Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Goodbye September, Hello October!

Unbelievable! Where is the time going? It's starting to get so cold out and the leaves are beginning to change, which it so pretty! Even though it means winter is on its way, I still will enjoy the pretty leaves until they decide to fall and then I have to rake them, but we won't think about that right now!

Anyways, how is everyone doing? We are mid-week of Week 1 already, so hopefully everyone is all settled in or getting there at least. I was down at the bookstore again today and everyone was piled in there getting their books, which was good! I saw a lot of new faces, which is always nice as well. Hopefully everyone is making their way around ok and asking any questions they may have.

I have been doing non-stop reading for the past few days. So much information to take in, but hey someone has to do it! I have been conversing with a lot of my classmates via the discussion boards and it's nice to see some familiar names and of course its always nice to see some new names! This week is just about the introductions, but in my accelerated class, its all business! I already took a test and passed with a 90, so not so bad for my first test! Just need to keep up with the A's so that I can get an A in the end.

As I was mentioning in my last blog, my accelerated class requires a journal entry every week, so I worked on that this morning. I found an article that actually relates to the first chapter of my book, which involved the World Trade Organization (WTO) so I went ahead and used that as my article. I did not type up my report yet to share with everyone, but basically China and the United States are having a dispute about trade restrictions and China is taking advantage and breaking some rules. As the WTO's function is to correct these disputes between the members, which in this case is China and the US and make the flow of trade flow more freely. There will be a rule placed on China to stop them from acting illegally in the international trade route.

Once I type that up, I will be able to go more in depth for anyone who may be interested! I am actually about to go finish reading up a chapter in my Consumer Behavior book and then look over the notes and possibly start another test! The week is coming to an end fast, so I want to get the majority of my work out of the way!

I hope everyone is having a great first week and I'll keep everyone posted about my quarter as it progresses!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Welcome Back!


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Yes, that time is here already! New quarter and many new faces! Welcome to our new students and welcome back to our returning students! I know there was a lot of confusion in regards to today's classes. The new students attended their orientation and continuing students had their day classes canceled, but the night classes are still in session! I had a few people ask me, and since I'm doing online again, I was not really sure what the deal was.

It's hard to believe that a year ago that was me, sitting at orientation, scared of what to expect from college. Time just went by way too fast and it's scary!!

I began my classes yesterday evening for online. I started to read and post my introduction for my fellow classmates and professors. That is their way of getting to know us in the online environment. Again, I have noticed there are a few students trying out online classes for the first time, so it's always good to give them a little help in terms of how to survive an online class. Like I tell everyone, it just takes knowing how to manage your time and complete assignments by the end of the week and you will be fine.

I also took a step in taking an accelerated class this quarter as I had mentioned, so I'm a little nervous about that. From the looks of it, it's reading 2 chapters a week, taking a test, writing a 2 page journal entry, and posting on the discussion board. A lot of the weight is put on the discussion board since that counts as your attendance for the class. The journal assignment is actually pretty neat. Since this accelerated course is International Business, the professor has us looking up an international event and then answering some questions in detail about the article. I will definitely be sharing some of these articles with everyone, just so you get an idea of what is going on outside of the US!

I have a lot of reading to do, so I will have to work on some of that this afternoon and get myself situated for each of my classes. I am waiting on one more book to come, which is for macroeconomics, but it's a module I'm not working with for the first few weeks, so that was lucky! It could have been the opposite and could have been the book I needed to first week and it still didn't arrive! That would have crushed me!

I hope everyone is ready for the start of a new quarter and best of luck to everyone!!


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Thursday, September 24, 2009

Some Say

Wondering why the title is Some Say? Well I'm listening to music and the song that's on is Some Say by the Rascal Flatts, so it works! Also, I'm going to include a few words from Symeja, like I said I would!!

Meet Symeja!


