I'm so excited about the upcoming quarter at Berkeley, I feel like I'm going to a concert to see my favorite celebrity. I know there'll be no shortage of interesting subjects and activities to partake in, like the International Club and other school-sponsored trips. I can utilize my vacation time at work and arrange to go on some of these trips. I saw last quarter that there was a walking tour around Philadelphia, and how I really wished that I could go. But I always remind myself, "There's always next quarter."

And as usual, there's the Berkeley Student Blackboard, which keeps us informed about different activities at different campuses, as well as student polls ranging from serious to silly (but fun nonetheless). I also want to utilize the Career Board more fully this time around and explore my options. Perhaps I could find a job closer to my major in Business/Finance. I also plan to utilize the Financial Aid board more and look for scholarships that can help with some of the cost of tuition and books. I saw one particular scholarship that I'm applying for, and I hope I can get it, while still working my way through school. This quarter just holds so much promise for me; this isn't to say it's all smooth sailing, but I'm back in school. That's a major accomplishment in itself. So many people talk about going back to school, but don't know where to start or how to begin. Berkeley is a great start, and you feel no pressure from the counselors, only encouragement.

I'm so excited about the upcoming quarter. Just think, a new quarter and a new year all at the same time....as well as a welcome to all the new freshman and a welcome back to all the current students (be you online or on campus). I get excited just thinking about what we'll be learning in Philosophy; maybe I'll learn a little more about myself and my fellow classmates. It's like a show I watched on t.v. where the mom went back to school and she exclaimed, "I got excited just picking up my books!!!" Okay, so I haven't quite hit THAT level of euphoria yet, but going back to school is definitely the best decision I ever made for myself.

Also, to the individual who wanted to know whether or not to pursue online learning as opposed to classroom learning, I'd say this: it all depends on your schedule and flexibility. I chose online learning because I am a full-time worker who also has other responsibilities. And although I haven't yet gotten a computer, the great thing about Berkeley is that as a student, you are allowed to access their campuses to use the computers that they have there, while you can scrimp and save for your own desktop (or laptop, depending how on-the-go you are). And Berkeley has teamed up with Dell to offer students a discount on Dell computers and software. So it's a viable option all the way around. Whatever you decide, just know that hard work and dedication to your studies will ultimately make the grade. Good luck, and welcome to Berkeley (if this is your first year).

So I went on Blackboard recently and saw messages from my professors for next quarter. I'm very excited that I'm going to be learning Powerpoint this semester in my CIS 125 class. Powerpoint is a lot of fun; it's like a slide show on computer. And of course, with all of the Microsoft Office programs updated to 2007, it'll really be interesting to see what can be done with Powerpoint. I expect nothing short of amazing things in this class.

My Business 265 class also looks like an interesting one; it looks almost similar to what we've covered in our Business Admin. 110 class. We also have to do a business report (probably something similar to what I had to do in high school), which could turn out to be a lot of fun. I think it's exciting to do your own research and be able to share with your classmates what you've found out.

Philosophy looks to be the class I may have to work a little harder at than the others this semester. I know I'm not a slacker, but I was just reading the course description, and I can't help but feel slightly intimidated. But with some hard work and effort, I'm sure I'll be able to successfully pass the class this coming quarter. It's hard to believe I already have one quarter behind me.

The Career Services Network is another avenue available to us via the Student Blackboard. It has a wealth of information regarding full-and-part-time positions that we can obtain while working toward our various degrees. I haven't actually had a chance to really search it thoroughly, but I intend to. There really seems to be a wealth of information regarding how to become a manager, mentoring as a tool for success, and how our Internet profiles via MySpace, Facebook, and others can help us in our career goals (finally obtaining that perfect position at some point in our career).

The CSN also offers information on various internships that students could partake in; I did not realize that you could inquire about using your own employer for possible internships. This would be particularly helpful for those students (such as myself) who may not necessarily want to leave their employers, but may want to advance within the company itself. There are also valuable resume writing skills to be had. A Resume Writing Handbook is available to download and print off the computer for your own personal reference. So, it would be in our best interests to take advantage of EVERY avenue Berkeley College offers us via the Blackboard. I intend to take advantage of this one fully.

I said it before, but it bears repeating: there is a WEALTH of information on the Student Blackboard, particularly if you're an online student and do most of your communicating via computer. The different activities that you can get involved in, the financial aid information (saw a few scholarships I wanna apply for), student accounts: it's all at your fingertips with a few clicks of the mouse and a few strokes of the keys. This is how I was able to find out the library hours for all of the Berkeley campuses in New Jersey. Maybe one day when I'm visiting my sister in Brooklyn and I have some coursework to finish, I could travel to one of the New York campuses. And when my sister brings up the subject of school again, I'm gonna volley hard for Berkeley.

