B is for Books

Print books, e-books, rent or buy.  What's going to happen? Who knows?

When it comes to my own selections, I love print books. I love the smell of the binding and ink. I love the notes cribbed in to used books in old second-hand shops, surprises left by strangers whose only connection to me is a love of  good writing.  I also own an e-reader (a Kindle, to be exact). I can also read books on my phone and computer. My e-book purchases tend to be more reference books or volumes that are just too big for me to carry around. I enjoy my e-reader (especially when I don't have to lug 100+ books everywhere).

When it comes to text books, I'm a little more flexible. I understand that e-books are usually cheaper, and they're a lot lighter, as all of them can be loaded on to a laptop or e-reader. I also don't get too upset if the books are rented.  As long as the student gets the correct book and gets their work in on time, I'm good.

What's the future of text books? The publishers love to save on printing costs. They also like being able to come out with new editions as often as possible The idea of a more green text book, that doesn't require trees for paper or gas for shipping is appealing to many people, so the push towards more e-books doesn't seem far-fetched..   Some professors don't care for them, but pretty soon, we may not have a choice in the matter.

A is for Attendance

Ah, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but there isn't a substitute for being there.  You can get notes, you can read chapters, you can talk to the professor, but none of that takes the place of showing up.  That's where you get in to the nooks and crannies of what goes on. That's where you get the little tid bits that others might miss.

Getting in to class on a regular basis and participating helps you because that's when you get your questions answered (and raised). It also gives me more options when  life decides to dump on you, usually when timing is at its worst. Showing up proves your not a drama king/queen.  That's a good thing when you need to ask me for a favor. Doing so when you have had a story every week is not the way to my heart.

Of Challenges and Time Off

The last time you saw me, I was trying to chug out a novel.  Then I dropped off the face of the earth.  Yes, I'm still working on the book, but things slowed due to personal reasons.  I'm trying to come out of my stupor with the A-Z Challenge. Come on back in the month of April and see how I do.

Social Intellegence is an Oxymoron

The New York Times recently published an article discussing how companies are using social media background checks as part of their hiring process.

Now, we've hard about this before.  In the good old days, it was enough to adjust your security settings and untag a few pictures.  Not today.  Searches include Craigslist, photo sharing sites, and many other places that we either don't think about or don't realize are publicly searchable.  Consider the following from Twitpic:

Information You Post

When you post a pic through Twitpic, information about you, including user profile information, may be visible to other users. If you post personal information online that is accessible to the public, that information becomes publicly available and can be collected and used by others and redistributed through the internet and other media channels. You may receive unsolicited messages from other parties in return. 

Photo Credit: FUGLY.com

This means that those pictures you put up on your Twitter feed during spring break last year could come back to bite you when you apply to that dream job years in the future.  Social media checks are here to stay.

One way to protect yourself is to never post anything that could be embarrassing.  The best way is to just not do anything that could be embarrassing.

Summertime, and the Livin's... Hectic?

I don't just teach; I'm a student, too.  This summer, I'm taking an online course towards my next degree.  I've had limited experience as an online student, but based on my conversations with fellow students, and my own experience as an instructor, I've come up with a plan of attack:

1) Stay on top of things--Class participation counts in an online class.  Summer classes tend to be very short, and things go quickly.  I need to get things done earlier rather than later, as technical difficulties and lack of planning are not the teacher's problem.

2) Pay attention to IT issues--Am I using the right browser? Do I need to disable pop-up blockers? It's up to me to find the answers and get issues resolved.

3) Talk, and listen, to my classmates--As mentioned, class participation makes up a big part of the overall grade.  Quality counts as much, if not more than, quantity.  That means taking time to consider other points of view and formulating thoughtful responses.

4) Think before you hit the send button--Ask questions as needed, but see if you can find the answers yourself, first.  Is there an FAQ section?  Could the question have been addressed in an earlier e-mail or document?  People asking the same questions over and over are annoying to others.

5) Proofread!!--Proofreading is a way of showing respect: Respect for your ideas and respect for the audience (in this case, the professor and your classmates).  There is spell checker, and a host of other resources, as well as old-fashioned reading out loud.  Proofreading is your friend.

The End, or Just the Beginning?

Photo Credit: http://studentsforliberty.org

For those of us in North America, the spring semester is wrapping up.  The next steps include work, summer classes or relaxing.  Maybe another task should be added to the list: Reflection and planning for the fall.

The spring semester is still fresh in your memory.  Now is the time to figure out what worked for you, what didn't and possible solutions. 

*Was getting to class on time an issue? Put together an optimal class schedule while you still have options: 8AM calculus class when you are not a morning person with a strong math background is a recipe for disaster.  Figuring this out in the first week of the new semester, when all the classes are full, is not going to help your cause.

*Was procrastination an issue? What was behind it?  Too many hours at work?  Cutting back on expenses and adding more work hours now will give you a larger financial cushion in the fall, so you won't be forced to work as much when class is in session.  Was finding a good place to work the problem?  Now is the time to scout out a new location, or work things out with family/roommates in regards to time and/or space. 

*Taking challenging courses next semester? Now is the time to set up your support team: Locate the tutoring center and find out if anyone you know has taken the class.  When you get closer to the start of the semester, contacting the instructor to ask for information regarding the text book(s) and course outline can't hurt, either.

Doing a little work now will make things easier later.  The GPA you save may be your own.

Now What?

Another semester is slowly winding down.  What next?  Some will take summer classes, others will hit the beach.  Many will get as many work hours as they can.  Most will do a combination of the three.

Rest assured, My Friend, the fall will be back before you know it.  What ever you do.  Where ever you go, try to remember the promises you made to yourself this past year:

"I won't sign up for 18 credits and promise to work 100 hours a week."
"I won't put everything off to the last minute."
"I will do the things that make me happy."

Remember the things you promised yourself, and be happy.