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I met Symeja through the facebook page for Berkeley, since I had posted that I had books for sale and then she ended up messaging me since I had one of the books she needed. After conversing about books, I asked if she was a new student and if she would want to type something up for me about her college experience so far and what she expected it to be like before she started. She agreed and here is what she had to say!

"Starting school was at first a little nerve wrecking as it usually would be. But when I joined the Berkeley College facebook page took all the pressure of making friends off. I met one of my best friends through facebook. We both now go to the mall together and give each other advice on everything. And I also took two Jumpstart classes, in these classes I met even more amazing people. We all talk to each other on our free time. I'm so excited for classes to begin on the 28th and I cant wait to meet others who will impact me in ways I would never imagine."

Thanks for your input Symeja!

It seems like everyone's major concern before starting school is making friends. You just need to be optimistic and network yourself with people. Another thing would be to get yourself involved in clubs so that you meet a number of people. There is always something to do, and always lots of friends to make, just take the time to make them and try!!

In four days classes will resume yet again, so I can't stress enough to have your bill paid and to make sure you go out and buy all the books you need so that you are ready to go!!! Enjoy the rest of your week!!

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Enjoying your vacation?

I hope everyone is enjoying their vacation so far! It's definitely been relaxing, and I officially have my new desk--Thanks for Ikea! I will post some pictures to share my excitement!

I was hoping to post a paragraph that a Berkeley Student, Symeja, had typed up for me after I had asked her to tell me about her Berkeley experience so far. Unfortunately, blackboard is down at the moment and I can't get into my email to access her picture and paragraph, so that will have to be held off. I actually meet Symeja yesterday at the Garret Mountain campus. I sold her one of my books and also had to pay my bill, so it worked out perfectly. So we will hear from her a little later when I can access my email!!

Other than that, not too much has been going on. I received some of my books in the mail today for the upcoming quarter. When I was in the post office and received one of those yellow cards that there is a package waiting, the mail man handed it to me and I sighed and said, "Oh joy, my book is here!" He laughed since he knew I really just want to not worry about books! Ok, so it's not that bad, but these books are a little too expensive, but luckily I managed to shop around and save over $200, which was happy news to my ears!

Hopefully everyone has started to look into which books they will need. If you want to shop around for the best price, get the ISBN numbers for the books you need which makes the search ten times easier! Make sure you give yourself enough time to receive the book though. I know my online classes require the book right away, so I'm really hoping the next two days, all my books will come!

Ok, so time for some pictures! I have some pictures I took from my car of the Garret Mountain campus. I wanted to walk around, but I was pushed for time, so I snapped a few real quick. After those, I will post the picture of my desk! There are no pictures of the building process unfortunately, even though it was quite humorous! Enjoy!


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Monday, September 21, 2009

Ready for our mini vacation?

I know I am! Grades have been posted and I am extremely happy with my grades yet again! Hopefully everyone did well! It's now time to relax and make the week go by as slow as possible, since a week from today, classes will be back in session!!

So what is everyone doing this week? I started my week off by taking apart my desk and preparing for my new one! My room looks so empty, but by next week I'll be on track and have a brandy new desk for a brandy new quarter!

Next quarter I will be taking Macroeconomics, International Business, Consumer Behavior, and Advertising and Promotion! I finally ordered all my books the other day, so they better come by the end of this week!! Like I mentioned a few blogs ago, I am taking International Business as an accelerated course, which means 12 weeks of work pushed into 6 weeks...So that will begin September 28th and run till November 7th. Then after that date, I only need to keep track of 3 classes. I will need a break after that accelerated course that's for sure!

Anyways, tomorrow it's back down to Berkeley to pay my bill! For those who still need to pay, the deadline is September 25th at 1:00 P.M so please make sure you are paid and ready to go for next Monday. If you do not pay, you will not be able to attend your classes!!

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I hope everyone enjoys their week off! I'll put some pics up later in the week with my desk progress!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Happy Friday!!!

