digitalhub | Surprising percentage of people feel happier after spontaneous decisions - digitalhub. (2020, June 11). Digitalhub. https://www.swnsdigital.com/2020/06/surprising-percentage-of-people-feel-happier-after-spontaneous-decisions/

Do you have a decision-making style? | Careers - in Theory. (2010, September 7). Careers - in Theory; https://www.facebook.com/WordPresscom. https://careersintheory.wordpress.com/2010/09/07/do-you-have-a-decision-style/

Duczeminski, M. (2015, August 22). 5 Reasons Being Spontaneous Is Such A Great Thing. Lifehack; Lifehack. https://www.lifehack.org/302670/5-reasons-being-spontaneous-such-great-thing

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Landy, D., & Coil, M. (n.d.) Spontaneity Quotes (108 quotes). Goodreads | Meet Your next Favorite Book. Retrieved November 8, 2020, from https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/spontaneity

Li, S. (2013, August 26). Spontaneous Decision Making – A Reasoner’s Miscellany. A Reasoner’s Miscellany; https://www.facebook.com/WordPresscom. https://nargaque.com/2013/08/25/spontaneous-decision-making/

Morewedge, C. K., Giblin, C. E., & Norton, M. I. (2014, May 12). The (Perceived) Meaning of Spontaneous Thoughts -                  Article                        - Harvard Business School. Harvard Business School. https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=47179

Nikishado, J. H.-, & Nakajima, H. (2013, May 28). The Dangers Of Impulsive Decision Making - Good Choices Good Life. Good Choices Good Life; Broadview. http://www.goodchoicesgoodlife.org/choices-for-real-life-real-living/the-dangers-of-impulsive-decision-making/

Oppong, T. (2019, June 18). For a More Creative Life, be Spontaneous | by Thomas Oppong | The Startup | Medium. Medium; The Startup. https://medium.com/swlh/for-a-more-creative-life-make-room-for-spontaneity-a90d2daf70a

Pagnoni, G., Cekic, M., & Guo, Y. (2008, September 3). “Thinking about Not-Thinking”: Neural Correlates of Conceptual Processing during Zen Meditation. Home - PLOS; Plos One. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0003083

Pearl, R. (2019, July 23). Decision-making: why smart people make bad choices - Vox. Vox; Vox. https://www.vox.com/2019/7/23/20702987/brain-psychology-making-hard-decisions

Quotes About Being Spontaneous. QuotesGram. (n.d.). QuotesGram. Get Motivated in the Pursuit of Happiness. Retrieved November 8, 2020, from https://quotesgram.com/quotes-about-being-spontaneous/

The Dangers Of Impulsive Decision Making - Good Choices Good Life. (n.d.) Good Choices Good Life. Retrieved November 8, 2020, from http://www.goodchoicesgoodlife.org/choices-for-real-life-real-living/the-dangers-of-impulsive-decision-making/

Vanderkam, L. (2016, August 23). The Surprising Scientific Link Between Happiness And Decision Making. Fast Company; Fast Company. 

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https://www.fastcompany.com/3063066/the-science-backed-way-to-be-happier-by-making-better-choices

Wiggins, G. A., & Bhattacharya, J. (2014, July 24). Mind the gap: an attempt to bridge computational and neuroscientific approaches to study creativity. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience; Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00540/full

Yu, R. (n.d.) Stress potentiates decision biases: A stress induced deliberation-to-intuition (SIDI) model - ScienceDirect. ScienceDirect.Com | Science, Health and Medical Journals, Full Text Articles and Books. Retrieved November 8, 2020, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352289515300187

 

Day 2 of Exam Season in the Kitchen

 Hey Guys, it's me again. I was craving some sushi and decided to make my own.

For this, I used nori seaweed, mayonnaise, cheese, and salmon. Sorry, it is a bit messy, since it's my first time ever making sushi. The sushi rice is not an ordinary normal rice, you can look for "sushi rice" on Tokopedia too. For the sushi rice, make sure to cook it in sushi seasoning first which you can buy in Tokopedia. Cooking the rice in seasoning will allow it to have some flavor which is a mix of salty, sweet, and savory all together. For the salmon, I don't like it raw so I prefer to marinate it with soy sauce before baking it. It was pretty satisfactory for my first try. Sushi is a convenient meal that does not take so long to make.  Just a bit of background about me, I have actually started baking and cooking 3 years ago. However, ever since quarantine I have just been baking and cooking more. Then university started and I have somewhat been busy with university and now I'm a bit freer because we don't have classes and it's my favourite go-to destress method. I'll share it here when I bake or cook again.

Baking as A form of Destress during Exam Season

 Hi Everyone ! Welcome back to my Blog, thank you so much for being interested to read about my life.

Today, I was studying for my Midterms for Introduction to Communication Science. There was honestly, so much to read. It was somewhat interesting and relatable. I somewhat wanted to destress and I did what I always did when I am stressed. I run into the kitchen and bake. I really love baking and I have been really caught up with university that I have not gotten time to bake as much. Why I really love baking during stress times is that when you make bread, you have to bang the dough and hit it on the table and for me, it really helps me release all my frustrations and anxiety which I usually get during the exam season. What I actually made was garlic cheese bread. It was surprisingly soft and melted in the mouth. I look forward to experimenting more breads in the future which I can hopefully share in this blog.
 

Learning Journey / Reflection

 Hey Guys! Welcome back to my blog!

Quote from: Quote Master

Now that is Midterm Week and we don't have our usual routine classes which we usually have every week, I would like to take time to reflect on myself. The past 7 weeks have been an amazing experience. I had a lot of mixed emotions since it was the start of a university class, which also meant the start of my career journey and the decisions I make will affect the rest of my life. It was not honestly easy, adapting to a new environment. University is really different as compared to high school. University is a more independent study and learning through experience. Over the past 7 weeks, I have tried to step out of my comfort zone, ask questions in class, and participate actively in class discussions. I had difficulties in some of my classes such as photography class which I have never used a camera in my life and it was pretty hard for me to adjust and learn it slowly by slowly, I really wish I can improve my photography class. Over the past 7 weeks, I had so many thoughts and feelings, anxiety, fear, discomfort, and thoughts whether or not I would survive the next semester. 

Writing Fundamentals was one of the most special classes that I had. It was a class that was beyond my expectation. It was a class in which I had developed the confidence to share my writing and own it. At first, I was really scared to write this blog since I thought to myself, "What Would People Think of Me." However, I told myself some comforting words which were "This is for Me Not Them." This class was fun, something I never expected it to be. I thought that this would be a normal English class where there is an awkward silence and all we do is write. To my surprise, it was more of an interactive class, and our lecturer, Mark would often say, "Guys I need to Hear your Voice." We would often have activities in break out rooms where we would chit chat and work at the same time, it also increased our bond as a class.  We also would have all those crazy background themes just to have an aesthetic class picture. I also really improved my creativity from one of the classes when we had to make an infographic presentation and it forced me to be creative in choosing a topic. I also learned to deal with rejection when Mark kept on saying no to our ideas and we had to change our idea about 6 times. 

Overall, the past 7 weeks have been a stepping stone for me and quite an interesting learning journey for me. I look forward to writing more and sharing more about my academic journey as well as my life. 

Stay Safe and Healthy Everyone ! 

Sudiksha Budhrani