Scholarly Advice for Academic Mastery
A collection of insights and advice from some of the most successful university, graduate, and professional students and scholars.
Narratives and Misc.
The Bitter Taste of Failure: How I Met Supreme Court
Justices and Ended Up Making Video Games
Like death or deep space, in the quiet moments I dared to imagine the most
fanciful things, things that seemed impossible. Lots of people leave school
and survive. Where are they? Shouldn’t they be bringing back amazing
stories? Are they gobbled up by the corporate monster? What happened to the
boy who explored planets and returned a Star Fleet admiral?
Confound it! Where was that boy?
I majored in Linguistics. I love the study of language: sounds, origins,
meaning. I can tell you all kinds of things about how language works and how
people use it. I received my degree from Duke University. With high honors.
I applied to graduate programs in six top universities.
Oops.
Rejected.
Okay, don’t panic. The CIA offers jobs lots of for “linguists”. I grew up in
northern Virginia (not affiliated with the rest of Virginia), so I’d be
close to home at Langley. Let’s look. Wanted: Arabic speakers. Farsi
speakers. Chinese speakers. Wow. Is a translator the same as a linguist? I
can read ancient Greek. I don’t see that listed here. My ego has nightmares
of Dr. Marcus Brody in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade walking through a
market in Cairo: “Hello. Does anybody here speak English? What about ancient
Greek?”
So much for linguistics.
I must confess something now that will make my worries seem silly. You see,
I had another major. My junior year I played a computer game that moved me
as no game had since high school. It was called The Longest Journey. I’ve
always been good with computers, and I decided that, to be practical, I
would take enough courses for a Computer Science degree. With such a
practical degree I should be in high demand, right? I should easily be able
to find a job in North Carolina, and my girlfriend and I can live happily
ever after. I haphazardly applied to every game job in the area. I mean, I
graduated from Duke. With high honors.
When that failed I swallowed my pride and applied to all kinds of computer
positions, but I didn’t have the real-world skills for anything. It was like
the CIA thing all over again. People wanted Microsoft, databases, Flash, and
lots of experience, and I could read a primitive form of C++ and a little
Java. I even tried to hit up an old friend I hadn’t seen since the third
grade, which made me feel awful. Believe it. The economy was hurting. I was
hurting.
That was when something very strange and unwanted occurred. How strange and
unwanted? Let me tell you.
An old family friend whom I will call Kay would commonly say, with great
earnest:
“Jeffrey, the Lord is telling me that you will sit on the Supreme Court.”
When I was young this always sounded prophetic in a far-fetched sort of way,
but now that I had degrees in Linguistics and Computer Science and no desire
to attend law school, it no longer sounded prophetic. And yet here was Kay,
explaining how she had set up appointments with a couple of Senators’ aides,
and we would drop in on a couple others unannounced, and while we were at it
we would stop by the Supreme Court. How can you say no to that? I
appreciated meeting officials that day, but reading the job postings was
like eating broccoli, except less helpful. “Okay, look,” I said after a
private tour of the Supreme Court. “Here’s a computer job. I’ll apply to
it.” I shrugged. I knew it was out of my league, and government red tape
takes forever. Kay looked iffy, since it appeared to be on a different
career path than Supreme Court Justice, but it was something at least.
A few months later, when I was living with my parents after the failures
described above, I interviewed at the Supreme Court.
“We’re migrating ASP web applications to ASP.NET. Our data is in SQL
databases.”
“I don’t know any of that,” I said.
“No problem,” they said.
It made no earthly sense. Why would they pick me over the tons (I don’t
remember the exact number) of other applicants? I was expanding my
repertoire at Learning Tree classes, sitting in a cushy cubicle doing work
that came easily. I made a good friend, too; we started on the same day. I
saw or met at least five Justices during this time, and Chief Justice
Rehnquist greeted me cheerily in the hall once. Even though I never spent
any time with him, I developed a great respect for “The Chief”.
And yet I wasn’t happy. In my spare time I read about game engineering and
volunteered on an amateur game project. I was the youngest programmer at the
Court by about twenty years. I wanted to escape into the wide world and make
something of myself. Also, I had to get back to my girlfriend in Raleigh.
Biweekly drives are a pain. I had plenty of time, while working at the
Court, to shove my foot in my mouth with emails and phone calls to the game
companies in Raleigh again, turning rejection into something worse, if
that’s possible. A word of advice: Persistence can pay off, but annoyance
hardly ever does in the professional market. As a last resort, I emailed a
part-time professor who taught me Artificial Intelligence my freshman year.
“You probably don’t remember me,” I began, and I asked briefly for advice.
The reply (paraphrased, but not by much): “It’s great to hear from you! I’m
leaving my job at the Research Triangle Institute, and I’ll recommend you to
replace me.”
Huh?
Again, it made no sense. I was finally in Raleigh, programming emotions,
animations, and natural dialogue for a PhD-led research project, which was
close to game work, plus I started taking continuing education classes at NC
State University. I couldn’t have been happier... Of course I never stopped
eyeing game companies, but I didn’t pursue them.
“So what happened?” you ask. Well, after a few months my job description
changed. I was programming buttons on virtual military radios, which would
have been okay, except that then I was programming even more buttons on more
virtual radios and testing them until midnight. Another word of advice: If
you have to test something until midnight, it either needs to be fun or you
need to be getting paid overtime. I took this opportunity to get rejected
(why not?) by some game companies again. This was a depressing time, but
there were things to enjoy: being near my fiancée and attending fascinating
classes at school. I transitioned into a part-time M.S. program with minimal
complications.
My future in-laws see an announcement in the paper: A new game company?
Coming here? To Raleigh? And they’re willing to hire people who have
experience on simulations. I had already banged my head against graphics
math for some earlier rejections; now I reviewed all my basics.
After a couple of interviews, as if by magic, I became the third engineer at
Destineer Studios’ Raleigh location. Everything came together. People knew
RTI. The technology lead had worked there before me. My graduate classes
prepared me perfectly to understand the systems I’d be working on, which was
a complete surprise. I didn’t expect academia to help me so blatantly.
I apologize for dragging this out. I remember when I was in school I really
wanted to read a story like this, a story that would tell me it would be
crazy, but it would all turn out okay. It sounds corny to say that
experience, talent, faith, diligence, luck, etc. flare up and come together
at the right time for the good... but they did. Naturally, there are still
lots of things I want to accomplish. (I'm looking forward to a course in
linguistics this fall.) Thinking about all this gives me great hope for my
future. That’s my wish for you as well.
Jeff Stanley
Master of Computer Science
North Carolina State University
When I was an
undergraduate I was susceptible to being intimidated by the intelligence of
the brilliant people who surrounded me. Now that I am in a doctoral program,
the potential for such intimidation is even higher. However, over the course
of my academic career I have learned a critical coping mechanism: planning.
Meticulous planning of my projects, my days, my weeks and my semesters has
allowed me to stay competitive in every academic (and professional)
environment in which I have worked. There are plenty of people who are
smarter than me and plenty of people who work harder; my edge is working
smarter.
As an undergraduate, I planned
out my semester as soon as I could get my hands on the syllabi of the
courses I was taking. For every semester, I scheduled every reading
assignment, every test and every paper, noting not only when these items
were due but the number of days I would work on them. So for a paper due on,
say, December 10th, I would estimate the number of planning, researching,
outlining, writing, and editing sessions I needed to complete the paper, and
I would schedule each of those sessions so that the final editing fell on
December 9th. I initially used a paper day-planner for this exercise, but am
now a devotee of Outlook task lists.
Of course, plans change. Tasks
never take exactly as long as you expect them to, especially when you try to
break them down into minute chunks. The point of beginning-of-semester
planning is not to preordain my life for the next three months, but rather
to set out a general scheme within which adjustments can be made along the
way. Many people think planning is pointless because of change, but planning
is actually the best way to deal with change.
I have been surprised to learn
that even in the much more abstract, less task-driven environment of a
doctoral program, I still manage to plan my work at the level of the day,
and I still get that work done on-time with very little stress. (In all of
high school, college or graduate school, I have never pulled an all-nighter
to finish an academic assignment.)
