Tis the Season©
Tis the season for the flu,
Everyone around you going achoo,
Tis the season for political correctness,
for you are forced to say happy holidays instead of Christmas
Tis the season for greed,
for people to complain about gifts when there are people in need.
Tis the season for lights,
and also for Christmas and new year drunken fights.
Tis the season for giving expecting to receive
and when you don't receive you think you have been deceived
Tis the season of endings
but with every end their is new beginnings
Tis the season for insincerity
since everyone is faking love and putting a false reality
Tis the season of love,
but no one truly remembers the love from above.
TIS THE SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!
Cursedangel
12/6/2008
Hello everyone and welcome back to another blog post. It has been soooo busy between the holidays and different family members being sick. I personally have not been feeling well for over two weeks which is part of why i have not blogged. Anyway a reminder to all Berkeley college students that the passwords will be changing for security reasons. For more information pay attention to the log on screen of Blackboard or the notification that pops up on the screen upon log in. The Blackboard password will take effect December 22nd after the system is downed for maintenance.
Hope every one's Thanksgiving was great and that they have gotten their Christmas and holiday shopping done. As we prepare for the ending of the year both Calender and the Fall Semester I want to reflect a little not so much on the semester but on the year. This year has been a very trying and challenging year for me and my family. This was my first year back in school after a two year hiatus and had not only deal with that but i had to deal with welcoming a new baby and all the medical issues that the pregnancy brought. Here an aside I want to thank all the mothers out there and women in general as you guys have the ability to do and tolerate so much physically, mentally and emotionally. After watching my wife bring two children into the world i have an even greater respect for women and my mother as well. All the things i have been through this year would have normally brought me to a breaking point. Believe me i had reached that point multiple times this year but because of the love and support of my friends and family i was able to pull through.
The poem i wrote at the beginning of this blog sums up what i believe the holiday season has become. More people than not give money and time to charitable organizations during this time of year. My only question is what is the driving motive behind it? Most people are just doing it because this is the season of "giving" and it is the right thing to do. Some of the others, which is a small percentage, do it all year long and to those people I offer you congrats and applause. This season is so full of people being fake and putting on an act it is suffocating. Most of these people are only nice during this time of the year and come January 1st is back to their real selves. The holidays, mainly Christmas, has lost the real meaning and luster. It is such a frustrating thing to see and it even occurs in my family. My in laws put on such a show i don't know why none of them have won an Oscar or tony award. It absolutely astonishing that people show up and i can cut the tension with a knife. I also see it as i walk through the streets and i feel that if people were more genuine in their sincerity we would be in a better place as a society.
Enough of my ranting hope every one's Fall semester was great and I wish all of you good luck on your finals this coming week. I know i have my own work cut out for me and i only have two days to do it and that is not a whole lot of time.
Now it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Both Rebecca and Jose have gone to the doctor over the past month and here are their updated stats. Rebecca is now 47 lbs and 31 inches in height. Jose is 14 lbs and 24 inches in height and is quickly catching up to his older sister. Rebecca continues to increase her vocabulary and is now safely over the 50 word minimum. Jose continues to show that he wants to get up and chase his sister, it is going to be mayhem when he is able to. Anyway that is all for now and i will see you guys later.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
A Time for Change
Good evening and welcome back to the blog. Sorry for the long pause between posts but as most of you know last week was midterm week, so I was busy studying for them. I still have one more to go and that will be on Tuesday. So far I have only received one grade and that was for my Fundamentals of IT class which was an 81. I am not completely happy with the grade but figuring I missed the class the week before I will take it. I hope all of you did well on your midterms and if you haven't gotten your grade yet I hope it will be what you wanted.
On to some historic news, as we all know November 4Th was election day and it was one of the most historic days in American history. As we know our President Elect is Barak Obama and he is the first black president in US history. Now I don't want to just focus on his skin color but just on the fact that it was a minority period is an awesome thing. I told everyone leading up to this election that it was going to be historic in more ways then one. This election was going to define who now has the voice in America to change things, whether it is the youths or still the baby boomers. I believe a lot of my generation was annoyed at the older generation for voting in Bush not once but twice and ushering 8 years of bad decision making. My generation could not understand why someone was voted in a second time after the first time was so bad. It was also my generation that lost a lot of friends and family to the war in Iraq, and everyone in the United States could say we needed to go into Iraq, which is fine, but did anyone know how to get out?
November 4Th was the day for my generation to stand up and push for change. Although our percentage of the electorate stayed the same, 17%, more voters in the 18-25 range came out and voted. Of course just the youth alone would not be enough to get Obama in and that is where the 60% of the White vote comes into play. This election shows that the youth do have a say in politics and that we can and do follow politics. It also proved that negative campaign ads will no longer effect the vote as it has in the past. In fact researchers showed that the negative ads hurt the candidate that was pushing most of them and this election it was McCain.
Our generation is not only too smart for negative ads but we also are very good at doing our own research and can filter out useless information. The way we are able to do that is through the marvelous use of computers and the Internet. Since we had to grow up and have a lot of information thrown at us we had to learn to process information quickly and figure out what is fact from fiction. Since this election showed everyone that the youth can make a difference, politicians will now have to figure out how to reach us. That is another reason why Obama won because he used all the mediums that the youth uses such as, text-messaging, facebook, myspace and emails. He campaigned not only in person but also in areas where the youth would be greatly involved such as the Internet. I now believe with the success of this election Republicans are going to have a hard time trying to figure out how to reach the youth. I must tip my hat to McCain for running a great race and thank him for continuing to serve his country in any forms he chooses. He gave an awesome concession speech and I only wished his supporters were less sophomoric in thought and did not boo when he mentioned Obama's name.
Now it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Rebecca is teething again so she has not been feeling well this past week. She is getting two more bottom teeth and soon steak will be in her menu. Jose continues to grow and grow. He is a bottomless pit when it comes to formula and is almost as tall as his older sister. If he keeps this up he will end up being taller than her soon. Now they are getting ready for one of the busiest times of the year with Thanksgiving, my office party and Christmas right around the corner. Anyway that is all for now and I hope everyone will have a great second half to the Fall semester. Reminder registration is ongoing so if you haven't registered do so now.
On to some historic news, as we all know November 4Th was election day and it was one of the most historic days in American history. As we know our President Elect is Barak Obama and he is the first black president in US history. Now I don't want to just focus on his skin color but just on the fact that it was a minority period is an awesome thing. I told everyone leading up to this election that it was going to be historic in more ways then one. This election was going to define who now has the voice in America to change things, whether it is the youths or still the baby boomers. I believe a lot of my generation was annoyed at the older generation for voting in Bush not once but twice and ushering 8 years of bad decision making. My generation could not understand why someone was voted in a second time after the first time was so bad. It was also my generation that lost a lot of friends and family to the war in Iraq, and everyone in the United States could say we needed to go into Iraq, which is fine, but did anyone know how to get out?
November 4Th was the day for my generation to stand up and push for change. Although our percentage of the electorate stayed the same, 17%, more voters in the 18-25 range came out and voted. Of course just the youth alone would not be enough to get Obama in and that is where the 60% of the White vote comes into play. This election shows that the youth do have a say in politics and that we can and do follow politics. It also proved that negative campaign ads will no longer effect the vote as it has in the past. In fact researchers showed that the negative ads hurt the candidate that was pushing most of them and this election it was McCain.
Our generation is not only too smart for negative ads but we also are very good at doing our own research and can filter out useless information. The way we are able to do that is through the marvelous use of computers and the Internet. Since we had to grow up and have a lot of information thrown at us we had to learn to process information quickly and figure out what is fact from fiction. Since this election showed everyone that the youth can make a difference, politicians will now have to figure out how to reach us. That is another reason why Obama won because he used all the mediums that the youth uses such as, text-messaging, facebook, myspace and emails. He campaigned not only in person but also in areas where the youth would be greatly involved such as the Internet. I now believe with the success of this election Republicans are going to have a hard time trying to figure out how to reach the youth. I must tip my hat to McCain for running a great race and thank him for continuing to serve his country in any forms he chooses. He gave an awesome concession speech and I only wished his supporters were less sophomoric in thought and did not boo when he mentioned Obama's name.
Now it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Rebecca is teething again so she has not been feeling well this past week. She is getting two more bottom teeth and soon steak will be in her menu. Jose continues to grow and grow. He is a bottomless pit when it comes to formula and is almost as tall as his older sister. If he keeps this up he will end up being taller than her soon. Now they are getting ready for one of the busiest times of the year with Thanksgiving, my office party and Christmas right around the corner. Anyway that is all for now and I hope everyone will have a great second half to the Fall semester. Reminder registration is ongoing so if you haven't registered do so now.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Halloween and the real trick or treat
Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog. Hope every one's fall semester is going well. Just a reminder that registration for the Winter is now in progress. Register now to lock in the best classes and best times. This is important especially for Primetime students since class selection is slim pickings. I must apologize because of an emergency at another bookstore I could not do the interview with the manager. I am hoping to get in touch with him and if anything maybe do the interview over the phone.
As you can see by the title of the blog Halloween is among us again and it signifies the official start to the holiday season because before you know it its Thanksgiving. Halloween is a holiday that i have not personally celebrated nor dressed up for since before i was in HS. It was at the beginning of HS that i realized that i had out-grown the whole trick or treat thing and i guess it is because i am not a big candy fan. All in all i think it has helped me keep my teeth nice and healthy. I think part of it is because the whole concept of Halloween has been lost on America. The history and the truth behind Halloween is but a distant memory and very few people even know the history. Lucky for all of you i do know the history and i feel it is my obligation to shine some light onto the dark holiday.
Halloween comes from All Hallows Eve which basically was the celebration of the Saints in the catholic religion. Prior to Catholicism it was a pagan holiday celebrating the dead. Now I take no religious stance on the matter since i personally do not care about the religious ramifications of it. I personally think that if you want to celebrate it go ahead. My wife is taking our children trick or treating in one of the biggest extortion gigs in my family. Reason why i say that is both of my kids are cute, you have seen the pictures, and they are going to rake in the candy. The funny thing is my daughter is 17 months and there is no way she is having sugar. My son is 3 months and um no teeth and same reason for my daughter, no sugar. So who do you think is going to eat all of that candy? My wife and probably me just to get rid of the stuff. I personally do not see the point of trick or treating with someone under the age of 5. There is absolutely no point and i think its just the parents way to get some free candy. I also think it is an excuse for the parent to dress up like a fool and use their kids as a crutch. I think its a great holiday for the kids and love to see my son dress up in a surgeon onesie. To all the parents out there though stop it, there is no reason to get dressed up with your kids its just plain scary and frightening. I won't even go into adult Halloween parties in clubs that is for another blog that is not on an educational site. So to all the kids out there have fun and to all the adults grow up.
On to something of educational importance, my classes are going well so far and I am learning a lot. I already have lined up the interviews for November and I will probably release the possible candidates on Saturday. Speaking of candidates and debates my World Cultures class on Saturday is going to be a very tense and interesting class. People may not even need to drink coffee before class because the debate we are going to have will get adrenaline pumping quickly and often. This week we are going to debate whether men are naturally more superior to women? Now I am not going to release my views on this until next blog but I would love to here your points of view so comment often. This invitation is also extended to all the faculty at the GMT campus that I know read my blog but show me know love. Personally i think they should at least comment once on at least some of the bloggers posts, just to show some appreciation for the advertisement of the school. Then again that is just my point of view on things.
Now it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corners. As you already heard Jose will be a surgeon for Halloween and Rebecca will be a princess (like she needs to dress up for that, she's always daddy's princess). She continues to extend her vocabulary and now says Wow and Popeye (the cartoon not the chicken place). I cannot wait to see what else she comes up with as practices and when she gets her Christmas present from daddy that should help. I am planning to get her Baby Einstein. Anyway that is all for now and good luck to many on the midterms.
As you can see by the title of the blog Halloween is among us again and it signifies the official start to the holiday season because before you know it its Thanksgiving. Halloween is a holiday that i have not personally celebrated nor dressed up for since before i was in HS. It was at the beginning of HS that i realized that i had out-grown the whole trick or treat thing and i guess it is because i am not a big candy fan. All in all i think it has helped me keep my teeth nice and healthy. I think part of it is because the whole concept of Halloween has been lost on America. The history and the truth behind Halloween is but a distant memory and very few people even know the history. Lucky for all of you i do know the history and i feel it is my obligation to shine some light onto the dark holiday.
Halloween comes from All Hallows Eve which basically was the celebration of the Saints in the catholic religion. Prior to Catholicism it was a pagan holiday celebrating the dead. Now I take no religious stance on the matter since i personally do not care about the religious ramifications of it. I personally think that if you want to celebrate it go ahead. My wife is taking our children trick or treating in one of the biggest extortion gigs in my family. Reason why i say that is both of my kids are cute, you have seen the pictures, and they are going to rake in the candy. The funny thing is my daughter is 17 months and there is no way she is having sugar. My son is 3 months and um no teeth and same reason for my daughter, no sugar. So who do you think is going to eat all of that candy? My wife and probably me just to get rid of the stuff. I personally do not see the point of trick or treating with someone under the age of 5. There is absolutely no point and i think its just the parents way to get some free candy. I also think it is an excuse for the parent to dress up like a fool and use their kids as a crutch. I think its a great holiday for the kids and love to see my son dress up in a surgeon onesie. To all the parents out there though stop it, there is no reason to get dressed up with your kids its just plain scary and frightening. I won't even go into adult Halloween parties in clubs that is for another blog that is not on an educational site. So to all the kids out there have fun and to all the adults grow up.
On to something of educational importance, my classes are going well so far and I am learning a lot. I already have lined up the interviews for November and I will probably release the possible candidates on Saturday. Speaking of candidates and debates my World Cultures class on Saturday is going to be a very tense and interesting class. People may not even need to drink coffee before class because the debate we are going to have will get adrenaline pumping quickly and often. This week we are going to debate whether men are naturally more superior to women? Now I am not going to release my views on this until next blog but I would love to here your points of view so comment often. This invitation is also extended to all the faculty at the GMT campus that I know read my blog but show me know love. Personally i think they should at least comment once on at least some of the bloggers posts, just to show some appreciation for the advertisement of the school. Then again that is just my point of view on things.
Now it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corners. As you already heard Jose will be a surgeon for Halloween and Rebecca will be a princess (like she needs to dress up for that, she's always daddy's princess). She continues to extend her vocabulary and now says Wow and Popeye (the cartoon not the chicken place). I cannot wait to see what else she comes up with as practices and when she gets her Christmas present from daddy that should help. I am planning to get her Baby Einstein. Anyway that is all for now and good luck to many on the midterms.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Hand Cuffed Primetime Students
Hello everyone and welcome back to another edition of my blog. A reminder to all students that registration is now going on for Winter 2009. Register early in order to get the classes you want and also to allow you time to clear with financial aid and student accounts. This is a great lead in for the main topic of discussion for the blog.
As mentioned in the title I and a lot of my fellow Primetimers feel handcuffed. I personally know that Primetime is a relatively new program but it has been around long enough to not have these issues. The biggest issue I find with being a Primetime student is class schedules. When trying to do my schedule for the Winter I had a very difficult time in choosing what classes I was able to take. I am only available to take classes M-W and Fri-Sat but the selection of classes for the Winter were meager at best. Now many will say that the reason being is not a lot of students take classes during the Winter semester. That maybe true but even the class selections for the Fall and Spring were not easy either. I personally know that a lot of students do take the Winter but not the Summer.
The problem lies in the variety of classes and the location of the classes given. For example I would love to take the Network Security Class next semester but it is only given on Saturday and only in the Garret Mountain Campus. Now normally I wouldn't mind making the trek but the school shuttle that normally runs during the Weekday does not run on weekends. So there in lies another problem in that you offer Saturday classes at Garret Mountain but do not necessarily provide transportation for those students that don't drive. Next semester has very little CIS classes being given and some of us in the Network class have taken it upon ourselves to email the Dean of Computer Science to see if they could add the Networking 1 class. The other thing that may need to be looked at is how the classes for the Information Systems Management degree is done. There is no Networking classes that are mandatory for a degree that is essentially a computer degree. Information Systems Management is managing information in the workplace and that should definitely entail servers and communication between servers. I am personally taking Fundamentals of IT on my own not because it was in my degree curriculum.
