The Closing of the Semester and the Opening of The Hobbit

Week in Review: A Reflection of December 10 – 16

The timing couldn’t be any better. I’m finished with classes for the fall semester the same week that “The Hobbit” came out in theaters. That means there was no homework to do or classes to go to so I was able to go to the midnight showing.

My friends and I went out to dinner and then headed to the movie theater early with our pre-purchased tickets. Fortunately, the theater let us inside right away. We were first in line outside the door to get our seats. I won’t say too much about the movie since some haven’t seen it yet, but I enjoyed it. I read the book as a school assignment years ago, and I didn’t remember much of the story so the plot was fresh to me.

Even though I’m done with classes, there are still a few things I need to do at the college. I’ll be selling some of my books back to the campus bookstore this week, but I’ll be keeping one of the reference books. I have to turn in a graduation candidacy form to Student Services because I’m graduating in May. On Thursday the Web Developer Club has their last meeting of the semester. We’re probably going to have a potluck. Also, I’ll be going out to lunch with some of my classmates to celebrate finishing the semester.

As a reminder, the MPTC colleges will be closed from December 24 through January 1. You can expect to hear more about my life, my future, and my MPTC when I return to blogging in 2013. Have a happy and safe holiday season everyone!

Now I have to decide how I will spend my winter break. How will you be spending yours?

One Week, Two Presentations

Week in Review: A Reflection of December 3 – 9

My online presentation

I gave two very different presentations. One of my presentations was for my Document Standards and Expectations class, and it was given using ClassLive through eCollege, our classroom’s online portal. My PowerPoint presentation was loaded and played while my instructor and classmates, all in different locations, could view it on their computer screen. I typed in what I wanted to say in the chat window as if I were speaking.

My second presentation was for my Customer Service Essentials class. My group and I gave a presentation in front of staff that works at MPTC. It was nice of them to come so we had experience giving a presentation to an audience that wasn’t made up of our peers. We used PowerPoint for this presentation, like I did for my other one, but it is much different when you are standing in the room with the people you’re giving a presentation to.

Lunch ‘n Learn: Holiday Happiness

Last Monday I went to the final Lunch ‘n Learn of the semester at the West Bend campus. We talked about the holidays. This can be the most fun yet most stressful time of the year. Kathy, a counselor and instructor at the West Bend campus, provided a handout that listed ways to reduce stress. I think the most helpful tips include having realistic expectations for yourself and others, be flexible if plans need to change, and keep organized by writing things down.

I like to focus on all the good things December brings. There are lots of things I do that have become traditions. This past weekend my friends and I watched the movie “Love Actually,” which we do pretty much every year in December.

On Christmas Eve, or sometime close to it, my family and I drive around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights. For the last few years, the Washington County Fair Park has hosted Enchantment in the Park where they have a large lights display you drive through. This is also fun to see. You can donate nonperishable food. Some of the clubs at MPTC have volunteered their time at this event.

Strategies for Getting Homework Done

There are two times of the year it seems almost impossible to get any work done: Right after Thanksgiving break and right after spring break. It also happens to be the worst time to procrastinate, because it’s nearing the end of the semester. There are projects due and assignments to finish, many of which are worth some hefty points.

How do you stay motivated and productive this time of the year? I have a few tips to share with you that may help you get through the mental slump season:

Find your most (and least) productive times of the day. When do you notice is the easiest time to accomplish things? I find that, when I let myself work on tasks when I feel like it, I choose to work on them at 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. I’m least productive around 3 p.m. I can still get things done at that time, but it always seems to take extra effort. I’m much better off starting or finishing a project in the morning or at night.

Break it down. Large assignments can seem overwhelming. Taking a few minutes to decide how to break it into smaller pieces will make it more manageable. Sitting down to work on a small piece is less daunting than looking at the big picture, especially when beginning a project.

Thanksgiving Week 2012

Week in Review: A Reflection of November 19 – 25

A turkey made from candy pieces

I was thankful to have most of the week of Thanksgiving off. I allowed myself to stop thinking about schoolwork for a few days so I could do some art projects for fun.

On Thanksgiving we drove to my uncle and aunt’s new house for lunch. There was turkey, rolls, mash potatoes, squash, fruit, pumpkin pie, and cute little turkeys made of candy pieces. I baked some brownies and peanut butter cookies. I saw my cousin’s baby, whom I haven’t seen since Halloween, and he’s gotten so big!