When people learn the details
of my "dirty little secret" of meticulous planning, they usually comment
that I am anal-retentive or crazy, or perhaps a combination of the two. The
fact is that once you get these kinds of things down to a system, they don't
take a huge amount of time. And that time is generously rewarded down the
stretch. Say a paper suddenly becomes due two weeks earlier than I expected.
While others are panicking, I am tapping into a reserve of available
"bandwidth" that I set aside at the beginning of the semester. No weekends
killed, no all-nighters pulled, no slippage of schedule.
Experts in personal
organization will tell you to find a system that works for you. In addition
to echoing that general advice, I would recommend: (1) developing a system
that costs a noticeable amount of time upfront, just so you know you're
doing enough thinking to do yourself some good, and (2) keeping at it until
any feelings of being overwhelmed by work are gone. Planning is actually one
of the most relaxing things I do. It's much cheaper than yoga classes.
Nathan Black
PhD, Political Science
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
I, Brooke Jennings, graduated with a 4.0 GPA at Radford University. I earned my Bachelor of Social Work Degree and learned how to overcome many challenges. I am the first in my family to attend college and my goal is to encourage all adolescents/adults to further their education. I would like to say that my 4.0 GPA was not easy to accomplish. I went to college at the age of 31 and I suffer with short-term memory. I am a foster-mother of four girls, birth mother of two boys and one girl, a full time wife, I work full-time as a youth counselor, and I am full time college student. Now you ask! How do you do it?
My secret to success is time
management and setting goals. As a busy person, I have to make sure that I
have enough time in the day to accomplish my employment, school, and to
enjoy my family. To manage your time you must be able to understand how to
set goals and determine how you spend your 24-hour days. You need to create
an outline on how you complete a typical week. You need to understand your
priorities and keep a calendar. In the calendar, you need to write down when
you have class, when you are going to study, and do your homework. You need
to put in your calendar when you plan to exercise/sports, go to work, spend
time with family, time for personal care, meal preparation, relaxing time,
socializing, doctor appointments, and whatever else comes your way. Oh, do
not forget to add sleep. Now this may seem to be a bit much, but you will be
surprise how much you can accomplish in a 24-hour day by managing your time.
I also learned that you cannot
manage your time if you do not motivate yourself. You need to be able to
take responsibility for your learning and recognize that “failure” is
success. Praise and reward yourself when you succeed and when you reach your
goals. Motivation is very important, so keep you head up high and do not let
failure get into your way.
You will also need to avoid
procrastination. I am the queen when it comes to procrastination, and I know
the challenges it brings not to procrastinate. It is important to remind
yourself of due dates way in advance and tell yourself once it is completed
you will have time for yourself. You need to be clear on what your final
objectives are and what the end result will be. What are your major steps to
get there? What have you done so far? You must always remember that the
longest journey begins with the first step.
You will need to learn how to create effective study habits. Everyone studies differently so you will need to find what works best for you. Find the most comfortable place to study and set a positive mood. Take responsibility for yourself and again manage your time. I try to center myself on my values and principles, and I put first things first.
It is important to pay attention in class. I have short-term memory so I am writing down almost everything the teachers are saying. Sometimes, I bring in a tape recorder. I always sit in the front row and I participate in class whenever possible. I let the professors know immediately that I have short-term memory and I will be taping them and may ask repetitive questions.
I learned that writing is very
important, especially in the social work field. It is important to use
proper grammar and always check spelling. Do not rely on the computer to fix
your mistakes. Most colleges have someone in the library to proof read your
papers, so take advantage of services within your college. Always proof read
and revise all assignments before turning it in.
Understand your preferred
learning style. A learning style is a way of learning, and your preferred
learning style is the way you learn best. I am an auditory learner. I learn
best when information is presented by sound, through lectures and class
discussions. This is why taping class discussions help me learn. You need to
know your learning styles. Are you a Visual Learner? Are you an Auditory
Learner? Are you a Kinesthetic Learner? Remember, your learning style is
your strength, so go with what works best for you.
I suffer with test anxiety and
I still learned how to succeed. I have a hard time focusing on
multiple-choice tests. When I take a test, I have a difficult time
understanding the directions and questions. Sometimes I read the questions
wrong or I just draw a blank. I find my mind wondering and I forget the
answers. Therefore, you ask how I got the 4.0 GPA with test anxiety. I
learned quickly how to create healthy study techniques. I tried to create a
positive attitude and tried to stay relaxed during the test. I reminded
myself it did not matter when the other students finishes their exam. When I
fail an exam, I learn from my mistakes and I analyze the test to see how I
could have done better. If I did very poor I would talk to the professor and
ask if I can do extra credit. I explained to the professor that I have
severe test anxiety and I want to prove another way that I know the
materials. I learned that most professors will work with you if you are
active in class, always turn in your materials, and you are never absent.
Your attitude with school is important and you must learn how to advocate
for yourself.
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Brooke Alston Jennings Master of Science in Social Work Radford University
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On May 5, 1983
I was born as an only child into a single parent family. Over the course of
my lifetime, I have had to face many obstacles and hardships that got in the
way of my dreams, including having to move 11 times and struggling from a
learning disability. If it was not for my mother, I would not be where I am
today.
Upon graduating from high
school in June of 2002, I made the decision that I wanted to attend North
Shore Community College located in Danvers, Massachusetts. This was one of
the best choices that I could have made because I learned the necessary
skills in how to succeed, and I received the support that I needed. I did
not hesitate to go for tutoring if I needed it and such actions paid off
because I finished my first semester successfully and was notified that I
had made the dean's list. In 2005, I graduated from North Shore Community
College with highest honors and transferred to Salem State College, located
in Salem, Massachusetts, that fall. I majored in psychology and graduated
with my baccalaureate degree in May of 2007. I graduated with Summa Cum
Laude. A few months prior to graduation, I applied to graduate school at the
University of Massachusetts-Boston. I knew there was a 50/50 chance of
getting in and I prayed that the admissions committee would accept me. A few
days after my interview, I received a letter in the mail stating that I had
been accepted. I was ecstatic by such news.
Today I am enrolled full-time
in my master's degree program and hope to have my degree by May of 2009. I
currently have a GPA of 4.0. After graduation, I will have my master's in
mental health counseling and then have to take the Massachusetts licensure
exam in order to become a licensed mental health counselor in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. My goal is to become a college counselor and
assist students reach their goals in life. I believe anyone can achieve
their goals if they really want to. There were many times that the odds were
against me, but perseverance and strength from God helped me to keep going.
One of the best tips that I can
give those of you just starting college is to always think about your
ultimate goal in life after obtaining a college degree. There may be
hardships along the way, but as long as you persevere and hold true to what
you want to achieve, you will reach your goals ultimately. Don’t give up! I
never did and I never will.
|
Sean Michael Kenney Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling University of Massachusetts-Boston
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This message is for incoming freshman. Making the transition from living at home to college life can be stressful. College is a new, exciting and fun environment, but for some it can seem lonely at times. If you find that you arrived at your college and it's not what you expected you are not alone. Your classes may be going great, but the social life just isn't so red hot. Maybe you and your roommate aren't really that compatible and you don't feel a real connection. I'm here to tell you not give up and go home; it gets so much better so hang in there.
My first semester of college was very lonely for me. I had just broken up with my boyfriend of 4 years and was living with a roommate that I had nothing in common with. We tried to avoid each other if at all possible. I dreaded going back to my dorm. I had been popular in high school; I was on homecoming court and had lots of friends. I assumed making friends at college would be just as easy for me. I failed to realize that I needed to get involved in social functions to get to know people. I couldn't just go to class and head back to my dorm and expect to have an exciting and stimulating social life. I had heard people talk about how much fun college is and what wild and silly things they did all my life, but I was bored and down right depressed. If you can relate to these feelings, read on; I have some survival tips for your first year at college.
