Wednesday, May 27, 2009

As I was browsing the Berkeley site...

I came across some news! This morning I was trying to log onto blackboard, but it just was not working so I decided to try to log in through the main Berkeley page and it still did not work. That led me to just browse through the site for some new and exciting news!

I came across the Commencement Ceremony review and decided to read through it. I decided I would incorporate this into my blog and share with everyone. The review noted that over 1,200 students received diplomas as the ceremony. That is a significant number and they should all be very proud!

So what's new with me? Let's see, busy, busy, busy! Week 8 is coming to an end and soon it will be Week 9. I still find it hard to believe how quickly this quarter went by. I can't wait for my week to relax and then I do it all over again. I'm a little nervous about doing everything online, but I'm sure it won't be all that bad. I'll have to figure out a schedule that allows me to do my work, and also go to work. It will be much more flexible, so we will see.

I was at work today and it's been pretty slow. With the economy, everything is suffering unfortunately. I actually got the task of organizing the backroom at work today. We have so much paper applications and papers back there, that half of them aren't even used because much of today's applications are done online. My boss and I went through and got rid of a lot, which was good. I then went through some other things and made labels so that everyone in the office can find things easier! That took up most of my afternoon and on Friday I will finish that task up.

Nothing really new is happening. I have been busy working on my research paper and just getting my work done on a week to week basis. Can't complain because I still have some free time so that I'm not stuck in my books all week/weekend long.

Memorial Day was relaxing and I just hung around. I needed that little break! I'm going to go finish up on some homework, take a test, and hopefully relax for a little bit.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

The Persuaders

You are probably wondering, ok The Persuaders, who and what in the world is this girl talking about? I feel like working in a little marketing talk with everyone and discussing a film I had watched in my Marketing course.

The film was named "The Persuaders" and it was from Frontline. The basic concept of this film was to discuss how advertisers, market researchers, and those who work with companies, persuade consumers on what to buy and who they can become loyal to. This also results in building customer relationships, which is also very important in the marketing world. Marketing and advertising influence how people view themselves by the products they buy and also how these ads influence you to buy in general.

Since my major is focused on marketing, I found this film very interesting. I am looking to go into the advertising aspect of marketing so it's important that I understand all these different things advertising agencies have to look into. Market research is really fascinating because you can find out so many things about consumers that is not necessarily visible to the eye. One thing that was disturbing within the film, was the fact that every time we swipe a credit card, our information is all right there. Think about it with our social security cards as well. That is everything about us and once that's given away, so much is said and shown about us. For marketers, this is something they crave because they can work off of it to make improvements and see what will catch the consumers eye.

Another thing they brought up in the film was that with all these advertisements, they start to create a clutter. By clutter, they mean that after a while these ads are not effective anymore and they begin to just clutter. To avoid this clutter, they need to keep developing and improving upon their marketing strategies. Keeping in mind that consumer's point of views change rather quickly, they need to have things available for backup and to put out there to not lose their consumers.Once we ignore the advertisement we become resistant to a product, so marketers need to draw our attention in towards that product and keep it showing up for us to keep it in the back of our minds.

I feel like this week is marketing week for me because also in my English course we are talking about persuasion and I would like to share some examples of these ads that stick with us.

For starters, I'm sure everyone has seen the Ford commercial with Derek Jeter and the Ford Edge. The marketers are targeting us in by using a famous sportsmen. Many people look for these types of things because they feel that if Derek is happy with the Edge, then they need to get one too. Another commercial I see and one that cracks me up every time I do see it, is the Swiffer commercial. You hear the catchy little song "Baby, come back!" It's very creative and it sticks in your mind.

One of the commercials that I can't seem to get out of my head is the Geico commercial with the eyes on top of the money pile. I walked around my house last week singing "I always feel like, somebody's watching me!" Hang on, I'm going to go Youtube that commercial and post it! Its so catchy and of course makes me look bad since I work for State Farm. I think I should take over their marketing part and come up with something more catchy! Come to think about it though, music does attract you! This is also good news for the artist to get their name out.



This isn't the actual commercial, but you get the gist of the song and the money with the eyes! It's definitely one of my favorites now!

But moving on from that, I found a website that discusses the film "The Persuaders" On the site you can actually click on the clips and watch what I watched! If anyone is interested here is the link to that along with some information from the film: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/view/

If we think about it, we advertise to each other on a daily basis. Even if its just by the clothes we are wearing, the handbags we have, or the brands we buy. We see thousands of advertisements a day even if we don't think we do. We see many people, watch many commercials, see billboards, almost anything is advertising to us!

