Are you ready, fellow Berkeley College students (and prospective students)? "Ready for what?" you may ask. Well, are you ready for the upcoming quarter? If not, why not? And if so, well done. And to all new students entering for the first time this quarter, welcome aboard. You honestly will not find another college that keeps you up-to-date with the latest technology like Berkeley College (at least, this is what I have found in my own experience). And not only that, but you will also find a wealth of information on Berkeley's blackboard (which is like an online bulletin board, chock full of interesting announcements with regards to things like school trips, clubs, and scholarship and career information). Just a few strokes of the keyboard and a few clicks of the mouse, and a wealth of information is literally at your fingertips. I definitely encourage you to take advantage of this wonderful provision from the College.

That's actually how I got started with this blogging for Berkeley; I saw an advertisement on the Blackboard, and I contacted the person in charge, and they set up an account for me to be able to tell about my experiences at Berkeley, about what it is to be an online student (as I'm super busy and would not possibly be able to come to a college campus every day), and about the wonderful club options that they have available. I said it before, but it bears repeating: I like being one of the voices of Berkeley. It gives you a real sense of belonging, a sense that you're actually being heard--by students and faculty alike. Even with regard to anything that you may be dealing with that may be less than perfect, you can talk about how you've learned to handle it and be positive about it. It's not what happens; it's how you handle it after it happens. And that's with regard to anything--school, work, life, etc. But not to veer off-topic, I hope that this quarter (and succeeding quarters, if it applies) finds you all successful.

So I saw on Berkeley Blackboard that there's student trip to Six Flags Great Adventure. And they're departing from all campuses. What a great way to have fun and meet fellow students in the process!!! I am hoping to be able to take advantage of this great offer that takes place on July 25. I am going to get the rest of the information necessary, and if everything's a-go, I'll be on that bus to Six Flags come that Friday morning--instead of being at work, watching the kids have fun.

I also did some more browsing on the Career Services website, and they actually have a database listing of companies that are hiring. So I'm going to be viewing those pretty thoroughly. Now is the time to get companies looking at your credentials and letting them know that you're interested in working for them.

As far as the Healthy Cafe is concerned, I'm going to use the information I saw posted there to my advantage--particularly with regard to eating healthy and on a budget. We know how much money we can spend on fast food that does absolutey nothing for our physical health. Why not use that same money on ingredients that can go into heart-healthy recipes? Like this week, I didn't go out once to a restaurant to get something to eat; I went straight home and made lunch. This way, I can benefit two ways--my waistline gets smaller and my pockets get bigger. Believe it or not, this is something that I connect to my finance class. My term paper happened to be on ways that one could save money, and I mentioned that one of the ways we could go about saving money is by cutting lunch costs; prepare your lunch at home instead of always eating out for lunch.

I just got finished checking out Career Services on Berkeley College blackboard. I didn't know that there was a career fair going on, so I may have missed out on some really good choices. But now that I know that these fairs happen periodically, I'll definitely be checking Career Services on a more regular basis. Now that I've acquired some additional skills, I am better able to market myself in this merciless job market. Only the strong survive, and you have to have strong writing and computer/technical skills, along with a strong work ethic, to survive.

The tips on what to wear for interviews is also helpful, as many people today do not seem to know how to dress for success. They feel that their skills are the most important thing. To some degree, this is true; however, the way you present yourself to your prospective employer and your prospective customers is the way you will be perceived to work and handle situations. So if you're seated before your prospective employer neatly dressed, hair combed, shoes shined, teeth brushed, and sit erect and poised, even if you shouldn't get the position, the employer may well remember you if he or she has another position in mind. However, if you come to a job interview with torn bits of clothing, hair uncombed, unwashed, and looking totally disheveled, your interview won't last very long. In fact, you may hear those fatal words: Don't call us; we'll call you. Of course, other factors could play a part in your not succeeding in the interview, but don't let your appearance close the door before you even open your mouth.

So I finally got my grade for my term paper in Finance 200; I managed to get 80 out of 100 percent on it. I'm sure I know where I went wrong and what I could've done to get a better grade, but it is still a good grade. And the ideas are still ideas that one could use with regards to saving and investing for the future. As I mentioned in a previous posting here, one of the concerns in the future is that social security will not be available to this current generation when we retire, and we have to support ourselves somehow. So it is wise to store up savings for yourself to live off of during retirement. You don't have to have the most lavish things; if your basic necessities are covered, then you're doing better than most.

All in all, I must say that this has been a particularly harried quarter for me. I mean, it wasn't all bad, but it just seemed like one thing after another kept taking place, and I wasn't able to really give my studies the attention they warranted. Will this put me off of online learning? Not by any means. It just means that now I'll go ahead and put that schedule in effect that I'm always mentioning. "Prior, proper planning prevents poor performance", as my mom would say (not that my grades were so awful, but I know I could've done better). And anyway, it's not like I'm just gonna give up because I had a semester where I didn't perform exactly the way I wanted. If anything, this is a motivation for me to keep on and to really do my best. As I mentioned in my first-ever blog here, I want to be an inspiration to not only my two nieces, but my mom and my sister, as well, so that they can say, "Assata went back to school and succeeded; there's no reason I can't."