The first tip is to make use of your counseling center. You should have counselors on campus that you can call and make an appointment to see and talk to. These people are trained and experienced professional counselors and/or psychologists that want to listen to people's problems and have heard it all before. They want you to come talk to them and are actually expecting it. Don't worry about anyone seeing you go to the counseling center, because students go all the time for career and academic counseling, in case that is a concern for you. You can talk to your counselor about anything; they will listen.
The second tip is to get familiar with your campus. Take a walk after your classes are finished for the day and get your favorite cup of coffee or tea and explore a little. Becoming familiar with a new place can make it seem more inviting and more like home. You may even find yourself enjoying this walk around campus and make it a weekly or daily ritual. Fresh air is always a good thing. Just make sure if you go after dark that you do not go alone.
The third tip I have for you is to let yourself cry if you need to. If you know you feel better after letting it out, then let it out. Entering into a new phase in life was a little hard for me. I mourned my old life, but knew I couldn't go back. I cried now and then my first semester at college, and then I remembered an old saying that helped me out. I was closing one door to open a new one and it was up to me to walk through it. I know it sounds cliché' and it is somewhat, but it's so very true.
My fourth tip is to consider changing roommates at the end of the semester if you aren't clicking with yours the way you'd like. many freshman do this; it is not uncommon. I certainly did and it made a world of difference. I don't regret my first semester with the other roommate; I learned a great deal about myself and it was a growing experience. You may have met someone that wants to be your roommate next semester and that's great! If not, just put in for a new one and maybe your second roommate will be more to your liking. You can always switch again if you have to. People are different and it's just not easy to live someone, especially if you are total opposites, so don't feel bad. It's not personal; it's a college survival tactic that you must act on to ensure your optimum level of happiness and enjoyment while you are living on campus.
My fifth tip is to look forward. The semester will go by more quickly than you think and you'll be on winter break. I found that I came back for my spring semester excited and looking forward to living on campus again. My new roommate and I got out and involved in social activities and this was fun. We made some new friends and had special girl's night outs once a week. On the subject of looking forward, college is a portal to a new and better life. Don't forget why you are there. It's temporary and it will get you that job you so desire. Why did you want to go to college anyway? Ask yourself this and remind yourself that you are on a path to a better future. You dream job awaits; it's up to you to go get it.
Danae Colvin
Masters of Science in Counseling
Missouri State University
It may seem
strange, that the same letters, the B.A. or B.S., the college degree, is
rewarded to individuals no matter what experiences they had leading up to
this reward. Online university, state school, or private college each can
produce the same outcome. Of course, anyone with a college degree has taken
courses, and gained knowledge about a specific field, however, the true gain
of the college experience is something different, not reflected in our
degree title after graduation. It is our peers along the way who truly teach
us about life. The memories, the talks, the emotions, the passion
experienced with other individuals within one’s college experience are what
matters. It is our classmates, roommates, teammates and best friends who
shape our college experiences and alter us forever.
From the first day of
orientation, we learn about what high school is like in another town or
state. Through the intensity, stress, and competitiveness of academia we
learn poise and compassion from those around us. We have long talks and big
laughs. We hurt from damaged relationships, and we share our deepest
worries. Trust commences. We watch some struggle and others succeed, and we
learn how to deal with each. On the day of graduation, we finally receive
those two little letters, but few tears are shed for the ending of chemistry
exams and long nights in the library. Instead, we look back and cry for the
beauty of our time together, our growth, and how much we truly love one
another. This connection, the trust, the truth, the love, is the greatest
benefit of college.
| Karyn Wheeler Master of Human Development and Family Studies Case Western Reserve University |
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Within the past
few years, I have had much success academically in college due to several
factors and experiences. I graduated high school with a 1.7 GPA and
currently, with one semester left for my bachelors in Special Education as a
learning and behavior specialist, I have a 3.8. Through goal setting, use of
time management skills, and most importantly, careful analysis of my
strengths, abilities, and interests, I have had a successful college
experience.
Much of my lack of performance in high school was due to issues with
motivation. I learned early during my freshman year that an individual could
acquire their Associates Degree in a local community college and then apply
to universities whom would overlook high school grades and focus on
community college achievements. My parents did not have the money to pay for
my tuition, so I knew that I would have to attend community college anyways.
Thus, I only chose to perform at the bare minimum, earn the same high school
diploma as everyone else, and have as much fun as I possibly could. However;
I encountered a problem with this strategy when I quit procrastinating my
full efforts, I had lost and missed out on many study, math, reading, and
writing skills and strategies. It took me a few semesters to figure out how
I learn and perform the best. I did this through many trials and errors, but
took the time to learn from my mistakes and make changes in my personal
daily living including: my sleep schedule, diet, and the amount of partying
and delinquency I engaged in (which was abnormally high).
Another dramatic affect on my life academically occurred when I was tested
for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). I was diagnosed with
the disorder and prescribed medication. Once I began taking the medication,
my grades were 4.0s for the following three semesters and during the
additional two semesters proceeding, I earned a couple of B’s, but these
were more difficult classes in 17 credit hour semesters. Once my grades
improved, so did my confidence. I began to set more goals for my future. I
first determined that I am a people person. Talking and language are among
my greatest strengths. Next, I asked myself “what kind of people do I want
to be around and interact with?” I mentioned earlier that I used to be more
deviant than the typical high school student, which is an understatement at
best. I enjoy the company of people with this similar, sort of crazy and
impulsive demeanor. I thought of different possibilities such as a
bartender, musician, or a counselor, but then I considered the issue of
replaceability. This means how easily one can be replaced by others for
their chosen occupation. I think that most people can become a bartender or
a musician, but they can also be replaced easily unless they are superior at
what they do. I considered being some type of counselor and began looking
online at the job market. This was a very important step I took that I
believe many people do not consider. I looked at shortages and the future
prospects for gaining an occupation in different types of counseling. I
discovered the significant demand for special education teachers, especially
those who teach students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. Thus, I
found a group of individuals with similar personality traits as myself (the
students) whom I could relate, help, and provide supportive and successful
mentorship to. Once I created this goal for myself, my motivation increased
ten fold. Whenever I was drowned with homework that seemed meaningless, it
was much easier to maintain persistence because I was able to see the light
at the end of the tunnel or a means to an end.
It was exciting to talk about and research options for my future. I decided
to apply to Illinois State University due to their exceptional Special
Education Program. I was scared that I wouldn’t be accepted from stories I
had heard from others more studious than I who were not. These students
applied right out of high school with average and above average GPA’s, as
well with high ACT scores which I did not have. I applied close to receiving
my associates with a 2.7 GPA and because I was receiving my A.A.S. prior to
my attendance, I was accepted at ISU.
My mother cosigned for student loans, I visited ISU, signed a lease for a one bedroom apartment, and began to plan for going away to college. These loans and other financial responsibilities were huge motivators for me considering that if I began slacking, failed, or did not follow through, I would be stuck with considerable debt and no degree. I discovered many financial aid opportunities which are typical for schooling for occupations in high demand. After my first semester at ISU, I received a tuition waver that paid my tuition in full as long as I taught Special Ed. in Illinois for two years after I graduate. Although this made me very happy, it also scared me because if I didn’t follow through, the tuition costs would turn into additional loans. The anxiety caused by all of these financial responsibilities were stressful, but proved to reinforce my motivation to succeed even more so.
If you can get your Associates Degree first, once you transfer to a university, you start a new GPA, and your previous high school and community college grades are overlooked. My first two semesters went very successfully (4.0’s) due to my significant amount of motivation and fear of failure. I was awarded with the tuition waver and additional scholarships allowing me to quit my job and focus even more on school. I warn those who have 4.0 GPA’s because this turned into a huge burden over my shoulders that began to cause me too much stress that in turn began to negatively affect my sleep, diet, mental health, social life, and academic performance. I quit taking time for myself to relax and engage in leisure activities. This is very important! I found it is better to sleep with some studying rather than staying up all night hitting the books. A better way I found to study is to review notes and readings on a daily basis. This is useless though without extensive note taking. By this I mean taking notes as if you have no short or long term memory. Initially, I would give myself too much credit and think “I know that or I will remember” but learned that I have a terrible memory unless I review on a daily basis. Reviewing daily also took me an exceptionally long time to do seeing as my only motivation prior to my success was the anxiety of failing or running out of time. Once I began to see a substantial increase in my performance, it was much easier to review daily rather than thinking that I have plenty of time and procrastinate. My motivation was also reinforced by my interest in what I was learning and its relevance to my future.