By now, most of everyone's classes are over and done with! 11 weeks wasn't all that bad! It went by so fast that's for sure! Hopefully everyone did good on their finals! I found out last night that I got a 100 on my business proposal, which I was not expecting at all! So that made my night for sure!!!


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Last night, I actually attended a benefit dinner for the Children's Miracle Network! My mom works for RE/MAX, and each year they arrange a dinner and do auctions to help raise money for these children in need. In high school, I actually worked with one of the ladies and helped to raise money within the school. I met another woman last night who actually works with the lady I worked with, so it was nice to converse with her about what I had done previously. I ended up working at the front door for the first hour of the night, greeting people, and letting them know what was going on. They set up a tricky tray with lots of items. There were Yankees and Red Sox tickets that I really really really really wanted, but my ticket number wasn't called! BUMMER! But other than that, there were a lot of baskets that local community businesses had donated and it was an overall great night! It's always a rewarding experience when you do something for a charity. I designed a brochure to be handed out and did all I could to help, and at the end of the night, they rewarded me with flowers for all my help, which was very nice of them. I wish I had pictures to share, but I forgot my camera! I'll try to find someone who took some though to post later!

Other than that, IT'S FRIDAY!!!!!! This means our vacation starts for a whole, school free week. I'm pretty psyched about that! I do have to run down to campus next week to sell one of my books to someone who had messaged me, but hey at least I don't have to do any work!


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I hope everyone has a great weekend and week off! I'll still keep everyone up to date! I am working on interviewing another person, so look forward to that!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Today's Adventure: Garret Mountain Campus


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Week 11! Wow, the end is finally here! Time for a full, whole week of vacation and then back to work once again! I was pretty lucky this quarter and did not have any big finals, just final essays for the course, which I did well on so I can't complain.

As my title states, I am Garret Mountain Bound today! Book Buyback is currently taking place, so I am going to sell a few books to a friend of mine and the rest is going to the Book Buyback! I'm not expecting to make a lot, but hey, the little bit will be ok!

The schedule for Book Buyback is the following:

Monday through Thursday (September 14th-September 17th)
10:30 A.M until 6:30 P.M
Location: Bookstore


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I'm sure many of you have books laying around that you never got to selling on your own, or just forgot about the book buyback and are waiting for the next one to roll around, so here is your opportunity!!! I did this last quarter as well, and there were only a few books I could not sell back, so when they tell you no, don't take it to heart!!!

My best advice to give you about selling back books is to try and see if you have any friends who will be taking the same courses you have in the past and try to sell the books to them first. You can make more money if you use that approach. If not, posting what books you have on the Berkeley Facebook or Myspace page is another approach you can use.

There is always someone in the need of a book, so just put yourself out there and let them know what you need!! I'm hoping to snap some photos on the campus today as well, so check back in the next few days or I'll add them later on! I'm not expecting much activity on campus, but I think it will be helpful for the newer students to see the buildings again before they start in 2 weeks!!

Have a great day!!! :)

Friday, September 11, 2009

Remembering 9/11...Never Forget


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It's hard to believe that 8 years have passed since the destruction of the Twin Towers and all of the lives that were lost. Hopefully everyone took a moment of silence this morning and was able to watch the ceremony they had at the site. I was in elementary school when the attack happened, and I remember teachers coming into the classrooms to pass word around, but we were not able to be told what was happening. When I arrived home, my brother had already been home since he was in the middle school, and he had word about what had happened. I remember him telling me that there were students in the middle school crying because they had parents who worked in the city and it was just a horrific thought.

Later that afternoon, I remember walking to meet my friend and heard a plane fly overhead and I was so scared! It was hard for me to grasp what had actually happened, but once I came to understand, it was a terrifying thought!

The memorial this morning was very touching. Hearing the readers read off all the names of the lost lives was the worst part for me. I can't imagine what all those families who lost someone are going through, especially when the anniversary of this horrific event approaches.

