What Should I Do With My Summer?

It’s easy to get out of shape during the summer when it comes to your mind. If you don’t do anything to keep your mind active, you may feel a little mentally sluggish when classes start in the fall. Here are a few tips to keep your mind and body in shape this summer.

Take a Summer Class
Whether it’s for fun or for credit, taking one or two classes during the summer is a good way to keep you in the learning mode.

Read Books
It doesn’t matter if it’s specifically educational or non-fiction or fiction. I’ve always read something during the summer. Right now I’m reading “Mockingjay,” the third book in “The Hunger Games” series. When I’m done with that, I’ll be reading a book called “The New Rules of Marketing & PR.”

Start a New Hobby
The Internet has made learning a new hobby easy. Try cooking or something crafty. You can visit YouTube to learn all sorts of things. You can find how-to websites that provide tutorials and demonstrations. Don’t forget that the local library is a great resource for anything you may be interested in.

A Very Spring Weekend

Week in Review: A Reflection of April 9 – April 15

I spent part of my weekend at the lake house celebrating my former roommate’s birthday. It was nice to go on a sort of mini vacation only a few hours away from West Bend. It was sunny and warm and it felt like summer.

The weather was perfect up until Saturday night. We had some very scattered thunderstorms roll through. Luckily, the storms were nowhere near as severe as they were down south. It is definitely spring, so make sure you’re prepared for any kind of weather.

There’s a few more weeks left until the end of the semester, so I better stop thinking about summer and get back to thinking about my assignments. Only a handful left to complete!

My Summer Visit to the MPTC Library

It’s been more than a month since the end of the spring semester and I haven’t spent any time on campus since then until recently. I had a morning free, so I decided to stop at the MPTC library for a few hours.

While walking through the halls, I noticed some construction going on. It looks like the West Bend Moraine Park bookstore is getting a makeover. There was a sign saying it has moved temporarily to a different room.

The campus was a bit livelier than I had expected it to be, though not as busy as it is during the fall and spring semesters. I suppose there are quite a few people taking advantage of summer classes and the library’s computers. The cafeteria was open, too.

I spent my time looking through some Web design books. There is a section in the library where those books are kept so it was easy to browse. I freshened up on some basics and learned a few new things. If I have time, I’ll come back in a few weeks to browse through the books again. Only two months of summer vacation left!

Summer Plans

It’s been a long semester and an even longer winter, but it is finally summer! It’s like nature’s reward for working hard throughout the academic year. Let’s go enjoy some sunshine!

For some this is just a short break before summer classes begin. I won’t be taking any summer classes for my program, but there are some community classes I’m considering taking that are related to art and computers. As I mentioned before, I will be working on building my own personal website. I’ll be putting the work from this year’s classes into an online portfolio. Whether I take a class or not, I’ll still be on campus occasionally. I plan on visiting the Moraine Park Technical College library during the summer to check out books about web design I’ve seen but not had the time to read.

Summer is a good time to keep learning on your own outside of the classroom if you’ve got the time. I recommend looking for internships and volunteer opportunities. You may not be paid in cash, but you’ll be paid in experience. It’s something that looks good on your résumé, too. I do graphic design work for my church. It’s fun and rewarding to use your talents to help out organizations you’re involved in. Plus, they make me feel so appreciated!

I probably won’t be going on any big trips or travel very far, but I’m going to try to plan some of those “staycations” that are so popular right now. There are plenty of things to do right here in Wisconsin. I’ll be visiting the zoo and, maybe, Old World Wisconsin. It also might be time for my first Brewer’s game.

On a parting note, I would like to say congratulations to those who have graduated this past Saturday! You did it!

Summer/Fall Registration is Upon Us

While it’s easy to be focusing on this semester’s classes, it’s already that time of the year to start thinking about next semester’s classes. Summer/Fall registration is upon us!

Summer class registration has already started. Summer is a good time to take some general education classes, which usually means a lighter load during the academic year. Since I already have a degree, there aren’t many general education classes for me to take. I thought about taking a class or two, but I decided not to this summer. Instead, I’ll be working on building my personal website where I will be posting an online portfolio with things like my resume and links to my past work. A short vacation or two would be nice to squeeze in before fall as well!

Fall class registration for me is in April, too. Next week I will be registering for classes. I like to write down the CRN number and double-check the time and campus location ahead of time so I’m set to register at 7:30 am. I will be taking Graphics for the Web, Beginning Photoshop and Career Development.

At the beginning of last semester, I met with my advisor to make sure I was taking the right classes. It gets a little complicated knowing what classes you do or don’t have to take when you transfer from another school, especially if you already have a degree. If you’re a current student and haven’t checked in with your advisor, I recommend you do so. He or she can give you advice about what order to take your classes in and let you know if you’ve overlooked something. I didn’t realize I had to take Computer Literacy until I talked to my advisor. Also, don’t wait until your last semester to set up a short meeting with them! You can find out who your advisor is by signing in to myMPTC, click on the “Student” tab, and scroll down to the bottom-right corner. Your advisor’s name should appear. Ta-da!

A few last tips about registration that I have learned through the years:

Look up your registration date and time, write it on the calendar and don’t forget to register. Make sure you get into those classes you need to take, especially those prerequisites needed for future classes. Don’t over-schedule yourself. If you work, have a family and are taking 17 credits in one semester, it may be too much for anyone to take on. It was tempting to take a full-time load, but I think it would have been too overwhelming for me to work 26 hours a week, go to class and do the homework. I believe class work should always reflect quality over quantity. It’s more fulfilling to see two “A+” at the end of the semester than five “B-”.

To find class offerings for Summer/Fall visit:

http://www.morainepark.edu/programs

To see Fall registration dates for returning program students by program, visit:

http://libs.morainepark.edu/docs/academic-affairs/registration/program-registration-dates.pdf

To look up class requirements for your program, or a program you’re interested in, visit:

http://www.morainepark.edu/programs-and-courses/programs-of-study/