I cannot believe that in three short weeks, this term will be over, and the summer session will be starting. And then I have to stay on top of my studies while on vacation, as well as my blogging sessions here. But I have every confidence that I can keep up with the work over the summer. I have taken summer courses in the past at UCC; the difference with Berkeley College is that I will be able to go at my own pace, but at the same time, getting my work in on time. I am really looking forward to this summer.

I also just completed my third GHA for Finance, and I got an 84. I'm very happy, as in the past, my GHA scores have been good, but not great. But I really connected with the information this time around, and I hope to do so on the last GHA for our class. We also have a paper due at the end of this week, and I'm excited to see what kind of grade I'll get on it. It will include all of my blood, sweat, and tears (as well as what the teacher asks for as far as sources, etc.), so I'm really anticipating a good grade. But alas, enough about grades. I just want to see how much information I'll be able to uncover on my topic.

So this week in Finance, we discussed planning for retirement (particularly with the demise of Social Security seemingly imminent), and a lot of our classmates seem to have hit on sound bits of advice. What we all agreed on was that young people hoping to support themselves in their retirement years should do all they can to start saving now so that they can enjoy their retirement later. Our strategies were a bit different, but we all agreed on pretty much the following points:

We agreed that there should be some type of retirement account that young people should start investing in, putting monies aside every time they get paid so that the money can earn interest. Some of us even suggested putting our money into securities so that our money can earn interest, which could ease our retirement significantly. I suggested sitting down and talking with a financial planner who could help us to determine exactly what type of financial future we would like to have and how we can achieve it. Another thing I pointed out is that some people are content to live in the now with the attitude "we can always start saving later". "Later" turns into years, and before you know it, retirement is imminent, and these people have little or nothing to show for their efforts. So it is important to look seriously at our retirement in terms of our financial future.

So this week in Finance, we discussed foreign capital inflows and whether or not these should be restricted and even prohibited. Some people feel that the U.S. economy can stand on its own without the help of foreign capital inflows; however, it is somewhat naive to think this way, because we have relied on foreign capital inflows for years, particularly where the U.S. has companies located in foreign lands. So to suggest that now the U.S. is ready to stand on its own as an economic super power is actually risky thinking, and we could potentially lose out on great ideas that foreign investors could bring to the table for us. So while we would want to be careful in our acceptance of foreign capital inflows, we could do so in a way that would benefit everyone involved, both foreign and domestic investors. And at the same time, it would keep out individuals who would only be interested in selfish gain.

in Management, we talked about how a manager could determine what the culture of an organization is, and I talked a bit about my company, and what our aim is--to promote confidence and self-esteem in women and young girls primarily (although men are allowed to use our facilities, too). I find that I'm able to use my organization for a lot of examples, as we deal with any of the subjects that are touched on in each chapter.

So I just made my first posting on the Discussion Board of the Healthy Cafe, and I feel really good about it. They really do have a wealth of information that I know I can benefit from. There are going to be some changes in the way I eat and live, and with the help of felllow students/club members, I know that I can be successful.

So I finally joined a Berkeley club this week; that would be the Online Health Club. I just did a search of all the topics, and one that I came across really struck a chord with me. It related how much money we have to how healthy we can be. One of the things it pointed out is that a diet loaded with junk foods can be very costly--both healthwise and financially. It also pointed out that if we have little cash, we can have lots of stress. I didn't get to read the whole thing yet (although I will), because I was doing homework, as well.

But one other thing that it pointed out--and which I've always learned from childhood--is that a healthy student is a productive student. We all hear it almost constantly about certain "brain foods" that will help us do better not just in schools, but on the job, as well. Certain foods stimulate our brain cells and help us to think better and perform better. Looking forward to getting the most out of this club.

The amazing thing about joining this club is that it wasn't much of a process; I just clicked a few buttons, and I was enrolled, just like that. Now that I know it's that easy, I'll be looking at a few other clubs. I'm looking forward to finally becoming a well-rounded Berkeley student.

So we're still discussing the decline of the American dollar in Finance. One of the things I brought out is that with the release of the economic stimulus payments, the government is probably hoping that it can pull this country out of its economic slump. One of my classmates brought out a point, too, that with the war currently being fought in Iraq, we thought that war would stimulate the economy, which would lead to the creating of employment opportunities for all. But then another student brought out a counterpoint, saying that during previous wars, the employment was pretty much need-based, with regard to building of tanks, shipping materials to the soldiers, etc. He then went on to say that that's not really needed in the wars being waged today, which leaves many unemployed, and thus the economy slumps further. It is scary to even think about, what with so many well-educated people who are still unemployed or underemployed in jobs that can barely cover their own expenses, much less the expenses of a family.

