It’s Been One Week

Week in Review: A Reflection of January 21 – 27

How nice it was to see a familiar face in my first class of the semester on Tuesday.  She’s a friend I met in a previous semester while working on a group project. We are in the same program so naturally there was good chance we’d have class together again. The instructor said this course would be a hybrid class so we’ll meet in class part of the time and the other part we’ll be online using the discussion section of eCollege. During the first class meeting we spoke about the importance of managing records and the consequences of companies who had poor document management. It’s one of the easiest ways a company can loose money, time, privacy, and the trust of their customers and other stakeholders.

My last remaining general education class is Team Building and Problem Solving. I elected to take the in-class version of this course. We started with a “web icebreaker” in which the class stood in a large circle and passed a ball of yarn around while holding onto the thread that linked us together. We discussed what this activity meant when it’s applied to working in a team. Later on during class we watched a video about a fish market in Seattle. They have a certain philosophy when it comes to work that makes it fun for them and for the customers. There are some really good strategies that can be applied in a team setting.

The first week of classes went by quickly and we’re already onto the next. Besides going to my new classes during the second week of the semester, I also have a few other things to attend on campus. The first Lunch ‘n Learn is on Tuesday at noon on the West Bend campus. Student Senate has sponsored a free massage day, and I have signed up for a time slot before my class on Wednesday. Speaking of Student Senate, our first meeting is on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. If you’re at the West Bend campus, come check it out!

My First Intensity Trivia-Based Game Show

How good are you at trivia? During this semester’s welcome back lunch, we got to test our knowledge about sports, video games, TV shows, math, and geography during a trivia-based game show hosted in the cafeteria at the West Bend campus. There were actual podiums with microphones, buzzers, and electronic points.

The people in the audience got to participate by using a remote to select the right answer. My team ended up in fifth place, so we didn’t get to go up to the podiums like the first four people.

Between trivia there were also silly tasks to do in order to win cash and gift cards. I went up to the front of the room to play a game with plastic cups and rubber bands. I won $15.

Before the game show began, the cafeteria was serving up free chicken and mash potatoes with gravy, and the salad bar was open. What a fun way to start the semester with free food and prizes. Now it’s time to go to class and get down to business.

The End of Winter Break

Butterhorns fresh from the oven

It’s certainly not the end of winter, but it is the end of winter break. In some ways it has gone quickly, as it always does, but in other ways it feels like it’s been a long time since I sat in a classroom. Here’s a little bit of what I did during break:

I went to my nephew’s program on Christmas Eve. My very young niece had little patience for sitting in a gymnasium and promptly ran out of her slightly-too-large shoes, literally, every time we set her feet on the floor.

On Christmas morning, my immediate family made a large breakfast. My brother made the pancakes, I made the bacon, my sister made the scrambled eggs, and my mom woke up before everyone else to make the traditional butterhorns. At my grandma’s house we had our secret Santa gift exchange raffle. I ended up with a nice, large fleece blanket and a gift card for a restaurant. I like practical, very useful gifts. My uncle ended up with the secret Santa gift I gave which was a kit that included things like a very large packet of batteries, tissues, and other things that you may run out of during the winter.

5 Things to Do Before Your Semester Begins

1. View your schedule.

Make sure you know what classes you signed up for, which campus they are at, the room location, and the times they meet. You can find this information by signing into the myMPTC portal, go to the student tab, and on the right side of the screen, click My Schedule. I recommend printing or writing down your schedule rather than trying to memorize it.

2. Check your student e-mail.

Sometimes instructor will send you an e-mail a few days before classes start. They may let you know what you need to bring or prepare for the first day of class or they’re just sending you a message to introduce themselves.

3. Make sure you have all your textbooks.

You can find out what books you need by going to the campus bookstore website and looking up the CRN (class registration number). You can also go directly to the bookstore with your class schedule and they will help you out.

4. Take inventory of your supplies.

Do you have all the notebooks, folders, and jump drives you need for your classes? Gather pens, pencils, highlighters, or whatever types of tools you may need for your program. Keep them all in one spot.

5. Look for welcome back events.

At the beginning of the semester there are usually entertainment acts performing on campus, free food, and/or giveaways. You can find out what’s going on by click on the events page of my blog, visiting the myMPTC portal online, or looking at the flyers posted in the halls on campus.

How do you prepare for the beginning of a new semester? Share your tips in the comments. For those of you starting classes soon, good luck and I hope you have a great semester!

Representing the Web Club at New Student Orientation

Web Club members Patrick, Brandon, and Dwayne

It seems like the fall new student orientation wasn’t very long ago, yet here I was at the spring 2013 orientation welcoming in a new group of students. Even though I went through the orientation more than two years ago, I still remember what it was like. I was unprepared for the slightly overwhelming feeling I had that day. I was starting something new, and that’s the moment when it hit me. I didn’t know what my classes, my instructors, or even my classmates were going to be like. Would I like my classes? Could I keep up with the work? Will I meet anybody I could relate to? As I settled into my classes my anxiety was subdued. With everything that is new, you need to allow yourself some time to adjust. That day for me was the beginning of an adventure and now I feel at home when I’m on campus.

This year I, along with some other students in the West Bend Student Senate, were part of a panel. We answered some commonly asked questions as well as some great questions from new students. The panel has some great advice about getting involved and taking advantage of Moraine Park’s services.

I was also at the orientation to represent the Web Developer Club. Three other members of the club came to speak with students about our club. As I’ve said numerous times, I highly encourage students no matter what program they’re in to join a club. Check one out this spring!

I think the most important thing the new students took away from the orientation is to just ask.  Ask your instructors, MPTC staff, and even returning students if you have any questions about anything. There is always someone here to help. We’re friendly like that.

Web Developer Club December Meeting

Staying indoors on my computer during the storm

The fact that Winter Storm Draco hit our area and the MPTC campuses were closed didn’t stop us from having our last Web Developer Club meeting of the semester. It did, however, stop us from meeting in person. Most of our club members took a break from shoveling wet snow to meet online during our usual meeting time.

We started off discussing how our semester went. Our advisor had some good news to tell us. He’s lined up a tour for us this spring at a local business related to our field of study.

Between the club members we shared more than a dozen online resources which included things like stock images and footage sites, a site that helps you send really large files, a site that helps you find your site’s ratings, and several sites for design inspiration.

Since some of the club members are in the process of looking for internships and jobs, we discussed what they have found employers are looking for in their employees.

I’ll be seeing some of the club members in person very soon at the New Student Orientation. If you’re a new MPTC student, be sure to visit some of the clubs’ tables. I look forward to seeing you there!