I did go out shopping on Friday, but I did not get up early to do so; I went in the afternoon. It was still really crowded, and I had to wait in long lines. It was worth it, though, because I got some good deals.

I went back to working on homework on Sunday, and I was able to get everything done I needed to get done. There’s only a few weeks of classes left of the fall semester so we’re at the point in my classes where we’re showcasing everything we’ve learned throughout the past few months. We’ve got a lot to work to do for our final group project in my Customer Service Essentials class. I’ll be focusing on that this week.

What are you thankful for this year?

How Technology is Changing Online Classes

Technology has provided us with some truly remarkable tools for education. It’s amazing how much can be accomplished through computers. Programs allow us not only to connect with others, but also really interact and even collaborate with one another.

Last week one of my instructors decided we were going to have class online using the Live tool in eCollege, our online portal for classes. Even though I am very familiar with eCollege, I had never used this feature before. I thought that it was just for chat. While it does have a section for chat, it also has a ClassLive tool.

When it came time for class, our instructor opened a session. I just needed to make sure I had the latest version of Java, and I was able to participate from my home computer. When we all leave the session, it is archived so students that missed class can still view the session in its entirety later. It’s also good for the students who need to look back at something that was discussed during class.

The program has a “whiteboard” where the instructor can pull up PowerPoint presentations, websites, documents, or anything else that can be displayed on the computer screen. The instructor has the option of letting the students post things on the whiteboard. We were able to write on it with the pen tool and highlight tool. In our session we proofread a document and highlighted areas that were incorrect.

What is the A.R.T.S. Club at MPTC?

My meeting was canceled; so since I was already on campus, I decided to check out this new club. A.R.T.S stands for Adults Returning to School. Along with meeting new people, I also met the Vice President of Student Affairs who stopped by to speak with us.

The club members introduced themselves to me. I heard a little bit about their bake sale fundraiser and their plans to decorate trees on the West Bend campus. They’re trying to come up with a community service project to undertake, hopefully before the end of the semester.

Everybody had the chance to talk about what was going well and what wasn’t going well. It’s good to know that others are having similar difficulties you’re having so you don’t feel alone.

Something great about the club is that you can still be part of it if you aren’t able to come to the meetings. There is an online portal you can have access to if you ask for it. It is the same system we use for our online and blended classes. There is supposed to be lots of resources and a place for online discussion.

The A.R.T.S. club meets approximately every other Wednesday on the West Bend campus in the afternoon. Look for flyers around campus or contact Kathy VanDemark for more information.

Busy Weekdays, Weekends, and Everything in Between

Week in Review: A Reflection of November 5 – 11

MPTC's West Bend Campus

There was plenty going on this past week on the West Bend campus. There was a book sale fundraiser outside the library, a blood drive, and a campus preview day. Along with that, many students, including me, registered online for spring 2013 classes.

A few weeks ago I spoke to my academic advisor. I wanted her to look at my records to make sure I was on track. If I had figured it out correctly, I would be receiving my Office Assistant Technical Diploma in May. She confirmed that if I take these three classes, I would graduate next spring. So, I registered for them and I’m all set!

The week was sure busy and so was the weekend. I went to a wedding of a former co-work on Friday. On Saturday I celebrated a friend’s birthday. We spent the weekend watching the BBC’s Sherlock Holmes series. She also had an awesome Sherlock board game from the ‘70s. You know it’s an older board game when one of the clues mentions USSR.

It looks like another busy week and weekend ahead. We’ll be continuing working on our customer service manual for my Customer Service Essentials Class. I have a Student Senate meeting and a Web Developer Club meeting later in the week. My niece’s first birthday is this weekend, and I will be seeing the last installment of the Twilight series. No midnight showing for us this time I think. It’s way too cold to stand outside.

Halloween Week

Week in Review: A Reflection of October 29 – November 4

 Halloween week we had a hypnotist perform at the West Bend campus. I talked to some students who had seen him at the Fond du Lac campus the previous day and came to see the show again in West Bend. I volunteered to be hypnotized, my first time ever. People asked me what it was like. I say, it was actually pretty relaxing. People I saw in the hall were talking about it to me days afterwards.

I already celebrated Halloween earlier in the month, so besides taking my nephew trick-or-treating, it didn’t really feel like Halloween. It’s a shame it’s so cold already. All the kids had to wear jackets.