This is not to say that Primetime at Berkeley is negative. The financial aid office and student accounts office are great and helpful people. That department should be expanded and have its own floor by itself in order to cater to all the Primetime students that Berkeley has. The Primetime program continues to grow and the need for more flexible and availability of classes is needed to cater to the growth of the program. The professors we have for the Primetime are real world professionals that can bring a lot of experience to the classroom. My only hope for the future of the Primetime department and program is that classes will be more available in all campuses and at multiple times.
My classes so far this semester has been nothing short of enlightening. I love my World Cultures class and I am definitely learning how to view different cultures with a new light. I have learned a lot about Networking in my Fundamentals of IT class that I know will help me when my company moves into the new building. In Marketing I am learning ways to not only promote my own personal business but also businesses of friends of mine.
Now it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Both of my little ones continue to grow and mature. Rebecca alone has learned 4 new words this week Barney, food, box and shoe which brings her total to about 31 words. Jose has been fussing lately and it may be that he is either teething or going through a growth spurt. The one good thing is that when daddy gets home he is all smiles and that makes me feel good. Anyway that is all for now, I know I promised you a blog on the bookstore and you will have it next week as I have set an appointment with the guy for 5:15pm on Monday. Hope you guys have a great weekend and don't forget to register.
As mentioned in the title I and a lot of my fellow Primetimers feel handcuffed. I personally know that Primetime is a relatively new program but it has been around long enough to not have these issues. The biggest issue I find with being a Primetime student is class schedules. When trying to do my schedule for the Winter I had a very difficult time in choosing what classes I was able to take. I am only available to take classes M-W and Fri-Sat but the selection of classes for the Winter were meager at best. Now many will say that the reason being is not a lot of students take classes during the Winter semester. That maybe true but even the class selections for the Fall and Spring were not easy either. I personally know that a lot of students do take the Winter but not the Summer.
The problem lies in the variety of classes and the location of the classes given. For example I would love to take the Network Security Class next semester but it is only given on Saturday and only in the Garret Mountain Campus. Now normally I wouldn't mind making the trek but the school shuttle that normally runs during the Weekday does not run on weekends. So there in lies another problem in that you offer Saturday classes at Garret Mountain but do not necessarily provide transportation for those students that don't drive. Next semester has very little CIS classes being given and some of us in the Network class have taken it upon ourselves to email the Dean of Computer Science to see if they could add the Networking 1 class. The other thing that may need to be looked at is how the classes for the Information Systems Management degree is done. There is no Networking classes that are mandatory for a degree that is essentially a computer degree. Information Systems Management is managing information in the workplace and that should definitely entail servers and communication between servers. I am personally taking Fundamentals of IT on my own not because it was in my degree curriculum.
This is not to say that Primetime at Berkeley is negative. The financial aid office and student accounts office are great and helpful people. That department should be expanded and have its own floor by itself in order to cater to all the Primetime students that Berkeley has. The Primetime program continues to grow and the need for more flexible and availability of classes is needed to cater to the growth of the program. The professors we have for the Primetime are real world professionals that can bring a lot of experience to the classroom. My only hope for the future of the Primetime department and program is that classes will be more available in all campuses and at multiple times.
My classes so far this semester has been nothing short of enlightening. I love my World Cultures class and I am definitely learning how to view different cultures with a new light. I have learned a lot about Networking in my Fundamentals of IT class that I know will help me when my company moves into the new building. In Marketing I am learning ways to not only promote my own personal business but also businesses of friends of mine.
Now it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Both of my little ones continue to grow and mature. Rebecca alone has learned 4 new words this week Barney, food, box and shoe which brings her total to about 31 words. Jose has been fussing lately and it may be that he is either teething or going through a growth spurt. The one good thing is that when daddy gets home he is all smiles and that makes me feel good. Anyway that is all for now, I know I promised you a blog on the bookstore and you will have it next week as I have set an appointment with the guy for 5:15pm on Monday. Hope you guys have a great weekend and don't forget to register.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Columbus Day
Hello everyone and Happy Columbus day!!! Hope all of you enjoyed your day off from classes and that your taking this time to do homework or spend time with family. It was a great weekend starting with Professor's Montlack's poetry reading. Not to be bias but Professor Montlack was the best poet to perform aside from my sister and that last part is biased. It started with some open mic poetry and most of the poets sounded really sexually frustrated or deprived. Then came the first feature and she sounded like every other poet I know. It is the same type of poetry that everyone writes including rhyme scheme and kinda "hippie" feeling. Then came some more bad open mic and the came Professor Montlack. His poetry not only did not follow traditional writing it was actually humorous. The other thing is that his poetry was based a lot on real life experiences and feelings, and allowed the listener to relate. I am a poet as well and despite the fact that I do follow rhyming patterns my poetry is based on real life experiences and feelings. The actual truth was in the pudding because there were other English professors there and I think they died a little inside.
Anyway enough about poetry a lot has been learned this week in all my classes. I got a break by not having any class on Wednesday due to Yom Kippur. Saturday's World Culture class was a deep lesson in culture. We first discussed the reading for homework which was about the self. It was a confusing but enlightening piece when you actually figure it out. The piece was written by George Mead in the 1930's and discusses the self and how the self is separate from the body. If you want to break it down in the simplest form it is basically the discussion of the personality and the way people communicate. We also discussed the culture of poverty from the views of an individualist and a materialist. The first was the individualist Oscar Wilde which took the approach that it is the passing of the individual values that lead to the continuation of poverty. That since the kids of poor areas don't have ample role models or good role models. Since all the poor children see is crime and bad values that they pass it on to their children and the cycle continues.
The materialist was William Wilson who looked at when ghettos first appeared which was right after World War 2. He focused predominantly around the Chicago area and his book "When Work Disappears" discusses his point of view. Wilson stated that since the loss of jobs in the steel industry a trickle down effect occurred. People began to leave and those that were left were people who didn't have money nor resources to move. The solution for him was to create resources such as welfare to help them out. Now it is my personal belief that both of these guys were correct in there thoughts. I think a combination of both is to blame for poverty and why it continues today. States have taken up the call to provide services but it is still up to the individual to take advantage of the options available. I think the biggest issue in today's society is that today's youth has become very unmotivated and lazy. They are quicker to take the shortest and easiest way to success or wealth. I know many kids that are in gangs and not really focusing on school and other means of education. The biggest issue is that a lot of the role models they look up to do not push education or any gives back to their community. There are only a handful that give back and it is not enough. What is your take on the culture of poverty and who do you think is to blame?
It is now time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Rebecca has now added Banana, Isaac and Barb to her vocabulary. She continues to help around the house and loves to help mommy dust. She is still very watchful over her brother and wants to hold him but she is still not quite there to holding him. Jose continues to grow and is possibly teething which is pretty early and he will be three months on Thursday. Stay tuned for the next blog where I interview the staff of the new and improve bookstore and student center.
Anyway enough about poetry a lot has been learned this week in all my classes. I got a break by not having any class on Wednesday due to Yom Kippur. Saturday's World Culture class was a deep lesson in culture. We first discussed the reading for homework which was about the self. It was a confusing but enlightening piece when you actually figure it out. The piece was written by George Mead in the 1930's and discusses the self and how the self is separate from the body. If you want to break it down in the simplest form it is basically the discussion of the personality and the way people communicate. We also discussed the culture of poverty from the views of an individualist and a materialist. The first was the individualist Oscar Wilde which took the approach that it is the passing of the individual values that lead to the continuation of poverty. That since the kids of poor areas don't have ample role models or good role models. Since all the poor children see is crime and bad values that they pass it on to their children and the cycle continues.
The materialist was William Wilson who looked at when ghettos first appeared which was right after World War 2. He focused predominantly around the Chicago area and his book "When Work Disappears" discusses his point of view. Wilson stated that since the loss of jobs in the steel industry a trickle down effect occurred. People began to leave and those that were left were people who didn't have money nor resources to move. The solution for him was to create resources such as welfare to help them out. Now it is my personal belief that both of these guys were correct in there thoughts. I think a combination of both is to blame for poverty and why it continues today. States have taken up the call to provide services but it is still up to the individual to take advantage of the options available. I think the biggest issue in today's society is that today's youth has become very unmotivated and lazy. They are quicker to take the shortest and easiest way to success or wealth. I know many kids that are in gangs and not really focusing on school and other means of education. The biggest issue is that a lot of the role models they look up to do not push education or any gives back to their community. There are only a handful that give back and it is not enough. What is your take on the culture of poverty and who do you think is to blame?
It is now time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Rebecca has now added Banana, Isaac and Barb to her vocabulary. She continues to help around the house and loves to help mommy dust. She is still very watchful over her brother and wants to hold him but she is still not quite there to holding him. Jose continues to grow and is possibly teething which is pretty early and he will be three months on Thursday. Stay tuned for the next blog where I interview the staff of the new and improve bookstore and student center.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Conversation with Professor Michael Montlack
Good evening everyone and welcome back to my blog. Week one is complete and it is on to week 2. This week started off with Hot 97 coming to kick off the new Student Center in the midtown campus. There were games, give aways and food and next week I will be down there to see how students like the center and also to talk about the new bookstore. Students seem to enjoy the center and this was evident when I went down there today some students were playing the Wii on the flat screen TV.
Classes are going well so far and i have already come up with a preliminary schedule for next semester. Registration for the Winter will begin soon so pay attention to your emails as well as my blog for when registration begins. The Fall is normally when things start to come to a close but Berkeley continues to bring in the new stuff. Along with a new Student Center and bookstore the Berkeley Website has undergone a massive make over. It is now more attractive and easier to navigate as well and has the bloggers front and center on the home page. To continue with the trend of adding new stuff not only will I be adding interviews with faculty but I am starting a Word on the Street segment where i will actually interview other Berkeley Students. I am hoping that this will bring more of the whole Berkeley experience to prospective students or new students.
Continuing with my interviews with faculty this week I interviewed Professor Montlack. I know professor Montlack because I had him for Oral Communication and he is a professor that is well educated and will improve your speeches and presentations. Without further ado i present my interview with Professor Michael Montlack.
Isaac Salles- Good evening Professor Montlack and thank you for your time. I would like to start off by asking, What department do you work for and what classes do you normally teach.
Michael Montlack- I work for the English department and I teach Oral Communication, English Composition 1,2,3 and Literature.
IS- What is your educational background?
MM-I have a BA, MA and MFA (Masters in Fine Arts) all in creative writing and literature. I got my BA from Hofstra University, my MA from San Francisco State University and my MFA from the New School in New York City.
IS- How long have you been at Berkeley College?
MM- I have been with Berkeley for 10 years.
IS-One of your classes that you teach is Oral Communication. When I was a student of yours one of your assignments is to advertise our favorite product. Advertise briefly on why students should either take Oral Communication or any of the other classes that you teach.
MM-Oral Communication helps to give students a comfortable environment in order to gain confidence in the speaking and presenting for future professional situations.
IS-You have a poetry reading this Friday and its from your own work. What is the name of the book that you will be reading from?
MM-This Friday's reading is from my new poetry book entitled Girls,Girls,Girls (All Poems about women and girls).
IS-How many other books or collections of your personal works do you have?
MM-I have three books:
Girls,Girls,Girls (Poetry)
Cover Charge (Poetry)
Upcoming book- "My Diva" (Essay Anthology)
The book Cover Charge can currently be bought by following the link http://www.gertrudepress.org/backissues/chap2007/michael.html. "My Diva" will be in bookstores in March 2009.
IS-Why do you like poetry?
MM-I like poetry for its music, power and its ability to transform experience into meaning.
IS-In all your years have you learned anything from your students and if you have, what is the most memorable?
MM-I have learned from my students about the power of hard work. An example of this is one of my International Students who started at Berkeley College with an Associates degree. He got an internship at the United Nations and graduated Berkeley College with a Bachelors. The student then went on to achieve two masters degrees.
IS-Is there anything you want to add to either encourage students to come to Berkeley College or to take your classes?
MM-One of the best things about teaching at Berkeley College is having small classes. This allows me to get to know my students and for my students to get to know me. This is very unusual for many colleges and it is what Berkeley students seem to enjoy the most. I invite all students, even though they are business majors, to approach their writing and literature classes seriously because they will help make them better students, professionals and communicators in general. Literature is also a great way to learn about the world, history, psychology and the art of writing.
IS-Since I was a former students one of our projects was doing an interview where we were the applicant and you were the interviewer. How would you say I did as the interviewer?
MM- I think you did great. I am glad to see one of my students conducting himself professionally.
I would like to thank Professor Montlack for his time and if you wish to attend his reading this Friday here is the information:
Please come hear me read
from my new poetry chapbook
Girls, Girls, Girls
this Friday, October 10, at 6 pm.
At the Cornelia Street Cafe
PINK PONY WEST SERIES
in the West Village:
29 Cornelia Street.
($7 gets you entrance, a drink and poetry.)
How to get to the Cornelia Street Café
The Cornelia Street Café � 29 Cornelia Street, NYC 10014 � 212-989-9319
By Subway
A, C, E, B, D, F & V TRAINS
* Get on the south end of the train.
* Take the train to the West 4th Street stop.
* Exit at West 3rd Street.
* Walk one block north to 4th Street.
* Make an acute left onto Cornelia Street.
1 & 9 TRAINS
* Take the train to the Sheridan Square stop.
* Walk 21/2 blocks east on West 4th Street.
* Make a right onto Cornelia Street.
I hope to be there and hopefully you will come and support one of our best professors at Berkeley.
Now it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Rebecca did one of the most funniest things today. Jose woke up from one of his many naps and started to fuss. Rebecca got his pacifier and actually told him to open his mouth by going "AAAH" but did it so loud that it startled little Jose. I think he actually wanted to retreat back into his nap. That is all for now and I will see you in the future.
Classes are going well so far and i have already come up with a preliminary schedule for next semester. Registration for the Winter will begin soon so pay attention to your emails as well as my blog for when registration begins. The Fall is normally when things start to come to a close but Berkeley continues to bring in the new stuff. Along with a new Student Center and bookstore the Berkeley Website has undergone a massive make over. It is now more attractive and easier to navigate as well and has the bloggers front and center on the home page. To continue with the trend of adding new stuff not only will I be adding interviews with faculty but I am starting a Word on the Street segment where i will actually interview other Berkeley Students. I am hoping that this will bring more of the whole Berkeley experience to prospective students or new students.
Continuing with my interviews with faculty this week I interviewed Professor Montlack. I know professor Montlack because I had him for Oral Communication and he is a professor that is well educated and will improve your speeches and presentations. Without further ado i present my interview with Professor Michael Montlack.
Isaac Salles- Good evening Professor Montlack and thank you for your time. I would like to start off by asking, What department do you work for and what classes do you normally teach.
Michael Montlack- I work for the English department and I teach Oral Communication, English Composition 1,2,3 and Literature.
IS- What is your educational background?
MM-I have a BA, MA and MFA (Masters in Fine Arts) all in creative writing and literature. I got my BA from Hofstra University, my MA from San Francisco State University and my MFA from the New School in New York City.
IS- How long have you been at Berkeley College?
MM- I have been with Berkeley for 10 years.
IS-One of your classes that you teach is Oral Communication. When I was a student of yours one of your assignments is to advertise our favorite product. Advertise briefly on why students should either take Oral Communication or any of the other classes that you teach.
MM-Oral Communication helps to give students a comfortable environment in order to gain confidence in the speaking and presenting for future professional situations.
IS-You have a poetry reading this Friday and its from your own work. What is the name of the book that you will be reading from?
MM-This Friday's reading is from my new poetry book entitled Girls,Girls,Girls (All Poems about women and girls).
