Back to School Laptop Shopping at UT Tyler

It now seems that technology rules everything that we do.  From communicating with friends to working on
documents for work and school, the use of a computer is now required for success.  Unfortunately, computers come in hundreds of brands, with thousands of potential differences in them, and sometimes you will not get what you pay for.  In fact, my 2 year old laptop recently shorted out on me and I was forced to purchase a new computer, as I have to have one for school and debate.  So, how do you know what to buy? Well, hopefully I can help make some suggestions!

Enroll for summer courses!

     Are you staying in Tyler for the summer? Do you want to go ahead and get some credits done? Why not take summer courses!! The University of Texas at Tyler offers students the opportunity to take courses over the summer to satisfy core, degree or minor requirements!

That Big Book Review: 10 Slightly Clumsy Steps

AKA my writing process.

AKA
Via All Voices

So I'm taking a shot at writing about my writing process. I am also doing this to avoid writing a paper I have due next week. Get ready, y'all, I'm about to blow your minds. Drum-roll please! I have no idea what I'm doing. 

Being Critical vs Critical Thinking

Everybody knows somebody in a group who, the moment a commercial starts or a celebrity says something, calls out this moment with some kind of statement, mainly that he/she "cannot believe this." They then go on some kind of a rant against said celebrity/product/etc...

College Showcase- Education and Psychology!

      The University of Texas at Tyler will host an event on campus called College Showcase from Monday, February 10 to Thursday February 13. Every college will have its own day to showcase their degree programs to prospective student. The College of Education and Psychology will present their programs on Wednesday, February 12 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The end of the semester!

                The semester is over! Now it is officially Holiday break!  Well for me anyway. This semester was packed with upper level classes for the first time ever. I was able to handle it pretty well. One of the classes that gave me most joy was Visual Design. This is the last class I will take concerning designing. This is truly saddening. I loved every opportunity to make a project in class. This course has evolved my skills in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

I’m a V.I.P; I’m kind of a big deal

                My orientation leader days may be in the past, but the memories still loom around my psyche. I still remember every laughter and happiness that occurred when I worked orientation. I loved helping students transition to our university. I miss the days where I got to see my fellow orientation leaders and enjoyed the stress free summer days. I may or may not do this again, but I found another opportunity to transfer my knowledge of the university. I got the job as a Very Important Patriot, V.I.P for short.

Pugs, Not Shrugs :D

Those two words alone are enough to make both the young and not so young feign illness to stay home from work or school.

What image comes to your mind when your hear the words “group project”?

The Return of Fall

   Ahh, the new Fall semester is upon us! Time for buying college-ruled paper, spending financial aid money on things totally not related to school, and for starting new courses and meeting new students. In some cases you even get to meet old friends as they might be starting new paths in life, ie: starting a new college paths, etc...

Jobs while going to school; don’t sweat the stress!

We all love money. We love using it, we love getting it, and we all hate losing it. There are some students like myself that used to worry about getting a job while going to school.

                I did not want to ruin my GPA by piling on things that I thought I could not do. Some of you may think that getting a job will make your school load unbearable, and your social life would be inexistent.

             

Find your balance!

   But I am here to tell you that it is very doable! Get those applications filled out!

              

Grade Alternatives at UTT

   So ever now and again I come across a student who needs to take a class that isn't offered the semester they need to Graduate, or they had a rough semester and are not sure how they'll make it through the last part of their class.

   Things happen, sometimes things beyond out control. These things sometimes trip us up hard and I just want you to know about some alternatives to possibly failing a class.

   These options are not ALWAYS available and each has their own caveat to consider.

   1. Taking an I on the Grade in exchange for doing more/different work --- If you KNOW you are missing work and can't complete it on time, consider talking to your Professor about taking an I for the grade. What would happen is that you and your Professor talk and ( IF THE PROF. AGREES ) then decide on alternate options. Maybe you'd write that paper you missed or failed over the summer? You and the Prof. make a contract together to 'correct' missing/incomplete/poor work in exchange for your grade being turned into an I. You then have as long as you and the Prof agree ( usually not exceeding an academic year ) to do the work and then your grade will be changed. Sometimes a Prof will let you re-do work but your grade will be a C, even if you turn in an A. That is the trade-off, and sometimes the Prof. will not consider this course of action.

   2. Independent Study --- This one is a weird tool in your study "tool-kit" because, like the I, it hinges on you and a Professor working out an agreement. Let's say you need French IV next semester to graduate, however the class is not offered then? You'd talk to the Prof and ask to arrange an Independent Study. You'd have to make sure your Prof. is OKAY with this because you are asking them to take on extra work. Also, your ability to use these kinds of courses are limited ( 2 in your Undergrad career ). Sometimes you can also use this option to build up experience in a topic not offered here in a class, but that you know a Prof has experience in. In the end, talk to your Professors.