I want to take this time so send my deepest condolences to everyone who has passed on and say thank you to all the heroes of 9/11! This was a tough day for everyone, but each year we are getting stronger and stronger! Never Forget! <3

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Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Burr, It's getting cold!!

Bring on the Fall weather! That's certainly what it's starting to feel like!! The Fall is my favorite time of the year, although I do enjoy summer too! So how is everyone's listening skills working out since my last post?

For this blog, I decided I would include another one of my classes from this quarter and that would be Psychology! Yes, I have said this already, but it's a class I am really enjoying and never expected to! I also have a great Professor, so that helps too!

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This week we are discussing stress and it's really interesting. In the discussion board we were asked to define stress and then to explain any stress in our lives. The top two stress causers that I noticed to be the most common are school and work. Of course, school is stressful in terms of having to meet deadlines, doing well on tests, studying, going to class, and everything else associated with school. Since many of us go to school and also work, we sometimes find ourselves a little overwhelmed with both and tend to break down. Everyone has a different way of dealing with stress. From the posts I have read and responded to, people cry if they stress too much, and many get frustrated and angry with themselves and others. No matter how far we try to run from stress, its always going to be there. But think about it in this sense...Would you rather have no stress at all, therefore living a non-emotional life or would you rather have a little bit of stress in your life, and take into consideration new life lessons or mistakes you may learn from?

That's just something to think about!

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Next on my order of business here, I want to discuss the Swine Flu!!! It's still an ongoing issue and Washington State University has over 2,000 cases, so for those of you who attend on campus, please continuously wash your hands and stay away from those who are sick!! Colleges are urging students to watch what they touch, who they are around, what they eat, and most importantly not to share drinks with anyone! Exercising and getting the right amount of sleep is important as well. As I was mentioning stress earlier, that can lead to getting you sick as well, so NO STRESS!!! There is a vaccine being tested for the swine flu and that will hopefully be coming out sometime in the Fall!

Here are the CDC’s tips, based on those good health habits:

1. Avoid close contact with others, especially people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them.
2. Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work or school and don’t run errands when you are sick to help others from catching your illness.
3. Cover your mouth and your nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
4. Clean your hands; washing your hands often will protect you from germs.
5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Why? Germs often are spread when a person touches something that is contaminated and then touches her or his eyes, nose or mouth.
6. Practice other good health habits — get plenty of sleep; be physically active; manage your stress; drink plenty of fluids; eat nutritious food.

(http://www.dcccd.edu/About+DCCCD/News+and+Events/News/SwineFlu04-29-09.htm)

Visit that site for more information!!

Monday, September 7, 2009

Effective Listening


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In my business communications class this week, we will be discussing effective listening and I thought this would be something I would share with everyone. All around us are distractions that keep us from listening to someone when they are speaking. This could cause some trouble along the way. For example, in your workplace, your boss may decide to call together a meeting about a very important issue that has risen. It would be in your best interest to listen carefully to what he/she is saying, in case there is an action you need to take. Now, in the workplace, there are telephones ringing, employees talking with customers, maybe a low sound of music, computers running, air conditioning, sounds of things outside, etc. Let's say the meeting is taking place and in the background you hear the sound of the air conditioning. You know its there and you try to block it out, right? It seems like all your focus is on that air conditioning sound, and sometimes it seems to get louder and louder with the more attention you steer towards it. At that point, there goes your concentration and listening to your boss in the meeting.

So now the question is: What do I do? You don't want to be rude and disrupt the whole meeting, nor do you want to miss out on anything. It all begins with filtering, which it eliminating all the troubles around you, which is commonly referred to as unwanted stimuli. It may help to ask a question to get back on track with the topic and then from there try to rid of the mental distractions. Try not to allow your mind to wander back to that annoying sound of air conditioning, and try not to make an opinion of what is being said in the meeting, if you only caught little pieces of it.