As for classes, I was pleasantly surprised at my grades this semester. Not that I didn't work hard (because I did), but I did have a little bit of trouble with some of my assignments. But thank goodness for the wonderful professors at Berkeley College. It really takes a lot to be a good professor. You have to be firm, yet understanding, making sure that the student really gets the information that you're giving to him. And my current GPA can really help me when I go to apply for certain scholarships. Another thing that will help me tremendously is getting involved in some of the student activities that I speak so repetitiously of (that's because I really want to be involved in some small way; but I guess I am with the student polls), because most committees want to know about your extracurricular activities and volunteer efforts. This is my third time in school, and as they say, I want the third time to be the charm. I want to go on educational trips and see sights that I can come back and share with you, the Berkeley students and staff.

I really am enjoying being a correspondent for Berkeley College, but sometimes I feel that I fall short, especially when reading the other students' blogs. I know it's because I'm busy with other things and simply don't have the time to participate in other activities on campus and outside of the classrooom (both real and virtual), but I still have a feeling of wanting to really belong. And when I say really belong, I mean being a part of the TOTAL college experience.

Like take for instance the International Club and all of the fun activities that they're involved in. Or other activities like 'chillaxing', having 'mocktails', and having fun with faculty and fellow students. I do have the comraderie, but I really desire the human contact. So what I'm planning to do (possibly next fall) is to take at least one course on campus and the rest online. That way I'll have the benefits of both experiences. But it's something to be considered in the future. I do like online learning as far as convenience goes, but sometimes I wanna see the people behind the monitors (professors, students, etc.).

I just checked the Blackboard for my grades, and I got a B+ for my final grade in CIS 104. A B+!!!!! That's great, considering what a rocky start I got off to, and some of the minor mistakes I made on some of my assignments. I actually was fretting about this last assignment the most, because I couldn't see the pictures that I had pasted on the website we had to create. But apparently, it's because one of my computer systems doesn't have the program needed to view the pictures. But I got an A on both the classwork and the reinforcement assignments.

Now I'm just waiting for the final word on my other classes. I have one more test for Professor Buonaguro and one more case assignment for Professor Luing to submit, and then I'll be done for the quarter (in preparation for the next quarter, that is). Who knows what new and exciting challenges and experiences await me? Seriously, learning new things and re-enforcing what I already know never gets old or boring for me. I can only hope that I'll continue to make the same progress that I've made thus far.

So I posted in our final discussion board for this week in CIS 120. Professor Buonaguro noted my enthusiasm for all things Excel and Access, and she said that Berkeley College offers advanced Access and Excel classes (could she be talking about CIS 125, I wonder?). I am definitely up for a challenge, and knowing Berkeley College, it'll be nothing short of challenging, yet exciting.

Also, my environmental science course has come to an end. Professor Jackson just posted for us to complete any and all quizzes missed, and that's it. I already miss that class, discussing the environment and the habitat of different creatures and how we can make a difference in the world our children and their children will inherit in the future.

I also have to finish up all my work for Business Math. I had a not-so-good week last week; I got very sick all of a sudden and was rushing again to play catch up. But between today and tomorrow, I should have everything all caught up. I want to get the best grade possible in all of my courses. I don't want to be kicking myself, saying, "I definitely could've done better." So as I prepare for the next quarter, I want the end of this quarter to reflect all the hard work and time and effort that I've put in.

I jumped the gun a little; apparently CIS 104 isn't quite over. We have an online survey, a Discussion board, and something due next week. Professor Ritt said that we were one of her best classes and one of her most enthusiastic. I'm glad to have been a part of that, sharing my experiences with other classmates and vice versa. We certainly were able to learn from each other, whether we did everything right and had the same concerns; or whether one or two of us did something wrong and we were able to help each other out in our understanding.

But I really did enjoy it, and I'm somewhat sad at this quarter coming to an end. Hopefully Professor Ritt or Professor Buonaguro is teaching my CIS 125 class this semester. As I'm sure all of the professors at Berkeley College are wonderful, it just wouldn't be the same for me without one or the other of them teaching this course. And I'm looking forward to working with Outlook and Power Point next quarter. Maybe I could become a professor myself, teaching one of these courses. There are just so many possibilities to be explored this time around, now that I'm back in school. It just goes to show that you're never really too old to learn anything new or consider anything new.

Our final project for CIS 104 involved creating a web page and hyperlinks. It was pretty fascinating, watching it all come together. As one of my classmates exclaimed, "It was like art being created right before your eyes!!!"--or something similar she said. But she was absolutely right; it was like art being created on a canvas. The only thing is, when I went to submit it through Assignment Manager and I checked to make sure everything was okay, the chart and the pictures didn't show; all I got were red X's. So I'm a little scared that I may be penalized for that (hopefully not too much, though). I fared better on the reinforcements, so we'll see what happens.

As for Access, our final project is this week and then our final assessment is December 12, which is next Wednesday. I'm looking forward to showing Professor Buonaguro what I'm made of as far as Access. As she knows (and as some of you may know), I don't have constant accessibility to Microsoft Access, and then this past week, I was very sick and couldn't get to the library or the computer labs the way I wanted, and so I made some mistakes on this past project. But again, I'm gonna prove my mettle and pass this course. If you fall, you have to get up eventually. So that's what I intend to do with this course. This is not to say that I've done miserably, however; I have managed to do well on most of my projects in CIS 120.