On Wednesday we got to play with some older technology used for transcription in one of my classes. They have foot pedals and play cassette tapes. It’s fun to see how things were done in the past. For our assessment, however, we’ll be using more up-to-date techniques for transcription.

I still volunteer at a nonprofit once every other week, so on Friday I was working on a display. I was able to use some advanced features in Microsoft Office programs, and I learned more about the copy machine.  Those things can do so much stuff automatically! A few weeks ago I scanned some pages and it automatically sent the pages wirelessly to a specific folder on the network.

I spent some time this past week choosing classes for the spring 2013 semester. I’ll be registering soon. It looks like I’ll be taking some traditional and online classes and maybe a winterim class. Wow, that registration date sure comes up quickly!

APCA Midwest Conference 2012 – Day 4

Goodbye, awesome view from my hotel room

Because we are Wisconsinites, we had to leave Iowa early Sunday morning so we wouldn’t miss too much of the Packer game in the afternoon. The day was much sunnier than when we arrived, and it was a really nice trip back. There were some pretty cool land formations around the Wisconsin/Iowa boarder.

It was a long but amazing weekend. I would recommend any Student Senate member to attend APCA, and I highly encourage MPTC students to join Student Senate so they can take advantage of opportunities like this.

Over the weekend we saw over 40 acts perform. We got a chance to talk to all the acts in person. They are some really talented, interesting people that love what they do and they really enjoy performing and talking to college students. I enjoyed talking to some awesome students from different states, learning from them, and just getting to know them. I got a lot out of attending the educational sessions. They were very helpful in providing advice and tips, and I plan to discuss what I’ve learned with the rest of Student Senate so we can start implementing ideas and create a better student life for our campus.

Scenery at the Iowa/Wisconsin border

It’s not too late to join student clubs or Student Senate. If you’re not involved already, check them out now or at the beginning of the spring 2013 semester. Our next conference for Student Senate is NACA (National Association for Campus Activities) Northern Plains Regional Conference in the spring.

APCA Midwest Conference 2012 – Day 3

So this is why I couldn't find a place to sit

Saturday was an early day. The educational sessions started at 8 a.m. and we had four of them in a row. The first one I went to was a roundtable discussion about two-year campuses. We discussed what worked well on our campuses, what wasn’t working well, and offered or took suggestions. I’ve got quite a few ideas out of this session that I will be bringing back to Student Senate.

The second educational session I chose to attend was about social media. I learned some things about using Facebook to promote events, encourage student interaction with the college through social media, and learned how to read analytics.

During the third session, we learned the secrets to being happy and making others happy. I think if we could all take the presenter’s advice, we’d all be a lot happier with ourselves and learn to lift others up. It’s so important.

The last session of the morning was another roundtable where we talked about all the different types of social media and how it could be used by colleges. We talked about mass text messaging as well, which some campus have implemented.

Lunch was much like the previous day; we ate and watched all kinds of performers. After lunch we went to another room and listened to some great speakers. I would like a few of them to come to our campus in the future.

It's hard not to be happy in a room full of bubbles

The results from all the competitions were reveled during dinner. Moraine Park Technical College placed third in the pumpkin-carving contest! Danielle from American Pickers made an appearance on stage later. When one of the performers, a mentalist, needed a volunteer, our own Erica from MPTC got to go up on stage.

Erica is on stage!

The last event of the night was a dance party featuring a percussionist. Afterwards some of the musical acts collaborated together and played music in the lobby. So many things happened on Saturday it’s hard to believe we squeezed everything in one day!

MPTC's pumpkin-carving entry

APCA Midwest Conference 2012 – Day 2

The conference officially kicked off on Friday morning and I went to an educational session on recruiting. The presenter gave us some good tips on choosing the right kind of events for our campus and how to encourage students to come to events that we host.

Becca volunteers

We had a buffet-style lunch in the afternoon where Becca and Robyn, Moraine Park students, volunteered to take lunch tickets. During our lunch in the ballroom we listened to all different kinds of acts that included comedians, musicians, and acrobats. Throughout the performances we could send tweets on Twitter using the conference’s hashtag and see them on the projection screen.

Resa's got a monkey on her back

After the showcase, we got a chance to meet with the acts that were performing throughout the weekend in the exhibit hall. Resa, our West Bend Student president, had the opportunity to hold a monkey. There was a tarantula as well, but I didn’t go anywhere near it. Yikes!

There were more acts to see before and during dinner, and the late night event included a mentalist and hypnotist. Both of them were good and a lot of fun to watch.

