Hello all! I hope you are having a great beginning to your 2009-2010 school year! I have totally neglected my blog. I thought I would keep up with it, but once my FLC classes were over last semester, I stopped blogging....I was just too busy. Bummer!
So, I am back at it again for my new crop of FLC/STEP students! I am very excited about this year in particular. I have all kinds of irons in the fire and I continue to work on building the research programs in the College of Science and Technology. We had a great summer filled with exciting STEP student research!
So, here's hoping for a smooth transition to college life for everyone! Don't stress too much, have some patience, work on your study skills, visit the math lab and don't forget to have some fun!!!
Stay motivated, stay involved!
Welcome, class of 2013!!!
"Smooth seas do not make for skilled sailors"--Old English Proverb
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Advice at Mid-term
Ok, I have been a slacker on my blog....
After reading many of your blogs, I have come to learn that many of you are really struggling. Some of you are doing great and adjusting well...making good grades, working, making friends etc.
For others, this is not the case. For what its worth...I told you so (LOL, don't I sound like your mother!). Seriously, college isn't for everyone. College is hard. You have to give 110% to your studies. You may or may not be able to handle college and working. YOU (and only you) have to decide what is important to you and get a game plan. Can you still work and make B's or better to keep HOPE? Maybe...maybe not. Should you drop out and go into the Navy or the Army...maybe, maybe not (they will pay for your school after 4 years of enlistment...and they have many jobs for you after college as an officer; they even pay for medical school).
YOU my friends, are NOT a dissapointment in any way. You are a normal college student, a normal freshman trying to figure out your place in this world. It is an adjustment to say the least. Do not be discouraged. Do your best and if you find that what you are doing isn't for you..change your major, drop a class, regroup....join the military, get a regular job, take a break and tour Europe. Pray. Find yourself. Once you do that, you may find youself more committed to the end prize.
After reading many of your blogs, I have come to learn that many of you are really struggling. Some of you are doing great and adjusting well...making good grades, working, making friends etc.
For others, this is not the case. For what its worth...I told you so (LOL, don't I sound like your mother!). Seriously, college isn't for everyone. College is hard. You have to give 110% to your studies. You may or may not be able to handle college and working. YOU (and only you) have to decide what is important to you and get a game plan. Can you still work and make B's or better to keep HOPE? Maybe...maybe not. Should you drop out and go into the Navy or the Army...maybe, maybe not (they will pay for your school after 4 years of enlistment...and they have many jobs for you after college as an officer; they even pay for medical school).
YOU my friends, are NOT a dissapointment in any way. You are a normal college student, a normal freshman trying to figure out your place in this world. It is an adjustment to say the least. Do not be discouraged. Do your best and if you find that what you are doing isn't for you..change your major, drop a class, regroup....join the military, get a regular job, take a break and tour Europe. Pray. Find yourself. Once you do that, you may find youself more committed to the end prize.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
How to get a good letter of recommendation...
I am often asked to write letters of recommendation for students. In fact, I am asked ALL THE TIME. I get at least 10-20 requests a semester. That is 1-2 per week. They tend to come in spurts as all the deadlines for pharmacy school, medical school, graduate school, scholarships etc. tend to cluster around the same dates.
I have some students in more than one class. I have some students in my research group. These are the students whose letters are easy to write because I see them daily, see their work daily, I really know what they are capable of. But, today I was working on a letter for a student that I only had for one semester. This student is applying to medical school and has a great shot at it. I am writing the letter for an entire committee of faculty (4) as some schools require this type of letter (one letter, instead of 4 separate letters). A number of things stood out to me about her...these things make it EASY for me to write a letter for her even though I don't know her well. This got me thinking about how a student can go about getting a good letter.
I will summarize the pointers for getting a good letter below.
1.) Ask the right people. Ask people who know you well. If there aren't people who know you well, then you might need to work on your interpersonal skills and get to know the faculty a little better!!!
2.) Give the person writing the letter PLENTY of notice. Like at least 2 weeks, preferably more. I have been really busy lately and it has taken me a while to do my recent letters.
3.) Give the person writing the letter a copy of your latest resume and some of the application materials you turned in (such as a personal statement). These items help them learn even more about you so that they can write a letter that says more than "Bob made an A in my class. He came to class on time and did all his homework." Can we say BORING?????
4.) Be noticeable in your departments and majors. Know the faculty, participate in clubs, go to functions. Spend time chatting with your advisor if they have time to talk. Do undergraduate research. Take more classes than are required to get your degree. Try to do the homework problems before asking the instructor to help you finish the problem. Show initiative. Come to office hours. Keep appointments if you make them.
5.) DON'T be a whiner that is late to class or late turning in your homework. Don't be the one that begs to have the test moved every time. If you make a bad grade on a test, do what you can to improve...don't pester the teacher about every half point that they took off of your test. Don't argue with them. It makes you look like a pain in the a$$.