I thought I would share this with everyone. I can't wait to start working with these types of things. I find it very interesting and fun! Besides that, Memorial Day Weekend is approaching us! I hope everyone has a great one!

Photobucket


Sunday, May 17, 2009

My Exciting Weekend!

Unfortunately, the weekends always have to come to an end, but I have to say I had a great weekend. I was with my family for my brother's graduation from Penn State. It was incredible. Everything was very well organized and I was very pleased with the way things went. There are many students that attend PSU, so they broke down graduation into what they call a "Graduation Weekend." On Saturday, it was the Engineer's turn to graduate. My brother has graduated with a BA in Civil Engineering and will be starting in June at an engineering firm.


Photobucket


Once he gets settled in back at home, I asked if I could interview him about his college experience and if there is anything he can suggest to new students and current students who may be close to graduating. I took lots of pictures and selected a few to share with you guys! I hope you enjoy them!




Other than that excitement, I want to fill you in on some things that are happening around campus. Last week on Garret Mountain Campus, there was a Club Carnival. I was not able to attend this activity period, but I heard it was a great success and SGA was able to raise over $200 for Diversity Stride.

Another event that is coming up this week is the Spring Soiree.

Photobucket


GOOD NEWS
We will provide transportation from GMT
as long as you buy your ticket by Tuesday, May 19th.

Cost for tickets will be $30 for students, $35 for staff and $45 for outside guests.

This is Wednesday Night, May 20th at the Tides, so if you are interested, grab and date and go!!!

The quarter is well on its way to the end, and I'm nervous already! Week 7...it's time to battle! Well I hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend! I have papers I need to start working on and things to catch up on from being away, so that is what my day will consist of! Fun Fun! "Talk" to everyone during the week!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

The Berkeley Advantage!

Hey everyone...again! I know I just posted last night, but I was exploring around blackboard and I just wanted to point out some things that are advantages! I first have to vent though about something that really aggravated me but then made me happy last night!

So, I went to log onto blackboard to check out my grades for my online classes. Now, keep in mind, I was logged on about an hour before this just to submit an assignment. Then, when this hour later approached, I tried to sign on. I put in my username and my password, only to find that it would not allow me to log in. So, I did the normal routine and checked for caps lock and the num lock buttons. I went through the whole sign in process again, and still I was denied my access. At this point, I just kept trying it over and over and over again. Still NOTHING! I left it alone for a little, went onto my email, and I was not able to get into that either! By now, you can imagine I was losing it! I thought it was just me and just making errors, but it wasn't. I then went to our lovely live help service. I was not able to get to someone through there, so I just decided to call. I spoke to someone and he definitely calmed me down and we were actually having a good laugh about this. I gave my information and he was able to log in with no problem. Of course I had to tell him he had the magic touch, and then I was like, well am I going to be able to get in now and stay in! He told me to try and sure enough, I got in.

Point of that little story there, ask live help or call the help desk with any questions. They are very easy to communicate with and can solve your issue you are having in a timely manner.

Since my main topic here was exploring through blackboard, I will now continue on this note. I was exploring and I came across the general announcements that pop up when you log onto blackboard. I usually just browse through them and say ok, nothing too exciting, but today I changed my mind. I clicked on a link and it opened me to a new window involving the Career Service section that Berkeley offers. The Career Services was mentioned to us back at registration and I'm sure many of us have not checked it out before, but it's definitely worthwhile.

What I found to be very interesting what that Berkeley is going to be having a "Online Virtual College Fair!" Ok, so you're probably thinking to yourself, what in the world? It's actually a pretty cool idea. This is going to be taking place from June 1st to June 8th. There is no sign up required and it's open to all Berkeley College Students, Graduates, and Alumni!


Photobucket

This is some of the information that was provided on the site:

Join us 24 hours a day where you'll see a number of companies from a variety of industries and locations
displaying their company overview, job listings, website and an invitation to apply directly.

DIRECTIONS: On Blackboard under "VIRTUAL CAREER FAIR," choose the "Virtual Career Fair" tab. There you'll see all the information you need to get started. (This site will not be available until the start of the Career Fair on June 1.)

For this and any other career assistance, you may wish to speak to your Career Counselor.
Email me at Careerservicesonline@berkeleycollege.edu or call Rosemarie Berman at 973-278-5400 x1221 for more information.

Get ready...get set...and go!!! Update your RESUME now and let your Career Services Counselor review it with you! Posted by: Rosemarie Berman

This is also the link with more info about the online fair: http://www.berkeleycollege.edu/career_services/VirtualCareerFair.htm

This is a great opportunity for many, so I hope you will check it out. On the Garret Mountain Campus, the Career Services office is on the first floor. If you have any questions about a resume or want to have someone check it out, please feel free to do so. They are there to help you, even after you graduate, which is an awesome thing!