IS-How many other books or collections of your personal works do you have?
MM-I have three books:
The book Cover Charge can currently be bought by following the link http://www.gertrudepress.org/backissues/chap2007/michael.html. "My Diva" will be in bookstores in March 2009.
IS-Why do you like poetry?
MM-I like poetry for its music, power and its ability to transform experience into meaning.
IS-In all your years have you learned anything from your students and if you have, what is the most memorable?
MM-I have learned from my students about the power of hard work. An example of this is one of my International Students who started at Berkeley College with an Associates degree. He got an internship at the United Nations and graduated Berkeley College with a Bachelors. The student then went on to achieve two masters degrees.
IS-Is there anything you want to add to either encourage students to come to Berkeley College or to take your classes?
MM-One of the best things about teaching at Berkeley College is having small classes. This allows me to get to know my students and for my students to get to know me. This is very unusual for many colleges and it is what Berkeley students seem to enjoy the most. I invite all students, even though they are business majors, to approach their writing and literature classes seriously because they will help make them better students, professionals and communicators in general. Literature is also a great way to learn about the world, history, psychology and the art of writing.
IS-Since I was a former students one of our projects was doing an interview where we were the applicant and you were the interviewer. How would you say I did as the interviewer?
MM- I think you did great. I am glad to see one of my students conducting himself professionally.
I would like to thank Professor Montlack for his time and if you wish to attend his reading this Friday here is the information:
Please come hear me read
from my new poetry chapbook
Girls, Girls, Girls
this Friday, October 10, at 6 pm.
At the Cornelia Street Cafe
PINK PONY WEST SERIES
in the West Village:
29 Cornelia Street.
($7 gets you entrance, a drink and poetry.)
How to get to the Cornelia Street Café
The Cornelia Street Café � 29 Cornelia Street, NYC 10014 � 212-989-9319
By Subway
A, C, E, B, D, F & V TRAINS
* Get on the south end of the train.
* Take the train to the West 4th Street stop.
* Exit at West 3rd Street.
* Walk one block north to 4th Street.
* Make an acute left onto Cornelia Street.
1 & 9 TRAINS
* Take the train to the Sheridan Square stop.
* Walk 21/2 blocks east on West 4th Street.
* Make a right onto Cornelia Street.
I hope to be there and hopefully you will come and support one of our best professors at Berkeley.
Now it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Rebecca did one of the most funniest things today. Jose woke up from one of his many naps and started to fuss. Rebecca got his pacifier and actually told him to open his mouth by going "AAAH" but did it so loud that it startled little Jose. I think he actually wanted to retreat back into his nap. That is all for now and I will see you in the future.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
An Interview with Ms. Carol Covino, A.V.P. of Enrollment
Hello everyone and welcome back to school for the Fall Semester. I hope every one's first week of classes went well, and I hope textbook costs are not hurting your pocket. My first week went well and it looks like I am going to have my hands full with the work load so I may have to rethink my scheduling breakdown for homework and assignments. Fundamentals of IT this past week gave me some new lingo to throw around at my job especially with our new building coming along. In marketing i learned some basic ideas of marketing which is going to help me with my business as well as my partners. I already came up with some marketing ideas for them and I hope that some of them will work.
Accounting 104 was a class that I was expecting to breeze through and it now seems that this may be a challenge. This version of Accounting 2 is a lot different than the one I took in LaGuardia. Just this week I learned something new that I didn't learn in LaGuardia. We never did the Cost Volume approach to accounting. That method is not seen by the public and is only used for managerial decisions. It takes into account Fixed costs and Break points in both dollars and units. The break point is the minimum needed to be sold in order to have a profit of zero. World Cultures looks like it will be a mixture of anthropology and philosophy. That will probably the class where I will be getting most of my questions to ask you guys.
Now for the first time ever is the beginning of my Interview with Faculty and Professors. What better way to start than by interviewing Ms. Carol Covino who is the boss of the Berkeley Bloggers.
Isaac Salles- Good afternoon Ms. Covino, I would like to start off by asking, "what is your official title and what does that entail?"
Carol Covino- I am the Associate Vice President of Enrollment and I oversee the Admissions Offices for the Paramus and Woodbridge Campuses. I am also oversee the Berkeley Bloggers.
I.S.-What is your educational background?
C.C.-I originally graduated from Berkeley College in 1980 and I am currently an Online Student at Berkeley.
I.S.-How long have you been with Berkeley College?
C.C.- I have been with Berkeley College for 17 years.
I.S.-Do you have any advice for new students, current students or prospective students?
C.C.-4. For current of new students there is no reason why anyone should fail at Berkeley. There are so many support systems in place whether it is personal counseling, Academic Support Center and so many people to reach out to. To prospective students I urge you to visit the campus and make sure you feel comfortable at the campuses. Students tend to pick colleges by name instead of trying to see what type of services that really fit them. Berkeley college provides the atmosphere of a small school and offers the best services.
I.S.-Do you enjoy running the Berkeley Bloggers?
C.C.-I love all my Bloggers. We are actually still looking for bloggers especially from Newark, Westchester and Woodbridge Campuses. All you have to do is submit and email with a sample blog. Students don't realize that the college does actively read the blogs. If a complaint is posted the college reacts almost instantaneously to rectify the problem. We are one of the few schools that move when the student body speaks.
I.S.-I have to agree with that and I am sure the hiring of our new Athletic Director came from us wanting more athletics through out the campuses. Why did you pick your current profession?
C.C.-I started out by presenting to schools for Berkeley since I loved Berkeley so much as a student. I started out as a High School representative for Berkeley and then moved up into the position.
I.S.-What would you like to see improve at Berkeley to make it more attractive to prospective students?
C.C.-A semester system could be a change since many people don’t quite understand the quarter system. As we attract more traditional students a semester system may be more beneficial in the long run.
I.S.-Any other closing remarks?
C.C.-One of the things we worry about at Berkeley is that when students have issues they don’t necessarily get led to the right people. Some colleges are not very proactive, but we are and an example is when the college reacts to a blog. If a student needs assistance be vocal and ask around, you will be led to the right person.
I would like to thank Ms. Covino for her time. If you would like to be a Berkeley Blogger just email a sample blog to cja@BerkeleyCollege.edu. It is a paid position and it is a great way to voice your opinions and thoughts, and if i can do it with my busy schedule so can you!
Now it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. They both continue to grow into individuals. Jose is very talkative especially on topics such as economics and politics. He is an Obama fan and somewhat approves of the $700 billion dollar bailout. Rebecca continues to expand her vocabulary, and now says hot,ouch and hi. She is beginning to learn social cues and continues to love and protect her baby brother. That's all for now and stay tuned as I explore the new revamped bookstore and other topics.
Accounting 104 was a class that I was expecting to breeze through and it now seems that this may be a challenge. This version of Accounting 2 is a lot different than the one I took in LaGuardia. Just this week I learned something new that I didn't learn in LaGuardia. We never did the Cost Volume approach to accounting. That method is not seen by the public and is only used for managerial decisions. It takes into account Fixed costs and Break points in both dollars and units. The break point is the minimum needed to be sold in order to have a profit of zero. World Cultures looks like it will be a mixture of anthropology and philosophy. That will probably the class where I will be getting most of my questions to ask you guys.
Now for the first time ever is the beginning of my Interview with Faculty and Professors. What better way to start than by interviewing Ms. Carol Covino who is the boss of the Berkeley Bloggers.
Isaac Salles- Good afternoon Ms. Covino, I would like to start off by asking, "what is your official title and what does that entail?"
Carol Covino- I am the Associate Vice President of Enrollment and I oversee the Admissions Offices for the Paramus and Woodbridge Campuses. I am also oversee the Berkeley Bloggers.
I.S.-What is your educational background?
C.C.-I originally graduated from Berkeley College in 1980 and I am currently an Online Student at Berkeley.
I.S.-How long have you been with Berkeley College?
C.C.- I have been with Berkeley College for 17 years.
I.S.-Do you have any advice for new students, current students or prospective students?
C.C.-4. For current of new students there is no reason why anyone should fail at Berkeley. There are so many support systems in place whether it is personal counseling, Academic Support Center and so many people to reach out to. To prospective students I urge you to visit the campus and make sure you feel comfortable at the campuses. Students tend to pick colleges by name instead of trying to see what type of services that really fit them. Berkeley college provides the atmosphere of a small school and offers the best services.
I.S.-Do you enjoy running the Berkeley Bloggers?
C.C.-I love all my Bloggers. We are actually still looking for bloggers especially from Newark, Westchester and Woodbridge Campuses. All you have to do is submit and email with a sample blog. Students don't realize that the college does actively read the blogs. If a complaint is posted the college reacts almost instantaneously to rectify the problem. We are one of the few schools that move when the student body speaks.
I.S.-I have to agree with that and I am sure the hiring of our new Athletic Director came from us wanting more athletics through out the campuses. Why did you pick your current profession?
C.C.-I started out by presenting to schools for Berkeley since I loved Berkeley so much as a student. I started out as a High School representative for Berkeley and then moved up into the position.
I.S.-What would you like to see improve at Berkeley to make it more attractive to prospective students?
C.C.-A semester system could be a change since many people don’t quite understand the quarter system. As we attract more traditional students a semester system may be more beneficial in the long run.
I.S.-Any other closing remarks?
C.C.-One of the things we worry about at Berkeley is that when students have issues they don’t necessarily get led to the right people. Some colleges are not very proactive, but we are and an example is when the college reacts to a blog. If a student needs assistance be vocal and ask around, you will be led to the right person.
I would like to thank Ms. Covino for her time. If you would like to be a Berkeley Blogger just email a sample blog to cja@BerkeleyCollege.edu. It is a paid position and it is a great way to voice your opinions and thoughts, and if i can do it with my busy schedule so can you!
Now it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. They both continue to grow into individuals. Jose is very talkative especially on topics such as economics and politics. He is an Obama fan and somewhat approves of the $700 billion dollar bailout. Rebecca continues to expand her vocabulary, and now says hot,ouch and hi. She is beginning to learn social cues and continues to love and protect her baby brother. That's all for now and stay tuned as I explore the new revamped bookstore and other topics.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Fall Is in the Air
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Fall Semester. I hope every one's Summer Session went well and that everyone is geared up for the Fall. Even though it is the end of the Baseball season this weekend, we all start a brand new semester at Berkeley. I start the most difficult semester in my Berkeley semester as I am taking 4 classes all 4 credits. This is my time to push my steadily decreasing GPA back up to something that I feel good about. I am taking Fundamentals of IT, Principles of Marketing, Managerial Accounting and World Cultures. Again I have a Monday- Wednesday and Saturday classes. I am really looking forward to the Fundamentals of IT because it is something that i would use daily at my job. Especially since we will be preparing the new building in the next coming months and we hope to be moved in by the beginning of next year.
As we move into the next semester I will be starting that meet the faculty segment of the blog. Our first faculty member will be Professor Michael Montlack who currently teaches the Oral Communication classes at Berkeley. I have even bigger plans than school this semester as begin my quest to become a sole proprietor. I already have three customers lined up and I am sure i will be able to get many more. My service business is geared around tutoring and educational help as well as technical services. I pretty much have my Christmas list which will mainly consist of IT tools such as Crimpers, Wire cutters and spools of RJ-45 cable. I wont release the company name until it is official so stay tuned for that.
This semester i will need help from all you current Berkeley college students. I need some professors that you want me to interview in the coming months. It can be at any campus as I will more than likely call or email any professor that is outside of New York. I want a good variety of different courses and departments. This will truly be an interesting semester which will be complicated by a couple of holidays and obviously the Presidential Election. It is funny because my son talks a lot and we discuss the presidential races from time to time. He cries when I mention McCain so i guess he is a little Democrat in the making but you never know.
Now it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Rebecca is getting over a cold that daddy gave her which obviously makes me feel horrible. Yet despite the cold she still is growing especially in her vocabulary. She now says hi, Jose, grandma, mama,dada,sniffles,kat,up, uh-oh and many others that she doesn't necessarily use that often. Me and my wife taught her touchdown so that every time we said it she puts her hands up in the air and then claps and says "yay". Jose is becoming more and more vocal. We can tell when he is upset and when he is happy. He is starting to develop a laugh and sounds so cute talking. That's all for now, see you Wednesday and i will let you know how the first three days of class went.
As we move into the next semester I will be starting that meet the faculty segment of the blog. Our first faculty member will be Professor Michael Montlack who currently teaches the Oral Communication classes at Berkeley. I have even bigger plans than school this semester as begin my quest to become a sole proprietor. I already have three customers lined up and I am sure i will be able to get many more. My service business is geared around tutoring and educational help as well as technical services. I pretty much have my Christmas list which will mainly consist of IT tools such as Crimpers, Wire cutters and spools of RJ-45 cable. I wont release the company name until it is official so stay tuned for that.
This semester i will need help from all you current Berkeley college students. I need some professors that you want me to interview in the coming months. It can be at any campus as I will more than likely call or email any professor that is outside of New York. I want a good variety of different courses and departments. This will truly be an interesting semester which will be complicated by a couple of holidays and obviously the Presidential Election. It is funny because my son talks a lot and we discuss the presidential races from time to time. He cries when I mention McCain so i guess he is a little Democrat in the making but you never know.
Now it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Rebecca is getting over a cold that daddy gave her which obviously makes me feel horrible. Yet despite the cold she still is growing especially in her vocabulary. She now says hi, Jose, grandma, mama,dada,sniffles,kat,up, uh-oh and many others that she doesn't necessarily use that often. Me and my wife taught her touchdown so that every time we said it she puts her hands up in the air and then claps and says "yay". Jose is becoming more and more vocal. We can tell when he is upset and when he is happy. He is starting to develop a laugh and sounds so cute talking. That's all for now, see you Wednesday and i will let you know how the first three days of class went.
Friday, September 12, 2008
New Semester, New Topic
Hello everyone and welcome back. I again apologize for the lapse between posts but there is a lot of personal issues going on. Never-the-less I do want to wish everyone good luck as we enter finals week. I hope everyone does well and will get to enjoy the week off before the Fall starts. A reminder to all current Berkeley students, the deadline to clear for the Fall semester is fast approaching. Make sure all your paperwork is complete and you are ready to go come September 29th.
As the Fall semester approaches I was contemplating what I can do to spice up the blog scene for Berkeley. I have decided to add a new column that will appear either once or twice a month called "Meet the Professor" or "Meet the Faculty." This is to give prospective students as well as current students an overview of different professors at Berkeley. I will need some suggestions beside the professors I have already taken so please post your suggestions as a comment with the Professor or Faculty member full name and email address/ phone number at Berkeley. All campus are open but since I only attend Manhattan i will need every one's help on this matter.
As I prepare for what will be my toughest schedule yet at Berkeley I try not to dwell on the time constraints that from my personal life. As my therapist pointed out I have a lot going on that can easily overwhelm the common person. I told him that, that might be a fact but I am not worrying to much on it. I have already made a schedule for myself to spread out when I will do homework and other activities. I will be taking the most credits i have taken at Berkeley with 16 and my only breather class looks to be Accounting 104 on the grounds I already took it. This is only a small portion of a Prime time student's life. The good thing is i have yet to find a professor that has not been supportive during my trying times which is always a plus when i look at my experience at a school. Trust me there are always going to be frustrations with college, whether it is tests, cost of books/tuition or just the professors themselves. The key to getting by is to not worry to much that it will get you physically, mentally and emotionally sick.
As the Fall semester begins, it is usually the time when H.S. students begin their freshman year at college. The first semester is key to getting off on the right foot. Just like anything that is new, there is an adjustment period. The best way is to take things in stride and always ask fellow college students that have been through it before. Don't become flustered and frustrated to easy as that will never help you in the long run. Use the first semester to build basic foundation blocks that will allow you to take part in all the different school activities that are available. I usually tell freshmen to wait until the second semester before you join a club or pledge to something. This allows you to take the time to transition from H.S. to college. I have seen too many freshmen go into college and bomb because they never took the time to adjust and decided just to dive right in. College can be very fun but very lethal if not balanced properly. Do it right and the next 2-4 years of your collegiate life will fly by.