Some of the MPTC crew

APCA Midwest Conference 2012 – Day 1

I packed my Moraine Park Tech swag in a suitcase and headed over to our meeting place, the Beaver Dam campus, Thursday morning. We were going to Iowa for a full weekend at the APCA conference to check out entertainment acts and participate in educational sessions. APCA stands for the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities.

My MPTC swag in a suitcase

My Trick-or-Treat bag design

We crossed over the Mississippi River before getting to our destination, Coralville. The hotel and conference were in the same building, which was nice because the weather was cold and wet. We had some time before registration, so we went to a nearby mall.

At registration we had an opportunity to participate in some service projects and novelties that were set up at a table. We wrote cards for soldiers, created encouraging letters for kids, made ghosts out of suckers and tissues, and decorated trick-or-treat bags for children. Then our group, consisting of Student Senate members from all three MPTC campuses, talked about the conference schedule and chose educational sessions to attend.

Our last activity of the day was to create a poster for the poster competition. Becca and I drew our mascot, the grey wolf, and incorporated the construction theme of the conference.

MPTC's poster with construction theme

Another Great Meeting

Inside the room where the club meets

The Web Developer Club had another great meeting, the second meeting of the fall 2012 semester. Our new club president taught us about website security issues when using and customizing templates for CMS (Content Management Systems). He showed us a mobile version of a CMS I didn’t know existed.

Our new vice president gave a presentation about responsive design, which has to do with adapting web pages to fit all types of computer and mobile device screens automatically. It was a very useful discussion, and she gave us some additional resources.

We spent a few minutes brainstorming topics we’d like to learn more about in future meetings. Some of the things we’d like to cover are image copyright issues, child themes in WordPress, infographics, and the design process.

After the meeting, some of us went out to a local pizza place to celebrate one of our members’ birthdays. I’m not sure if he liked it or not, but we sang Happy Birthday to him (loudly) at the restaurant. Good times.

Test Anxiety Lunch ‘n Learn

Test anxiety can induce a fight or flight response. You can actually have a physical reaction to this kind of stress including sweating, headaches, and going temporarily “blank” before or during a test. It’s a normal reaction many people have. It’s also something that can be subdued or eliminated. This was what I learned during October’s Lunch ‘n Learn at MPTC in West Bend.

Although I don’t really take traditional tests in my classes, there are times when my performance is evaluated by projects I create and presentations I give in class. I find the best way to combat anxiety is to be prepared. During the Lunch ‘n Learn I learned a few other ways to beat anxiety.

Before the test:
- Eat nutritious food, not soda, energy drinks, and junk food
- Prepare by studying early and taking practice tests
- Take breaks while studying so you don’t get burnt out
- Exercise by going for a walk, jogging, or Yoga
- Get sleep because your brain functions much better when you’re not tired
- Practice stress management techniques like breathing

A Month Worth of Weekends

Week in Review: A Reflection of October 8 – 14

I am happy to report I have turned in my last assessment for Principles of Accounting class—forever. It took me most of the weekend, but it’s done, and I’m done with the class. It’s a good thing, too, because the next four weekends I am booked and would have a difficult time fitting in any more accounting assignments.

This weekend I am hosting a Halloween Party. I’ve got some straightening up to do and a lot of baking. I’ve made the banana bread with crystallized ginger (it’s a very good addition that I recommend trying), but I still need to make skeleton cupcakes and monster finger cookies. Last year I made cupcakes with spiders made out of candy on top.

Next weekend I will be going with Moraine Park Technical College Student Senates to the APCA conference in Iowa. This is my first trip with Student Senate. We’ll be going there to view some entertainment acts that we may bring back to perform at the campus in the future. I’m still not sure what we’ll all be doing, but from what I understand, they’re going to keep us busy from morning until night with activities.

The following week I’ll be celebrating my friend’s birthday. She has a whole weekend-worth of plans for us. We’re going to be doing karaoke somewhere, going swimming (indoors of course), watching the Packer’s game, and possibly going to Wisconsin Dells. I’m not sure how she plans on fitting in all of that, but she’s a really organized person, so she’s probably got it all figured out.

The weekend after that I am going to another friend’s wedding. I hope that the weather will be good that weekend, because it will be November. I’m looking forward to seeing a handful of people I haven’t seen in a while at the wedding.

What do you for fun on the weekends?

