It is 30 minutes before our first SGA meeting this quarter and I am relaxing in a nice cool computer lab. It is extremely hot outside and this is the best place to be right now. I am very curious to find out as to how many new students we will get. We tried to spread the word during orientation last week as much as we could. We have some new ideas and agendas that we want to approach. First of all, I want everyone in the group to become familiar with the new Strategic Plan for the Garret Mountain SGA. Last quarter when I did the Strategic Plan review for Berkeley, I got inspired to do one for SGA. We will discuss it this meeting.
One thing I noticed in my classes is that you have to ask your professor what type of Microsoft Word they want you to use. In one of my classes I got an e-mail form the professor asking me to use the 2003 version instead of the 2007 one. For me this was strange because most professors have switched over and the school system is also switched over to 2007. I remember at the beginning the Berkeley website didn’t want to take the 2007 version but now it takes it fine. It can be confusing so just check with your professor what they want you to use.
Six Flags is only 2 weeks away! I am so excited because I have not been there is a long time. I am even more excited that we are going on a Friday instead of a weekend so the place will not be so crowded. If you attended 6 of more SGA meetings you are qualified to go for free. This is great motivation for you to get involved. I wonder how many people will end up going. Well, I have to get going and go to the SGA meeting. Hope to see many people there!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Meetings and Classes
It is Saturday morning, it’s hot and it looks like it’s going to be a nice day. This morning I hopped on the computer to check my internship e-mail and see what my tasks for the following week will be. Yesterday Joelle, who is my internship supervisor, along with other internship members had a meeting with us about the new upcoming quarter. We met at the Six Brothers Diner on route 46 which is only about 5 min from the school. We talked about deliverables, what is to be expected and what our goals are.
It’s nice that we were all able to meet. We found out that the goal for this quarter was to make money! We have been trying to get investors for Verify-ED for a while now with not so good results. We are trying to come up with a new approach of making money such as advertising on our website and doing more things with statistics from our website. I am looking forward to working with statistics data. I enjoy putting things together in charts, organizing information and presenting it.
This week was my first week of doing class assignments for my online classes. For my internship I realized it’s all the same stuff! Every topic that we touched on last quarter we are touching up on again. It’s a repeat of last quarter. It can be good because you can use the same information from last quarter but at the same time you are not exposed to different information and critical thinking. For my Sociology class we have a test every single week. We have to read lecture notes, read the chapter and then the power point presentation which was 68 slides! After we do all that we have to take an online test. It’s a lot of work. After taking my first test I realized how hard the test was even thought I read ALL the material.
Another thing that has changed is how you can view your grades on Blackboard. You can no longer view the class average on the grades link. I used to like that link because it showed me how well I did in the class compared to other students. I’m not sure if the professor will tell us what the class average was or if we just don’t get that information anymore. I hope we get to see it so that I can compare my results.
It’s nice that we were all able to meet. We found out that the goal for this quarter was to make money! We have been trying to get investors for Verify-ED for a while now with not so good results. We are trying to come up with a new approach of making money such as advertising on our website and doing more things with statistics from our website. I am looking forward to working with statistics data. I enjoy putting things together in charts, organizing information and presenting it.
This week was my first week of doing class assignments for my online classes. For my internship I realized it’s all the same stuff! Every topic that we touched on last quarter we are touching up on again. It’s a repeat of last quarter. It can be good because you can use the same information from last quarter but at the same time you are not exposed to different information and critical thinking. For my Sociology class we have a test every single week. We have to read lecture notes, read the chapter and then the power point presentation which was 68 slides! After we do all that we have to take an online test. It’s a lot of work. After taking my first test I realized how hard the test was even thought I read ALL the material.
Another thing that has changed is how you can view your grades on Blackboard. You can no longer view the class average on the grades link. I used to like that link because it showed me how well I did in the class compared to other students. I’m not sure if the professor will tell us what the class average was or if we just don’t get that information anymore. I hope we get to see it so that I can compare my results.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
New E-mail!
What’s new in the summer quarter? The new Berkeley e-mail! Everyone has been talking about the new e-mail and discussing the advantages and the disadvantages. From listening to peoples conversations it has really been a love it or hate it program.
Some people say they love it for its new look, the convenience and reliability. It’s from Outlook so many people have been using a similar or the same program for many years. Blackboard did not use Outlook before but now students can get used to it. This is a good deal because many companies use Outlook. Students will have experience on Outlook and when they start work for a company they will already have the experience.
Other people hate it. They say it’s inconvenient, hard to use, complicated and annoying that you have to constantly sign in. You can set it so it remembers your e-mail on your computer but every time you’re on a different computer you have to type out the whole e-mail for example Aleksandra-kopec@mymail.berkeleycollege.edu. It just so happens that my name is long, but you get the picture. It can get agitating. Another reason students don’t like it is because if you use another program from the same company you have to keep switching log in’s.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I neither like it nor dislike it. I was having some issues with it because I couldn’t figure out how to forward my mail to another e-mail account. Because I like to avoid steps I forward all my mail to one e-mail so I only have to check one e-mail address. I have to admit it was complicated but I got some help.