The piping plover is one of the endangered species we learned about in this week's environmental science class. They are especially unique because they blend in with their surroundings and oftentimes are in danger from natural predators and everyday activities from humans (building on land where their habitat is, which causes a disruption in their pattern of living; or jogging in the sand, where the tiny birds are often not seen, because they blend in so well). So for the few 'inconveniences' we complain about in regards to the plovers, we should be concerned about what our activities are doing to cause their demise or near extinction.

As for this week's Access project, I really am getting the hang of the queries. And I knew I had seen it in action at my job; our systems analyst uses it to pull up the records of the people who have monthly charges for the programs at our facility for either themselves or their children (for adults, it would be Total Facility; for kids, it would be Kids' Club or Afterschool). Access is a really useful program for record keeping; it's similar to Excel in some ways, but I think it's a little easier to use than Excel in that all you have to do is plug in the criteria that you're searching for and the information appears in record form on the screen. In Excel, you'd have to go a little further, especially for such things like the Currency setup.

This week's math case study is proving to be a challenging one; I've never actually done a financial statement before. But it'll help me in my field later in life when I'm working in a corporate environment and won't have anyone to hold my hand and guide me. I'll have to be able to rise to the challenge and show that I can do the work. And Professor Luing encourages us to show her the work before we submit it in the assignment manager so that she can show us where our mistakes are and encourage us where we're doing good.

As for this week's Word project, I'm really fumbling. But I think it's because I'm trying to rush through it instead of taking my time to take the project in. I'll probably be more relaxed when I get to the Berkeley library this Friday and make my corrections there. It'll be nice to be in a quiet environment with little to no distraction while I work steadily on my assignments. I just can't wait to see what the outcome is for all my hard work this semester.

So I got an e-mail early this morning for a student survey, which I gladly and promptly completed. It's nice to know that Berkeley cares what we think (hence the polls and surveys like this). For me, this is what school should be all about: the exchange of thoughts and ideas, not just with fellow students, but with the faculty, as well. That way, the full benefit of the college experience is realized (kinda reminds me of the new movie coming out, "The Great Debaters").

And this week's Business math lessons is on financial statements and ratios. We had to look up some information on the stock market and terms that we had never heard before, like front-end load. This term was unfamiliar to me in my previous business and accounting courses. I like that Professor Luing has us doing more of our own research; that way, when we really grasp the information in the end, we can say we really hand a hand in our own success. I am confident that I will have more opportunities like this as I continue my education with Berkeley College.

Now I know how marathon runners in a race feel in the final stretches: a little weary, but satisfied that it all has a purpose. This week's Word project is the most challenging yet, but it is rewarding in the end when you see the finished product. And it's good training for the working world; we won't have it so easy with the step-by-step guidelines laid out in our textbooks. This week we're not only merging documents, we're saving them as Web pages and e-mailing them. I've never encountered this in any of my previous word processing classes. I think it just shows how really far technology has come, and Berkeley is not only keeping up with the times, but they make sure the students are ahead of the game in comparison to students at other universities.

I even did well in my Business math course this past week. It really just shows the professors' dedication to the students they teach. And this week's environmental science readings look very interesting, indeed--particularly environmental politics, economics, and world views. As I said before (and it bears repeating) how we treat the earth and how we use the resources available to us is all interconnected. And the discussion board on maintaining of species' habitats could prove to be very spirited. I look forward to the posts from my fellow online classmates, as they offer insight and wisdom that I can always apply to a situation that may come up in my lifetime.

I actually saw my picture on the Berkeley College website under the heading "Meet The Berkeley Bloggers"!!! It's something of a big deal, considering I've never had my picture posted on the Internet before. But it's nice to note that it's for something positive, like promoting Berkeley College to prospective students. I'm already looking forward to the next quarter, when I can more fully immerse myself in campus life and have more to share with students coming in and students considering Berkeley.

I really would like to join one of the clubs that the school offers, such as the Finance Club that I saw advertised on the bulletin board at the Newark Campus, or the International Club that I see posted on the Blackboard often. It would help to broaden my view and scope of the world around me, instead of being limited to just one of of the world (my view). As the title of one album says, there is a 'world outside my window'.

But even if I can't do it now, I can certainly urge other students (first-time or otherwise) to do so for themselves, especially while they're young and have no other pressing responsibilities outside of school. Pay attention to the e-mails that you receive from Berkeley College regarding different activities that are offered on-campus. The polls are another avenue in which you can participate in the Berkeley College experience (particularly if you're online); these polls are really the voice of the student body. For instance, there was a recent poll regarding freedom of speech. It was nice to see that most (if not all) of us shared our views on how far we should extend freedom of speech.

My mom is considering going back to school for supplemental education (oh joyous, happy day!!!!). She's graduated from college and business school, but with the ever-changing job market and the need to keep up with the latest technology, she realizes she needs to continue to hone her skills.