My final and most recent discovery was the importance of time management. As school began to get more difficult, I found myself with less and less time to study and do homework. I always overdid everything and made sure every assignment was perfect, but this became another conflict. I was spending too much time on little assignments and projects, and would run out of time for more important works which would result in late submissions and numerous careless errors. I would also have questions and confusion about demands and criteria for assignments, and would not be able to ask my instructors at 3:00AM the night before they were due. So, every morning when I woke up, I would review my assignment deadlines for homework due sometimes weeks before, check how many points they were worth and make lists. My written lists had all of my assignments in order of priority. This made my whole life in general more organized and less stressful because I was able to create daily goals, see what I had to do, and cross them off the list which is incredibly satisfying. I even began to feel bad if I did not cross everything off the list for the day, but this lessened as I learned more and more what I was usually able to accomplish without killing myself and getting stressed out. Today, I write down everything, even things that are not school related and my room and possessions are all covered with posted notes. This works very well for me because I am a visual learner. I suggest taking tests that can be found online and assess whether you are a visual, audio, or kinesthetic learner. Another visual strategy I use is flash cards, which work for many people of all ages especially for memorization.
I have been given an advantage by choosing the learning and behavior certification because essentially, I was learning how to learn and how to improve the academic performance of students with disabilities. Especially when learning how to teach students with impulsive behavior problems, I took the concepts and applied them to myself.
During some of my student teaching experiences I have had working with individuals with numerous and diverse disabilities, I was able to see that everyone has a purpose and something they are good at. A disability may limit a person, but this limit is always compensated with something else. For example, someone with a speech impediment may have exceptional listening, attention gaining, or writing skills. Many of the students who had learning disabilities were hands on learners who could fix cars and machines, were star athletes, or were just the funniest people I have ever met. Many of these students will make excellent mechanics, pilots, actors, or anything that does not require a large amount of writing, math problems, or whatever task they are disabled to perform as well as others. The problem with our school system today is that it is based around writing papers, sitting still in desks all day, and teaching a general curriculum that most students find irrelevant and uninteresting. By taking my medication for my ADHD, I suppressed my impulses to get out of my seat, constantly talk, and quit doing things that I didn’t think were really fun. Over time, I began to notice when I was taking it, I was quiet, introverted, and good at listening, but I was not myself. I especially noticed this with my personal relationships and while I stood in front of a classroom and needed to talk all day. I am currently struggling to quit taking it and sometimes really hate the way it makes me feel. It reminds me of a Jeckle and Hyde drug that makes me quiet, reserved, professional, and appropriate, but in exchange for how funny, outgoing, entertaining, and fun I really am. Over time I have been taking it less and less, but I still have not been able to completely stop. Mostly because I have been taking it consistently through my college experience (which is almost over) and I know it works. I think these are sufficient reasons to not stop, but realistically, I have become dependant upon the medication. I know I will eventually stop it all together because I have learned to accommodate and cope with my impulses, but I don’t believe I would have learned these coping skills without being medicated by the drug. I sit on the fence when it comes to medicating the majority of the very students I teach with this medication and others similar, because like disabilities, there is always a trade off. It gave me the ability to adhere to the standards of our schooling system in this country, but it stole the very traits that qualified me for the job. I say to those who think they may need medication, be wary and try to avoid it at all costs. Try to learn an alternative way to stay the way you are and use the special skills that you have. I could name off strategies all day that I have used successfully, but those have worked for me. You need to discover what works for you. As I have learned in Special Education, everyone learns in their own specific way and this is because of how their brain works, what options they are given, what they are good at, and most importantly, what they enjoy doing. The only way to discover these things is to try and experience numerous methods, activities, and strategies, keep the ones that work, remember the ones that do not, not give up after failure, identify the reason of failure, and change.
I am certainly
not the typical honor student and people I know from high school cringe when
I tell I am going to be a teacher, but then when I tell them I am going to
teach students with behavioral problems, they stop, smile, and tell me I
will be a damn good one. I believe in order to be a good drug addiction
counselor, you need to have either been addicted to drugs or been around
drug addiction for a considerable time. In order to be successful, you need
to strive not for a big paycheck, rather at a job that you would enjoy going
to everyday because you know your stuff and are good at what you do. If you
do this, then everything falls into place. You won’t fail if you have chosen
the right occupation. The hardest part is finding what job you want to
invest your time, money, and effort to become qualified doing and enjoy
doing so. Even if you discover late in your college career that you chose
the wrong occupation, its OK. Many people work jobs with some totally
irrelevant degree that has nothing to do with the job demands, but it shows
that the person finishes what they start and do not give up. Also, college
was even more fun than high school. Although I worked much harder, I still
had my own apartment on a college campus which made those nights in
community college, when I stayed home and studied certainly well worth it. I
tried to remember that on those grueling nights.
Once again, by learning and understanding your strengths, abilities, and
interests you can find a job that fits you. Sure, there are endless
strategies and techniques to do well in school, but nothing works better
than being interested and enjoying what you are going to school for. Once
you have found it, set goals to accomplish it. When you fail at something,
don’t give up, rather find the reason of failure. If you failed because you
don’t care and are not interested in the subject, then change the subject.
If you failed because you got too drunk the night before the test, then go
bowling, skateboarding, or do something else instead. In my case it was
impulse control and time management, so I did something about it. You can
always blame others and things for lack of success and be helpless, but if
you structure your environment so the causes don’t occur again, then you
will be successful. To do the same thing over and over again, and expect
different results is insanity. You need to learn who you are by experience
of success and failure, and what you like to do besides cashing in a big
paycheck and watching TV.
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Todd Michael Law Illinois State University
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As a returning
student after thirteen years, I was excited as well as apprehensive about
going back to school. Not only did I leave my home of seventeen years, but I
also left my friends and family to move to a town I knew nothing about.
However, as a single Mother, I knew I wanted to further my education in
order to provide a quality lifestyle for myself and my daughter.
Months before the fall semester
even started, I emailed all my professors, introduced myself, and asked for
the required texts and materials for each class I had registered for. By the
time I arrived in Flagstaff, I had already purchased and received all my
books for my fall classes. I found most of the books online at a
significantly lower cost than purchasing them at the university bookstore. I
also arrived a week before classes started and toured the campus, walking
and exploring on my own, with my daughter in her stroller. I familiarized
myself with the route to my classes from my apartment on campus. When the
first day of school arrived, I felt fully prepared to tackle my first
semester of classes since 1995.
I kept a detailed calendar,
noting all due dates of assignments, required readings and upcoming tests
and papers. I made flash cards for my Spanish class and practiced a little
bit each day. I also used the breaks in between classes to read literature
and finish any written assignments. In addition, I qualified for the Federal
Work Study Program and worked in the front office of Family Housing where I
currently live. I was able to complete much of my homework while sitting at
the front desk when I was not assisting residents. By studying between
classes and during my office hours, I was able to decrease the amount of
study time at home with my daughter. Despite taking 13 credit hours and
working 20 hours each week, I never felt exhausted or overwhelmed due to
excellent time management.
Organization and time
prioritization are both essential to succeeding in school. Academic success
is possible no matter what stage of life you are in. Remember that you will
make mistakes but determine to learn from them and avoid the same pitfalls
in the future. Reach out to your fellow students, learn names and faces and
take down phone numbers and email addresses. Put together study groups at
home, the library or at a local coffee shop. Get to know your professors and
take advantage of their office hours. Your teachers are there for you and
want you to succeed. Talk to them, ask them questions and do not hesitate to
express any frustrations or concerns you may have with the class material.
Do not forget...your professors were all students at one time or may still
be working on their own education.