The following are the guidelines for effective listening:

1) Concentrate on the message
2) Determine the purpose of the message
3) Keep an open mind
4) Provide Feedback
5) Minimize note taking
6) Analyze the total message
7) Do not talk or interrupt


Barriers to Listening include the following:

1) Physical distractions
2) Mental distractions
3) Health concerns
4) Nonverbal distractions
5) Inappropriate timing
6) Ineffective speech characteristics

There are many things that need to be carefully examined for effective listening. I know that background noise can bother me and make me lose my concentration, but I need to realize that effective listening will benefit me. It will allow me to gain more information about something, help me improve upon relationships and attitudes towards others, help to solve problems effectively, resolve any conflicts occurring, and most importantly, it will improve my accuracy of understanding a particular issue, whether it be personal or within my job.

And just to add some fun facts in here:
People speak at 150 to 200 words per minute and hear at 450-500 words per minute.

The difference between hearing and listening is that hearing is only a physical process, but listening is your mental process in which you need to break down the information.

Hopefully this is helpful to some of you! It's very important to focus on your listening skills, because employers will be expecting these skills from you. It's one of the top 5 skills they look for when hiring, so be prepared!!!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day Weekend! Summer has officially come to an end! How sad! Have a great week!


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Friday, September 4, 2009

Labor Day Weekend!!!


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Yes! It's finally here! Time to kick back and enjoy this extended weekend!! I hope everyone had another successful week! Next week begins week 10, which means only 2 more full weeks of classes! Not bad at all..Time flew right on by!!

I figured since it's Labor Day Weekend, I would share some facts about it, other than the fashion rules!

Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.

The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.

I always was interested in history, so I thought this would be something to share with everyone. What is everyone up to this weekend? I plan on kicking back and relaxing. I have a birthday party and a BBQ to attend, but once Monday rolls around, no work, just relaxation!! I am excited for the next two weeks to pass and then enjoying a whole full week off! Of course I will still have to work, but at least its money, right?!

Well, I hope everyone enjoys their weekend! Remember, make sure you relax and enjoy it since it's our final farewell to summer unfortunately!!!

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Wednesday, September 2, 2009

September already?

It's hard to believe how unbelievably fast August has gone and we are now in September! Yeah, on my part, I'm a day late, since it's already the 2nd, but still, time is flying right on by!


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So an update from my interview that was yesterday! I went in all nervous of course! I ended up being there like a half hour early, so I waited like ten minutes and then went in. It's always good to be early instead of stumbling in late! As soon as I walked in, I introduced myself and told them what I was there for and they asked me to be seated for a few. Those few minutes were torture, since I was already nervous and was ready to run for the door. I really had no reason to be nervous, since I already work at State Farm in my town, so I know how things work. A few minutes passed and a man invited me into the boss's office! Dun, Dun, Dun, behind closed doors! That was not the case at all. At first, he was asking me basic questions that the boss would like to know, since she was not in the office just yet. I answered them and went over what I currently do at the other office. Not too long after, the boss showed up, and took a seat right down next to me, I introduced myself, and we started to talk. She was very easy to get along with and had a great personality.

After that, I was totally comfortable and was able to make jokes with them and converse. I got a feel for what their office was like and everyone working there was really nice. After I left, I thought to myself, why do I worry so much and let my nerves rule me over? I feel silly, but never really know what to expect!

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So they are in the process of narrowing down their choices between part timers and full timers. They told me to expect a call either later this week or early next week! Overall, it was a great experience and I am so glad I was able to get comfortable right off the bat!!

Other than that, it's already mid week! My, my, my! Where has time gone! Week 10 already next week too! Seriously!?!?! I am expecting it to get a little hectic these next 2 weeks, but I'm ready to tackle the final projects/papers, which will make the vacation time hopefully come much faster! Time to go read for a little bit, then go to sleep since I have work early in the morning! "See" you again soon!