Well I am off to go pack! My brother is graduating from Penn State tomorrow so road trip it is! Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! Just think next week is WEEK 7!!!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

TAG Please Support!


Photobucket

I want to take this time to make everyone aware of the issue that come about in regards to the TAG-Tuition Assistance Grant. This grant offers many students financial assistance to help them continue their education, and there is an issue that the TAG will be reduced. The other day in my Environmental Conservation class, Dean Hughes from Student Development and Campus Life, came into my class. He wanted to discuss this issue with us and answer any questions we had in regards.

The first question he asked, was if any of us knew about what was going on. It was actually shocking to see that not many people raised their hand. He immediately noticed that there was still more voices that could be heard in this matter. About two weeks ago, Berkeley students went to Trenton to support TAG. Not many students realize that without this extra financial assistance, their education could end, and that is something Berkeley does not want to see happen.

Dean Hughes continued on about what has been happening with this, and has asked for all students to make their voices be heard by simply filling out some information and sending an email over to our State Legislators.

There is an email campaign that has been started that will automatically send the State Legislator's a letter showing your concern about the TAG. There have been numerous emails sent out to our Berkeley emails, informing us of how to do so. If you have not checked this out, please do! You never know what type of effect this could have on your education, and could even stop you from attending.

I am going to provide the link here for everyone to start taking action on this very important issue.

The link is: http://capwiz.com/berkeleycollege/home/

From that point, click on what says "Take Action"

Then fill out the requested information and click send message!

You are able to send this letter once a day, so please take the 5 minutes and do this! Our voices need to be heard and our education needs to be saved!


Photobucket

Saturday, May 9, 2009

We're Halfway There!

Week 6, here we are. We know what that means though MIDTERMS! Maybe some of you are lucky and don't have any. My last post, I focused on some assistance you can get from the library with any papers you may have or if you just want to take some time to sit down and study.


Photobucket


My mom and I took a road trip the other day and picked my brother up a week early before graduation, so he could move some stuff home and relax. He attended Penn State, and now his 4 years is up! He was already rubbing it in that he doesn't have to worry about homework anymore, but jokes on him, he gets to pay bills and pay off his loans!

Back to my midterm topic though. I decided to look into some studying tips that could be helpful to you on your exams. I am one of the worst test takers, so I found these tips rather interesting.


Photobucket


**Preparation for your first test should begin after the first day of class; this includes studying, completing homework assignments and reviewing study materials on a regular basis.

**Budget your time, make sure you have sufficient time to study so that you are well prepared for the test.

**Go to review sessions, pay attention to hints that the instructor may give about the test. Take notes and ask questions about items you may be confused about.

**Ask the instructor to specify the areas that will be emphasized on the test.

**Make sure you go to the class right before the test; it's another prime time for the instructor to give out more hints or the format of the test.

**Go over any material from practice tests, HW's, sample problems, review material, the textbook, class notes...

**Eat before a test. Having food in your stomach will give you energy and help you focus but avoid heavy foods which can make you groggy.

**Don't try to pull an all nighter. Get at least 3 hours of sleep before the test.

**Put the main ideas/information/formulas onto a sheet that can be quickly reviewed many times, this makes it easier to retain the key concepts that will be on the test.

**Try to show up at least 5 minutes before the test will start.

**Set your alarm and have a backup alarm set as well.

**Go to the bathroom before walking into the exam room. You don't want to waste anytime worrying about your bodily needs during the test.

**Keep a positive attitude throughout the whole test and try to stay relaxed. If you start to feel nervous take a few deep breaths to relax.

**When you first receive your test, do a quick survey of the entire test so that you know how to efficiently budget your time.

**Do the easiest problems first. Don't stay on a problem that you are stuck on especially when time is a factor.

**Do the problems that have the greatest point values first.

**Don't rush but pace yourself. Read the entire question and look for keywords.

**Always read the whole question carefully. Don't make assumptions about what the question might be.

**If you don't know an answer, skip it. Go on with the rest of the test and come back to it later. Other parts of the test may have some information that will help you out with that question.

**Don't worry if others finish before you. Focus on the test in front of you.

**If you have time left when you are finished, look over your test. Make sure that you have answered all the questions, only change an answer if you misread or misinterpreted the question because the first answer that you put is usually the correct one. Watch out for careless mistakes and proofread your essay and/or short answer questions.