6.) Give clear instructions about what is to be sent to the school (letter and form, form only etc.) and make sure that the address is correct. If the letter can be submitted electronically, provide the correct web address.
7.) Follow up. Give the teacher a week or so and email or call them to remind them to do the letter. We all get busy and things fall off of our to do lists. Its not intentional.
Hope this helps!
I have some students in more than one class. I have some students in my research group. These are the students whose letters are easy to write because I see them daily, see their work daily, I really know what they are capable of. But, today I was working on a letter for a student that I only had for one semester. This student is applying to medical school and has a great shot at it. I am writing the letter for an entire committee of faculty (4) as some schools require this type of letter (one letter, instead of 4 separate letters). A number of things stood out to me about her...these things make it EASY for me to write a letter for her even though I don't know her well. This got me thinking about how a student can go about getting a good letter.
I will summarize the pointers for getting a good letter below.
1.) Ask the right people. Ask people who know you well. If there aren't people who know you well, then you might need to work on your interpersonal skills and get to know the faculty a little better!!!
2.) Give the person writing the letter PLENTY of notice. Like at least 2 weeks, preferably more. I have been really busy lately and it has taken me a while to do my recent letters.
3.) Give the person writing the letter a copy of your latest resume and some of the application materials you turned in (such as a personal statement). These items help them learn even more about you so that they can write a letter that says more than "Bob made an A in my class. He came to class on time and did all his homework." Can we say BORING?????
4.) Be noticeable in your departments and majors. Know the faculty, participate in clubs, go to functions. Spend time chatting with your advisor if they have time to talk. Do undergraduate research. Take more classes than are required to get your degree. Try to do the homework problems before asking the instructor to help you finish the problem. Show initiative. Come to office hours. Keep appointments if you make them.
5.) DON'T be a whiner that is late to class or late turning in your homework. Don't be the one that begs to have the test moved every time. If you make a bad grade on a test, do what you can to improve...don't pester the teacher about every half point that they took off of your test. Don't argue with them. It makes you look like a pain in the a$$.
6.) Give clear instructions about what is to be sent to the school (letter and form, form only etc.) and make sure that the address is correct. If the letter can be submitted electronically, provide the correct web address.
7.) Follow up. Give the teacher a week or so and email or call them to remind them to do the letter. We all get busy and things fall off of our to do lists. Its not intentional.
Hope this helps!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Getting Bad News...DON'T GIVE UP
Ok, so this week was test week. Now, you probably see what I was talking about in class. You cannot procrastinate. All these exams come at the same time. You cannot learn college level work in one day. You need to see your professors in their office hours.
Think about what we talked about the other day. What kind of learner are you? Have you found study methods that work for you? If not, try something else. Go to the tutor center, give yourself more time to study. Study in a group, work problems. Talk about what you are learning.
I hope everyone did well on their exams. I am sooooo happy for everyone that studied and did your best on every exam this week!!! But, if you didn't...please think really hard about what you can do to make improvments. You are not a lost cause at anything. You may just have to work harder than you did in high school. This is the real world.
"One must learn by doing the thing, for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try." Aristotle
Think about what we talked about the other day. What kind of learner are you? Have you found study methods that work for you? If not, try something else. Go to the tutor center, give yourself more time to study. Study in a group, work problems. Talk about what you are learning.
I hope everyone did well on their exams. I am sooooo happy for everyone that studied and did your best on every exam this week!!! But, if you didn't...please think really hard about what you can do to make improvments. You are not a lost cause at anything. You may just have to work harder than you did in high school. This is the real world.
"One must learn by doing the thing, for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try." Aristotle
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Hanna Hanna Bo Banna!
Do you all remamber that song from when you were a kid? You put the person's name, then sang that rhyming song?
I haven't blogged in a while, been really busy (classes, meetings, having a nice break on Labor Day)...but we sit now waiting to hear if school will be canceled or if we will have an evacuation etc., due to Hanna. Yea, life on the southeast coast. Just so you know, AASU only closes if there is a voluntary evacuation of the islands...so you need to keep going to class until you hear otherwise!
Speaking of women, I am personally stoked that Sarah Palin is the VP nominee. I just think she is great. I love that a woman, outsider, reformer, conservative, mother etc. is in the running. As a working mom myself, it just makes me happy. It can be done, don't let the naysayers fool you. I hope everyone tunes into her speech tonight and gives her a chance.
Next blog will be about what we are talking about in class.... "What kind of learner are you?" Stay tuned!
I haven't blogged in a while, been really busy (classes, meetings, having a nice break on Labor Day)...but we sit now waiting to hear if school will be canceled or if we will have an evacuation etc., due to Hanna. Yea, life on the southeast coast. Just so you know, AASU only closes if there is a voluntary evacuation of the islands...so you need to keep going to class until you hear otherwise!