I am proud of my
accomplishments and am grateful to friends and family for their support and
suggestions. Do not let anything or anyone get in the way of your education.
Just Do It!!!!
Melissa Gay Reiswig
Northern Arizona University
All I ever needed to know about teaching I learned in
college: Preparing My classroom
After the interviews, the resumes, and the job offers came the day I arrived
in my classroom for the very first time. Fortunately I had about four weeks
before school started to take a skeleton of a classroom and make it into a
functioning, learning-friendly place for second graders.
I arrived at my school that first time after the interview with my parent’s
van filled to capacity with all of the teaching materials and equipment I
had accumulated for many years. I can remember wanting to be a teacher from
my early days of elementary school. Since that time, I had saved countless
workbooks, storybooks, games, posters, craft kits, office supplies, and a
plethora of other items for use in my classroom. After toting all of these
boxes upstairs to my classroom, the true weight of the task before me
finally settled in as I looked at my stacks of boxes along with the boxes
already in the room.
The second grade teacher before me had taught in the room I would occupy for
nearly 20 years before opting to move up to sixth grade to teach social
studies. Fortunately she left behind many games, books, and other teaching
supplies that would not be useful in her new position. In addition to the
boxes of items sitting in the center of the room, I had four large closets
and 3 large shelving units packed full of resources to be inventoried and
organized.
For at least a week in 90+ degree heat, I took absolutely everything out of
every box, every closet, and off of every shelf. I had to be practical in my
decision making, asking myself, “Do I ever see myself using this?” Anytime
the answer was no, it went in the trash. For example, there were nearly 50
old children’s books marked “discard” from the library that were from the
1950s and earlier. These books had seen a lot of love but were very
outdated. I had accumulated so many books from the Scholastic book club
orders over the years, that my own collection of books easily replaced these
old ones. After everything had been sorted and organized, I began the
process of putting everything away in the closets and on the shelves. Even
now, three years later, I am still moving things around and reorganizing the
room.
After I had everything put away, I had to begin setting up the furniture in
the room. I knew I would be having 23 students (I would later learn never to
plan on an exact number of students until at least the third day of school,
and even then the number can still change). I arranged the desks in a U
shape—a workable formation used by my cooperating teacher when I was student
teaching. Once the students’ desks were arranged, the rest of the room,
including my desk, the computers, and the table for reading groups all fell
into place. With windows all along the back and the chalkboard along the
front and the closets/lockers along the south wall, there was not a great
deal of flexibility in where the larger pieces of furniture could be placed.
Now I was finally ready to begin getting the classroom ready for that first
day. I spent many hours at the laminator laminating the many posters,
banners, and signs that I had recently purchased or had been saving for
years. These helped brighten up the otherwise drab cement block walls of the
classroom. I hung up 12 birthday cakes with each student’s birthday written
on his/her month, I hung up the four cardinal directions in their respective
places, I put up a new set of ABC letter cards (replacing some ancient green
Zaner-Bloser cards from the 1950s that were still hanging up), and I used a
lot of sticky tack hanging up various posters and signs.
The room came with four bulletin boards: two large rectangular ones and two
square ones. I designated the square one at the front next to the chalkboard
as my calendar board. It contains the monthly calendar, daily weather chart,
counting straws and money to keep track of the number of days of school we
have had, and a 100s grid. The other square board became the “All About Me”
board which is rotated each week for a different student. I started off the
year by making the board “All About Mr. Turner” so parents and students
could become a little more familiar with me. The other two rectangular
boards contained a “Welcome To Second Grade” collage and “Our Goals For The
Year” which featured letters the students wrote at the end of their first
grade year about what they would like to learn in second grade.
In addition to the decorations and organization of the room, I also had to
start planning some classroom management techniques. I created a lunch count
signup method by writing BUYING and PACKING on two sentence strips and
attached them to the chalk sill. I wrote each student’s name with a
fine-tipped marker on a close pin and clipped them all to the PACKING side
of the strip. Students take care of signing up for lunch by moving their
close pin to buying if they plan to purchase a lunch or leave it on packing
if they brought a lunch from home. One of my classroom jobs is “lunch count”
which allows a student to count up the number of close pins on the buying
side, fill out the lunch count slip and deliver it to the cafeteria. Other
classroom jobs I made provisions for before the first day included paper
passer, line leader (boy and girl), messenger to the office, scrap patrol,
chair patrol, and calendar. These jobs are rotated every two weeks, allowing
students to become “experts” at their jobs before training the next student
assigned to the job. I also purchased a “flip card” chart to help students
monitor their own behavior in class. Students who misbehave have to “flip a
card” starting with green and moving through four other colors before
arriving at a red card. Each step along the way comes with a consequence.
The very last part of preparing the classroom actually involved planning
lessons for the first week. I had to go through all of the textbooks and
decide which ones I would be putting on the students’ desks and which ones I
would be saving for later in the year. I went through a large filing cabinet
of papers that had been left with the room, along with many workbooks,
teacher’s manuals, and other resources of my own before finally starting to
make some notes in the lesson planning book. When the students arrived on
that first day, the countless hours of preparatory work in the classroom
beforehand had finally paid off.
At the end of each year, I have to box up the room in its entirety to allow
for summer cleaning. Although this is a major hassle and takes a lot of
time, it allows me to reconsider and think about where I want everything to
go and how I want the room to be set up again when I start to put the room
back together in August. If at all possible, new teachers should be given
one full month of access to their classrooms before that first first day
because preparing the classroom can make all the difference in the world as
to how successful or unsuccessful that first day and that first year turns
out to be.
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Aaron John Turner Master of Curriculum and Teaching Bowling Green State University
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When I was in high school (back
in the 1980s) I started out as primarily a B student in most of my classes
with a few A's. My parents told me that if I studied harder that I could get
A's. I took their advice and I did do better. During my last two years of
high school I was mainly taking home A's with a few B's. I graduated in the
top 10% of my class with regards to my GPA. I noticed then that I liked to
be challenged academically. I carried those words from my parents with me
while taking my college courses later in life.
In my mid 20's I decided that nursing would be the field I would excel in. I
knew intuitively I could do well if I worked hard, studied hard and applied
myself. In my 20's I pictured in my mind where I wanted to ultimately go to
college to earn my four year degree and graduate school and what road I
would have to take to get there. It's been a long road but a very successful
one.
I enjoy challenges and reaching goals that I've set for myself. Once I
accomplished one goal I would look to see if there was another goal that I
could achieve, both academically and career wise. I started out in nursing
in an LPN program. After that I looked to see what classes I would need to
take to get my RN in the two year program. I then looked ahead to the
additional classes I would need to get my four year degree and also took
those while I did my RN two year program. When I transferred to my four year
college I had all of the prerequisites done and then took the rest of the
classes I needed for my undergraduate degree. I still looked ahead during
undergraduate school and checked out what programs I would eventually be
interested in pursuing for graduate school and saw what the curriculum
required and what the entrance requirements were to the schools I applied to
and made sure that I did everything that would get me in the door at those
particular schools.
If there were courses that I could take for honors credit I did those since
that gave me an edge in the admission process over other applicants. I also
made sure that I met whatever GPA requirements were needed to get into
particular honor societies and to include those memberships on my
application process. These steps show college admission committees that
you're willing to work hard and to excel and your achievements will be a
step above other applicants into getting into competitive colleges.
For my study methods, if there was a test or paper that needed to be done I
would start working on it early and do the proper research. I would include
all the material that they would request. If there was a test coming up in a
couple of weeks, I would usually start studying a week or two ahead of time
to get all of the material into my long term memory. I would know when I had
studied enough because when I tested myself I was retaining all of the
material. I would then periodically review the material for a small amount
of time before the exam. I always took time on my tests. I never crammed for
tests. I never rushed through an exam. I went over the material 2-3 x before
submitting it into the professor. I was usually the last one left in class
but since I always took my time I did very well. I have always had to work,
so I also always looked at how many hours a week a class would require of my
time and balanced that with my work schedule.