I'm also going to look into joining more online clubs, as well as participating more in the Healthy Cafe. If my fellow club members could see me now, they'd tsk, tsk, tsk at me. I'm not the world's greatest example of healthy living, which is why I joined, so that I could pick up some helpful suggestions. The suggestions I've been reading so far are wonderful, but I'll admit that I have a little problem with follow-through.

So I just finished my final GHA for Finance 200 and I got a 93. I am very happy; howwever, I'm a little fidgety about getting my grade back for the term paper that I submitted. Dr. Rapanos wasn't kidding when he said he wouldn't have time to read papers that were submitted late. At the same time, I didn't think it would take this long.

The next quarter is upon us, people, with lightning speed. Time to get your books if you haven't ordered them for your classes already (I'll have to do so come next pay period at my job). And if you haven't registered for summer classes yet, some of your courses may already be closed. So don't dawdle about your futures. May that one of your top priorities this week or as soon as you can get to it,

I also intend to thoroughly search out Career Services on the Berkeley Blackboard and get tips on how to market myself in this ever-changing workforce. One of the steps I'm actually taking right now; I'm re-enrolled in college and learning new technology and skills that will open doors for me that had formerly been closed due to lack of education and expertise.

I just got my grades from both my GHA #4 and my term paper for Management 220. I got an 88 on my GHA and a 90 for my term paper. Needless to say, I am estatic. It also looks as if I'm getting a B+ for the term. My final for algebra is available until next Wednesday, which is good, because I sure could use the extra study time. At the same time, though, I am getting the hang of it. Once I get into other math subjects, it'll be a piece of cake to me, and I'll wonder why I ever fretted over it. Math hasn't always been my strongest subject, and I think I understand why. It's because of the way I viewed and approached it in the past. Once you understand the breakdown of certain math concepts, however--which are generally applicable to any type of math course--you can accomplish just about anything.

I'm now awaiting word on my final paper for Finance 200. My topic had to do with investing and savings and how we can even invest and save on smaller paychecks. It has to do with a variety of things: creating a budget, living within our means, paying down debt, finding the right financial institution for our needs, setting up retirement accounts/maximizing our 401(k) plans, and investing in securities. There was also a breakdown of how this could be done. I plan to utilize the strategy that I saw in Essence magazine's "Work & Wealth" section. It was a pie chart with a breakdown of what funds should be allocated where.

I plan to also start posting more on the Wellness discussion board with the Healthy Cafe Club. I want to be in better condition for the upcoming courses so that I can be an overall good student. After all, we know that a healthy body is linked to a healthy, functioning mind. And a healthy, functioning mind does well in any class, whether it is a course that's relatively easy or a class that requires some effort. I also want to get more information regarding how we eat being directly related to how much we spend. Things are looking up right now, and I want to keep working toward that.

It's nearing the end of this quarter, and I just turned in two of my research papers that were due at the end of this week. Now I have to finish up my assessment for Management 220 by 11 p.m. tomorrow. The format is different this time around, as this time we have essay questions that we have to answer, in addition to the multiple choice questions we have to answer. It'll be interesting to see what the essay questions entail. Also, some of the students have been having trouble submitting their papers through Blackboard. Fortunately I wasn't one of them, but the professor made arrangements for any students having trouble to submit their papers via email, so that was good.

In Finance this week, this discussion dealt with full-service vs. discount or online brokerage firms. Most of us felt that for first-time investors, full-service brokerages firms were the way to go, while some felt that there was no guarantee either way--and there really isn't. But the main point that came up was that first-time investors do the research before dealing with any company, and that if they felt comfortable enough in investing their funds with a particular company, they could do so comfortably with the knowledge that held at their fingertips.

Two papers to turn in, two more assessments, and one final exam--boy, is my brain TIRED!!! To be honest, I'm grateful for the two-week reprieve in between quarters. But I can't complain; I love being in school, after having been out for a while to care for personal matters (family, employment, etc.). And once again, I'm excited for the summer session coming up, where I won't have to do as much running around, since my niece will be out of school and in camp for the summer.

One of my papers is for Finance, and it deals with investing and saving more of your hard-earned dollars. I basically did some research using some finance articles from Essence magazine issues, and they really have some useful information (information which I'm now applying even in my own personal life), such as investing in stocks, how to start your own side business, paying down debt to increase your net, and much more. I have a 'wealth' (pardon the pun) of information at my fingertips, and to think, I almost didn't use these magazines as sources of information--or even think that I had any sources. I hope I do well in presenting the information in a clear, understandable way that will impress my professor.

The second paper has to do with selecting a company and listing its company history, financial standing, CEO, and why this is a good company to invest in. And I've already chosen a company that I'm familiar with--Wachovia Bank. I've been a customer since 2005, and I can certainly attest to the wonderful services that they have as a financial institution. But as I mentioned before, it is very hard work. Not impossible, but I will be working my fingers to the bone this weekend, typing and studying, typing and studying.