My Customer Service Essentials Class

Providing good customer service is much more complicated than just being nice to the customer. This is what I have learned over the past two months in my Customer Service Essentials class here at Moraine Park.

We’ve learned about service culture, which includes things like mission statements, employee roles and expectations, motivators and rewards, and training. These all contribute to how customers are treated. We’ve practiced some hands-on ways to improve our verbal and nonverbal communication as well as listening.

Learning about how technology plays a role in providing customer service was especially interesting. Functionality and usability of a company’s website is more important now than ever since that is sometimes the first place a customer goes to get information or to make a complaint.

Top Places to Study on the West Bend Campus

Staying focused can be difficult. I find that the best way to get my assignments done is by doing them on campus. Sometimes it’s just easier to focus on academics in an academic setting. Here are a few places I like to work on homework on the West Bend campus:

Sitting Areas

The area outside the library has chairs, a couch, and computers in a relaxed environment. I’ve seen people work on group projects here. The Web Developer club hangs out here before our meetings.

If you peak around the wall, there are chairs and tables near the main entrance.

A lesser-known area has comfy seating on the upper floor. Take the steps or the elevator in the T hallway.

  

Cafeteria

The booths in the cafeteria are a great place to set up your laptop. You can easily plug it into the outlets above the tables if your battery is low.

The Dog is Burying Fishbowls?

As you may recall from my blog post, “The Ox May Die,” last semester, I was in a class called Document Processing at MPTC. This semester I am taking Advanced Document Processing, which is pretty much a continuation of what I was doing last spring.

I am convinced the writers of our book for this class had a sense of humor, because they have me write the most absurd things sometimes to improve my keyboarding skills and accuracy. Once day I had to type, “The big dog down by the lake may bury the eighty fishbowls” in the keyboard program used for the class.

Besides improving our speed and accuracy, we also learn and practice language skills and learn how to format documents. The first few lessons were review of such documents as memos, academic and business reports, and tables. Now I’m learning about formatting itineraries, agendas, and meeting minutes. The next time I type up meeting minutes for the Web Developer club, I’m going to format it this way. I really liked how clean and organized the minutes looked.

My tip this week is to apply what you’ve learned whenever you can. It reinforces skills and concepts learned, and it will also help you improve.

Looking Forward to an Awesome October

Week in Review: A Reflection of September 24 – 30

September has been a very busy month, and I imagine October will be more of the same. However, I am nearing the end of my accelerated Principles of Accounting class. It’s an eight-week course that started at the end of August. I’m pretty excited to have Wednesday nights free again soon; especial since the new fall TV shows have just started.

At the end of October I am going to the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities (APCA) Programming Conference in Iowa with some MPTC Student Senate members. At the conference we’ll get to check out entertainment acts we think students will like so we can have the acts perform at our campus in the future. I’m not quite sure what the weekend all entails since I’ve never been to anything like this before. I’ll be sure to take photos and video and tell you all about it when I come back.

The week before I go to the conference, I’ll be hosting my annual Halloween party. Everybody dresses up and we play BINGO for prizes. I’ve got my Halloween costume put together already. I won’t tell you what it is, but I will say that I have purple gloves that go up to my elbows.

The only downside to October is all this leaf raking that needs to be done. Can’t we just vacuum them off the tree? No? Okay, I’ll go back to raking now.

We May Need a Bigger Room

We may need to move to a bigger room next month. We had nearly 20 people show up to our first meeting of the Web Developer Club this semester. Just about everybody from last semester was there along with quite a few new people. I think the diversity of our members’ skills, experiences, and knowledge this year will allow for a very educational experience for everyone.

I was reelected for another year as the secretary of the Web Developer Club. As the secretary, it is my job to record meeting minutes.  I keep track of attendance at the meetings. I also like to send out an e-mail reminder to members two days before we meet each month. We elected a president, vice-president, treasurer, and a club representative during the meeting. A “club rep” is responsible for going to the Student Senate meetings and reporting to the senate what the club is doing. If we need additional funds, they fill out a form and request the funds during the senate meeting.

We had a lot of business-related things to discuss during the first meeting. We started off introducing ourselves, and the returning members shared stories about what the club has done in the past. There was some paperwork to fill out that we needed to send to the student life advisor so we are recognized as a campus club.

Get Organized: September Lunch ‘n Learn

What’s one thing just about everybody, especially college students, wishes they could be better at? It’s a skill useful in your work life as well as your personal life. If you’re good at it not only can it save you time, it can make your life easier.