So guess who's been talking up the College like crazy to her? ;) In all seriousness, though, I feel that my mom would greatly benefit from a school like Berkeley. She's certainly smart enough to keep up with the demanding and challenging educational programs and courses that could be offered to her. And I'll even do some research to see exactly what it is they offer as far as her area of interest. I'll even do a little research for my brother, as he's taking courses in Hudson County College, which I think is a little farther away than he needs to be. With the campus in Newark just twenty minutes away from where we live (and he drives), he could concentrate on his field of study.

This means I'm going to go to the Berkeley College website in a few minutes and see what the areas of interest are for both my mother and my brother (and quite possibly my sister, who wants to go back to school to get her teaching degree). And I know that they have campuses in New York, and they probably aren't that far from where she lives in Brooklyn. And as Berkeley has daycare available, she could put my little niece Zakiyah in the nursery while she pursues her education.

And this is not just talk; I'm really satisfied overall with Berkeley as a college. :)

Week 9, ladies and gentlemen, and I'm feeling pretty confident about the end of the quarter. I've been working really hard to show my mettle to not only the Berkeley professors, but all those who had a hand in my re-entering college. I saw a commercial just the other day on television advertising for Berkeley College, and a huge, Cheshire-cat type grin spread across my face. There is no word in the world to describe how I feel about Berkeley College. I'm still having a little difficulty in Business Math, but I know that with Professor Luing's help and my active, attentive participation in homework and Discussion Board activities, I can still pass this course satisfactorily. Education is very important to me, as my mother is an educator (both by trade and by nature).

So I finally went down to the Berkeley campus on Broad Street in Newark to use their library. Everyone was pretty helpful, and I was proud when asked to display my Berkeley ID to the guard for security and identity purposes. It was nice to know that not only did I have a sense of belonging, but that Berkeley cares enough about its students to ensure their safety. And I did get a chance to look at the bulletin board, which was right outside the library. I saw that there was a posting for a finance club of some sort. I plan to go back down this week to use the library again and take down the information for this club, as this looks like something that would be right up my alley, considering I'm majoring in finance. And it could certainly help me in any of my future classes. The only thing I didn't get to check out was the bookstore, but that'll happen in due time. Besides, they're closed until December, so I wouldn't have been able to look around, anyway. But I still want to look around when I go back, at least get familiar with the location. And I understand that this is where we can purchase the Microsoft Office 2007 software for next term. I am VERY excited, as I'll finally have my new computer and won't have to try and save my work to that computer at my local library.

Every single professor this semester has been very helpful. Professor Buonaguro just helped me solve a major problem I've encountered for this week's Access project. As you know (and as I've mentioned before), my computer at home crashed, and I don't have 'access' to Access at work. So I got to the library and thought maybe I'd be able to save it to the hard drive. Turns out that when the librarians shut the computers down at night, EVERYTHING is wiped out (even the files that I created). So she showed me a way to save the files to Blackboard so that should I have trouble saving it again, it would be in my Blackboard files.

Tomorrow I'm off to Berkeley for the final completion of my Access project for this week. Lots of typing, but I don't have to work and I don't have to rush home for any reason. I don't how long I'll be there, but I can get my other coursework done, too, like environmental science and business math (this week in E.S., we're learning about energy and human toxicology). Professor Jackson asked us to discuss on the Discussion Board what we felt the real answer should be for the issue of global warming (less cancer-causing and ozone-depleting agents, anyone?). This should be a pretty lively discussion.

So Access wasn't the big monster I expected it to be, although as Professor Buonaguro pointed out, there IS a lot of typing. And the bad thing about the library where I live is that you're only allowed an hour on the computers with Internet access. And one of the ones that just so happens to be really popular is the one with--you guessed it--the Microsoft Office Programs downloaded. So I'm going to go to the librarian and ask her if there's any possible way that they could download Access to one of the word processors. If not, I won't let that stop me. I will do what I intended to do in the beginning: just type a little each week and then submit it all at the end of the week. I don't intend to let anything deter me from my goals. Where there's a will, there's a way, and that should always apply to anything that you want in life--particularly in your educational life.

I'm wondering, too, if the College is open the day after Thanksgiving for me to catch up on some coursework (or at least give me a head start on the following week's projects, since I'm pretty current with my work at this time). The beauty of the Thanksgiving break is that I'll get caught up on some necessary reading for any projects that have to be turned in. It's sometimes difficult to do at work, what with the phones ringing and co-workers and customers stopping to talk to me about anything from work to membership information to what I'm studying in school (although I'm always willing to share what I'm learning in school--just not while I'm studying).

I'm also wondering if Berkeley has a student bulletin board (in addition to the Blackboard Announcements that we have online) where students could gather information. As I said, I've been to the Newark campus, but that was only to take the placement test; I never really got a chance to look around. And there's always the chance that in the future, I'll be able to take a course on campus, so why not get a feel for it now? With the babysitting available to Berkeley students, maybe I could leave my niece for an hour or two while I took a course or got some work done in the library.