Speaking of women, I am personally stoked that Sarah Palin is the VP nominee. I just think she is great. I love that a woman, outsider, reformer, conservative, mother etc. is in the running. As a working mom myself, it just makes me happy. It can be done, don't let the naysayers fool you. I hope everyone tunes into her speech tonight and gives her a chance.
Next blog will be about what we are talking about in class.... "What kind of learner are you?" Stay tuned!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Day, n. A period of twenty-four hours, mostly misspent. ~Ambrose Bierce
Ahh....time management. It is hard to get motivated, hard to stay motivated and hard to schedule the tings you need to do over the things you'd rather be doing.
I used to be better at managing my time. I used to get more done. That was of course before adding a second child to my life. Now, I "waste" many a hours playing with both my children. Not a waste to me....just what I choose to focus my free time on.
I struggle at work though, keeping motivated. I have to make lists of what I need to do. I have to keep a calendar. I have to schedule time to work on class materials or write grant proposals. If I don't, I'll spend the day checking email and chatting with colleagues.
But, for students, time is a constant reminder of another deadline, another exam, another paper due. It is hard to keep it all straight. First, you have to have a calendar. Electronic is fine, but a paper calendar works just fine. You cannot get things done in time if you don't know when they are due. Second, you cannot procrastinate. I have heard it many times..."If I study too early, I'll forget the information...I have to study the night before." I don't believe it and I don't buy it as an excuse. If you are "studying" the night before, you aren't learning material at all, you are memorizing...memorizing terms and the way problems are done. That is fine, if the professor never asks you to apply what you "learned" to a new concept or problem. Many a student has gotten by just by memorizing. But, if you really want an "A" in a class, you will learn the material,(not just memorize it), at a slow and steady pace that builds confidence over panic.
The distinction is real and the results are real. Try slow and steady studying for just one semester. I think you will be converted to this method!
Watches are so named as a reminder - if you don't watch carefully what you do with your time, it will slip away from you. ~Drew Sirtors
I used to be better at managing my time. I used to get more done. That was of course before adding a second child to my life. Now, I "waste" many a hours playing with both my children. Not a waste to me....just what I choose to focus my free time on.
I struggle at work though, keeping motivated. I have to make lists of what I need to do. I have to keep a calendar. I have to schedule time to work on class materials or write grant proposals. If I don't, I'll spend the day checking email and chatting with colleagues.
But, for students, time is a constant reminder of another deadline, another exam, another paper due. It is hard to keep it all straight. First, you have to have a calendar. Electronic is fine, but a paper calendar works just fine. You cannot get things done in time if you don't know when they are due. Second, you cannot procrastinate. I have heard it many times..."If I study too early, I'll forget the information...I have to study the night before." I don't believe it and I don't buy it as an excuse. If you are "studying" the night before, you aren't learning material at all, you are memorizing...memorizing terms and the way problems are done. That is fine, if the professor never asks you to apply what you "learned" to a new concept or problem. Many a student has gotten by just by memorizing. But, if you really want an "A" in a class, you will learn the material,(not just memorize it), at a slow and steady pace that builds confidence over panic.
The distinction is real and the results are real. Try slow and steady studying for just one semester. I think you will be converted to this method!
Watches are so named as a reminder - if you don't watch carefully what you do with your time, it will slip away from you. ~Drew Sirtors
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Sunshine on My Shoulders....makes me happy!
Ahhh yes, living on the coast. It sure is grand. That is until some tropical system comes by and wipes you out or floods you. Granted we need the rain, but I think that it has been raining for 2 weeks! Geez. Great time to be in class or in lab, instead of hanging at the beach :-)
I have now met with all of my classes at least once this semester. I have a great group! My seniors are becoming independent in the lab and learning how to become good public speakers! My freshmen, well, they are learning the ropes...some are having a smoother transition than others. But, overall I think that they will soon beging to embrace their new found freedom and responsibility.
So, as you are doing your homework by candle light tonight, listening to the wind and the rain...don't fret about the weather, you cannot control it. Focus on things you can control--like YOUR HABITS and YOUR GRADES. Its the beginning of the semester and what you make of it is up to you!
"Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight." Benjamin Franklin
"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out." Robert Collier
I have now met with all of my classes at least once this semester. I have a great group! My seniors are becoming independent in the lab and learning how to become good public speakers! My freshmen, well, they are learning the ropes...some are having a smoother transition than others. But, overall I think that they will soon beging to embrace their new found freedom and responsibility.
So, as you are doing your homework by candle light tonight, listening to the wind and the rain...don't fret about the weather, you cannot control it. Focus on things you can control--like YOUR HABITS and YOUR GRADES. Its the beginning of the semester and what you make of it is up to you!
"Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight." Benjamin Franklin
"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out." Robert Collier
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)