Letter from OU

Seniors at Westmoore High School,

While in high school it seems as though every little dramatic thing that happens is SUCH a big deal and you just know that it is absolutely going to kill you or completely ruin who you are. Well erase that thought because it is wrong. High school is only a small portion of your life and you need to remember that. It is a fun, memorable, crazy, dramatic portion, but nevertheless it is just another chapter in your life that you will make it through.

Some things I think you should know as your senior year slowly starts to come to an end are things that I wish someone would have told me when I was in your position. First, life does go on. Things will happen that make you upset or angry but it is how you deal with it that will shape you into who you are going to become. If something bad happens, don't sit around crying all the time and trying to make people feel sorry for you, it is pointless. Life will continue to go on around you so do not try and put your life on hold for too long, get out and do something about the situation! Also, I am sorry to break it to you but people will be mean and bad things will happen (even to good people), how you deal with those problems will reflect how strong and happy of a person you will you be.

Second, don't let your pride get in the way. Get involved in school activities and go all out. If there are dress up days, spirit days, etc. have fun with it. Once you get older, out of school, and have started your career, you don't get opportunities like that. Nobody ever seems to regret the positive things that they did or were apart of, they regret things that they did not do. "Regret for things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable" -Sydney Smith. You don't want to be one that looks back and thinks, "if only..." So go out and live, experience as much as you can so that hopefully you can regret as little as possible later in life.

There are so many things I could say to help you and things I could tell you to watch out for but that could end up being a novel. So to wrap it up, here are the last few things to keep in mind: Keep an open mind after high school and know that there is a far bigger world out there than you even realize. You do not know everything and nobody is going to bow down to you. Remind yourself that you are only one person in this big, big world and hopefully that will keep you humble. Figure out what motivates you and do not let go of it. Work hard for what you want, it will eventually pay off. Also remember to not let your obstacles take you down, you can handle whatever is tossed your way, I promise, just don't give up.

You may need to learn all of these things for yourself through your own experiences, but hopefully they stay in the back of your mind and positively influence and encourage you.

Good luck!

-Courtney
P.S.- Don't forget to laugh, it really is the best medicine :)

Bystander Behavior

It's crazy to think of how a bad situation could've been so much better or completely avoided sometimes, if someone watching would've stepped in to help. So many of us are bystanders that we may not even notice sometimes. We see something wrong going on but either we assume somebody else will help or we just don't feel like getting involved in the situation. Why are we like that though? We should want to step in and help out. I know I have been a bystander in certain situations when I should've done something, but I am working on that and try to step in or get help if I know the problem is out of my control.

The most common thing I have been a bystander to is people saying things about other people, either to their face and putting them down, or behind their backs. Either way it's wrong. I don't stand by as much now as I used to. I will step in if I know the story and know what is going on. People don't realize how just their words can stick with someone forever.

In college I think students may have a hard time speaking up against wrong doing against others because you don't know everyone like you did in junior high and high school. In high school if you spoke up against wrong doing you most likely knew the people and weren't usually embarassed, but in college it's a completely different world because it could be a set of people that you have never seen or met before but know that the situation is wrong; however, you can't work up the courage to go and stop it. Others may have a different view point though, that college students are more mature than high school or junior high students so they may be more likely to speak up against wrong doing. It all depends on the type of person you are and what the situation is.

I think everyone, myself included, should speak up more against wrong doing. Maybe then some situations wouldn't get as bad as they do. I don't think we realize how much it could really help someone.

Well I better go. I'll be more attentive to wrong doings now and speak up or go seek help in situations that I know aren't right. We all should!

Happy Wednesday!
Courtney

Priorities

My priorities... I know I have them and I try and live daily by the order I rank them in and what is most important to me, yet I slip up and don't always do what comes first. There are some that are consistent and some that may change day to day depending on the situation. In high school, or just before I had started attending OU, my priorities were a little different than they are now. In high school the order was probably close to something like this:

God/ Time for myself
Family
Friends
Having Fun/ Working out
Work
Homework/Studying

I was also involved in a lot of clubs/organizations and activities during high school and that ranked pretty high also, I just didn't know exactly where to put that in because it varied day by day. Homework and studying were towards the bottom of the list, mainly because in high school there wasn't much homework given, if any at all. If there was assigned homework it was usually easy or short enough to do right before the class or finish during another class. There were the occassional tests, projects, and papers that took a little bit more of my time, but looking back compared to now, it seems like nobody even put much time into them and yet, still got a decent grade.

Now at OU though, my priorties have definitely changed. They are still the same priorities, just in a different order:

God/ Time for myself
Family
Friends- if something is urgent. If it's just friends wanting to have fun, sometimes I can't.
Homework/Studying
Work
Having fun/ Working out

Homework and studying are both so much more important now. In high school they say, "they are preparing us for college or for the real world." No, not at all. I don't feel like they prepared us enough. Maybe college students wouldn't feel so overwhelmed their first year in college if during high school the faculty and staff made students do a bit more studying, made assignments a little more difficult, and made us actually have to study for the tests in order to do well.

I'm sure that as I get older my priorities will change again. I will eventually want to get married, start a family, start my career, and different priorities in a different order will take place. That's okay with me though, I think I will be just fine without all the homework and studying :) Sometimes I slip up and don't go by that order but I'm working on improving that! Well, I have to go now. Have to go type a paper for english.

Have a good week!

-Courtney

Influences

I've never really taken time to pause and look at who all has influenced me throughout my life. They just sort of influence my life without me realizing or thinking about it. The influential people in my life have changed drastically since I was a kid. They've gone from Barney to Britney Spears (when she first got famous..not now) to my teachers in school and dance, to close friends, or even acquaintances, family and etc. I'm sure I've had my fair share of both positive and negative influences, whether that be people or simply just things/actions.

Recent major influences in my life would have to be my mom and dad, my friends, my instructors at the university, and some actions of others that I have seen lately. I think influences could change daily and that one may have many different influences in just one day. It all depends on who you are surrounding yourself with, what you are doing, and where you might be. My influences during high school are different from who and what they are now, I would say for the better. Some of them are still the same such as my parents and some of my friends but not many other things.

My mom and dad have probably been my most positive influences, along with some of my instructors from the university now. My friends are definitely positive influences too, yet sometimes they might slip up and not be so positive at times. I can't blame them though, I'm sure I'm not always a positive influence either. We all have our bad days and there is definitely room for improvement.

I have my influences that influence my life overall and have helped shape me into who I am today, but I also have my small daily influences that could possibly be different from day to day. Lately, I have been trying to be a better, more positive influence because I know that I pick up small things from other people, so I wonder what small things other people are picking up from me.

Well I have to go read for another class now. Which by the way is taught by a NEW, positive influential person in my life... Dr. Tom Boyd :)

Have a good week!

Courtney

A little about yours truly..

My name is Courtney Wilkerson, or if you're around my immediate family you will notice my name is "Bull" or "Bullems" around there. Probably think that kind of nickname has to have some sort of really cool background story? But no. It doesn't have a cool story, it just started when I was a baby. My great grandpa called me Bull and later my dad turned it into Bullems. My dad likes to make up nicknames for anyone he might meet, so if you are interested in getting a nickname, talk to me and I'll introduce you to my dad.
I have quite a big family because my parents are divorced. I am okay with that though considering it happened when I was in about the first grade. More Christmas and birthday presents also, so it's not too bad ;)
Too wrap up a little about myself here is a brief summary: I laugh way too much, talk too fast and probably too loud at times but I wouldn't have it any other way because that's what makes me..me.

Courtney AKA "Bull"