Spring 2014 Class Registration

I will be registering for next semester classes within a few weeks. Although registering for spring classes can be confusing and difficult if a student knows what steps to take, it can make the process flow much smoother. Asking questions like “Am I prepared? “ could help. Even comparing fall ’14 to spring ’15, and choosing the courses ahead of time.

The first and main question I would ask myself is “Am I prepared for this upcoming semester?’ My grades last semester will have a big influence on the answer to this question. If I understood the material taught last year and I feel I can transition into a higher-level class, that’s what I’ll do. On the other hand, if I didn’t understand what my professor taught, there are a number of alternatives. The most popular of those alternatives is simply the changing of majors. If a student is to take this route, he/she should be sure to research the jobs that major comes with. After we graduate that’s all that matters, if this major makes as much money as the last.

The next helpful step is to compare fall 14’ semester to spring ’15 semester. Since this upcoming semester isn’t the first, realizing that a student not new to Old Dominion anymore is critical to time management. The excuses used to maybe procrastinate assignments in younger years must be obliterated. Maturity is key to being able to handle more difficult assignments that come with the higher level or next step classes.

Finally, probably the most critical step in the Registration process is to choose the courses for the upcoming semester. My university has made this step a lot easier with the help of an advisor. An advisor is someone a student can go to with academic problems, and he/she makes sure students meet prerequisites and introduce them to Degree works. Choosing classes can be a tricky process; college isn’t the same as high school in which a student go from one class straight to the other. Students normally have time between classes to get food, study, or even relax. Thus, the time slots chosen should have an effect on a person’s decision. When choosing a class, students must take into account the style the professor has while teaching. If the teacher is the type to talk a lot with minimal notes and a student knows they don’t work well in that environment, that’s not a teacher they should get. With the help of a helpful site, such as ratemyprofessor.com, a prospective student can see past reviews of professors and their “style” of teaching.

In conclusion, registering for classes isn’t very difficult if the steps above are applied, such as asking the question “Am I Prepared for this upcoming semester?” taking into consideration the courses, and comparing past semesters. The University provides these tools, so use them.

Chandler Dalton

Mrs. Isenkul

UNIV 150

October 25, 2014

On Oct. 20 2014, the New York Times published an article written by David Brooks, he talks about fear due mainly to the Ebola virus. David mainly talks on why he feels that some people have over reacted to this virus. A few points he spoke on were Globalization, the culture of instant news, and about how he feels that we live in a segmented society. Fear is an acceptable trait when it comes to taking extra precautions to stay alive.

My first reaction to the article was that it held my attention well, even though I am not a phycology major the way the mind works really interests me. It was clear that the author was enlightened to the real facts/statistics about Ebola. How the author connected the overreaction to fear especially caught my attention. He talked about the theory of globalization, which is the integration of the world. This theory applies to said article because people will be fearful of some far off disease (southern Africa) that seems to be able to spread uncontrollably and get into the intimate spheres of life back home. This is what leads people to overreact to Ebola causing people to so such things as take their children out of school or go to an airport in a homemade HAZMAT suit. This statement especially moved me because it shows that some people, including myself, think they live in a sort of utopia where we are too far from diseases to be affected.

My next reaction was that I realized the fear is a bigger part of our thinking process than I originally thought. Because Americans tend to distance our self for death by simply not thinking about it, as the author says “the prospect of sudden savage death, even if extremely unlikely, can arouse a mental fog or fear” causing us to take unnecessary precautions. He also talks about how in cultures where death is more abundant that people tend to have a clearer view and balance the risks better than a culture where death is less prevalent. And the way this virus is portrayed in the new can add to that paranoia, by only showing the death is destruction rather than a broader perspective, tends to make people a lot more scared than they should be.

In conclusion, I can understand why so many people have been overreacting to the Ebola virus. Due to news coverage, globalization, and our cultures tendencies to distance itself from death. I challenge my reader to do more research on the possibilities of becoming infected with Ebola, and after compare you thoughts on the virus and its dangerousness.

Works Citied:

Brooks, David. “The Quality of Fear.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 20 Oct. 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

Cassoobhoy, Arefa. “Ebola Virus: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention.” WebMD. WebMD, 5 Aug. 2014. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

Library, CNN. “Ebola Fast Facts.” CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 25 Oct. 2014.