Another thing I want to include in that, is make sure you put your name on your paper or essay or whatever the case may be. That could automatically give you a failing grade, which none of us would want! That information above came from http://www.testtakingtips.com/

There are many other tips available on that website but I pulled some of the most important ones! This week I have an accounting midterm in my online class and then my poster for my midterm in environmental conservation. I am not too nervous about my poster, but my accounting exam is going to drive me crazy till it's over!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Library Assistance

With midterms and maybe papers approaching soon, I wanted to review the help that our library has to offer. As many of you know, Berkeley College offers a library online, as well as on campus. I currently have a midterm project to work on as well as a research paper so I am going to walk you through the simple process of using the online library.


Photobucket


The other day in my Environmental Conservation class, Leslin Charles, who works in the libraries at the many locations, reviewed some techniques that were helpful for research. Her particular powerpoint presentation focused mainly on the project that was assigned to us, but I am going to give you an overview of everything and use some examples.


Photobucket


When you log onto blackboard, you will notice the library tab on the top. All you need to do is click on that tab and you will be brought into the library. Berkeley has offered us many databases to use for our research, so to find a specific one that will help within your area, click Database List A-Z. After clicking that, you will now see the many databases that are offered to us.

So, let's look at the midterm project I need to complete. I have to make a poster in regards to "Climate Change and my future" The topic I decided to focus on was the melting icecaps, since this may have dramatic effects on us in the future. One of the databases listed is Today's Science and Science Online. GREAT! This just narrowed my search. By clicking on whichever database I choose to browse first, I will be directed to a new page. On this page, I will check it out, see if there is anything that catches the eye, and then use the search box to search my topic. I decided to choose Today's Science as my first database pick. I typed in melting icecaps and 11 results came up. Now, I need to scroll through them and see what type of information I can find. If I'm not satisfied or still want more information, I can revise my search or simply try my other database which is Science Online.

There are so many different databases for any type of research you may be doing. If one database doesn't have what you are looking for, don't get frustrated or give up. Also, if you ever need help with finding information or working the online library, you can always email and ask for help.

I use the online library a lot because the databases are very helpful. I have another paper I have to work on for my English class that is about a movie of my choice. I picked The Notebook. In my paper, I will be discussing love, class differences and undying love, which in this case, when Allie gets sick with Alzheimer's disease, Noah was always by her side. I will research Alzheimer's to show the effect it could have on loved ones lives and things of that sort. I know in our discussion board, there were a few people who selected this movie as well, but I hope we all cover different points!

I plan to use the online databases for this research as well because I know I will be able to find some things!

If anyone has troubles after exploring the online library, feel free to contact Leslin Charles as lhc@berkeleycolleg.edu

I hope this was helpful and informative!

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Feeling productive


Photobucket




May has arrived! I have to say though, for the start of May, I feel pretty productive already. Today started Week #5 for my online classes, so I logged on, reviewed my grades from last week's assignments and then printed out everything I need to do for this week. I really had nothing going on today, so I decided to just start on it, and I have to say, half of it is already done!

Not sure why I was so motivated to go ahead and do half of it, but I'm glad I did. Tomorrow I have off from work, which is a treat for me! I won't have to worry about homework tomorrow, that's for sure!!

Next week will be a little bit crazier because in a few classes I have midterms, so between studying and keeping up with assignments, I'll have to calm myself down! Nah, I'm not that bad and I'm pretty up to date on all my material so I'm not too worried.

Hopefully by now, everyone has decided which classes they want to take for the summer quarter and have emailed or stopped by advisement to enroll. My schedule is complete and I couldn't be happier with my selections. It's hard to believe that summer is right around the corner. I need to go shopping for summer clothes!

I am getting ready to start outlining my research paper which is based on the movie The Notebook.

Photobucket
Photobucket


My professor had asked for us to pick a movie of our choice and identify the issues or problems that are in the movie. For example, in The Notebook, Allie, has Alzheimer's disease and her husband, Noah, goes to see her everyday and read her the story of their love life that Allie had written. She writes in the book that if Noah reads this to her, she will remember. That is what Noah is hoping for. In my paper, I am going to focus on Alzheimer's disease, the fight for love, and the dedication. This movie is so true to life and I really can't wait to discuss all these topics. I absolutely love this movie so I was really happy that this paper was assigned. I know of a few other students that picked this movie as well, but I hope we all pick different topics. The Alzheimer's disease topic is a little hard to not mention, but that's ok.

For the rest of the afternoon I'm just going to catch up on my work and relax! Tomorrow I can relax even more which is exciting! My brother is graduating from Penn State in 2 weeks, which I'm still so shocked about! Maybe when he comes home, I'll interview him and throw him in my blog. Maybe he can give us all some tips for our college education!!! Have a great week!