Now it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. My children continue to grow as individuals as Jose is now making cooing noises to communicate and is smiling a lot. Rebecca continues to learn how to use certain things and continues to be an excellent helper and sharer. She even shares with my mother-in-law's dog Sniffles. She is very protective of her brother and loves to talk every one's ears off. Tomorrow they go for shots which means me and my wife are going to have a fun weekend. To top it all off i have the onset of a cold, my poor wife, pray for her. That's all for now, see you next time.
As the Fall semester approaches I was contemplating what I can do to spice up the blog scene for Berkeley. I have decided to add a new column that will appear either once or twice a month called "Meet the Professor" or "Meet the Faculty." This is to give prospective students as well as current students an overview of different professors at Berkeley. I will need some suggestions beside the professors I have already taken so please post your suggestions as a comment with the Professor or Faculty member full name and email address/ phone number at Berkeley. All campus are open but since I only attend Manhattan i will need every one's help on this matter.
As I prepare for what will be my toughest schedule yet at Berkeley I try not to dwell on the time constraints that from my personal life. As my therapist pointed out I have a lot going on that can easily overwhelm the common person. I told him that, that might be a fact but I am not worrying to much on it. I have already made a schedule for myself to spread out when I will do homework and other activities. I will be taking the most credits i have taken at Berkeley with 16 and my only breather class looks to be Accounting 104 on the grounds I already took it. This is only a small portion of a Prime time student's life. The good thing is i have yet to find a professor that has not been supportive during my trying times which is always a plus when i look at my experience at a school. Trust me there are always going to be frustrations with college, whether it is tests, cost of books/tuition or just the professors themselves. The key to getting by is to not worry to much that it will get you physically, mentally and emotionally sick.
As the Fall semester begins, it is usually the time when H.S. students begin their freshman year at college. The first semester is key to getting off on the right foot. Just like anything that is new, there is an adjustment period. The best way is to take things in stride and always ask fellow college students that have been through it before. Don't become flustered and frustrated to easy as that will never help you in the long run. Use the first semester to build basic foundation blocks that will allow you to take part in all the different school activities that are available. I usually tell freshmen to wait until the second semester before you join a club or pledge to something. This allows you to take the time to transition from H.S. to college. I have seen too many freshmen go into college and bomb because they never took the time to adjust and decided just to dive right in. College can be very fun but very lethal if not balanced properly. Do it right and the next 2-4 years of your collegiate life will fly by.
Now it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. My children continue to grow as individuals as Jose is now making cooing noises to communicate and is smiling a lot. Rebecca continues to learn how to use certain things and continues to be an excellent helper and sharer. She even shares with my mother-in-law's dog Sniffles. She is very protective of her brother and loves to talk every one's ears off. Tomorrow they go for shots which means me and my wife are going to have a fun weekend. To top it all off i have the onset of a cold, my poor wife, pray for her. That's all for now, see you next time.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
A Word to the Wise
Hello everyone and welcome back. Just a couple of reminders for current Berkeley students. Registration is still ongoing so if you haven't registered, get moving because classes are filling up. Next Wednesday from 11am to 12pm Bergen County campus is having a bake sale so if you love baked goods head out to Bergen County Student Center. In the Midtown campus HOLA is having Hispanic Heritage Month planning meeting next Tuesday and Thursday 3-5pm in the Student Center. For more announcements check Blackboard or your Berkeley email.
On to some wisdom that i wish to impart on High School students that are either entering college this year or going to be entering soon. College is going to provide a lot of new experiences. Some of those experiences will be great such as clubs, frats and sororities. Others will be challenges such as professors, course work and exams. The key to any good college experience is the ability to balance both of those extremes. I will impart what I know but most of it will have to be learned on your own.
One of the biggest issues i have seen in my collegiate life is the frustrations students can have with professors. Frustrations can range from the inability to understand what they are saying due to an accent or the way they actually go about teaching the material. I have had the luck of the draw to have either great or OK professors. Professors will definitely have different methodologies when it comes to the subject matter that they are teaching. A lot of stereotyping of professors occur because a lot students think older professors are either boring or have built tenure so doesn't really care. That maybe the case in some instances but more than not it isn't. People confuse the professors methodology for the inability to teach effectively. Many professors that are older have developed their system of years and countless number of student bodies and figures that this works best. It also doesn't help them that every year or so a new edition of the book comes out and they get little time to decipher the new book into an effect teaching strategy. It then becomes the onus of the student to figure it out as well.
I see this occur a lot with night students as they feel they have some right for the teach to spoon feed them the information and just give them exams. That is a common misconception that will doom any night student to education ruin. No professor day or night class will ever spoon feed you anything. It is a 50/50 battle and sometimes the student has to work a little harder than usual to get the info they need. I currently see this occur in my psychology class. The professor is a great lecturer but not totally great at drawing and putting notation on the board. Now freshmen you will learn there are two types of professors, ones that can lecture and write notes on the board well and those that can only lecture. This professor is the later in my opinion which doesn't sit well with a couple of students. I have students complaining that they dread the class because they don't understand what is going on. Yet these are the same students that talk through out class and not focus. This is week 8 and you should know by now the professor is going to talk more than write so you should pay attention. Not only do they not pay attention but when students ask them nicely to be quiet an attitude and anger is what that student gets in return. In my opinion you don't like the class, drop it. Freshmen you will know with in 2 classes how the professor is going to run things, if you don't like it drop the course and take it next semester, or swap.
The biggest question that arises and I here a lot during the complaining is that it is a requirement for their major. So what! There is nothing in the rule book that says you must take it this semester. Most major requirements are given often because it is a required course, so don't worry. If you decide to grind it out, then grind it out. Don't complain every class because that is not going to get you anywhere and it is annoying for the students that actually want to be there. I am a student that doesn't need to study much and doesn't really look at notes so being in a class without much talking is key for me to hear the professor. Unfortunately this semester I am stuck in two class, psych being one of them where that is not the case. Everyone has their trials, things to do and places to be but once you made the decision to return or go to college that meant you had the time and ability to do it. Freshmen as you embark on your own collegiate experiences remember what i wrote here today. It will definitely save you a lot of angst and frustration that does nothing but waste time and energy. Everyone has the ability to succeed and if you have to do a little more work to counteract what you believe is a shortcoming of the professors, then so be it. He/she is human like all of us and they will definitely make some mistakes.
Anyway on a lighter note it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Rebecca continues to grow and mature as fast a one year old can. She loves to give hugs and kisses especially to her brother. Jose is still battling some Acid Reflux issues but hopefully some new strategies that me and my wife have come up with will work. So far after a day and a half his spit up has dropped significantly and he is sleeping better. Anyway that is all for now, catch you guys later.
On to some wisdom that i wish to impart on High School students that are either entering college this year or going to be entering soon. College is going to provide a lot of new experiences. Some of those experiences will be great such as clubs, frats and sororities. Others will be challenges such as professors, course work and exams. The key to any good college experience is the ability to balance both of those extremes. I will impart what I know but most of it will have to be learned on your own.
One of the biggest issues i have seen in my collegiate life is the frustrations students can have with professors. Frustrations can range from the inability to understand what they are saying due to an accent or the way they actually go about teaching the material. I have had the luck of the draw to have either great or OK professors. Professors will definitely have different methodologies when it comes to the subject matter that they are teaching. A lot of stereotyping of professors occur because a lot students think older professors are either boring or have built tenure so doesn't really care. That maybe the case in some instances but more than not it isn't. People confuse the professors methodology for the inability to teach effectively. Many professors that are older have developed their system of years and countless number of student bodies and figures that this works best. It also doesn't help them that every year or so a new edition of the book comes out and they get little time to decipher the new book into an effect teaching strategy. It then becomes the onus of the student to figure it out as well.
I see this occur a lot with night students as they feel they have some right for the teach to spoon feed them the information and just give them exams. That is a common misconception that will doom any night student to education ruin. No professor day or night class will ever spoon feed you anything. It is a 50/50 battle and sometimes the student has to work a little harder than usual to get the info they need. I currently see this occur in my psychology class. The professor is a great lecturer but not totally great at drawing and putting notation on the board. Now freshmen you will learn there are two types of professors, ones that can lecture and write notes on the board well and those that can only lecture. This professor is the later in my opinion which doesn't sit well with a couple of students. I have students complaining that they dread the class because they don't understand what is going on. Yet these are the same students that talk through out class and not focus. This is week 8 and you should know by now the professor is going to talk more than write so you should pay attention. Not only do they not pay attention but when students ask them nicely to be quiet an attitude and anger is what that student gets in return. In my opinion you don't like the class, drop it. Freshmen you will know with in 2 classes how the professor is going to run things, if you don't like it drop the course and take it next semester, or swap.
The biggest question that arises and I here a lot during the complaining is that it is a requirement for their major. So what! There is nothing in the rule book that says you must take it this semester. Most major requirements are given often because it is a required course, so don't worry. If you decide to grind it out, then grind it out. Don't complain every class because that is not going to get you anywhere and it is annoying for the students that actually want to be there. I am a student that doesn't need to study much and doesn't really look at notes so being in a class without much talking is key for me to hear the professor. Unfortunately this semester I am stuck in two class, psych being one of them where that is not the case. Everyone has their trials, things to do and places to be but once you made the decision to return or go to college that meant you had the time and ability to do it. Freshmen as you embark on your own collegiate experiences remember what i wrote here today. It will definitely save you a lot of angst and frustration that does nothing but waste time and energy. Everyone has the ability to succeed and if you have to do a little more work to counteract what you believe is a shortcoming of the professors, then so be it. He/she is human like all of us and they will definitely make some mistakes.
Anyway on a lighter note it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Rebecca continues to grow and mature as fast a one year old can. She loves to give hugs and kisses especially to her brother. Jose is still battling some Acid Reflux issues but hopefully some new strategies that me and my wife have come up with will work. So far after a day and a half his spit up has dropped significantly and he is sleeping better. Anyway that is all for now, catch you guys later.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Primetime Shoutout
Hello everyone and welcome back. Hope everyone summer is going well and those that are taking class I hope they are going well also. Just a reminder registration is still open so if you haven't registered yet, what are you waiting for? Anyway now onto bigger and better stuff.
Nothing much has occurred since my last post. I have only had one class since then and that was my Web Design 2 class, which all i did was work on one of my pages. Since there is not much to discuss I decided I wanted to have a little talk with all the Primetime students out there. Have you ever wondered why there is not many school wide events that are available for Primetime students? The biggest answer is that more than likely we would not show up to any event because of our hectic schedules. I mean who can find time between work, school, family and personal down time? It is a very difficult task indeed and I am one that shares in all of them. I am a full time employee, full time student and full time husband and parent. I barely get a minute to myself but I do fight for those minutes but I digress. As I walk through the halls and stairwells of Berkeley I see signs and advertising for a whole bunch of events that I think Primetimers would go to if it was available during times in which we can.
Events such as last month they had a meet and greet the SGA Members and it was an info session on the available positions. Not that any of us would run for SGA but it would be nice to know who our student leaders are. That would have been one event that should have been done at a time when some Primetime Students could have gone. There is a movie shown every week, I guess during club hours that is for day students. I think having a movie time maybe once a month may be productive especially if you allow it to be family orientated. These are just a few examples of things that could be good for Primetime but currently aren't geared towards us.
This is a call to action to all Primetime students. I hear a lot of students complain and whine over different short comings of Berkeley. Instead of complaining just to your friends, get out there and do something about it. Learn who your fellow student leaders are, push for more events and things for Primetime students. People don't realize that they are paying for school and for that reason we have a lot of say on how our money is used. Many students just decide to go to another school or move on if they don't like the school, but that only hurts you in the long run as it takes longer to get your degree. Lets face it Primetime students don't have time to jump from school to school so since your here fight for what you believe is necessary to improve the school.
I work as a blogger for the school and our advisor told me that Primetime is a relatively new program. That means it is up to us to help them shape it into a more conducive and great place to attain an education. I have voiced my own concerns and I personally have to do more and find the people that can help. This little tirade of mine also comes on the heals that I was a government officer. I used to belong tot he Student Advisory Council in LaGuardia, which was the governing body for the clubs. I also was on the Academic Standing Committee which shows students really do have the power to make changes. I remember a story from LaGuardia where a student went to the information desk because the Bursars office closed early. The president of the college just so happen to be within ear shot and went with the student to check it out. Now the student did not know that the president of the college was with them, but that little mistake on Bursar made for a radical change. The president next day ordered the Bursar to be open until 8pm,it used to be 7, and cannot close until 8 pm on the dot. Now you may say well the student was lucky because the president was there, true but I am sure if there was enough complaining it would have been changed anyway. All I am saying is Primetime students we need to go out there and fight for what we believe is needed to enjoy your time at Berkeley. We are paying $6000+ a semester, I think we have the power to do more than people think. Find out who your activities person is on your campus, who deans are of specific departments. Find out the chain of command how to get your needs met as a student. One voice is not enough, we need all Primetime students to be active in order to make Primetime successful for us and those coming in. Remember new Primetime students are in the same boat as most of us, should we help us and them out also?
Anyway enough of my rambling its now time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Poor Jose has not had a good week. Apparently he suffers from Acid Reflux and that causes him a lot of gas and stomach ache. Don't worry they usually grow out of it but it is making for some sleepless nights. It appears though that the past three nights he has slept better on the formula that is made for A/R babies and the drops that help with the gas. More sleep is just around the corner. Rebecca continues to love her baby brother and always has her eye on him whenever she can. Anyway I will see everyone in the future.
Nothing much has occurred since my last post. I have only had one class since then and that was my Web Design 2 class, which all i did was work on one of my pages. Since there is not much to discuss I decided I wanted to have a little talk with all the Primetime students out there. Have you ever wondered why there is not many school wide events that are available for Primetime students? The biggest answer is that more than likely we would not show up to any event because of our hectic schedules. I mean who can find time between work, school, family and personal down time? It is a very difficult task indeed and I am one that shares in all of them. I am a full time employee, full time student and full time husband and parent. I barely get a minute to myself but I do fight for those minutes but I digress. As I walk through the halls and stairwells of Berkeley I see signs and advertising for a whole bunch of events that I think Primetimers would go to if it was available during times in which we can.
Events such as last month they had a meet and greet the SGA Members and it was an info session on the available positions. Not that any of us would run for SGA but it would be nice to know who our student leaders are. That would have been one event that should have been done at a time when some Primetime Students could have gone. There is a movie shown every week, I guess during club hours that is for day students. I think having a movie time maybe once a month may be productive especially if you allow it to be family orientated. These are just a few examples of things that could be good for Primetime but currently aren't geared towards us.
This is a call to action to all Primetime students. I hear a lot of students complain and whine over different short comings of Berkeley. Instead of complaining just to your friends, get out there and do something about it. Learn who your fellow student leaders are, push for more events and things for Primetime students. People don't realize that they are paying for school and for that reason we have a lot of say on how our money is used. Many students just decide to go to another school or move on if they don't like the school, but that only hurts you in the long run as it takes longer to get your degree. Lets face it Primetime students don't have time to jump from school to school so since your here fight for what you believe is necessary to improve the school.
I work as a blogger for the school and our advisor told me that Primetime is a relatively new program. That means it is up to us to help them shape it into a more conducive and great place to attain an education. I have voiced my own concerns and I personally have to do more and find the people that can help. This little tirade of mine also comes on the heals that I was a government officer. I used to belong tot he Student Advisory Council in LaGuardia, which was the governing body for the clubs. I also was on the Academic Standing Committee which shows students really do have the power to make changes. I remember a story from LaGuardia where a student went to the information desk because the Bursars office closed early. The president of the college just so happen to be within ear shot and went with the student to check it out. Now the student did not know that the president of the college was with them, but that little mistake on Bursar made for a radical change. The president next day ordered the Bursar to be open until 8pm,it used to be 7, and cannot close until 8 pm on the dot. Now you may say well the student was lucky because the president was there, true but I am sure if there was enough complaining it would have been changed anyway. All I am saying is Primetime students we need to go out there and fight for what we believe is needed to enjoy your time at Berkeley. We are paying $6000+ a semester, I think we have the power to do more than people think. Find out who your activities person is on your campus, who deans are of specific departments. Find out the chain of command how to get your needs met as a student. One voice is not enough, we need all Primetime students to be active in order to make Primetime successful for us and those coming in. Remember new Primetime students are in the same boat as most of us, should we help us and them out also?