   3. Grade Replacement --- This one is simple enough. Let us say you fail a course? You are not doomed, you can file for Grade Replacement! As long as you failed the class you can apply for GR and then your 'old' (failed) grade will become replaced by the new one.

    While these options are not always seeming like the best thing for us, they are options. Never write them off, but primarily speak with your Professor about these options.

Spring Break = STUDY?!

   So, as we approach this joyful time of Spring Break, remember that while the freedom might be invigorating, it is also limited. Take this well deserved time off to ( wait for it ) … actually study.

   I am serious, don’t laugh or scoff! Think how rare it is that you actually get THIS much time off school ( and work, in some cases! ). You have  great opportunity to be able to carve out some serious “you time,” but you can also get a LOT accomplished to make coming back after mid-terms a breeze.

-          Re-read older material and look through upcoming material in your classes.

-             Take breaks and have fun, don’t just “study, study, study” all the time. Maybe every other day?

-          Think on things you normally get to do … and do them! ( but then, study! )

   I don’t advise you study because I am a sad-sack with no friends! I love them and seeing them means a great deal, but so does not wasting a week when I could finish a draft of three papers AND study up for a test that will be two weeks after I get off break.

Manage your time.

Have fun.

Study hard, where allowable.

Succeed!

UT Tyler Back to School Blues

I am so glad to be back from break. As much as I didn't want to return to class, just being back in my OWN dorm room with MY bed and no little brothers messing with all my stuff has been a relief.

In the midst of basking in my regained freedom, I didn't realize that school was starting again so soon.
Just because I am not ready for school to start doesn't mean that school is going to wait. So, for all of you starting out the semester, GET ALL OF YOUR THINGS TOGETHER! Get your textbooks, read your syllabus, and believe that your professors will give you work the first day back. Seriously. I'm suffering now.

Good luck to everyone! This semester is going to be great!

Megan's College Vlog About Quitting Soda Like TJ

Preparing to dive in head first

It took me a while to realize, but this coming week will be the last 'calm' week that will be available to me for quite some time. You know how you'll be sitting still for a bit and you just know things are about to speed up for you? That's how I'm feeling right now. I know it'll sneak up on me a bit, but I'm still anticipating it. I think it's going to be like this for just about everyone, seeing as we're approaching the 12th full class day, the census date, this Thursday. After that, we're all in it for the long haul. Many of us will be awarded our first class papers, projects, and group work of the semester. While we're scrambling for repeat instructions, Facebook friend requests, cell phone numbers, and possible extensions (yeah, already), we'll know that now begins the time skip to the end of the year. In a week we'll be wishing it were May. In a month we'll have gotten the hang of things again. After that, we'll be wondering where the time went. When you think about it, it's a pretty exciting time. I, for one, am going to try to enjoy the calm before the storm.

Friday Classes on the Balcony

Friday, after a four hour marathon of classes, I was outside collecting myself. Another lady had some territory out there with me, at her own table by the wall. I could faintly hear the murmur of canned laughter coming from her laptop, but I was deep in my own head.

One of my professors from earlier in the day joined me out there on the balcony.
He said something cheesy, like "Hey, I remember you."
He asked how I liked the class.
He made me feel comfortable to answer honestly.
He asked me what he should change.
He read more of my creative work.
He constructively commented on it.

This scene happens frequently with all of them. 

I have been very fortunate to be at a medium sized school (6700 students) that enables one-on-one learning with any professor. Every professor has office hours and remains accessible all over campus.  They promptly and thoughtfully answer emails. Many of them give out their personal phone numbers to call or even text them.
Mostly, the thing that really moves me is that they expect me to learn it. That level of confidence they have in me is sometimes the push I need to keep learning, writing, and just doing. I need it. 

http://www2.uttyler.edu/litlang/
This is my department. :)

Dabbling in radio....

Now that the first (nearly) full week of school has concluded, I finally feel like I’m gaining some kind of momentum towards this school year. January is almost over with, if anyone can believe it, but it certainly doesn’t feel that way with the bipolar Texas weather doing what it does best. Of course, this means we’ll all be turning our attention to Spring Break, but I’m guessing we’ll all need a chance to digest our new classes before we jump to all that. I know I will.

Never before today have I ever considered a career in radio. Today in Multimedia Production, we began working with soundboards and audio editing software. Saying I was excited is an understatement; I wanted to stay in the sound room for hours figuring out how to work the pots (sliding levers) and (noise) leveling knobs. The microphones were so cool. I totally wanted to practice my radio voice (but alone so I don’t look and sound like a crazy person.) It’s funny because my major is News/Editorial writing, but I’ve always been fascinated by radio. I mean, how cool would it be to spend a few hours on the air every day, playing music and talking with wide varieties of people? Maybe that’s where I start everything off. I could always indulge this guilty pleasure of radio.