Now I know why business math is so interesting and why some of the subjects are so familiar; some of these same subjects were covered when I took accounting I and II and algebra at UCC. This week, we're working on FIFO and LIFO (first-in, first-out and last-in, first-out) and inventory. Since it's a familiar topic, I gather I shouldn't have much trouble (but if I do, I'll just e-mail Professor Luing and have her help me).

So Friday is the big day; I'm finally going to be making use of one of the Berkeley libraries (the campus in Newark, to be precise). While I'm there, I'm gonna browse the bookstore, too, just to see what they offer as far as software and programs for the upcoming Winter quarter (I know that the Microsoft Office products are being updated to 2007 for the next quarter). In the meantime, I'll be working on my Access project this week from my mom's place of employment. As it turns out, they have a library where she works that's open to the public and they have many of the same programs that we use in our online courses. I'm like a big kid, I'm so excited.

With astonishing speed, the end of the Fall quarter is in sight. So now that I've put in my time and work, I know what to expect for the next quarter and how to be prepared this time around (as far as books and keeping up with the coursework, that is). My first introduction to my professors won't be "I didn't get the book in time"(lesson to all: prior proper planning). As soon as I get the course requirements and the text requirements, I'm gonna order the books RIGHT AWAY. Even if I have to do it in pieces, I'm gonna be completely ready for this coming quarter.

This is the last week of Excel with Prof. Buonaguro, and next week we start Access. I'm a little nervous, but excited at the same time. This deals with databases and records (similar to what we do in both Excel and Word; but more with Word, because it looks as if we'll be doing some merging there, too). I've done Access briefly, but this time I plan to learn it more proficiently. When you look in the classifieds, most of the office jobs today require you to have a working knowledge of most (if not all) of the Microsoft programs. I'll probably be using the Berkeley library in Newark (if allowed) to do most of my work with Access, as I'm only allowed limited use at the library in Summit and at work, there is no 'access' to Access (only the systems administrator has Access). I can't get a laptop fast enough.

This week in Business Math, we're learning about consumer rates on credit cards and mortgages and that sort of thing. Prime rates are something we need to be concerned about, especially if we plan on taking out a loan for a house or a car. If the prime rates rise above what we can comfortably afford, we can find our cars and homes repossessed, not to mentioned our credit scores would be lower (and quite possibly our credit ruined).

As it turns out, my student peer is in one my online courses (environmental biology). She is very intelligent, and she really seems to love Berkeley and the professors, as well as her fellow students. I'm hoping that we could meet one day and she could show me around the Garret Mountain campus in West Paterson, as opposed to me just interacting through the Internet. Don't get me wrong; discussion boards are great for interaction, but sometimes you just need human contact.

This week's Word project....

Professor Ritt wasn't kidding when she said that the assignments would get more challenging. We learn how to merge letters AND labels in this chapter, as well as how to create a directory. Now I've done stuff like this before, but this was in business school about 13 years ago, and we never did the projects that we're doing now.

But it's interesting, because the question Professor Ritt posed to us was: Do you see a need for use of the mail merge feature where you work or will you see a need for mail merge in the future (or the merging of different records)? And I can think of a few uses now.

For instance, when we have to send out letters for camps, scholarships, or different registrations, instead of using a form letter, we could do a merge with the names of the recipients and their addresses. And we could also use the merge feature for households where either the parents or the children have signed up separately, instead of as household members.

This week's biology reading....

So as I've said before, I'm really enjoying environmental science in a way I never thought I would. But this week's readings were a bit hard for me to process (especially when I saw some of the pictures in the readings).

The first had to do with food production and how in some parts of the world, there are people who suffer from undernutrition, malnutrition (particularly in recently developed and developing countries), and overnutrition (particularly in developed countries and the U.S.).

Then the chapter on maintaining biodiversity (the species approach) was especially hard to take; to see what people have done to animals for either sport, skins, or other valuable resources is cruel and oftentimes demeaning to the animals. And if these animals are not left alone to fulfill their roles (or niches) in society, pretty soon, the picture will be grim for all of us. :( There were some pretty graphic photos, too; I actually burst into tears looking at one of them. It's made me seriously consider becoming a vegan in the future, but at present, it's spurred me to do some more research on my own in addition to what we cover in class. The great thing about the book is that there is a website link posted where you can look up more information on your own.

A disadvantage to learning online....

It didn't even hit me until I got to work this morning and our server went down that I considered the downside of online learning: computer malfunctions. If you don't have a chance to save your work on a backup disk before submitting it to your professors and the system goes down, that's a whole lot of work to be redone.

Both our regular and administrative websites went down, and people were calling in and asking what could be done to register their kids. And I thought about that in relation to attempting to do coursework online and/or registering for classes for successive quarters online. What if, in the middle of registering for a class, power goes out in your house and you have to wait until the power comes back up and when you go to register for the class, you find that it's closed? Or, what if you've typed a really long essay for one of your professors, only to have to re-type it or re-submit your work?