Berkeley offers live online help which was great at helping me figure out how to forward my mail. It’s like instant messenger where you talk to a REAL person and they tell you step by step how to do something. At first I asked the librarian if she could help me and she was having the same issues as me. She tried very hard to figure it out but when I got the solution I printed out the steps for her. I’m sure other students will have similar questions. I like the features and options that it offers. To me it’s really not that complicated to use.
Some people say they love it for its new look, the convenience and reliability. It’s from Outlook so many people have been using a similar or the same program for many years. Blackboard did not use Outlook before but now students can get used to it. This is a good deal because many companies use Outlook. Students will have experience on Outlook and when they start work for a company they will already have the experience.
Other people hate it. They say it’s inconvenient, hard to use, complicated and annoying that you have to constantly sign in. You can set it so it remembers your e-mail on your computer but every time you’re on a different computer you have to type out the whole e-mail for example Aleksandra-kopec@mymail.berkeleycollege.edu. It just so happens that my name is long, but you get the picture. It can get agitating. Another reason students don’t like it is because if you use another program from the same company you have to keep switching log in’s.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I neither like it nor dislike it. I was having some issues with it because I couldn’t figure out how to forward my mail to another e-mail account. Because I like to avoid steps I forward all my mail to one e-mail so I only have to check one e-mail address. I have to admit it was complicated but I got some help.
Berkeley offers live online help which was great at helping me figure out how to forward my mail. It’s like instant messenger where you talk to a REAL person and they tell you step by step how to do something. At first I asked the librarian if she could help me and she was having the same issues as me. She tried very hard to figure it out but when I got the solution I printed out the steps for her. I’m sure other students will have similar questions. I like the features and options that it offers. To me it’s really not that complicated to use.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
First Day of Classes
Vacation time is over, and we’re back in full swing. Yesterday was orientation which was really nice. I came to school at 9am and had to wait around a bit for Ms. Young. When we came into her office I noticed the lovely little thank you gifts she made for us. We each got a free t-shirt, planner, pen and Starbursts! It pays to get involved. There were about 100 new students starting in the summer which was a surprise to me. I didn’t think that many students wanted to go to school in the summer time!
We educated them about what Berkeley is about, what to expect from professors and explain some rules around the campus. The volunteers then played some games with the students. We played the name game and questions game where they got to ask me random questions they had about the school. It was fun answering them because I was able to be honest and give them a good view from a student’s perspective.
Today was such a hot day that I was so happy to be in an AC room for my class. It was my first day of class and I got to meet a new professor. She was very nice, funny and creative. We went over the syllabus and class requirements. We got a great deal that if we attend all classes with a perfect attendance we will not have to do one paper! I was so happy to hear this because the paper that is being dropped is a 15 page paper. I really did not want to write a 15 page paper at the end of my last quarter.
With new classes comes buying new books. For this class, Global Change, the book in the school bookstore was selling for $37 new, but I was told that book was being sold at Barnes and Noble for only $19.99! That’s almost 50% inflation! I thought that it was ridicules so I drove down to Barnes and Noble after class and got the book. You really have to do your book research for classes. It can save you a lot of money.
We educated them about what Berkeley is about, what to expect from professors and explain some rules around the campus. The volunteers then played some games with the students. We played the name game and questions game where they got to ask me random questions they had about the school. It was fun answering them because I was able to be honest and give them a good view from a student’s perspective.
Today was such a hot day that I was so happy to be in an AC room for my class. It was my first day of class and I got to meet a new professor. She was very nice, funny and creative. We went over the syllabus and class requirements. We got a great deal that if we attend all classes with a perfect attendance we will not have to do one paper! I was so happy to hear this because the paper that is being dropped is a 15 page paper. I really did not want to write a 15 page paper at the end of my last quarter.
With new classes comes buying new books. For this class, Global Change, the book in the school bookstore was selling for $37 new, but I was told that book was being sold at Barnes and Noble for only $19.99! That’s almost 50% inflation! I thought that it was ridicules so I drove down to Barnes and Noble after class and got the book. You really have to do your book research for classes. It can save you a lot of money.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
My Last Orientation
The school quarter hasn’t started yet but we are already starting so many preparations! Orientation is only a few days away and many things need to be done. The students and the volunteers and getting a free breakfast and lunch on Monday! How great is that? It’s worth getting involved at Berkeley! In addition to free food, we also get a free t-shirt. Ms. Young called me yesterday to ask me my shirt size.
Getting to orientation is going to be a nightmare. This Thursday I’m going to North Carolina (driving), and coming back on Sunday. After being in a car for 9 hours I will then have to drive 2 more hours’ home from my boyfriend’s house. I was thinking of possibly driving home on Monday morning but I really don’t want to run into morning commute so I think I will just stick with Sunday. I will be so tired of being in a car by then!
Ale, Travis and I have decided to make the SGA meetings this quarter on Tuesday at 4:30. It was very hard for Ale to get to the meetings at 4pm because she had to work. It was much more convenient for her to do it at 4:30. I have class on Tuesday so it makes it convenient for me that I don’t have to take additional time away from my internship and I don’t have to use up more gas having to come on campus. Travis is only on campus for one day this quarter which is Wednesday. Sadly that didn’t work out with anyone’s schedule but he said he does not mind being conferenced in. Hopefully we have a great quarter!