Anyway enough of my rambling its now time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Poor Jose has not had a good week. Apparently he suffers from Acid Reflux and that causes him a lot of gas and stomach ache. Don't worry they usually grow out of it but it is making for some sleepless nights. It appears though that the past three nights he has slept better on the formula that is made for A/R babies and the drops that help with the gas. More sleep is just around the corner. Rebecca continues to love her baby brother and always has her eye on him whenever she can. Anyway I will see everyone in the future.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Back to School Time Again
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Blog. Hope all is well and everyone passed their midterms and any other exams that you may be taking. A reminder once again registration is open for the Fall and if you waited this long you may not get what you want so register quickly. As we all know for those who aren't taking summer class and also those who are parents that it is Back to School time again. Everyone young and old preparing to return to school for the Fall sessions, which means more crowded and noisy morning trains. Ah well i will have to deal with that when the time comes in about two weeks, but now onto current business.
A lot of stuff has happened in the past couple of days both personally and educationally. I had three exams this week, two in class and one take home assignment that was due today. I did my Fantasy Football draft on Sunday which was nice since i am playing in a league that has a couple of my coworkers and friends. On Saturday i handed in all my textbook assignments for web design and i learned a lot of cool new things and expanded on stuff that i learned in Web Design 1. Our professor made us pair up for the final project on Volunteerism. For those who wish to see what these types of classes are like we will be having a viewing of all our classwork on Aug 25Th in the main building in the Midtown campus. I kinda was resenting having to work with a partner but then i realize that it would cut my workload in half and the only thing we would have to make sure is that the navigation bar works.
Since we had exams on Monday and Tuesday i didn't learn anything new in Econ or Advance Spreadsheets. Oh and the immature kids in Econ did nothing to me nor complained about anything, thank the lord. Today in psychology I learned a lot even though it was a shortened class. We finished the chapter on the physical structure of the brain, which was more biology than psychology. We then moved into the dreams and structure of conscience chapter in the book. We got a good look at the different levels of sleep and we learned about REM sleep. REM sleep starts about every 90 minutes and lasts about 10 minutes. Scientists discovered that people that do not have their REM sleep end up becoming disoriented and spacey. It appears that REM sleep is necessary as it is the brain doing its exercise. Just like a muscle that is not used for a long period of time the brain will also atrophy over a long period of not being used. So REM sleep allows the brain to stay on top of its game.
It is now time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Rebecca continues to be a great big sister and shows nothing but love for her brother. She continues to make friends with all the older kids on the block and when i mean older i mean around 13 yrs old. Jose continues to grow and is almost a month old. He seems to have some acid reflux so our doctor told us to try some new things to ease his fussiness and acid reflux. Hopefully it will work because he has not slept well in the past two days. Anyway that is for now, catch you guys later.
A lot of stuff has happened in the past couple of days both personally and educationally. I had three exams this week, two in class and one take home assignment that was due today. I did my Fantasy Football draft on Sunday which was nice since i am playing in a league that has a couple of my coworkers and friends. On Saturday i handed in all my textbook assignments for web design and i learned a lot of cool new things and expanded on stuff that i learned in Web Design 1. Our professor made us pair up for the final project on Volunteerism. For those who wish to see what these types of classes are like we will be having a viewing of all our classwork on Aug 25Th in the main building in the Midtown campus. I kinda was resenting having to work with a partner but then i realize that it would cut my workload in half and the only thing we would have to make sure is that the navigation bar works.
Since we had exams on Monday and Tuesday i didn't learn anything new in Econ or Advance Spreadsheets. Oh and the immature kids in Econ did nothing to me nor complained about anything, thank the lord. Today in psychology I learned a lot even though it was a shortened class. We finished the chapter on the physical structure of the brain, which was more biology than psychology. We then moved into the dreams and structure of conscience chapter in the book. We got a good look at the different levels of sleep and we learned about REM sleep. REM sleep starts about every 90 minutes and lasts about 10 minutes. Scientists discovered that people that do not have their REM sleep end up becoming disoriented and spacey. It appears that REM sleep is necessary as it is the brain doing its exercise. Just like a muscle that is not used for a long period of time the brain will also atrophy over a long period of not being used. So REM sleep allows the brain to stay on top of its game.
It is now time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Rebecca continues to be a great big sister and shows nothing but love for her brother. She continues to make friends with all the older kids on the block and when i mean older i mean around 13 yrs old. Jose continues to grow and is almost a month old. He seems to have some acid reflux so our doctor told us to try some new things to ease his fussiness and acid reflux. Hopefully it will work because he has not slept well in the past two days. Anyway that is for now, catch you guys later.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Dog Days of Summer
Hello everyone and welcome to the dog days of summer. As we entered August we have entered the half way mark of the summer session. Reminder to all to register as soon as possible as classes fill up very quickly especially in the fall with the added number of freshmen from HS. I would also like to give a shout out to Prime time Financial Aid and Advisers. I had an erroneous hold that was on my account which cost me at that time the ability to register for a class I needed. They moved quickly to remove the hold and then get me into the class I wanted.
Classes are going well as I am about to go through the first set of exams in all my classes except Web design. I had that exam 2 weeks ago and I got an A and I also got an A in the projects that were done as I completed it today. On Monday I have an economics exam. That is going to be a bit interesting because there are a group of 4 boys in the class that are really obnoxious and kinda told me that I should sit next to them on Monday. Obviously that is not going to happen because I am not that dumb. They may be college students but act like they still belong in High School. They don't stay quiet, come in late and the professor is to nice and wont do anything. We shall see how Monday plays out because we are also supposed to be grouping together for a Federal Reserve Project and I am not grouping with them.
I have an exam on Tuesday in Spreadsheets which I am not to worried about and our take home assignment for Psych is due on Wednesday and will take the place of an exam. I am looking forward to it as it marks that I am almost through my third semester at Berkeley and another semester closer to my Bachelors. In the Fall I am taking Fundamentals of IT, Principle of Marketing, Managerial Accounting and World Cultures. Fundamentals of IT is going to prepare me for the Comptia Network + exam. I am currently trying to see if my company will at least pay for the exam.
It is now time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Jose went to the doctor today to see if he is growing and is healthy. He's great and is currently at 7lbs 11oz and is 21.5 inches in length. Rebecca loves being a big sister and loves her brother a lot. Always giving him kisses and wants to hold him all the time. She talks his ear off and on occasion tries to grab his hand so she can take him some where. That's all for now catch you guys later.
Classes are going well as I am about to go through the first set of exams in all my classes except Web design. I had that exam 2 weeks ago and I got an A and I also got an A in the projects that were done as I completed it today. On Monday I have an economics exam. That is going to be a bit interesting because there are a group of 4 boys in the class that are really obnoxious and kinda told me that I should sit next to them on Monday. Obviously that is not going to happen because I am not that dumb. They may be college students but act like they still belong in High School. They don't stay quiet, come in late and the professor is to nice and wont do anything. We shall see how Monday plays out because we are also supposed to be grouping together for a Federal Reserve Project and I am not grouping with them.
I have an exam on Tuesday in Spreadsheets which I am not to worried about and our take home assignment for Psych is due on Wednesday and will take the place of an exam. I am looking forward to it as it marks that I am almost through my third semester at Berkeley and another semester closer to my Bachelors. In the Fall I am taking Fundamentals of IT, Principle of Marketing, Managerial Accounting and World Cultures. Fundamentals of IT is going to prepare me for the Comptia Network + exam. I am currently trying to see if my company will at least pay for the exam.
It is now time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. Jose went to the doctor today to see if he is growing and is healthy. He's great and is currently at 7lbs 11oz and is 21.5 inches in length. Rebecca loves being a big sister and loves her brother a lot. Always giving him kisses and wants to hold him all the time. She talks his ear off and on occasion tries to grab his hand so she can take him some where. That's all for now catch you guys later.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Summer Session
Hello everyone and once again appologies for taking so long to get back to you. I want to welcome you to the Summer session and a quick reminder that starting Monday you can register for the Fall semester. Those that take online classes can register now for the Fall semester. For those who are new to Berkeley College and don't know the different ways to register, here's how according to the email that was sent to all students.
1. You can email from your Berkeley email to:
NYCAdvisement@berkeleycollege.edu New York City
NWKAdvisement@berkeleycollege.edu Newark
BGNAdvisement@berkeleycollege.edu Bergen
WSTAdvisement@berkeleycollege.edu Westchester
GMTAdvisement@berkeleycollege.edu Garret Mountain
MDLAdvisement@berkeleycollege.edu Middlesex
Your choices will be confirmed within 24 - 48 hours. Please list your:
Name
ID#
Phone where you can be reached
Choice of courses
Attach a copy of your Degree Progress Report copied into Word or Excel
2. You can also register by completing the Registration form which you may find online under Community-->Advisement-->Forms, and return it to the Advisement Department at your home campus along with a copy of your Degree Progress Report.
3. You can also meet with an Advisor in person. You must bring your Degree Progress Report with you as well as your choice of courses.
I hope everyone is having a great semester so far. I have only been to class twice since i missed last week due to the birth of my son, but more on that later. In my Macroeconomics class we have been given a project to pick and watch a particular stock for the remainder of the semester. At the end of the semester we have to show one particular article on why it went up and why it went down and we also must predict the performance of the stock for 6 months after. It is a very interesting project for me as i am a current stockholder and my 401K is invested in stocks, bonds and funds. What stocks would you invest in? Why would you invest in that stock?
In Psychology we discussed some mental disorders and what category they fit under. Whether it is a mood disorder or a disorder that completely disables the mind. In Web Design 2 we have our first evaluation tomorrow so I have to review all the stuff we did in the first two units. It should be an open book but I still want to be prepared just in case it is not.
Now it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. As mentioned earlier the long wait is over. Jose Benjamin Salles was born on July 16th at 8 a.m. in the morning after 24 hrs of labor. Mother and baby are fine and little Rebecca has taken he big sister role by the hand and ran with it. Every time she sees him she has to give him a kiss and wants to hold him. She practices holding him with her doll and also burps the doll like me and my wife do to Jose. She is also protective of her brother as the other day at the doctors office a mother and daughter got a little to close to the stroller and my daughter stepped in to protect her brother. She also goes "Uh-Oh" whenever he cries because she knows something is wrong and it needs attention. More cute stories to come as the semester moves on and now that the pregnancy is over i can focus more on school and work.
1. You can email from your Berkeley email to:
NYCAdvisement@berkeleycollege.edu New York City
NWKAdvisement@berkeleycollege.edu Newark
BGNAdvisement@berkeleycollege.edu Bergen
WSTAdvisement@berkeleycollege.edu Westchester
GMTAdvisement@berkeleycollege.edu Garret Mountain
MDLAdvisement@berkeleycollege.edu Middlesex
Your choices will be confirmed within 24 - 48 hours. Please list your:
Name
ID#
Phone where you can be reached
Choice of courses
Attach a copy of your Degree Progress Report copied into Word or Excel
2. You can also register by completing the Registration form which you may find online under Community-->Advisement-->Forms, and return it to the Advisement Department at your home campus along with a copy of your Degree Progress Report.
3. You can also meet with an Advisor in person. You must bring your Degree Progress Report with you as well as your choice of courses.
I hope everyone is having a great semester so far. I have only been to class twice since i missed last week due to the birth of my son, but more on that later. In my Macroeconomics class we have been given a project to pick and watch a particular stock for the remainder of the semester. At the end of the semester we have to show one particular article on why it went up and why it went down and we also must predict the performance of the stock for 6 months after. It is a very interesting project for me as i am a current stockholder and my 401K is invested in stocks, bonds and funds. What stocks would you invest in? Why would you invest in that stock?
In Psychology we discussed some mental disorders and what category they fit under. Whether it is a mood disorder or a disorder that completely disables the mind. In Web Design 2 we have our first evaluation tomorrow so I have to review all the stuff we did in the first two units. It should be an open book but I still want to be prepared just in case it is not.
Now it is time for the Rebecca and Jose corner. As mentioned earlier the long wait is over. Jose Benjamin Salles was born on July 16th at 8 a.m. in the morning after 24 hrs of labor. Mother and baby are fine and little Rebecca has taken he big sister role by the hand and ran with it. Every time she sees him she has to give him a kiss and wants to hold him. She practices holding him with her doll and also burps the doll like me and my wife do to Jose. She is also protective of her brother as the other day at the doctors office a mother and daughter got a little to close to the stroller and my daughter stepped in to protect her brother. She also goes "Uh-Oh" whenever he cries because she knows something is wrong and it needs attention. More cute stories to come as the semester moves on and now that the pregnancy is over i can focus more on school and work.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Dadhood and Breaks
Hello everyone and welcome back. Hope everyone had a great spring and finished it strong and did well. I also hope everyone is having a great 2 and a half week vacation for those who are going to take summer classes. As we begin to enter the summer class semester a lot of new things have been done to the Berkeley College Blackboard page. Currently it has been updated to reflect the summer classes so check often to see if your professors have posted any syllabus on the website. The mail system has also been revamped and is no longer Netmail but Microsoft Live. Go on to your email and log in using your firstname-lastname@mymail.berkeleycollege.edu as your user name. Your password is 00 and the last 4 digits of your social, example 001234. Log in and change your password as soon as you can and take some time to look around and explore the features. If you have use Outlook at work then you are pretty much familiar with the mailbox and the options there.
On to other things as we wrap up the month of June I would like to look back at Father's Day. Father's day is a day where we recognize all the father's in the world and celebrate their contributions. My question is what about having a Dad's day. Many people would think aren't they the same thing? In actuality is that they are two different things. All dad's are father's but not all father's are dads. Anyone can father a child, in other words bring them into this world and pretty much do no more. A dad is someone that is always there in the trenches. That doesn't let the misses do all the work. A dad is someone that reads and takes care of their children in more ways than just financially. I think I cover what being a dad is in a poem i wrote just before Father's day.
A Fathers Musings: Dadhood
Here we go again,
Pardon me as I dust off my pen.
There nice and clean as the first day I saw her,
The one who changed my life forever,
The one who I am proud to call my daughter.
There are no words or expressions that can prepare anyone for fatherhood,
It is something that will never be fully understood.
The universal question is what makes a father?
Is it someone who flutters like the leaves in the wind, never settling, always moving on & leaving loved ones behind?
Is it someone who is a servant always giving but never demanding the love or respect he is owed?
Is it someone who always is cool but doesn’t really care? All he cares about is what is cool and that discipline isn’t.
No, it is the Zen Master, the man that finds the perfect balance between love and discipline. The man that does what is just despite criticism.
What makes a dad?
Dad is a word that we use interchangeably with father but it means something different.
“Anyone can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad!”
So in essence shouldn’t there be Dadhood as well?
A league of extraordinary men that go above and beyond the call of duty.
Men who do not shy or shirk responsibility but tackles it head on.
Men whose family is #1 after God.
Men who sing, play, clean, dress, kiss, caress, bathe, brush and overall act a fool for their kids.
Children are a guarantee for happiness,
Because to truly love your children it is a requirement.
So stand up men and join the league of men who know they are far from perfect but still willing to learn.
Let the world know that men can lead and men can be just as good as women with kids.
Let’s welcome all those who accept the challenge into Dadhood!
Buckle up and enjoy the ride!
Cursed Angel
06/12/08
So i would like to shout out all the Dads that are out their working 24/7 to make sure their children get the best they can.