Looking back over the course of my life, I've been blessed to attend all of
the schools I wanted to go to. I went to schools that were my first choice
and got in. Both the LPN and RN schools were my first choice. Also, I was
privileged enough to attend the four year college and graduate schools that
were my first choices - Johns Hopkins University for my undergraduate degree
and Georgetown University for graduate school. It's been a lot of sacrifice
but overall worth every step. I can definitely say without a doubt that
attending these schools has been the highlight of my academic success.
Best of luck with your career and successes in academia!
Nancy M. Gruber
Master of Science, Clinical Nurse Specialist
Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies
It was chaos in the classroom. I was trying to quiet down my 4 year olds,
but they were yelling and running around the room. Quickly thinking of any
idea, I got out some crayons for them to color with. No, that didn't work.
Neither did a storybook. Finally, I shouted, "Everyone get a chair! We're
going to make friendship bracelets!" The children loved that idea. They all
were seated immediately, and I grabbed the strings and beads. I explained to
the class what a friendship bracelet was and how they will each trade it
with a friend. I repeated it so I knew that they understood. Well after the
bracelets were completed, I told the 4 year olds that it was time to trade
it with a friend; hence the meaning of a friendship bracelet. You know 4
year olds, they don't want to share anything; so not one child wanted to
give their bracelet up. "But it's mine! I made it" was all I heard in the
classroom. My lesson didn't go as planned, but I thought it was okay because
the class was finally settled.
Parents were starting to pick
up soon after. Each child went home, and we showed off our bracelets. Amir's
mom had just shown up. I explained to his mom about my lesson objective of a
friendship bracelet and how it didn't work out. Then randomly, Amir looks up
at me and says, "Miss Heather, I want YOU to have my bracelet." It was a
moment that I will never forget; the power of a child. My lesson got through
his head, and I was a proud teacher.
And this was the day that I
knew that teaching is what I am meant to do. We all have those "ah-ha"
moments, and it is then that we are lucky to have a profession that we love
(now we just have to graduate and do it!).
Heather Leckey
Arizona State University
From College Computer Science to the Games
Industry: Your Big Break
You’re getting top grades at a top computer science program. Or maybe you’re
getting okay grades at a mediocre computer science program. It doesn’t
matter. The truth is: you missed the boat. The kids who knew they wanted to
make video games in high school attended gaming boot camps like Full Sail in
Florida and DigiPen in Washington State. Many of them died, but those that
survived will be snatched up by expanding studios long before you, if anyone
will. The grades will not matter much, for those blessed acolytes of gaming.
They already know how to get along in the industry. They know the technology
and all the right algorithms.
Duke University did not teach me about the games industry or technologies.
At Duke I learned how to program Java and C++ on UNIX machines. I learned
about operating systems and design principles: important things. Completely
insufficient things. As in the theater, if you’re like me, you need a Big
Break. Below are the best tips I can give, followed by my own tale.
1. Know People. This is a no-brainer, which is why I’m starting with it. If
you happen to have acquired any contacts remotely related to the industry,
use them; but use them politely, or you risk losing them.
2. Know Stuff. College probably failed to prepare you for games, unless you
attended a college with a truly sweet computer science department. It’s up
to you to fill in the gaps. Plenty of books exist about game programming. I
suggest studying Microsoft DirectX, useful graphics algorithms involving
trig, and popular artificial intelligence techniques. Yes, you’ll need to
recall a little math, but just a little. The best books give real-world
examples and guide you through steps to a finished game, which leads to my
next point.
3. Do Stuff. Game companies love to see a portfolio, and not just for
artists. Those applicants from Full Sail are showing their final project.
What have you done? As much as possible, put together simple games to
demonstrate your grasp on the principles. Another big win is if you can get
involved with an amateur project. These projects usually advertise on
underground development forums or the forums of free and cheap game engines.
An amateur project that even comes close to a final product looks great on
your résumé and in interviews.
4. Grab the Small Break. A good step to a Big Break is a Small Break. The
more flexible you can be and the more you’re willing to sacrifice, the
better. The only person I know who went into games straight from our class
flew to an unknown startup in Wyoming. Of course, now he’s doing well at a
successful company. Everything is easier once you get “in”.
5. Watch and Wait. It’s not called a Big Break for nothing. Stay on the
lookout for opportunities, and apply for the ones that conceivably describe
you. Companies usually keep your application on file, so don’t bug them
about it. Try not to obsess. Relax, do something enjoyable, get a steady job
to support yourself, and await the alignment of Mars, Jupiter, and Jupiter’s
forty-second moon (Thelxinoe) to herald your lucky day. Theater hopefuls
wait tables in their spare time. With your computer skills, you shouldn’t
need to wait tables. But you can if you want.
I did not go straight to the games industry. In fact, I did not go straight
anywhere. I didn’t want to stray too far from my girlfriend, and, as already
indicated, I knew next to nothing about game development. After several
months, through a twisted series of events, I ended up working in the tiny
Data Systems department at the Supreme Court of the United States. That’s
right. An ultra-exclusive national institution welcomed me, but the games
industry did not.
My job at the Court taught me all about Microsoft development technologies, to the point that I became a wizard at them. In my spare time, I started programming out of a gaming book my parents bought me. I created a breakout game with bricks that did special things when you hit them, which I shared with a co-worker. We competed for high scores. In our spare time, of course. I also started a primitive DirectX game, but my art looked horrible. This prompted me to look into amateur game sites, and I began experimenting with the free Wintermute engine (www.dead-code.org). On the forums, I learned about cool games being created by people sometimes thousands of miles away from each other. I actually performed a few programming assignments for a game that ended up garnering some name recognition, but not in a good way. If you search for Limbo of the Lost, you’ll see what I mean. Fortunately, at the time I was applying for gaming jobs there were no such connotations. I think it really helped me, and it would have helped greatly if I could have proudly pointed to a game demo or snazzy website.
At the end of my rope, I emailed a professor from freshman year that I was sure didn’t remember me. He had taught AI, which was related to games, so maybe he could possibly offer some advice. Well, he exceeded all my expectations, and I began working at a research institute in North Carolina simulating human emotion and language. Never underestimate the power of a polite email to an estranged professor. It wasn’t gaming, but it was closer. While at the Research Triangle Institute, I took a class on video games through the continuing education program at North Carolina State University.
Finally a new company came to the area, and they were looking for people with simulation experience. By this point I knew my stuff, I had a couple of years of engineering under my belt, I had received my small break, and I was ready. It turns out that the lead programmer at the new studio had worked at RTI before me, so we had an innate affiliation: A surprise bonus!
It was my Big Break, but it didn’t fall into my lap. It only arrived after I had done all I could do myself, leveraged a contact I hadn’t even believed in, and waited, sometimes despondently, for the right opportunity. Maybe if I had sacrificed more, traveled farther, I would have struck gold sooner; but then again, maybe not. You have to make those decisions for yourself. My girlfriend and I will be getting married this fall, and I couldn’t be happier.
Jeff Stanley
Master of Science in Computer Science
North Carolina State University
Maintaining a Healthy “Work/Life” Balance
There is much to be said about the value of a formal education. Logically,
an individual’s investment in higher education provides the opportunity for
growth professionally. But arguably, as equal in importance, it too is the
premiere venue for Jack or Jane Student to mature socially into Mr. Jack
Adult or Mrs. Jane Adult.
For those of us who are part-time students, I believe that our unique
situations have vetted us for this maturation and transition well – more
through circumstance than necessarily happenstance. Our responsibilities to
our jobs, families, communities, and any other critical need that forbade us
from attending college full-time have taught us the value of living with a
healthy balance of our responsibilities. Time management becomes as
essential of a commodity to us as any other in our lives.
The ability to balance these multiple-needs is a lesson that must be learned
in college but cannot be taught by any professor. I cannot promise you that
what has worked for me will necessarily work for you (since we are all
different), but let me share with you three of the critical
tricks-of-the-trade that I have picked up through my graduate studies at
Georgetown University and my undergraduate work at La Salle University and
the American University.