Chandler Dalton

Mrs. Isenkul

UNIV 150

18 September 2014

Note-Taking Strategies

Note taking is a very important skill to have while trying to learn a new subject. Some variables that may affect ones style of note taking are the subject or course being taken, the way a professor lectures, and the amount of experience a student may have with note taking strategies. All of these variables are critical to how notes are taken, and ultimately determine a grade.

Experience is a huge factor in the way you take notes. When you first start college as a freshman, I bet that you would try and copy exactly what the professor says verbatim. Doing this you will produce random, useless scrawl, and when you try and study them, you won’t be able to recall what the professor said. As a sophomore, you will learn how to calmly produce detailed outlines. With outlines it is much easier to recall what the professor said, rather than random, ungrouped facts. As you gain experience throughout the years, note taking will become easier because you will have more practice. I imagine as a senior, minimal notes would have to be taken in order to understand material.

Another variable that could affect the way one would take notes is the subject of the course such as math, English, history, etcetera. The design of the course can greatly influence the structure of your notes. For example, the notes for math and history shouldn’t look the same, and if they do, you’re doing something wrong. If you’re in a class based heavily on information in lectures you should take extensive notes and review them to make sure they’re complete. If they aren’t complete shortly after the lecture you should fill in the details and perspectives shortly after. In courses that are based on opinion of issues, you should spend most of your time listening and thinking about the discussion, paraphrasing and noting questions to ask

There are many different types of professors out there; some just deliver masses of information at a rapid pace, without pauses or visual aids. Others (the good ones) will deliver organized lectures at a fair pace and maybe even use the whiteboard to outline, emphasize, or illustrate important material. If you have an amazing professor she might even put an outline of the lecture on the Web before so you can look over the material in the textbook, so you have an overall understanding of the lecture while the professor just fills in the details. Professors who teach lecture classes actually expect you to have some background knowledge of the subject research shows that background knowledge greatly increases our ability to make sense of and remember information.

In conclusion, the type of notes you take isn’t completely up to you it depends on many variables such as your professor, the structure/design of the class, and the amount of experience you have in note taking at this particular level.

Below is my Rough Draft of our 1st Essay – Transitions into College

-I’m aware there are multiple grammar mistakes, I chose not to correct said mistakes so I could compare my progress.

Honestly haven’t put that much thought into the changes I will have to make as I transition into college at Old Dominion University. But while brainstorming I came up with a few topics, which include my living quarters, and how I will mamage my finances and time management. However I know I am ready to face this challenge head on.

The first major change I will experience  is how I am kiving and who I am living with. The amount of privacy I will have compared to the amount I had living back home will be sureal. Sharing a one-room living-quarters with two other people will force me to lock away my valueable belongings and keep one eye open at night. I will be going from being able to leave whatever out but within a few days I will be forced to lock everything. Im not saying that my roommates will be criminals, Im just saying you can never know who would take your new watch, or shoes, or even your favorite pen. And its not that you only have to live with the people you just met, you also have to almost be friends with them in  order to make compromise, like how the room is arranged, who showers when, and multiple other things. Im not saying that there are only bad changes when moving into a dorm, all I’m saying is there will definetly be some adjusting.

The next major transitional challenge I should prepare to “tighten the leash” on is the control of my finances. If I’m a full time college student I will not have time for a job which means I will have to rely souley on saved money and Flex Points. Being a growing/maturing young man, eating is a nessesity, so eating in moderation and responsibly is crucial. Or else by Thanksgiving I won’t have any money left for partying, and let’s be real for a second, if you didn’t go to parties while in college you didn’t have the real “college-experience.” If you show up to a party without any supplies they’ll turn you away. Another expense while away from home is just buying things you see in the window, i.e. window shopping can also burn  a whole in your pocket. It takes discipline, but I’m sure within a tight budget anything is possible.

Being able to juggle my classes, social life, and sleep schedule will also be a challenge. Time management is like a triangle, you can have only two of the three listed above. If you stay up too late studying and partying you won’t have enough time to sleep, or vise versa. Time management is one of the most touchy subjects because it determines the type of person you will be known as.