Now it is time for Rebecca's corner. My little one has been busy learning to run. She now knows how to go up the stairs on the stoop and also knows how to climb up the stairs to grandma's house. She continues to explore and learn what she can and cannot do. She has gotten into a hitting frenzy when she gets tired which we are trying to put an end to. Anyway that is all for this post. See either when my son is born which may be this week or when classes begin.
On to other things as we wrap up the month of June I would like to look back at Father's Day. Father's day is a day where we recognize all the father's in the world and celebrate their contributions. My question is what about having a Dad's day. Many people would think aren't they the same thing? In actuality is that they are two different things. All dad's are father's but not all father's are dads. Anyone can father a child, in other words bring them into this world and pretty much do no more. A dad is someone that is always there in the trenches. That doesn't let the misses do all the work. A dad is someone that reads and takes care of their children in more ways than just financially. I think I cover what being a dad is in a poem i wrote just before Father's day.
A Fathers Musings: Dadhood
Here we go again,
Pardon me as I dust off my pen.
There nice and clean as the first day I saw her,
The one who changed my life forever,
The one who I am proud to call my daughter.
There are no words or expressions that can prepare anyone for fatherhood,
It is something that will never be fully understood.
The universal question is what makes a father?
Is it someone who flutters like the leaves in the wind, never settling, always moving on & leaving loved ones behind?
Is it someone who is a servant always giving but never demanding the love or respect he is owed?
Is it someone who always is cool but doesn’t really care? All he cares about is what is cool and that discipline isn’t.
No, it is the Zen Master, the man that finds the perfect balance between love and discipline. The man that does what is just despite criticism.
What makes a dad?
Dad is a word that we use interchangeably with father but it means something different.
“Anyone can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad!”
So in essence shouldn’t there be Dadhood as well?
A league of extraordinary men that go above and beyond the call of duty.
Men who do not shy or shirk responsibility but tackles it head on.
Men whose family is #1 after God.
Men who sing, play, clean, dress, kiss, caress, bathe, brush and overall act a fool for their kids.
Children are a guarantee for happiness,
Because to truly love your children it is a requirement.
So stand up men and join the league of men who know they are far from perfect but still willing to learn.
Let the world know that men can lead and men can be just as good as women with kids.
Let’s welcome all those who accept the challenge into Dadhood!
Buckle up and enjoy the ride!
Cursed Angel
06/12/08
So i would like to shout out all the Dads that are out their working 24/7 to make sure their children get the best they can.
Now it is time for Rebecca's corner. My little one has been busy learning to run. She now knows how to go up the stairs on the stoop and also knows how to climb up the stairs to grandma's house. She continues to explore and learn what she can and cannot do. She has gotten into a hitting frenzy when she gets tired which we are trying to put an end to. Anyway that is all for this post. See either when my son is born which may be this week or when classes begin.
Monday, June 16, 2008
A long time comming
Hello everyone and welcome back. It has been over month i have published anything and believe me it was one of the roughest months ever. I do want to apologize to all my readers and i hope to be able to post on a more consistent basis. A lot has occurred in my life academically and personally but lets start with academics first.
As we all know class come to a close this week, a week earlier than scheduled do to the moving of offices in the annex to a new location. I spoke to a couple of staff in the annex about the new location and all of them were in agreement that it is a better location for them. So with one week less of classes a lot of projects and finals were pushed up, much to the disdain of students. I had a lot of projects to do and very little time to do them which is part of the reason i haven't posted in a month. In Web Design 1 our project was due the first Saturday in June and when i found out about the shortened semester it only left me a week to put together a whole website. Lucky for me i was able to do it and in the end of it all i got an A on the project and an A for the class so that is one down 4 to go.
In Oral communications i had to do a final speech, which was supposed to be a demonstration speech. It was a speech that we had to demonstrate something whether it was preparing a certain dish or how to do something like tie a tie. My speech was on Reiki which is a Japanese form of healing using hands. Unfortunately for me i had to shorten my speech as i received a phone call on my way to school that my wife was taken to the Hospital with contractions. Luckily it was false labor but they kept her overnight for observation. Both her and the baby are doing fine but he seems unwilling to make his entrance into the world yet.
In Graphical business presentation we had a finally project due that took me all of 45 minutes to complete. Out of all my classes that was the easiest i had this semester which was good because i needed a break from time to time. In mind and body we had a lot of fun going to different locations this semester. I may want to take it again for the heck of it with the same professor. The final weeks had us singing in class and learning about chiropractics. Tomorrow will be our grand wrap up session including door prizes for the class. Knowing the professor everyone will go home with something tomorrow guaranteed.
That pretty much wraps up the semester and personally it has been hard. Between the Braxton Hicks contractions that my wife has been having and having my sister staying with me it was stressful to say the least. All the nonsense that went on in my house caused me to fall behind a bit in class but i caught up nicely. There were times i was contemplating just going to a hotel or something just so i have enough time to work and rest. Definitely this summer i will try and get to the library as often as i can in order to be able to do my work in some quiet. This is important because next semester i am taking Psychology, Macroeconomics, Web Design 2 and Advance Spreadsheets.
Now it is time for Rebecca's corner. The little speed demon turned one during my one month reprieve. She is getting bigger and smarter everyday and she made me a beautiful picture for fathers day. I may have the next Picasso on my hands. I think she cannot wait until her baby brother is here. Anyway that is all for now and i will write soon.
As we all know class come to a close this week, a week earlier than scheduled do to the moving of offices in the annex to a new location. I spoke to a couple of staff in the annex about the new location and all of them were in agreement that it is a better location for them. So with one week less of classes a lot of projects and finals were pushed up, much to the disdain of students. I had a lot of projects to do and very little time to do them which is part of the reason i haven't posted in a month. In Web Design 1 our project was due the first Saturday in June and when i found out about the shortened semester it only left me a week to put together a whole website. Lucky for me i was able to do it and in the end of it all i got an A on the project and an A for the class so that is one down 4 to go.
In Oral communications i had to do a final speech, which was supposed to be a demonstration speech. It was a speech that we had to demonstrate something whether it was preparing a certain dish or how to do something like tie a tie. My speech was on Reiki which is a Japanese form of healing using hands. Unfortunately for me i had to shorten my speech as i received a phone call on my way to school that my wife was taken to the Hospital with contractions. Luckily it was false labor but they kept her overnight for observation. Both her and the baby are doing fine but he seems unwilling to make his entrance into the world yet.
In Graphical business presentation we had a finally project due that took me all of 45 minutes to complete. Out of all my classes that was the easiest i had this semester which was good because i needed a break from time to time. In mind and body we had a lot of fun going to different locations this semester. I may want to take it again for the heck of it with the same professor. The final weeks had us singing in class and learning about chiropractics. Tomorrow will be our grand wrap up session including door prizes for the class. Knowing the professor everyone will go home with something tomorrow guaranteed.
That pretty much wraps up the semester and personally it has been hard. Between the Braxton Hicks contractions that my wife has been having and having my sister staying with me it was stressful to say the least. All the nonsense that went on in my house caused me to fall behind a bit in class but i caught up nicely. There were times i was contemplating just going to a hotel or something just so i have enough time to work and rest. Definitely this summer i will try and get to the library as often as i can in order to be able to do my work in some quiet. This is important because next semester i am taking Psychology, Macroeconomics, Web Design 2 and Advance Spreadsheets.
Now it is time for Rebecca's corner. The little speed demon turned one during my one month reprieve. She is getting bigger and smarter everyday and she made me a beautiful picture for fathers day. I may have the next Picasso on my hands. I think she cannot wait until her baby brother is here. Anyway that is all for now and i will write soon.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Mother's Day and beyond
Hello everyone and welcome back. I want to wish a belated Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. A shout out to all the single mothers out there working hard much love since my mother is a single mother and had to raise me and my sister. I want to start off by thanking my mother for all she has done for me in my life. I know we don't always get to thank our mothers and that is a shame. I know i am one of the biggest culprits of it but i try hard to thank her every time i get. Remember mothers day is not just one day in may but should be every day of the year so lets remember to always thank you mother each and every day.
Now on to some educational insights. This week in Mind and Body we went to the Open Center. They have a lot of interesting and insightful classes and i learned a lot. The first class that i went to was on Reki. Reki uses the surrounding energy and channels it to the part on your own body or to another persons body that needs it. The second class that i went to dealt with detoxification and the Chinese approach to it. They have four basic categories excessive heat, excessive cold, deficient and hot, deficient and cold. Each one has a specific food type associated to balance the person out. Excessive heat people should have foods that are bitter. The way people find out is through a form or your tongue.
In web design i have begun to do research for my final project on volunteerism. I have decided to do the project on Habit for Humanity. It is a volunteer outreach program that builds housing for underprivileged people. I believe not many people know enough about it so i believe that this topic will be perfect to get the word out. A friend of mine did it and said it was one of the most life changing things he has ever done. I look forward to doing this project and letting Berkeley students about Habitat for Humanity.
Now it is time for Rebecca's corner. Little Rebecca's first birthday is rapidly approaching and she is getting to big. She is learning some sign language from her aunt and as well as some words. She continues to explore her limits and has begun not listening to mommy but we are trying to put that to end quickly. Anyway hope everyone has a good week and i will see you guys on Wednesday.
Now on to some educational insights. This week in Mind and Body we went to the Open Center. They have a lot of interesting and insightful classes and i learned a lot. The first class that i went to was on Reki. Reki uses the surrounding energy and channels it to the part on your own body or to another persons body that needs it. The second class that i went to dealt with detoxification and the Chinese approach to it. They have four basic categories excessive heat, excessive cold, deficient and hot, deficient and cold. Each one has a specific food type associated to balance the person out. Excessive heat people should have foods that are bitter. The way people find out is through a form or your tongue.
In web design i have begun to do research for my final project on volunteerism. I have decided to do the project on Habit for Humanity. It is a volunteer outreach program that builds housing for underprivileged people. I believe not many people know enough about it so i believe that this topic will be perfect to get the word out. A friend of mine did it and said it was one of the most life changing things he has ever done. I look forward to doing this project and letting Berkeley students about Habitat for Humanity.
Now it is time for Rebecca's corner. Little Rebecca's first birthday is rapidly approaching and she is getting to big. She is learning some sign language from her aunt and as well as some words. She continues to explore her limits and has begun not listening to mommy but we are trying to put that to end quickly. Anyway hope everyone has a good week and i will see you guys on Wednesday.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
MAY :)
Hello everyone and welcome to the Blog and welcome to May. May has gotten off to a great start so far. My birthday was saturday and my wife decided to throw me a surprise party. Most of my close friends were there and we had a great time enjoying the music and the food. I got some cash, Pirates of the Carribean At Worlds End and an IPOD Classic 80GB. Leading up to my birthday was not easy either as situations occured between my wife, her sister and my sister (who is living with us for the time being). Things seem to have calm down a bit but we are only in the middle of the week and there is plenty of time for things to resurface.
This past week had an exam in Web Design. We had to all create a home page for the Berkeley Cafe. (Note: NO Cafe Exists in the MIdtown Campus) I would have gotten an A on the exam if i didn't forget to put keywords in the Meta section of the webpage. Keywords are a list of descriptive words that when inputted into a Search Engine it will find your website. All in all i got a B+ out of it for someone who has never designed a homepage from scratch before. I am almost finished with the Dreamweaver section of the book and then it will be on to Flash.
This week in Graphical Business Presentation we wrapped up the Powerpoint book and after an exam this week we will start the integration portion of the class. I hope that this part is a bit more challenging than the powerpoint book. I believe that the integration portion will help in learning how to better integrate the various office products within themselves.
Yesterday in the Mind and Body we took a class field trip to the Beth Israel Complimentary Medical Center located at 245 5th Avenue. It is a small but very beautiful location and they belive in working with the patient to discover how to treat whatever is ailing them. Usually you go into a medical office and spend more time in the waiting room than you actually do with the doctor. According to the administrator of the center the average visit with an actual doctor is minimum 15-30 minutes in length. Inside the center not only do they the traditonal doctors but they have chiropracters, accupunturist, nutritionist, a doctor that does Reki and bio-feedback and other "alternative" medicine specialists.
Now it is time for Rebecca's corner. Now that we have entered May the count down begins toward her first birthday. After a scare and the possibility of not getting the hall everything worked out. My mother-in-law has offered to cater the party for us and the other accessories are being handled by my sister. The little one continues to get the hang of walking and is now trying to run. She is able to get a few steps before she falls or senses herself falling and stops running. It will only be a matter of time before we are to the races. Anyway that is all for now and I will see everyone later.
This past week had an exam in Web Design. We had to all create a home page for the Berkeley Cafe. (Note: NO Cafe Exists in the MIdtown Campus) I would have gotten an A on the exam if i didn't forget to put keywords in the Meta section of the webpage. Keywords are a list of descriptive words that when inputted into a Search Engine it will find your website. All in all i got a B+ out of it for someone who has never designed a homepage from scratch before. I am almost finished with the Dreamweaver section of the book and then it will be on to Flash.
This week in Graphical Business Presentation we wrapped up the Powerpoint book and after an exam this week we will start the integration portion of the class. I hope that this part is a bit more challenging than the powerpoint book. I believe that the integration portion will help in learning how to better integrate the various office products within themselves.
Yesterday in the Mind and Body we took a class field trip to the Beth Israel Complimentary Medical Center located at 245 5th Avenue. It is a small but very beautiful location and they belive in working with the patient to discover how to treat whatever is ailing them. Usually you go into a medical office and spend more time in the waiting room than you actually do with the doctor. According to the administrator of the center the average visit with an actual doctor is minimum 15-30 minutes in length. Inside the center not only do they the traditonal doctors but they have chiropracters, accupunturist, nutritionist, a doctor that does Reki and bio-feedback and other "alternative" medicine specialists.
Now it is time for Rebecca's corner. Now that we have entered May the count down begins toward her first birthday. After a scare and the possibility of not getting the hall everything worked out. My mother-in-law has offered to cater the party for us and the other accessories are being handled by my sister. The little one continues to get the hang of walking and is now trying to run. She is able to get a few steps before she falls or senses herself falling and stops running. It will only be a matter of time before we are to the races. Anyway that is all for now and I will see everyone later.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Midterms Approaching
Welcome back everyone and I hope everyone is enjoying their Spring semester at Berkeley. Before I get into my blog I want to remind all Berkeley College students that registraion is now open for the Summer. Register now before the classes you want become full. I have already registered and I am taking Macroeconomics, Advanced Spreadsheets, Psychology and Web Design 2. Now that we got through that I also hope all you High School students enjoyed you Spring Break last week. So much has occured in the past week so lets get going.
I took my first test in Graphical Business presentation on Friday and I believe I did fairly well on it. I know i aced the Powerpoint creation part but I am not so sure how well I did on the multiple choice part. Last week our Mind and Body class took a fied trip to a near by Yoga Studio. We learned about the different types of yoga and I learned that yoga isn't just meditation and chanting but a lot more. There are some that just focus on that while others are more of a physical excerise. Yoga uses gravity and your own body as resistance and helps promote blood flow and healing.
The mind and body class has to be the most entertaining class i have this semester. Aside from going to the yoga studio we have two more field trips planned for the next two weeks. On May 6th we are going to the Beth Israel Complimentary Medicine Center to get a tour and maybe a short lecture. After we are done with Beth Israel we will wrap class, weather permitting, in the park nearby. The following week on May 13th we are going to the NYC Open Center for an Open House. The open center is a place that has different classes that you can attend some for free and some you have to pay for. It is a great place to go for a cheap yet fulfilling date. For ore information and a schedule of classes go to http://www.opencenter.org/. We are then finishing up the classes with some lectures by some professionals of Complimentary Medicine. Now my question to my readers is what are some of your views on yoga as a form of excercise?
In Web Design this week I thought I may be a little behind but it turned out that actually I was ahead of the class by a chapter. The class was still finishing up chapter 2 so while they did that i did 3 and 4. I learned how to add a navigation bar, a horizontal bar to seperate items, and how insert pictures using Adobe Bridge and how to format the text that it goes to. I am hoping that by this week i will finish the rest of chapter 4 and begin or complete chapter 5.