Fortunately, I've submitted my work right away to my professors so that this hasn't happened. But it is a thought that I've never considered before now. All the same, the benefits outweigh the negatives, and it's a viable alternative to anyone planning to enter (or even re-enter) school that doesn't have time to set foot on campus. And the Berkeley professors and advisors are the greatest; they take even your smallest concerns seriously and work with you to give you a schedule that meets your educational needs.

Okay, so I've been enjoying my classes from the start, but I definitely like the feeling that I get when I feel like I've helped somebody else understand something. It's not like I'm just taking up space on the Discussion Board by saying, "I agree" or "That's so true". I'm also able to offer some input or help someone to see where they went wrong with a problem or a step (especially if it was something that I originally had trouble with), and I'm able to give the benefit of my experience in certain classes (like with the business math and environmental science).

It's made me seriously think about becoming an online tutor for Berkeley, although a few years ago I never would've imagined it. I would want to help other students not only learn the material, but get enjoyment from what they've learned and help them to put it into practice not just in the classrooms, but in everyday life. Something else for me to consider farther down the road.

I'm really starting to understand and enjoy business math. At first, it was a bit daunting, and I'd think to myself, "How am I possibly going to succeed in business if I don't even understand this stuff?" But again, I have to go back to Professor Luing. She might not realize it, but she often gives little hints throughout when she posts the discussion topic on the Discussion Board. So once I read the chapter and do the work, I find that I can participate with confidence, knowing that I not only am familiar with the material, but that I understand it (and it showed in last week's GHA; got 17 out of 20 points, whereas before, it was 14 out of 20). And in an odd sort of way, it's related to the work that I do in Excel. In business, Excel is used frequently, and the AutoSum and SUM features are used frequently, as well. And as my major is finance, it's important to grasp the concepts and functions needed to succeed.

I saw some accounting courses, as well, that I might want to take for the Spring quarter (but that's yet a ways away). This will mean more math, of course, but I feel I'm up to the challenge this time around.

I really like the way that Berkeley College interacts with us, particularly those of us who are taking courses online. As far as updates on activities that take place on various campuses (like the "Dracula" play and the upcoming trip to Philadelphia with the Multicultural Club) and e-mail reminders to us to sign up for registration, there is no shortage of information to take in. The faculty really seems to be in tune with the needs of the students, and helping them to develop as well-rounded individuals in today's society.

Take the online polls, for instance, getting the opinions of everybody on issues ranging from free speech to recycling. And then there are the periodic e-mails regarding job fairs that are sponsored by the College. I can honestly say that I've never experienced this with either of the two previous schools I attended.

So I'm all set for the winter quarter...

I'm all signed up for the next quarter, and I'm taking the following classes:

CIS 125
SOC 105
BUS 265
HUM 220 (Philosophy)

It's amazing; I feel like I just signed up for the fall quarter, and here the winter quarter is almost upon us. But at least I've gotten it done early and not waited until the absolute last minute like I used to--and then wonder why I couldn't get the classes I wanted. I tried to keep most of the classes in line with my current major. I'm considering possibly taking courses in the summer, as well. But that isn't until another quarter or two. Now that I've selected my classes, I can get an early start on getting the books I need for the quarter (and getting the Dell laptop computer so that I don't have to try and get all my homework done before it gets extremely busy where I work; ironically, we're preparing for registration for classes, too).

A little off subject, but I'm hoping I can also get involved with some of the student activities on some of the Berkeley campuses in succeeding quarters. They seem fun and educational all at the same time.

I'm really enjoying the Berkeley Online polls, particularly this one on recycling. I'll be honest, though; recycling wasn't something that ever really appealed to me until my adult years. Before then, I'd just chuck my soda cans/bottles into the nearest trash receptacle. Then when I started understanding just HOW much plastic, paper, aluminum we waste, it serves us all well to take action. We need to start taking better care of the earth so that it can continue to provide for us (as I'm learning in my Environmental Science course). I'm also sadly learning the consequences of species competing for resources and dying off when the air, water, and food qualities are not satisfactory (having had to get rid of two dead goldfish in the past two days, after which I BAWLED). But maybe the other two will now have a fighting chance and survive long enough for us to get a tank where they can be their free fish selves. And if not, I'll know what to do in the future to prevent it from happening again. See how I can take even a tragedy like that and apply what I've learned in class? It's a little macabre when I think about it, though.

Well, I think I know what I want to take...

I just contacted Advisement and they gave me a listing of courses that I could register for and take during the Winter quarter. I see a lot of marketing and finance courses, as well as the Soc105 course that I was to take originally. CIS 125 looks like another interesting course, as well.

I'm slightly disappointed that the college doesn't offer language courses, but it's nothing I can't handle. I have books at home on how to speak conversationally and the like in Spanish, so I'll just have to buckle down and do it. In addition to these online courses that I want to take, I have to sneak in time to study for my driver's license so that should the need arise, I can drive out to one of the campuses (for some student activity, coursework, etc.). I have no problem getting to the Newark campus, as the train station is centrally located in the center of town where I live, and it drops me right off on Broad Street. A 10-minute walk, and boom! I'm there.

