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!

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.