Now it is time for everyone's favorite little girl, Rebecca's corner. What can I say more than you already know. She continues to amaze me in how she continues to learn and grow. She finally walked on her own without any support and I was actually home to witness it which was an birthday present for me. Me and my video taped it and put it on Youtube.com to share it with other family memebers. Other than that she has been her same old talkative self and wants to walk more than be in the stroller, which is a good thing. I hope you guys enjoyed the blog as we say goodbye to April and hello to May.
Here she is WALKING!!!
I took my first test in Graphical Business presentation on Friday and I believe I did fairly well on it. I know i aced the Powerpoint creation part but I am not so sure how well I did on the multiple choice part. Last week our Mind and Body class took a fied trip to a near by Yoga Studio. We learned about the different types of yoga and I learned that yoga isn't just meditation and chanting but a lot more. There are some that just focus on that while others are more of a physical excerise. Yoga uses gravity and your own body as resistance and helps promote blood flow and healing.
The mind and body class has to be the most entertaining class i have this semester. Aside from going to the yoga studio we have two more field trips planned for the next two weeks. On May 6th we are going to the Beth Israel Complimentary Medicine Center to get a tour and maybe a short lecture. After we are done with Beth Israel we will wrap class, weather permitting, in the park nearby. The following week on May 13th we are going to the NYC Open Center for an Open House. The open center is a place that has different classes that you can attend some for free and some you have to pay for. It is a great place to go for a cheap yet fulfilling date. For ore information and a schedule of classes go to http://www.opencenter.org/. We are then finishing up the classes with some lectures by some professionals of Complimentary Medicine. Now my question to my readers is what are some of your views on yoga as a form of excercise?
In Web Design this week I thought I may be a little behind but it turned out that actually I was ahead of the class by a chapter. The class was still finishing up chapter 2 so while they did that i did 3 and 4. I learned how to add a navigation bar, a horizontal bar to seperate items, and how insert pictures using Adobe Bridge and how to format the text that it goes to. I am hoping that by this week i will finish the rest of chapter 4 and begin or complete chapter 5.
Now it is time for everyone's favorite little girl, Rebecca's corner. What can I say more than you already know. She continues to amaze me in how she continues to learn and grow. She finally walked on her own without any support and I was actually home to witness it which was an birthday present for me. Me and my video taped it and put it on Youtube.com to share it with other family memebers. Other than that she has been her same old talkative self and wants to walk more than be in the stroller, which is a good thing. I hope you guys enjoyed the blog as we say goodbye to April and hello to May.
Here she is WALKING!!!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Exciting Weekend
Hello everyone and welcome back. I am back and relaxed and ready to go after a rejuvenating weekend away with my wife. I spent the weekend in Mystic, CT which is about a 3 hour train ride outside of New York. I would recommend everyone to go visit the location and at least devote a whole week to being there. There was so much to do we barely scratched the surface. We went to the Aquarium which is not as big as the one in Coney Island but it was still enjoyable and I learned a lot about sunk ships and the stories they hold. We had dinner at the Flood Tide Restaurant which has a magnificent view of the lake and on a clear day you can see Montauk point in Long Island, NY. There were other things we wanted to do but were limited by time and my wife being pregnant. They have cruises, whaling ships, rock climbing, laser tag, paintball even miniature golf in complete darkness. So anyone looking for a quick getaway and not break the bank Mystic, CT. is a great place.
On to some academics. As stated last post we learned how to create links in Web Design as well as create the page titles that will appear on top of the page. For example the page title for this blog would be Berkeley College Blog-NYC. We also learned how to input keywords in the meta section in order for our pages to appear when certain words are inputted into a search engine. The meta section is a part of the web page that does not appear on the site nor is it visible to anyone looking directly at the site. It is found in the coding and only viewing the website code in Dreamweaver or notepad would you be able to find it in the header. Creating a web page is just like creating an essay. There are three sections, the head, body and footer which can relate to the Intro, body and conclusion of an essay. Certain things have to go in the proper spots in order for the website to run properly. Just like certain information has to go in those sections of an essay in order to make it flow.
In oral communications i just did my second speech so i am halfway there. I don't know what i got but i did well on the interview despite me not feeling 100%. Last week in mind and body we talked about how food and stress go hand in hand. That by not eating right combined with a stressful lifestyle can lead to certain diseases or death. I also learned that certain foods put undo stress on your body. On the other hand certain foods can help the body. Subsequently i have also begun my diet. I want to try and get down to my normal weight range or close enough by the time my son is born in July. I am currently 185lbs which is about 40lbs over-weight. I have vowed to eat nothing but salad for lunch for the next 30 days as well as has some wheat English muffins with PB for breakfast in the morning. Combine that with a good dinner and exercise i hope to at least if not lose all 40 hopefully lose 20-30lbs. I will keep you guys posted. In mind and body I also learned about how a babies environment plays a huge role in the development of the baby's brain. It was part one of a three part series that we will continue tonight. In what ways do you think that a child's environment, particularly a newborn to toddler age child, effects its learning?
It is now time for Rebecca's corner. My little one continue to grow and learn. She has not been feeling to well lately as it appears that another set of teeth are prime and ready to come through. She also seems to be suffering from some allergies which we will have to keep an eye on once the new set of teeth come through. She now can take about 5 steps without assistance and with a little motivation. My sister used a Yodel to make her walk although i do not believe my daughter ever got the yodel which is perfectly fine for me. Anyway that is all for today's post and i will speak to you guys later this week.
On to some academics. As stated last post we learned how to create links in Web Design as well as create the page titles that will appear on top of the page. For example the page title for this blog would be Berkeley College Blog-NYC. We also learned how to input keywords in the meta section in order for our pages to appear when certain words are inputted into a search engine. The meta section is a part of the web page that does not appear on the site nor is it visible to anyone looking directly at the site. It is found in the coding and only viewing the website code in Dreamweaver or notepad would you be able to find it in the header. Creating a web page is just like creating an essay. There are three sections, the head, body and footer which can relate to the Intro, body and conclusion of an essay. Certain things have to go in the proper spots in order for the website to run properly. Just like certain information has to go in those sections of an essay in order to make it flow.
In oral communications i just did my second speech so i am halfway there. I don't know what i got but i did well on the interview despite me not feeling 100%. Last week in mind and body we talked about how food and stress go hand in hand. That by not eating right combined with a stressful lifestyle can lead to certain diseases or death. I also learned that certain foods put undo stress on your body. On the other hand certain foods can help the body. Subsequently i have also begun my diet. I want to try and get down to my normal weight range or close enough by the time my son is born in July. I am currently 185lbs which is about 40lbs over-weight. I have vowed to eat nothing but salad for lunch for the next 30 days as well as has some wheat English muffins with PB for breakfast in the morning. Combine that with a good dinner and exercise i hope to at least if not lose all 40 hopefully lose 20-30lbs. I will keep you guys posted. In mind and body I also learned about how a babies environment plays a huge role in the development of the baby's brain. It was part one of a three part series that we will continue tonight. In what ways do you think that a child's environment, particularly a newborn to toddler age child, effects its learning?
It is now time for Rebecca's corner. My little one continue to grow and learn. She has not been feeling to well lately as it appears that another set of teeth are prime and ready to come through. She also seems to be suffering from some allergies which we will have to keep an eye on once the new set of teeth come through. She now can take about 5 steps without assistance and with a little motivation. My sister used a Yodel to make her walk although i do not believe my daughter ever got the yodel which is perfectly fine for me. Anyway that is all for today's post and i will speak to you guys later this week.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Shifting Gears
Hello everyone and welcome back to the blog sphere. I hope everyone is enjoying the start to their spring semester here at Berkeley. So much has occurred this past week and next week will be very active as i am celebrating my one year wedding anniversary. Since me and my wife did not get to go on a honeymoon last year we are going to go to Connecticut and spend the weekend away. It is a much needed vacation as we prepare for a very busy May. Pictures and stories will be posted here so be ready. Anyway a lot has occurred this past week in all my classes. On Monday i gave my first speech in Oral Communications. I have given a lot of presentations and speech's but i was still nervous. I chose a baseball as my object and used the traits of teamwork, family and patience. Despite the nervousness i got an A on the speech and we got a glimpse of what to expect for the interview speech which will take place in two weeks.
In graphical business presentation we learned how to insert clips and pictures in to slides and also to insert transitions. We have an exam next week in the class which the professor will let me take when i return the following week. The professor was very understanding about the situation and even contemplated me taking it before next week but decided to just give it to me when i return. In Web Design we learned how to import images and pages into Dreamweaver as well as creating new pages. Next week we will get into adding stuff to those empty pages and creating navigation links.
In the mind and body we discussed Anger management. We saw some clips off of youtube.com about some office anger situations. We discussed some of the potential physical issues that may occur in people who are consistently angry. Some of those things are heart attacks, strokes and death from lack of oxygen. You wonder how that could happen but when you yell and get angry you constrict your veins and prevent oxygen from circulating through your body which could lead to death. So those of you who get angry very easily think about it, is it something to possibly die over? We also learned ways to calm ourselves down. A couple of them are walking away, staying quiet to collect your thoughts, singing etc. We also learned it is how you approach the situation that also makes a world of difference. Instead of attacking the person by saying you did this or you did that say I was hurt when you did that or that got me really upset. By saying that you avoid putting the other person in a defensive position.
Anyway it is time for Rebecca's corner. My little one seems to be a tooth making machine. She went from 4 teeth to 6 in less than a week. She will be eating steak before anyone knows it. She continues to try and walk on her own but not quite there. She has become more talkative which is to bad for my wife and mother-in-law. Anyway that wraps up this blog i will see you guys through out the week.
In graphical business presentation we learned how to insert clips and pictures in to slides and also to insert transitions. We have an exam next week in the class which the professor will let me take when i return the following week. The professor was very understanding about the situation and even contemplated me taking it before next week but decided to just give it to me when i return. In Web Design we learned how to import images and pages into Dreamweaver as well as creating new pages. Next week we will get into adding stuff to those empty pages and creating navigation links.
In the mind and body we discussed Anger management. We saw some clips off of youtube.com about some office anger situations. We discussed some of the potential physical issues that may occur in people who are consistently angry. Some of those things are heart attacks, strokes and death from lack of oxygen. You wonder how that could happen but when you yell and get angry you constrict your veins and prevent oxygen from circulating through your body which could lead to death. So those of you who get angry very easily think about it, is it something to possibly die over? We also learned ways to calm ourselves down. A couple of them are walking away, staying quiet to collect your thoughts, singing etc. We also learned it is how you approach the situation that also makes a world of difference. Instead of attacking the person by saying you did this or you did that say I was hurt when you did that or that got me really upset. By saying that you avoid putting the other person in a defensive position.
Anyway it is time for Rebecca's corner. My little one seems to be a tooth making machine. She went from 4 teeth to 6 in less than a week. She will be eating steak before anyone knows it. She continues to try and walk on her own but not quite there. She has become more talkative which is to bad for my wife and mother-in-law. Anyway that wraps up this blog i will see you guys through out the week.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
One week down 11 to go
What a great first week. I enjoyed all the classes and I cannot wait for the semester to get fully underway. Tomorrow i give my first speech in Oral communication. I have decided to use a baseball as the object that i am going to base my speech on. The baseball represents me in a lot of different ways. One way is that it represents team work. I am a team player whether i am the group leader or just a role player i always strive to give 110% effort every time out. The baseball also represents Americas past time. It is a game that families always go to and play and I am all about family and spending time with family. The third way a baseball represents me is that the game requires a lot of patients. Whether it be trying to make it to the big leagues or even a fan watching a very good pitchers duel you need to have a lot of patience and I believe i am very patient. The only time i get frustrated is when i know the person is capable of doing it and they don't.
In mind and body this week we will discuss anger and anger management skills. I used to have major anger issues and i have worked on them a lot over the past five-six years so i am looking forward to any improvements i have already put in place. In web design we will go over the basics and fundamentals of web design. I am very eager to get started on a couple of the projects and i can wait until i start turning them into a real money making business. In graphical business presentation we learned that it is going to be a combination of the four major office programs and how to integrate all of them. I think that is going to be an invaluable skill to have when entering the business world.
I want to take this time out to thank the financial aid office for assisting me in correcting my financial aid issue. They were very patient and stayed in communication with me through the whole process so i felt i should give them a shout out. My question to everyone this week is what are some anger management techniques? What techniques either help you keep from getting mad or to deal with the anger in a positive way?
Now it is time for Rebecca's corner. This week my daughter pushed out a fourth tooth so now she has the front four. Two on top and two on the bottom and now we want her to learn the word Steak.(just kidding) She continues to try to perfect the skill of walking and she is standing by herself longer than ever. We just got her some baby toothpaste and a baby toothbrush to wash her pearly whites. She still has not walked on her own or took steps on her own in front of me but i think she wants to perfect it before she walks for daddy. Anyway i look forward to hearing from all of you through out the semester. Have a good week.
In mind and body this week we will discuss anger and anger management skills. I used to have major anger issues and i have worked on them a lot over the past five-six years so i am looking forward to any improvements i have already put in place. In web design we will go over the basics and fundamentals of web design. I am very eager to get started on a couple of the projects and i can wait until i start turning them into a real money making business. In graphical business presentation we learned that it is going to be a combination of the four major office programs and how to integrate all of them. I think that is going to be an invaluable skill to have when entering the business world.
I want to take this time out to thank the financial aid office for assisting me in correcting my financial aid issue. They were very patient and stayed in communication with me through the whole process so i felt i should give them a shout out. My question to everyone this week is what are some anger management techniques? What techniques either help you keep from getting mad or to deal with the anger in a positive way?
Now it is time for Rebecca's corner. This week my daughter pushed out a fourth tooth so now she has the front four. Two on top and two on the bottom and now we want her to learn the word Steak.(just kidding) She continues to try to perfect the skill of walking and she is standing by herself longer than ever. We just got her some baby toothpaste and a baby toothbrush to wash her pearly whites. She still has not walked on her own or took steps on her own in front of me but i think she wants to perfect it before she walks for daddy. Anyway i look forward to hearing from all of you through out the semester. Have a good week.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
No April's Fool
Hello and welcome to the beginning of April and the beginning of a new semester at Berkeley College. I wish all of our current students good luck and a great semester. This semester promises to bring a lot of excitement and new things both in and out of school. So far I have had only 2 classes out of the four I am taking this semester. I had Oral Communication and the Mind and Body classes. Oral communications seems like it is going to go by pretty quickly with already our first speech due on Monday. Our assignment is to choose and object not a person that represents us. We have to give three reasons why it represents us and present it in front of the class. Currently I am stuck on trying to decide on what object I should choose but as soon as I do and I do the speech I will let you guys know how it went. The topic for the speech is very interesting and I am going to present it as this blogs question. What object represents you? How or why does that object represent you? It is interesting what you will find out about yourself and others. As a side note to all incoming freshmen or High School students that are looking at colleges I recommend you taking Oral Communications as early as possible. It will definitely help you in your other classes especially if you are a business major.
My first ideas about the Mind and Body class was that it may take more of a philosophical approach to things about the mind and body, boy was I way off. The whole idea of the class is exploring different ways to get your mind and body in sync. What that means is how to not only do well physically but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We are going to explore some alternatives to traditional medicine which means this class is going to be very interesting. The professor is very lively and keeps the class awake which is difficult when you have worked all day and have to go to school. Yesterday we discussed Traditional medicine vs. holistic medicine and we discussed different illnesses. Next weeks topic will be anger and anger management which should prove to be interesting as a class discussion topic.
The remaining two classes will be on Friday and Saturday so you will have to wait until the next post to hear about them. My Friday class will be focusing on PowerPoint 2007 which should be interesting. My Saturday class is going to be on Web Design and that is the class I really want to get a handle on.