But I would like to get more involved with student activities, so I'll keep these big eyes open on the Blackboard.

Wow, winter quarter registration is already upon us....

It's amazing that this is already the fourth week of classes. Time really does fly when you're having fun (or are extremely busy). I'm finding that I've had to forfeit certain other activities to get my work done, but it'll be worth it in the end. Plus, you know me: gotta send the right message to the kiddies that you have priorities in life. And once you care for your priorities, everything else will balance itself out. This is not to say I've led an INCREDIBLY dull life since going back to school; in fact, it's been anything but dull. I'm just learning that certain things I'll have to give up for now (you know, sacrifice the temporary for the long-term). But I've gotten to know and communicate with lots of great people online, and they are willing to help in any way they can.

I can't make heads or tails of this thing....

This Excel Project 3 has got me going BONKERS!!!!! I honestly don't get this whole assumptions/absolute references thing, not to mention the figures at the end of the whole thing don't match. I'm going to have to BEG somebody for help, as Prof. Buonaguro isn't in town and has no easily accessibility to the Blackboard. At least the chart seems to be okay. But I don't want to get a bad grade on this project. I've been doing good so far, and I don't wanna mess up.

So I'm having a little trouble with business math....

Just when I think I have it down pat, there's always something in the problem that I didn't consider. But graciously, Professor Luing has volunteered her services to me. Maybe I can see where I'm going wrong when it comes to word-problem solving, which has never been my strongest point. If I can see the problem set up in front of me, then follow the examples from that chapter in the book, it makes it easier. But when I have to rely on the verbal information, that's where it gets tricky.

So, a word of advice for all freshman (or anybody struggling in a class): If you're having a problem, don't hesitate to tell your professors. They can help you before it's too late and you're already too far gone. I made the same mistakes when I first attended college; the first couple of semesters were a breeze, and then the harder classes came. But instead of asking for help, I would simply 'study harder' and hope that the information would sink in. But sometimes you just need outside assistance. I could've avoided flunking ANY of my classes if I had simply gone to my professors or the Academic Learning Center assistants for help.

I'm ready for the weekend!!!!

I am done with all of my assignments for the week, which means I have an hour or two to breathe before I have to start all over again. But I've learned a trick: to start reading ahead of time. That way, the information is fresh in my mind, and I'll have little trouble with the assignment (if any). I just submitted what I thought would be a monster of a homework assignment. But you know, that's why the professors are there: to help you and make sure you get the most out of the course. They're not these big, scary people out to get you with their big, scary subjects. They've been there and can show you the benefit of their expertise. I definitely recommend Professor Luing to anyone looking to take an online course.

Hard work DOES pay off!!!

I just got back the results of two of my assignments for Environmental Science. I got 9 out of ten correct answers on my GHA and 18 out of 20 points for my essay on the movie "A Civil Action". And to think, I never really considered myself a science head. But I actually like environmental science. To think that we could affect the earth in major ways (by our carefulness or carelessness) is mind-boggling. What we've started doing at work (and at home, I'm happy to say) is recycling. We have to take care of the earth so that it can continue to take care of us.

Two down, two to go.....

Environmental Science and BusinessAdm110 (Business Math) are all I have to finish up for the week. One is a Case Assignment dealing with Payroll and the other is a GHA dealing with ecosystems and evolution. The thing that I've started doing (which is what I should've been doing to begin with) is taking notes in those classes. That way, the information has a better chance of sinking in versus me trying to make it stick.

I hope all is well with you, my fellow bloggers. I hope you're getting the great grades you deserve.

Finally getting the hang of the Discussion Board....

When you think about it, too, the Discussion Board is actually beneficial. You just might gain some insight into a particular question or reading that you never considered. That's what the college experience should be all about: exchanging of ideas, participation in enthusiastic discussions, etc. The online difference is online, you can't read the expressions of others, but can read the 'expressions' of their postings online.

Finished!!!

I am finished with my first homework assignment for the week for CIS 120. It is a challenging class, particularly when you have to complete a lab with just the figures and information you've been given. I feel like I made a mistake on one of the worksheets; the chart position in the book was different from the outcome of my own chart (although the information was the same). Hopefully, I'm not penalized too badly for it. Then again, maybe that's the way it's supposed to look. Maybe I'm just second-guessing it too much. We'll see when I get my grade, and perhaps the professor can tell me where I went wrong.

So....

I'm finally caught up with my two weeks' worth of work, and I'm almost done with my first assignment for the week. My Environmental Science professor hasn't posted our assignment as of yet, so I'll just review what I've read and the GHA Assignment for Week 2. It could just be because of Columbus Day, but I'll be checking in again, at any rate.

To my fellow bloggers....

What are your majors? I recently changed mine from Business Administration/Management to Finance/Financial Services. I've come to realize just how interested I am in money (not in the materialistic sense, though, but more regarding percentages and averages and all): how it's made, how it's circulated, the different currencies, etc.

I had a lady tell me that she wouldn't want my field of study for anything, because she'd be bored. Eh, well, different strokes for different folks. ;)

My first Excel project....