I finished my assignment in Management 220, as well; it was interesting to see the job descriptions that many of my classmates came up with, and they managed to touch on each of the five points (among them, job autonomy). I was going to use the example of a lifeguard that I saw advertised on one of the bulletins at my job, but I knew more about my own position, so I decided to go with that one instead. In terms of what employers are looking for in an employee or the right person for the job, I viewed myself in light of the job description I posted; and I realized something. While I have been doing my job and sometimes going above and beyond the call of duty, I could certainly be a bit more creative, and this is one area I intend to tackle.

Job descriptions, quadratic equations and the American dollar....

So this week in Mgt 220, we're discussing job descriptions, as well as skill value, task value, and other points related to a job or position that a person is recruited for. We had to list the skills, what made the job attractive, the autonomy of the position (minimal supervisor, motivated self-starter, etc.), etc. And it's interesting to me, because this is some of what I'll be considering in the summer in Human Resources Management--how to match the right individuals to the right positions. This, in and of itself, is a real challenge, because you have to make absolutely sure that the candidate that you select can do the job (much like the leaders of our nation).

In Finance 200, we are discussing the declining value of the dollar and its effects on the economy. When a dollar depreciates--or loses value--American businesses are less competitive and the products become cheaper; whereas in the foreign market, there is more of a demand for the product, and the foreign currency gains value. Conversely, when the American dollar appreciates--or increases value--there is more of a demand for the products in the American market, and companies become more competitive; and the value of the currency in the foreign markets drops.

In Algebra, we are now going over quadratic equations, which I actually understand with regard to graphing and assigning values. I cannot wait until we go over factorization and FOIL--First, Outer, Inner, Last. I have a feeling that I will do really well in algebra this time around, because I'm going over the information, doing the practice problems, and making myself understand it better. This will help me when I get to Business Statistics.

So I still have yet to join any of Berkeley College's online clubs. Well, that is about to change, because as soon as possible, I'm going to be perusing Blackboard and Self-Service and seeing what interesting clubs they have available (I don't know if I'm too late to join the Accounting Club, but that was one of my earlier considerations). The Online Book Club seems like an interesting club to participate in; you get to read books that you may have never considered reading before and be open to new ideas and new ways of thinking that the author may bring out.

Another one of the clubs that I'm considering--in addition to the Online Book Club and Accounting Club--is the Health Club. I am really starting to get serious about my health and well-being, and I'm glad to see that Berkeley College is also interested in our health and well-being. Particularly in the African-American community, we don't always arm ourselves with the necessary health information that we need to save our lives against various diseases and illnesses that are preventable and even curable (and I have been guilty of this myself in the past). So again, I'm glad that Berkeley College has a club for those of us who want to live longer, healthier, happier lives--and be more productive students and future executives and employees in the long run.

So we're still discussing mortgages this week, and I've had to come to an adjustment in my own thinking with regard to which mortgage would be more suitable for a young couple fresh out of college. Once the students on the message board pointed out some key considerations that I overlooked, I had to re-examine my choice in light of this new information. Now while this doesn't mean that I've completely abandoned my first choice, it does mean that in this instance, it wouldn't work for this couple. I think we all help each other to reach the best conclusions we possibly can so that we can help others to do the same (this is for when we're in the workplace).

I'm almost set for the summer quarter--almost, because I need to submit a corrected SAR (Student Aid Report). It turns out that I absentmindedly put my first name where my last name should have been and vice versa. So it was no wonder that my social security number and the information I submitted did not match. So I'm going to correct it promptly so that I can be considered for financial aid for the coming quarters. Lesson learned: pay CAREFUL attention to forms that you have to fill out online (or elsewhere, for that matter).

But at any rate, I'm feeling rather pleased, as I'm taking three courses this summer, which brings me that much closer to my goal of college graduation. I am going to be taking Treasury--Fin205, Math215--Statistics, and Human Resources Management. It's going to be a bit challenging, because part of the time I'll be on vacation in Texas; but I'll buckle down and get it done, regardless of the circumstances. This is something I've been trying to get done for a while now, and now that I'm back in school, I don't want to mess up again.

In Finance this week, we learned about the different types of mortgages and interest rates involved in the purchase of a home. We also learned about the advantages and disadvantages of a fixed-rate mortgage vs. an adjustable-rate mortgage. While fixed-rate mortgages do not rise with the increase in interest rates, they also do not fall with the drop in interest rates, thereby not allowing homeowners to take advantage of lower interest rates unless they renegotiate the terms of their loan, which would mean paying off the entire loan before they could do so.