Now it is time for Rebecca's corner as I bring you an update about my little one. My little one is only a small step from running around like crazy. Yesterday she took three steps without holding on and even though she is still a little wobbly she is getting there. Now for a little self promotion as I wrap up this blog. Many do not know this but I am a tutor not only for college stuff but also high school. I also have helped high school students through the college transition and procedure so if anyone needs any assistance in tutoring or the college prep just comment here and leave an email address. I get an email notification when you leave a comment so I will respond in less than 24 hrs. The best thing is I have no rates or fees for tutoring or college help. Hope you enjoyed the blog and remember to think of an object that represents you and why it does.
My first ideas about the Mind and Body class was that it may take more of a philosophical approach to things about the mind and body, boy was I way off. The whole idea of the class is exploring different ways to get your mind and body in sync. What that means is how to not only do well physically but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We are going to explore some alternatives to traditional medicine which means this class is going to be very interesting. The professor is very lively and keeps the class awake which is difficult when you have worked all day and have to go to school. Yesterday we discussed Traditional medicine vs. holistic medicine and we discussed different illnesses. Next weeks topic will be anger and anger management which should prove to be interesting as a class discussion topic.
The remaining two classes will be on Friday and Saturday so you will have to wait until the next post to hear about them. My Friday class will be focusing on PowerPoint 2007 which should be interesting. My Saturday class is going to be on Web Design and that is the class I really want to get a handle on.
Now it is time for Rebecca's corner as I bring you an update about my little one. My little one is only a small step from running around like crazy. Yesterday she took three steps without holding on and even though she is still a little wobbly she is getting there. Now for a little self promotion as I wrap up this blog. Many do not know this but I am a tutor not only for college stuff but also high school. I also have helped high school students through the college transition and procedure so if anyone needs any assistance in tutoring or the college prep just comment here and leave an email address. I get an email notification when you leave a comment so I will respond in less than 24 hrs. The best thing is I have no rates or fees for tutoring or college help. Hope you enjoyed the blog and remember to think of an object that represents you and why it does.
Friday, March 28, 2008
March Madness
Hello everyone I am back and apologize for the long delay between posts. For those current Berkeley College student I hope everyone passed their finals and classes for the Winter semester. I am looking forward to my Spring semester beginning on Monday as I am taking some interesting classes next semester. Before I go into next semester I want to reflect a bit on my first semester at Berkeley College. I did very well this past semester finishing with a GPA around 3.9. I learned a lot over the past 12 weeks and a lot of it was shared with all of my readers. March has lived up to the title of Madness not so much for the NCAA Tournament that is going on but just everything that occurred in March. Speaking about the tournament I hope every one's bracket is doing better than mine. With all the upsets that occurred in the first two rounds I am dead last in my office pool. I have a slim shot since the distance between me and first is 10 pts. but we will see.
One of the last things I did in my Management class was talk about change in the workplace and in our own lives. We discussed how each of us handles change and learned some interesting things about ourselves. We also discussed the book "Who Moved my Cheese" by Spencer Johnson MD. It is a quick read and I encourage anyone who has not read the book to read it. It is based on 4 characters, 2 mice named Sniff and Scurry and 2 little people named Hem and Haw. It discusses how each of them goes about finding the cheese, what the cheese means to them and how they handle when the cheese is gone or moved. Now you may be wondering what is up with all this cheese but the cheese just represents what you want in life. What is your goal in life? What are your different "cheeses"? Mine currently is just to get through my bachelors program here, take the GMAT and get into business school for my masters. Simultaneously I want to make sure my family is taken care of and that my children are healthy and active. Those are my "cheeses" right now and they will change as time progresses. It is how i deal with that change when the time comes that makes the difference.
As stated earlier next semester is right around the corner. I am taking Oral Communication, Mind and Body, Web Design 1 and Graphical Business Presentations. The 2 classes I am excited about the most is Web Design 1 and Graphical Business Presentations. The Graphical Business class is just a PowerPoint 2007 class. Even though I have pretty much taught myself how to use PowerPoint any touch ups and new things can't hurt. The Web Design class is where the money is at though. If you know how to make really good web sites you can make some easy money. The good thing about it is most of it can be done straight from home so it works.
Okay here is the section you all have been waiting for it is Rebecca's Corner!!!! As stated in my previous post Rebecca will be a big sister to a baby brother. That's right everyone I got the pair on my first two times out. The new comers name will be Jose Benjamin Salles, a combination of my late grandfather on my mom's side first name and my middle name. After July this section will be called the R & J Corner. In more Rebecca focused news she took her first step the other day so it will only be a matter of time before she is up and running. Great for dad bad for mom who doesn't necessarily like to run. Anyway I will definitely be posting like I am supposed to now that finals are over, if anyone needs a tutor, tech support or for you HS students help with the college process just drop me a line through the post. Later everyone and enjoy the end of March.
One of the last things I did in my Management class was talk about change in the workplace and in our own lives. We discussed how each of us handles change and learned some interesting things about ourselves. We also discussed the book "Who Moved my Cheese" by Spencer Johnson MD. It is a quick read and I encourage anyone who has not read the book to read it. It is based on 4 characters, 2 mice named Sniff and Scurry and 2 little people named Hem and Haw. It discusses how each of them goes about finding the cheese, what the cheese means to them and how they handle when the cheese is gone or moved. Now you may be wondering what is up with all this cheese but the cheese just represents what you want in life. What is your goal in life? What are your different "cheeses"? Mine currently is just to get through my bachelors program here, take the GMAT and get into business school for my masters. Simultaneously I want to make sure my family is taken care of and that my children are healthy and active. Those are my "cheeses" right now and they will change as time progresses. It is how i deal with that change when the time comes that makes the difference.
As stated earlier next semester is right around the corner. I am taking Oral Communication, Mind and Body, Web Design 1 and Graphical Business Presentations. The 2 classes I am excited about the most is Web Design 1 and Graphical Business Presentations. The Graphical Business class is just a PowerPoint 2007 class. Even though I have pretty much taught myself how to use PowerPoint any touch ups and new things can't hurt. The Web Design class is where the money is at though. If you know how to make really good web sites you can make some easy money. The good thing about it is most of it can be done straight from home so it works.
Okay here is the section you all have been waiting for it is Rebecca's Corner!!!! As stated in my previous post Rebecca will be a big sister to a baby brother. That's right everyone I got the pair on my first two times out. The new comers name will be Jose Benjamin Salles, a combination of my late grandfather on my mom's side first name and my middle name. After July this section will be called the R & J Corner. In more Rebecca focused news she took her first step the other day so it will only be a matter of time before she is up and running. Great for dad bad for mom who doesn't necessarily like to run. Anyway I will definitely be posting like I am supposed to now that finals are over, if anyone needs a tutor, tech support or for you HS students help with the college process just drop me a line through the post. Later everyone and enjoy the end of March.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Finals and Myspace
Hello everyone and welcome back. I want to appologize for my length between posts but i do have a lot to write so i am going to make it up to all you loyal readers out there. First off I want to say, "where has the time gone?" We are already 1/4 of the way through the year and i still feel like it is the first day of class again. Well in approximately 3 weeks it will be the first day of classes of the spring semester. All of you current Berkeley students if you haven't registered what are you waiting for? To those that have i hope all of you got the classes you wanted. Anyway last week is the final week of classes before Finals week and I am actually lookng forward to the finals. Now some of you may be thinking one thing, "Nerd" but its just that i know i did well and i am close to getting my first 4.0 of a semester. I got close once in LaGuardia but one of the professors gave me a B+ which i honestly did deserve. To achieve that goal would be great especially going into the Spring semester. I cannot wait for the spring to begin as i am taking some pretty interesting courses. The main course i am taking that i think will be the most challenging yet fun class is Web Design 1. I actually cannot wait to take all 3 Web design classes because at my job we have been trying update and maintain our websites.
Web design also opens the door to SQL databases since alot of the commands carry over. I wonder if there is anyway to request a class be add to the college? If you guys have any answers or ideas let me know. On a more fun side i found out through our Blogger coordinator Ms. Covino that Berkeley does have a Myspace. It actually shows up 3 times if you search for it. The first one on the list is the actual site. The second or third one is for the fashion department of Berkeley. I have a question and i would like for some feedback from current students and those that are prospects. Do you think schools should have myspace and facebook pages? A lot of schools are starting to use facebook as there own version of Blackboard. Do you think it would be better for us to use facebook instead of blackboard? Love to hear the feedback on that.
Now it is time for Rebecca's Corner. As you all know my little Rebecca will be a big sister in July. Now i do know the gender of the baby but i am going to save that for my next blog as i want some feedback. Lately my little one is becomming more and more brave when it comes to walking without any help. She even fusses when she is put in the stroller because she wants to walk not be tied down. She is consistantly calling for me and anytime my wife is on the phone she thinks that she is talking to me, even if i am in the same room. The other day i was talking to her on the phone and she was just speaking baby talk to me and then decided to stick her tongue out at me. So what did i do, well being the mature adult i stuck my tongue out back at her. Ah, good times. Anyway that ends this post but i hope to hear from you guys soon.
Web design also opens the door to SQL databases since alot of the commands carry over. I wonder if there is anyway to request a class be add to the college? If you guys have any answers or ideas let me know. On a more fun side i found out through our Blogger coordinator Ms. Covino that Berkeley does have a Myspace. It actually shows up 3 times if you search for it. The first one on the list is the actual site. The second or third one is for the fashion department of Berkeley. I have a question and i would like for some feedback from current students and those that are prospects. Do you think schools should have myspace and facebook pages? A lot of schools are starting to use facebook as there own version of Blackboard. Do you think it would be better for us to use facebook instead of blackboard? Love to hear the feedback on that.
Now it is time for Rebecca's Corner. As you all know my little Rebecca will be a big sister in July. Now i do know the gender of the baby but i am going to save that for my next blog as i want some feedback. Lately my little one is becomming more and more brave when it comes to walking without any help. She even fusses when she is put in the stroller because she wants to walk not be tied down. She is consistantly calling for me and anytime my wife is on the phone she thinks that she is talking to me, even if i am in the same room. The other day i was talking to her on the phone and she was just speaking baby talk to me and then decided to stick her tongue out at me. So what did i do, well being the mature adult i stuck my tongue out back at her. Ah, good times. Anyway that ends this post but i hope to hear from you guys soon.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
New Week
Good morning Berkeley College students and potential students. I cannot believe that it is already the end of February and we are about to enter March. I still feel like it was New Years and i was just getting ready to go back to college. Now my first semester here is ending and i cannot wait until the next one begins. Now many of you may just think that i am a nerd or something but is just i want my degree as fast and soon as possible. I have to say my first semester here is probably one of the best semesters i have had in any of the universities i have been to. The professors have been very understanding and helpful throughout the courses and I am interested to see how next semester progresses. Anyway midterms are over and now it is the final push in all my classes. We have approximately 3 weeks or so left until we all get a much needed week off. Spring semester will be the most busiest time of the year for me as not only do i have to work full time and go to school full time but i also have a lot of personal events that start next month. The good thing about it though is that i will be able to share all of it with you guys and also many pictures to come, especially my daughters first birthday. I cannot wait for this upcoming week because i may find out the gender of baby #2 so everyone pray for a boy! Anyway back to school and as i stated we are almost done. In Accounting we got our midterm grades back and i was one of the few that did really good. As i heard how what other students scores were and even the scores for some of my friends i was afraid of my own score. Not that because i did really good but because everyone else did really bad. I guess that is the tutor part of me because i always want everyone to do well and succeed. Granted i have already taken accounting 1 in LaGuardia and got an A so this is all a refresher for me. People ask me why don't i just test out of the class and i am sure i could but i didn't feel confident in my ability to pass. It had been so long since i last studied accounting that i felt i might as well just take it again and if i remember anything then it is an easy A. I am glad to know that i have the ability to test out of classes but you have to use it wisely. Everyone wants to get out of college faster but you may just need that A to get your GPA up so students should use it when they don't really need the letter grade and they know they could go in and fully pass it, that's just my opinion.
Berkeley college has a lot of activities for daytime students which most of you incoming will be day time students. They have this movie night every week and i hope to attend one on a day i either don't have class or class is canceled. It is great to see that they have so many events and activities going on and they tell everyone about it. My poor blackberry gets flooded with emails about the happenings at Berkeley college. I can already see that this is a tight community despite the fact that all the campuses are spread apart. I think that is always important to keep unity in a college atmosphere when there is so much disunity in the world.
On to more happy stuff everyone that is a current Berkeley student i hope has already registered for spring. If you haven't you better get going before the good classes are gone. I remember in my old campus all the good stuff was gone by the first week but here at Berkeley if you waited until the second week you still had a shot at some of the those good classes. It feels sort of weird being a transfer student with credits. Most of the people in my classes it is there first semester in any college and they are all talking about the intro classes and here i am in my first semester taking second level classes. I guess most of my life i have never quite fit in with a particular group and that was fine with me. I think being unable to just fit in one group allowed me to be very diverse in my thinking and in my friends. When you are consistently around people who think and act like you, you tend to be very closed minded and unwilling to try different things. With businesses these days preaching diversity in their management the ability to work with different people is a very key asset that everyone says they have but don't. The key for anyone entering college as well that are in college is to stretch your boundaries and open your mind to different ideas and i truly believe that is how i have been able to attain many leadership positions over my collegiate career.
Now it is time for everyones favorite piece, Rebecca's corner. I cannot wait to add her sibling to the mix so stay tuned for that after the summer. Anyway my poor little one has been fighting an upper respitory infection the past couple of days so there is times she is not quite herself. Then there are times where she doesn't stop talking for five minutes but then again she is part latin and we all know latin women can talk. Anyway aside from being a little sick she is still trying to master the art of walking. She is almost there and i predict definitely before her first birthday se will be walking and running with no issues. She just turned 9 months yesterday and time just keeps on flying with her. Anyway i do want to leave you guys with a brief question to ponder, "What other skills are necessary in the workplace in order for someone to be successful?" What is your definition of success? Think about that and i will see you all next time.
Berkeley college has a lot of activities for daytime students which most of you incoming will be day time students. They have this movie night every week and i hope to attend one on a day i either don't have class or class is canceled. It is great to see that they have so many events and activities going on and they tell everyone about it. My poor blackberry gets flooded with emails about the happenings at Berkeley college. I can already see that this is a tight community despite the fact that all the campuses are spread apart. I think that is always important to keep unity in a college atmosphere when there is so much disunity in the world.
On to more happy stuff everyone that is a current Berkeley student i hope has already registered for spring. If you haven't you better get going before the good classes are gone. I remember in my old campus all the good stuff was gone by the first week but here at Berkeley if you waited until the second week you still had a shot at some of the those good classes. It feels sort of weird being a transfer student with credits. Most of the people in my classes it is there first semester in any college and they are all talking about the intro classes and here i am in my first semester taking second level classes. I guess most of my life i have never quite fit in with a particular group and that was fine with me. I think being unable to just fit in one group allowed me to be very diverse in my thinking and in my friends. When you are consistently around people who think and act like you, you tend to be very closed minded and unwilling to try different things. With businesses these days preaching diversity in their management the ability to work with different people is a very key asset that everyone says they have but don't. The key for anyone entering college as well that are in college is to stretch your boundaries and open your mind to different ideas and i truly believe that is how i have been able to attain many leadership positions over my collegiate career.
Now it is time for everyones favorite piece, Rebecca's corner. I cannot wait to add her sibling to the mix so stay tuned for that after the summer. Anyway my poor little one has been fighting an upper respitory infection the past couple of days so there is times she is not quite herself. Then there are times where she doesn't stop talking for five minutes but then again she is part latin and we all know latin women can talk. Anyway aside from being a little sick she is still trying to master the art of walking. She is almost there and i predict definitely before her first birthday se will be walking and running with no issues. She just turned 9 months yesterday and time just keeps on flying with her. Anyway i do want to leave you guys with a brief question to ponder, "What other skills are necessary in the workplace in order for someone to be successful?" What is your definition of success? Think about that and i will see you all next time.
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