My mom was right when she said that Excel was easy to learn. I thought I would be slaving over the computer keys for HOURS, but all it took was following directions, and presto! I had my first assignment in for CIS 120. I am now finishing up my second assignment and will be submitting it shortly to my professor for grading. I didn't save it on a floppy disk, though, as I didn't have any readily available, so I may get a few points taken off for it. Maybe this morning I can run out to CVS and pick up a floppy disk so that I can save it properly and get a good grade for following all directions properly. Then on to CIS 104, Math, and Environmental Science. This weekend promises to be a busy one, eh? But this is all catch-up work, so next week I shouldn't be rushing to play catch up.

Languages...

I wonder if Berkeley College offers language courses? I would be particularly interested in conversational Spanish. I took Spanish in UCC (Union County College), but although I passed the course, I still don't speak Spanish fluently. And being that I'm going into a field where I'm sure to meet people of all different backgrounds, it's important to be able to communicate with them to see what their unique needs are and whether I can help them meet those needs.

I would also like to take French and Italian. I just wanted to be well-rounded. It would help me in other areas of my life, as well.

Dell Computers...

So, I've been noticing on the Berkeley Blackboard that Dell has a partnership with the school. I'm going to be looking into purchasing a computer through the school and Dell. My computer at home has gone kaput all of a sudden, and having to vascillate between the library and work is not fun, nor is it especially convenient or easy. In fact, that's one of the things I plan to get working on in the next few weeks. On the plus side, 4 of my 5 schoolbooks have arrived, so now I can finally get crackin' on my assignments (I have to post on the Discussion Boards, too, to show that I've been keeping up with assignments and readings).

But back to my original subject: I think it's pretty cool that the school has a partnership such as this one. It's reasonably priced so that practically anyone can afford a computer if they need one. And my niece can share it with me for when she does her own schoolwork so that I don't have to wait for her for one half-hour after school when she comes running from the computer lab. The first week was a little rough, but I think things are finally falling into place for me. ;)

Oh, btw, thanks for the encouraging words, Vanessa.

I urge all of you....

Whether you are returning to school after a few years or are attending for the first time, PLEASE make sure to order your books on time. That way, you won't have to play the waiting game. In fact, make sure you have money set aside for all of your expenses and don't pinch off of it for other 'necessities': clothes, food, music, etc.

I am now waiting for books as we speak; I've gotten two of them already, but not the ones needed for assignments that were due. So I've got to accept whatever penalties may be imposed for the first few missing assignments, due to my own unpreparedness.

Lesson learned for next semester. :(

First assignment....

I just posted my first assignment for Environmental Science in my assignment folder, an essay on the movie A Civil Action. The frustrating thing about essays is that you could feel that you've touched on everything that's important and in line with the subject, and your professor could say that you didn't delve into this aspect or that aspect of the subject, thereby making your grader lower than expected. At the same time, it's also a teaching and a learning point. You can only improve when someone tells you where you've made your mistake(s). If we have little ones and we want them to learn from their mistakes, we have to settle the example in accepting and correcting our own--particularly in the area of education.

We don't want our self-righteous, all-knowing attitudes to rub off on them ("I am NEVER wrong"), because then we all cease to learn and take in new knowledge. And if help is needed, ask the professors (or in my case, e-mail); that's what they're there for. Here's hoping I did well, and learning from what I may have done wrong so that I can do better the next time.

Now I know why they say....

It takes a lot of discipline to learn online. You don't have your professors constantly reminding you of your deadline for turning in assignments; you have to focus on doing that yourself. I just finished one assignment last night, watching the movie "A Civil Action" for my Environmental Science class. It was excellent, and I know just which points I want to focus on for the essay. I'm still waiting for my schoolbooks to arrive so that I can complete my other assignments, but by next week, I should be all set and ready to work harder than I've ever worked in my life.

I like a challenge, though, which is why I chose an online course (that and other obligations that make it necessary). Another selling point is that I'm not bound by the clock, other than needing my assignments to be in on a certain day at a certain time.

I did it!!!

I finally re-enrolled in school, and my first semester back is this week. And I have the following people to thank: God (don't wanna come off as a religious fanatic, though), my mother (who is a living example that nothing is impossible, seeing as she raised three children by herself and still managed to finish college), and the wonderful staff here at Berkeley College.

I actually found out about Berkeley College via commercial and I contacted them further for more information on programs, specifically online. I had been looking at other colleges, as well, but what made the difference with Berkeley College was that I didn't feel enormous pressure from them to make a decision right then and there. The vibe I got from some of the other colleges was "either sign up or don't bother us anymore". And my hesitation to commit right then and there over the phone was seen as being indecisive or not so serious about continuing my education. Never did I feel that way when dealing with my admissions counselor, Mr. Anthony Villani. While he stressed the importance of getting paperwork done right away, there was also a sense that he wanted to help me out in any way he could. And I like that I'm not just a name or a check number to the staff; they want to make sure that I get all the benefits afforded to me in accordance with the Berkeley College experience.