The answer is, getting organized. Sometimes we need to figure out how to organize our things, and sometimes we need to figure out how to organize our time better. At September’s Lunch ‘n Learn we shared tips and discussed the struggles we face trying to organize things in our life. It seems like everybody wants to know how to be more organized.

I’ve tried to implement some organizational rules in a few rooms in my home to keep my things in order:

1. Objects must serve a purpose. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a functional thing. If it’s something very sentiment or beautiful, it has a purpose. If it’s something you don’t use and don’t like, don’t keep it.
2. Everything needs a designated place. It should go in a certain container, drawer, or cupboard. Label those areas if it helps.
3. The location of things needs to be logical. For example, I keep my hairbrush in the same spot in a drawer in my bathroom. I’ve used an overturned shoebox cover as a divider so my hairbrush is separated from everything else in the drawer. I don’t want to have to dig to find my brush, especially if I need to be somewhere at 8 a.m.

Four Assignments and a Wedding

Week in Review: A Reflection of September 10 – 16

This  gray wolf helps relieve stress

Last Wednesday I went to a Student Senate meeting at the West Bend campus. It was nice to see old as well as new faces. Adam, our student life advisor, gave us an overview of Student Government as well as gray wolf stress balls. We had nominations and elections for officer positions. We also discussed some upcoming events. There’s going to be a lot of things going on from now until the end of the semester!

I had a lot of things going on for homework as well. I had two integrated financial sheets to complete for accounting as well as starting a professional goal-setting project. For my Document Standards and Expectations class I had an editing assignment. In my Customer Service Essentials class I had to create a presentation about video sharing.

But, there wasn’t much time for homework this past weekend because my sister got married. I helped create the party favors that sit on the tables for dinner. They looked like little suits and wedding dresses with a ribbon tied around the waist. Those took a long time to make! So, come Monday and Tuesday, I spent the entire two days working on homework. I got everything done, but I sure did feel rushed.

How do you balance school life and family life?

The New Bubbler Story

Moraine Park Technical College’s West Bend campus had two new bubblers, also known to some as drinking fountains, installed this semester. Have you seen them yet? They’re pretty cool, and they helped me in my time of need, as you will see in the video.

Autumn at MPTC

Week in Review: A Reflection of September 3 – 9

It’s a little crazy to think three weeks of classes have already past. Where did the time go? For me, it has been so busy that the days are going by quickly. Autumn is my favorite season, so I hope it doesn’t go by too fast. Although, it seems we are still having mostly summer weather. Wisconsin likes to skip and rearrange seasons, I’ve noticed.

Mostly, I’ve been busy keeping up with my four classes. One class is accelerated. It’s an eight-week course that meets once per week for four hours. It is pretty intense, and I have more work to do in a shorter period of time, but I’ll be done in October. Then, I’ll have an extra night free.

I really enjoy October. I like seeing all the leaves change from green to bright red and orange. It’s a time for warm sweaters and Packer football. There are visits to the pumpkin farm for hayrides and hot apple cider and caramel apples covered in nuts. At school, we’re settled into our routine. We know what to expect when we go to class, and our new classmates are becoming our new friends.

What’s your favorite part of fall?

Technology is the Integrating Link

Week in Review: A Reflection of August 27 – September 2

In my accounting class we’re learning how financial statements are integrated. The net income (or net loss) on the income statement also appears on the statement of retained earnings. I’ve realized this week that my classes are also integrated. Concepts I’ve learned and topics we’ve discussed in my IT-Web Designer/Developer classes also appear in my Office Assistant classes.

Having finished quite a few of my web design classes, I’ve got a pretty solid foundation in web-related concepts. This semester I’m taking classes for my other program, which focus on business concepts. I can see now that the two programs are interrelated because web design companies are businesses and every business needs a website.

In my Customer Service Essentials class we talked about the role of technology in customer service. The Internet plays such an important part in customer service. A well designed website equals good customer service, because customers can find the information they need, such as hours of operation or answers to questions they have, easily. Businesses are using e-commerce, mobile apps, and online chat to assist customers.

I’m “Accounting” on a Few Bumps in the Road

I’m not going to lie. I was a little scared when I signed up to take Principles of Accounting this semester as part of my requirement for the Office Assistant program. I’ve always considered myself the creative type, and I was worried this class would put me out of my comfort zone.