1. “Take It Serious”
College is an investment in not just our money, our families’ money, and our
government’s money in us. But it is also a HUGE commitment of our time. No
matter whether you are taking one class online in a continuing education
program or you are a full-time undergrad, grad, doctoral, or legal student
you’ve committed yourself to advancement through this investment.
Whether you’re playing Fantasy Baseball on ESPN.com or putting money into
the stock market, the more time that you dedicate to managing your team or
portfolio the odds are the better you will do. So too is college.
In discussing the importance of education in the 1958 State of the Union
Address, President Dwight D. Eisenhower said that hard work is critical to
success and that hard work comes from, “state and local governments, private
industry, schools and colleges, private organizations and foundations,
teachers, parents, and—perhaps most important of all—the student himself,
with his bag of books and his homework.” Although these comments were made
more than 20 years before I was born, I’ve learned that Ike was right and
take my time in and out of the class room very seriously.
President Eisenhower didn’t just see the importance of education to the
individual, as the former Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied
Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) in World War II, Eisenhower understood the
importance of education to the national security of America. Therefore, this
hero of heroes championed the most comprehensive investment in the United
States’ history in education with his marshalling of the National Defense
Education Act of 1958 – 50 years ago to today.
2. “Plan Ahead”
The planning and strategy to your education is very important both at the
micro- and the macro-levels. Although you may not concretely know what
career path you want to pursue after college when you walk into the student
union for freshman orientation, I hope that you have a good idea. That is
absolutely fine and I do recommend leaving some “wiggle” room.
When I started college in 2000, my mission was much different than what it
was when I received my diploma in 2004. And since then, it has continued to
morph as I’ve been studying for my Masters. Now these paths haven’t
completely diverged from previous plans, but when I get to a point in my
studies that I need to make a decision instead of rushing into one, I made a
calculated decision based on the pros and cons of taking any of the paths at
the fork in the road. An example of this came during the summer preceding my
junior year at La Salle, a small liberal arts school in Philadelphia, PA. I
had been taking my education very seriously for my first two years but
realized that I needed to do something more than get good grades to separate
myself from the rest of my classmates. So I decided to do a study-abroad
program.
I looked into all of the recommended programs that my school offered. None
of them fit what I was looking to do. Instead of accepting my options and
just going to Rome – the closest program that fit my budding political
interests – I began to research other opportunities and found the Washington
Semester Program at the American University in Washington, DC. This program
was ideal for me as my political interests focused more on the domestic
agenda instead of the international; and more in a particular niche that fit
my technical undergraduate degree. So I sought more information, spoke to
people at the program, and brought the proposal to the director of my
program and the associate dean of my school in the fall. The following
semester I was on my way down Route 95-S to our nation’s capitol to study
Information Technology & Telecommunication Policy for one semester. The
program was all that I hoped it would be and more. But my next calculated
decision on where I should take an internship led me to even more potential.
After receiving multiple offers from various government, non-profit, and
for-profit institutions I whittled the list down to the U.S. Department of
Commerce and the American Electronics Association (the largest high-tech
trade association in the U.S.). After much consideration, I opted for the
association internship. I spend the next four months working in their DC
location and enjoyed it so much that I was able to transfer to their New
Jersey office for two additional months after my semester ended. One year
later, after I finished my senior year of college, I received a phone call
from my previous boss (who I stayed in contact with) and was presented an
opportunity to come back with a job. I interviewed and an offer was given
with-in seven days. My plan after graduation had me returning to DC with-in
three to five years…now I had an opportunity to jumpstart those plans early.
But this macro-planning for my future is just half of the formula. As I have
stressed, time management is critical for our day-to-day life in balancing
work, school, family, etc. So before I write any paper, I create an outline
of my ideas. While I read any book or homework assignment, I write thoughts
and notes in the margins that can be skimmed later. And before I start any
week, I weigh all of the short- and long-term tasks that I have to
accomplish and devise a strategy to do it. For instance today (Monday
morning June 23, 2008), I made a list in my head of 10 things I need to do
before I board a plane on Wednesday. Unlike my previous domestic study
program in DC, my graduate level study abroad will be at Oxford University
in England.
Without my micro- and macro-planning, I would not be where I am today:
employed at a company that I respect with a fulfilling job, studying at a
premiere graduate program at Georgetown University, and spending my summer
in England and Brussels to supplement that education.
3. “Give Yourself Jason Time”
Obviously, I wouldn’t necessarily call it that – unless you too are named
Jason or if you think it may help – but set aside time in your busy life for
socializing and just R&R. You’re young and college is the place for you to
find yourself and meet like-minded people that will help your maturation
into adulthood.
DISCLAIMER: This doesn’t mean go out and party all day/night/week.
Finding the right amount of downtown and what kind is important to keep your
life stress-free. This also should have “wiggle” room. You don’t need to be
on a set schedule saying Tuesday night is your “Jason Time,” I’d actually
avoid doing that because that too may become another job function in your
multi-tasking life. Instead listen to your mind and body. When you’re tired,
go to bed. When you want to play X-box 360 – do so, but hopefully just in
moderation because you are not allowed to get better than me in it (just
kidding).
Join student government or an intramural sports team. Play ultimate Frisbee
on the quad with some friends. Volunteer in the community. Play more X-box
360. Just break-up your day and your routine.
Of your life-work balance, this is going to be your life part so you should
take your personal time serious too. We all remember the famous line in the
Stanley Kubrick classic, The Shinning with Jack Nicholson that “All work and
no play, makes Jack a dull boy.” Well, unless you’re dorm is a haunted hotel
odds are Jack or Jane Student won’t get to the point of Mr. Nicholson's
character, but you may burn yourself out.
Jason Langsner
Georgetown University
_______________
Jason Langsner is studying to receive his masters in
Communication, Culture & Technology from Georgetown University in
Washington, DC. The graduate program explores how we use media and
technology to communicate from social, economic, political, and cultural
perspectives. He will be attending a graduate level International Business
Management program at the Corpus Christi College of Oxford University in
England this summer. He received is Bachelors of Arts, with honors, from La
Salle University in Philadelphia, PA, where he studied Digital Arts &
Multimedia Design with an IT concentration and had a minor in English. He
also studied Information Technology & Telecommunication Policy at the
American University’s Washington Semester program. He is also the Director
of Internet Communications for the American Electronics Association.
I wanted to share my experience as a Master's candidate in Educational Technology. I will be graduating with an M.S. in the fall and will continue on obtaining my Ph.D. in Education. This experience may help an upcoming freshman or help a college student who is in his last semester of school.
My topic is motivation. In my first semester of graduate school, I found a quote that I have used and meditated on while in school. It is “The person’s must realize the benefit of finishing the task outweighs the struggle it may take to complete it” (Changing Theories, 2006). This is what is called “Self-Efficacy”. This is one of the chief motivation tools a young person should use when furthering their education. Self-Efficacy is simply based on the person’s belief to excel. The person’s attitude should remain positive.
Dr. Carlo’s DiClemente’s Transtheoretrical Model of Change stated a person could be influenced to be positive about their outlook. They did not have to hit rock bottom to change. The main idea was to not focus on the end result (DiClemente, 2002). The last statement, “not to focus on the end result”, has helped me continue my goal of becoming the first person in my family to have a Ph.D. If someone told me I would still be in school after 20+ years, I would have thought they were insane. I started my college career in the early 1980’s and during my senior year in college, I got married and became pregnant. I stopped college for awhile, ten plus years to be precise, and in the year 2000, came back to finish my bachelor’s degree. I worked for four years and started my Master’s program in 2006. I never thought I wouldn’t finish school. I only thought about the end result once, but quickly dismissed the idea that I would never graduate. I had many people encourage me to continue, especially during the ten year lapse in which I spent raising my children. My motivation was simply I wanted to do something for myself. I wanted to better myself. I wanted to be the second person to obtain a bachelor’s degree in my family, and the first person to receive a master’s degree in my family. I knew if I set my mind to it, I would succeed. I never looked at the overwhelming paperwork I had to do, the research papers I had to write or the projects I had to complete. I simply just knew it was required of me and I did it.