Getting to orientation is going to be a nightmare. This Thursday I’m going to North Carolina (driving), and coming back on Sunday. After being in a car for 9 hours I will then have to drive 2 more hours’ home from my boyfriend’s house. I was thinking of possibly driving home on Monday morning but I really don’t want to run into morning commute so I think I will just stick with Sunday. I will be so tired of being in a car by then!
Ale, Travis and I have decided to make the SGA meetings this quarter on Tuesday at 4:30. It was very hard for Ale to get to the meetings at 4pm because she had to work. It was much more convenient for her to do it at 4:30. I have class on Tuesday so it makes it convenient for me that I don’t have to take additional time away from my internship and I don’t have to use up more gas having to come on campus. Travis is only on campus for one day this quarter which is Wednesday. Sadly that didn’t work out with anyone’s schedule but he said he does not mind being conferenced in. Hopefully we have a great quarter!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Vacation!
Vacation time is great! I just got back from Lake George, NY and I had a wonderful time camping. We went for a whole week which was slowly getting to be too much but it was just about perfect timing when it was time to come home. I love camping because you really get to relax and rest. When you go to places where you explore a lot you don’t really get to relax because you end up doing more walking and work than any other day. It’s still fun but not relaxing.
We were able to do quite a lot while camping. We visited Fort William Henry where we learned how to shoot a cannon and how to make lead bullets. Every night we went out for ice cream and dinner which was really nice. We got a great deal when we went on a dinner cruise because it was the boats 100th birthday. For a trip AND a buffet meal we paid $10! The resort that I stayed at was very nice and I even ran into another Berkeley student! It was really fun.
In my last blog I wrote about my grade being 89.36 which made me wonder if it would be rounded off. Well I e-mailed the professor and she told me no. She said that there has to be a cut off line somewhere and my grade will not be rounded. It made me sad that I was so close but I got all A’s in my other classes so it still made my GPA pretty high. Many times students try to be argumentative with professors but I like to see the point of view from both sides. I understand what she means and I understand her view.
We were able to do quite a lot while camping. We visited Fort William Henry where we learned how to shoot a cannon and how to make lead bullets. Every night we went out for ice cream and dinner which was really nice. We got a great deal when we went on a dinner cruise because it was the boats 100th birthday. For a trip AND a buffet meal we paid $10! The resort that I stayed at was very nice and I even ran into another Berkeley student! It was really fun.
In my last blog I wrote about my grade being 89.36 which made me wonder if it would be rounded off. Well I e-mailed the professor and she told me no. She said that there has to be a cut off line somewhere and my grade will not be rounded. It made me sad that I was so close but I got all A’s in my other classes so it still made my GPA pretty high. Many times students try to be argumentative with professors but I like to see the point of view from both sides. I understand what she means and I understand her view.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Hope for Understanding
Its only 3:30 and I am patiently awaiting my last final exam today. Most of the class took their final yesterday but because I was unable to make it that day the professor and I made special arrangements to meet today. The professor was very nice and understanding. Since what I was doing was very important he didn’t have a problem with me moving the final. I spoke to him after class and we made the arrangement to meet today.
Berkeley College professors are usually very understanding. This is great because I’m having an issue with my Changing Families class. Our professor has posted our grades and I saw that my final grade came out to being 89.36! I sent her an e-mail if she knows if the grade will get rounded up to an A or if it will stay a B. I also asked her if it was to stay a B if I could do some type of extra credit to bring the grade up .64 points. I will feel so ridicules if I was so close to an A but it’s unable to be rounded. If this happens I will have all A’s in my classes. It’s a great accomplishment. She has not responded to me yet, but I am waiting patiently.
For SGA next quarter we are having some issues making a time for a meeting. Everyone has such a different schedule and nobody can just drop their jobs or other responsibilities. This is mine and Ale’s last quarter and our schedules are more packed than ever. We all need to work to support ourselves with the HIGH gas prices on top of our other expenses. We have not decided on a time or place yet but I hope we come to a decision soon.
Berkeley College professors are usually very understanding. This is great because I’m having an issue with my Changing Families class. Our professor has posted our grades and I saw that my final grade came out to being 89.36! I sent her an e-mail if she knows if the grade will get rounded up to an A or if it will stay a B. I also asked her if it was to stay a B if I could do some type of extra credit to bring the grade up .64 points. I will feel so ridicules if I was so close to an A but it’s unable to be rounded. If this happens I will have all A’s in my classes. It’s a great accomplishment. She has not responded to me yet, but I am waiting patiently.
For SGA next quarter we are having some issues making a time for a meeting. Everyone has such a different schedule and nobody can just drop their jobs or other responsibilities. This is mine and Ale’s last quarter and our schedules are more packed than ever. We all need to work to support ourselves with the HIGH gas prices on top of our other expenses. We have not decided on a time or place yet but I hope we come to a decision soon.
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