I felt pretty apprehensive the first day when I took my seat among the other students I had never met before. We sat at round tables in groups of four and introduced ourselves and talked about our career goals. Our instructor started off with the basics like assets and liabilities, and we discussed how these terms could be applied to things in our lives.

At the end of class we took a sort of progress test to see what we understood so far. I didn’t do so well. Fortunately, our instructor offered us extra help if we were struggling with any of the concepts. A few of us showed up early for class the following week and the instructor cleared up any confusion we had. I retook the progress test and got all the questions right this time.

Later, during class, we delved in a little deeper into some accounting concepts. When it came time to test what we knew, I got everything correct! I could not believe that I actually understood how to use the equation we learned that day.

My First Day of Fall 2012 Classes

My lunchtime view

I sat down in the cafeteria after my first class was over on Wednesday. Then I thought to myself, what am I doing here? The weather was beautiful outside, and I could see some tables through the window. So I grabbed my books and my lunch and headed outside. It was the best decision I made that day. It rejuvenated me so I was alert during my class that evening.

Since I go to class only two days during the week, I’ve got some pretty long days. I’m still deciding how I want to spend my time during the breaks in between classes. So far the plan is to spend some time outside while the weather is good. I’ll probably work on homework during that time as well, after giving my brain a little break.

Free refills!

While walking to my second class I was happy to see the new drinking fountain, also known as a “bubbler” in many parts of Wisconsin, was already installed. I’ve got some Aleutian bottles I like to bring with me to campus. This bubbler will make it easy to fill my bottle up on long days.

My tip this week: Take the opportunity to sit outside at the picnic tables on campus to eat lunch or do homework while the weather is still nice.

Welcome (Back) to MPTC!

The first thing I went to the first week of the fall semester wasn’t class, it was the Welcome Back Lunch featuring comedian Adam Ace. It felt a little strange to be “back to school” but not back to class yet. It was a pretty good way to ease into the fall 2012 semester.

I met up with a friend from Student Senate in the cafeteria for the show and free lunch. Adam Ace had a lot of variety in his show. He incorporated people from the audience, including our own student life advisor, into the show. He got him and a student to dance on stage in funny costumes.

My Annual Reoccurring Dream

Week in Review: A Reflection of August 13 – 19

It’s usually around this time of the year I have the same reoccurring dream. I wake up and it is late, really late. It’s so late that not only have I missed the start of class, I’ve missed the entire class. In some scenarios I’m not aware I was suppose to be in a class until the end of the semester. Yikes!

But none of these dreams have ever come true. In fact, it’s unlikely I would oversleep enough this semester to miss a class since the earliest class I have starts at 11 a.m. So far I have not had these reoccurring dreams this year.

The only thing I needed to worry about this past week was how I was going to spend the last weekend of summer before classes start. I would like to tell you that I had an action-packed weekend in some exotic place, but really, for the most part, I just relaxed at home. It’s what I wanted to do since everything is going to get really busy really soon.

I did, however, venture out and made it to the Milwaukee County Zoo. I didn’t have to go to a foreign country to see giraffes, elephants, or monkeys. It was a pretty good day to be outside. Even though we had dark clouds, lightning, and thunder, we didn’t have any rain.

The Busiest Week of Summer

Week in Review: A Reflection of August 6 – 12

Between helping out with Tech Knowledge College, going to the Wisconsin State Fair, and my sister’s bridal shower, I had one of the busiest weeks of all summer.

I had never heard of “TKC” until very recently. Tech Knowledge College is an event that Moraine Park’s Fond du Lac campus hosts every year. Middle school students get the opportunity to choose from a wide range of educational opportunities such as manufacturing yo-yos, engineering, auto tech, web design, and many other subjects. The students learning to cook put on a tea party on the last day, which I attended. They did an amazing job! The banquet table looked absolutely beautiful, and it was filled with all kinds of foods I had never tried.

TKC has been running for more than 20 years. It’s a shame I didn’t know about it when I was in middle school. The yo-yo class and the animation class would probably have been on the top of my list. I was never good with yo-yo tricks, but I sure did like them anyways.

Happy Birthday Harry

Week in Review:  A Reflection of July 30 – August 5

The Knight Bus makes a stop at my house

My friends and I have been reading and watching the Harry Potter series since grade school. We even performed a skit I wrote and directed about the Harry Potter characters at the local bookstore for one of the book releases. The absence of any new books or movies this year, and for the foreseeable future, had us feeling pretty down. So, we decided to have a Harry Potter movie marathon party a few days after Harry Potter’s birthday.