Currently, I have one child who is in college and one who will be attending college next year. I give them the same advice to not focus on the end result. I believe the passion I put into my life creates an atmosphere to learn and grow as an individual.
The process of finishing a task is by far the most rewarding, when the person feels they can succeed. Motivation is simply envisioning completing the task, and not dwelling on the steps to achieve the task. Just do it, and don’t worry about the steps it will take to complete.
Monalisa Sell Lasher
Masters, Educational Leadership and Instructional Technology
McNeese State University
________________
Schunk, D.H. (2004). Learning Theories: An Educational
Perspective. (4th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J., Pearson Education, Inc.
Changing Theories. (2006). Retrieved November 3, 2006 from: http://www.comminit.com/changetheories/ctheories/changetheories-51.html
Velicer, W.F., Prochaska, J.O., Fava, J.L., Norman, G.J., & Redding, C.A.
(1998). Smoking cessation and stress management. Applications of the
Transtheoretical Model of behavior change. Homeostasis, 38. pp. 216-233.
Amaria, H., Tartaglia, D., (2002) UMDNJ-School of Public Health, ICSA
DiClemente, Carlo, Ph.D. Retrieved September 19, 2006 from: http://newroom.mbooth.com/sainnovators/profiles/CarloDiClemente.html
It is inevitable that you will, once in a while, find yourself with a professor you specifically tried to avoid getting during registration. In fact, this is not only inevitable, but it is to be expected.
Being a good little scholar, upon being assigned to such a professor, you feel the urge to prepare yourself with lots and lots of research. This particular professor was known for only wanting to hear her own opinion out of her students.
Wanting to start college off on the right foot- meaning an A, of course, I set out to do just that. I took careful notes and wrote impeccably regurgitated essays. I ran my theses by her before writing a paper, trying to be sneaky about my grade grubbing. I saw plenty of evidence that my methods were working- I was getting excellent grades on my essays while more argumentative students tried to attack the professor's views and got the glares of disapproval.
The final for the class, however, was conducted in a "group discussion" style, where each person was assigned a few minutes to speak about what we had learned and what conclusions we drew, and then a few minutes to take questions form the group. This did not allow for the crutch of "the right answer" that I had always gone with- rephrasing the professor's opinion. No, this time, I had to think for myself. I stumbled through it a bit, but eventually came out alive.
It should have been easier than it had been for me. I had undoubtedly learned a lot, but was not confident enough to name something intelligent that I had learned. I was comparing all my ideas to what the professor would have wanted me to get out of the class, as if there was just one absolute "truth" that we should have picked up. After fumbling through my little speech and listening to the rest of the presentations, the class was over and students began filing out of the room. As I was leaving, the professor pulled me aside and asked to speak to me.
She then told me that while she found me very intelligent, she thought that I was limiting myself by worrying so much about my grade in the class, which caused me to focus too much on trying to find what the professor wants to hear from me. In other words, I had been found out.
Professors are smart like that. In the end, I got the A, but I could have gotten more out of the class had I been willing to take more risks and think for myself. Most professors- because there probably are those chosen few who are simply out to get you- have high enough self-esteem that they can handle dissenting opinions from their freshman students. It's OK to think for yourself, and it's even OK to be wrong once in a while. Being wrong will not destroy your GPA; if you were never wrong, you would be wasting time taking that class in the first place. But that is how you learn, and how you separate yourself from the rest of the crowd- your independent thinking and academic risk-taking.
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Isabella Maria Janusz International Relations Georgetown University |
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Phonics Position Paper
Phonics instruction – what a debatable subject. Holistic or systematic?
Educators have been debating for years, trying to decide which is more
beneficial. Holistic is individualized, meaning-based; systematic encourages
explicit order. With all the debate, teachers are instructing what’s best
for the needs of their students.
Krashen stated, “The National Reading Panel claimed to find solid support for the conclusion that systematic phonics instruction makes a bigger contribution to children’s growth in reading than alternative programs providing unsystematic or no phonics instruction” (Krashen). Systematic phonics is highly sequenced, tending to students with isolated skills. In the brochure Put Reading First it was wrote that these isolated skills include learning letter names followed by sounds and specific letter/sound relationships (NRP). This approach is direct instruction with an order that must be followed exactly. Normally, teachers may disagree and want to skip a lesson here and there, but this system is a strict process.
Building small steps through this process is an easy phonics curriculum
for educators to adhere by. Gergory Camilli believes “it’s an approach that
introduces letter/sound correspondences with predetermined schema to look at
a word and figure it out through context. He also explains that “many
teachers find direct instruction necessary for kindergartners in brief
individualized lessons” (Camilli). Systematic instruction includes decodable
books in the individualized lessons for those kindergartens and other
students. The students can predict and recognize sounds from the previous
instruction. Strickland says, “This is a stair stepping process that’s the
same for every student; a “one size fits all teaching style” (Strickland).
‘One size fits all’ does not always work in the classroom though, according
to the holistic phonics approach. Put Reading First writes “that programs of
phonics instruction that are not systematic do not teach constant and vowel
letter/sound relationships in a prescribed sequence. Rather, they encourage
informal phonics instruction based on the teacher’s perceptions of what
students need to learn and when they need to learn it” (NRP 16).
Individualizing and looking at the whole is the key. The teacher asks
themselves, ‘What do my students need at the moment?’
This method of holistic phonics is mainly meaning-based because one finds the class problem and corrects it, on the spot. For example, if a student is reading aloud and struggles with the word ‘away’, the teacher will instruct immediately. It is direct instruction, making that a meaning-based teaching moment. Strickland explains, “They tend to focus on skills as students reveal needs” (Strickland). He, in addition, believed that the students reveal needs during times of language arts, which is combined reading and writing usually (Strickland). Stickland also made clear that “integrating the two subjects emphasizes meaning and will show long term effects” (Strickland). Long term effects should benefit students because they are able to use this instruction in the future. Camilli also believes that teachers do this by “assessing students’ needs, determining appropriate methods to address those needs, and creates individual and group experiences accordingly” (Camilli). Not all students should always need the same instruction. By allowing the holistic view enter the classroom, learning will be meaning-based and appropriately useful.
I feel that meaningful instruction is important for my students. When students know that their learning will be helpful for other subjects, they are more suitable for victory. Victory and success will be the aim of all my lessons. For every child to be successful, I will need to address the needs every learner. Camilli explains, “Teacher’s educations should include exposure to a number of approaches and practices intermingling different types of instruction” (Camilli). By intermingling different types of instruction for language arts, I will have a classroom library full of a variety of reading levels, apt for every learner. A classroom containing handfuls of books motive students to read, from what I’ve observed in my 5th grade intern class. When students are forced into an explicit process like systematic phonics, they may be less interested in learning.
I will teach in a more holistic way, addressing students’ needs as the time comes. My intern teacher has encouraged me to use reading and writing workshop. Using that process of teaching, I will teach mini lessons before independent work, to give confidence in that component and meaningfulness in their reading and writing. I agree with Stickland when quoted, “Teachers have begun to realize that skills are worthless as isolated knowledge but powerful as strategies used purposefully and masterfully” (Strickland). Teaching lessons in a holistic way, by using strategies, will allow my students to master areas that they may be struggling in.
There will never be a ‘right’ way of teaching phonics; it will always be debated. With the many pros and cons, teachers will have their own views of what they relate with better. As long as the teacher is instructing to the needs of the students, there will be no harms. Students will benefit with systematic and holistic phonics, and who knows – a mixture of both might be the perfect instruction.
Heather Leckey
Arizona State University
Works Cited
Camilli, G. and Wolfe, P. (2004). Research on reading: A Cautionary Tale.
Educational
Leadership, 61(6), 26-29.
Krashen, S. (2004). "False Claims about Literacy Development." Educational
Leadership, 61(6), 18-21.
Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to
Read. (2003).
(2nd edition). Maryland.
Strickland, D.S. (1998). "What's Basic in Beginning Reading? Finding Common
Ground." Educational Leadership, (55)6, 6-10.