Pumpkin Pasties

There are eight movies, so it really was a full weekend. By watching all of the films back-to-back, we were able to appreciate the story of Harry Potter as a whole rather than as individual adventures.

To keep with the theme of the weekend we made a few Harry Potter related foods and beverages. Pumpkin pasties are made with sugar cookie dough and pumpkin pie filling. We made butterbeer using cream soda, vanilla ice cream, and butterscotch. The recipe we used said to put in actual butter, but I don’t recommend it.

A Fair Time for Rain

Week in Review: A Reflection of July 23 – 29 

It was like someone was turning a faucet on and off on Friday when I went to the Washington County Fair. I won’t complain about the rain, though, since we really needed it. Luckily, there are exhibits in the building so there’s a place to get away from the rain and have something fun to do. It’s my favorite part of the fair actually. I like looking at the photographs, furniture, and cakes that people make.

On Saturday my friends and I went to see a movie. We are trying to spend as much time as possible together, because everyone is going to be busy starting at the end of August. We’re trying to get together this coming weekend as well.

There is less than a month before my classes start at Moraine Park Technical College. I’m looking forward to new classes and seeing many classmates and clubmates I haven’t seen for a while. Since we compared schedules at the end of last semester, I know I’ll have a few classes with some of them.

If you’re a new or returning student, don’t forget to come to the Welcome Back events during the first week of classes. You can find out what’s going on and where by visiting my Events page or logging into your myMPTC account and clicking on the “Student Life” tab.

New Student Orientation Recap

I’m not a new student, but I did go to MPTC’s new student orientation in West Bend last week. I sat at a table with my poster, a sign-up sheet, and some candy not only to recruit new Web Developer Club members, but also to promote campus clubs in general.

Club involvement is a great way to network with your peers and professions, learn something new or hone your skills, and travel to businesses or conventions. I highly recommend new and even returning students, to check out clubs related to their field of study or interests by attending one of their meetings in the beginning of the semester. You don’t need to commit right away, just see what it’s all about.

My French Day Trip

I saw the Eiffel Tower this past weekend. My friends and I hopped in the car, drove to Milwaukee, and walked three blocks to Cathedral Square Park for Bastille Days. A much smaller version of the Eiffel Tower awaited us along with food, music, and vender tents.

The jewelry the venders were selling should have had a “Do Not Touch” sign next to them because the metal and plastic was burning hot in the sun. Some were almost literally untouchable. There was lots of French food I couldn’t pronounce, but there was American and Mexican food as well. It seems like you can always get a hamburger no mater where you go. Some of my friends were pretty excited to delve into large chocolate covered crepes.

My favorite part of the day was when we were sitting at a table in the shade listening to live opera on stage. The singer came to the part of the song that must have been marked double forte. What a powerful voice! She was so loud she startled a lady who was walking past the area. She pretty much stopped in her tracks for a second. It was hilarious.

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot Outside

Week in Review: A Reflection of July 2 – 8

The American flag at night

It has been hot, hot, hot outside! I was able to cool off for a bit in my friend’s pool on the Fourth of July. I skipped the fireworks at the park this year in favor of the air conditioning. We stayed inside and watched some movies. Next year we’ll probably have to wear sweaters to watch the fireworks I bet!

I’ve been getting a lot of back-to-college flyers from stores in the mail lately so I know the fall semester is coming soon. There are lots of things to do to prepare for the first day of classes in August. I’ll need to pay my tuition in July, pick up my books from the bookstore, and get a few school supplies.

But, it’s not time for class just yet, so I’m looking forward to a few more summer events. I may be going to Bastille Days in Milwaukee this coming weekend. I’ve never been to it before, so I hope these plans don’t fall through.

July flies by quickly, so enjoy the rest of your summer!

Keepsakes of the Past

Week in Review: A Reflection of June 25 - July 1

My kindergarten picture

While going through some things on my bookshelf, I came across one of my photo albums. Inside were a lot of miscellaneous things I have kept throughout the years. I have awards of achievement, certificates for participation, and programs from performances.

Toward the back of the book is my class photo from kindergarten. I love that I still have this photo after all these years. I get a kick out of the fashion and hairstyles. I’m amazed that I still keep in touch with some of these people. Keeping mementos from your past can be fun, because you can look back at an object and recall an entire story. It’s also something you can show your children and grandchildren.