My last workshop…

I went to a study skills workshop last week.

It was really informative. They gave great advice on going to bed early, gathering test materials, and relaxing!!! Common sense but we all forget to relax and freak out and this gives us test anxiety..at least for me. They also mentioned to review over time, create review tools, and plan a study strategy. they mentioned different review strategies such as flash cards, practice tests, old tests as review, and notes. For the day of the test, they recommend you show up early and pay attention to ALL the directions given both on the test and orally. Personally that is great advice…I made the mistake of not paying attention and did not do so well on a midterm. So I learned my lesson. They also provided different tips for different tests, such as multiple choice, essays, true and false, etc. Well have a great break ya’ll!!!!! Bye!

Furlough protest

I think this counts for a workshop. Well, I went to the protest a while back, it was cool. I got to hold a sign and got a sticker and a button. They had speakers at first which I think lasted about half an hour. They were actually very motivating speakers. And then around 12pm we began to march. (I saw Ari during the march so I was with him for a while til I had to leave. It was nice to see someone i knew.) We marched from CVB to the student union then to Clark Hall and eventually after walking for a while we ended up in this building where we cheered about some school politicians being there that supported us, so that was cool. i eventuall had to leave early, but in the end I learned alot on how our school is greatly affecting all college students from the CSU to tranfer students. I also lost a little bit of my voice! Boo budget cuts!

Workshops…#1

Sorry so late but here are my workshops…

I went to a resume-writing workshop a while back.

In the workshop they actually talked about research, organization, and drawing attention to areas of strength and relevance. They also review your resume if you take it to the career center. Which was awesome to know! I’ll probably take advantage of that when I’m applying at jobs. It also mentioned that when applying, you do not have to mention everything about your experiences. It is better you only mention things that are relevant to what you will be applying for.  Employers also look for leadership and group work experience when looking for employees.

3rd Muse Workshop

My final workshop was one that we are all feeling right now, “Help! I have test anxiety!” This workshop talked about the signs of test anxiety, the causes, and ways to reduce it. Some of the signs/symptoms include rapid heart beat, shaky, decreased immunity, going blank, and even depression. The causes include cramming or being unprepared and negativity. Some ways to reduce your test anxiety is to prepare, think positive, and take care of yourself. We also did a really cool meditation to de-stress at the end of this workshop which i really appreciated! :) I recommend it to anyone feeling the pressure this week.

2nd Workshop

Sorry this is so late! I went to see speaker Clint Pardoe on November 16th. He was speaking to the Greek Community of San Jose State. He was a really moving speaker and he taught us the 4 Secrets to College Life Sucess. He talked about money and time management, how to have sucessful relationships, and ultimately how to suceed in college. This helped me realize things about myself and what I want out of my college experience and how to achieve it while staying happy.

Exam clarification

Takehome Final is here (MSDoc) – Two takehome essays, due Friday 9:45am or sooner to my office, DMH 238A or SocSci office DMH 239A.

Lonnie asked:   “I was wondering, what do you mean when you want a “partial script for at least on speaker”? Do you mean we have to make up what they are going to say at the workshop? “

SLG:  Just include somewhere a sample of what one speaker will be saying. Ideally, include a skit or dialogue, for example, about safe sex or improving communication techniques…depends on your topic, of course.  It might be easiest to just write out your opening intro statement to the event about what the event is and does.

A last resort would be to include a SHORT quote from one of our readings (for example, if you’re having Mimi Nguyen speak).  But generally, you’re aiming at something that gives the flavor of the event’’s tone and approach.

thanks for the question. s.

My last workshop

My last workshop that I went to was the one held today, December 7th. The title of the workshop is “Turning Over A New Leaf”. It was to help us first-semester freshmen transition into Spring of 2010. It basically was about what we need to look out for concerning our GE’s and stuff to get us ahead in the future.

The beginning of the workshop was to introduce the peer mentors, and for everyone to tell what MUSE class they were in. I was surprised to learn that there was a class about Becoming a Jedi.

The first thing in their slideshow that they talked about was to explain the 14-unit cap and advised us on what classes we should be taking. The classes that they recommend we should get out of the way were mostly GE classes. They also recommended that we try and look for classes that overlap with both GE and our major requirements. They then showed us how to use the Advising Hub on sjsu.edu for planning what GE classes to take. Then then explained about how we have to take the WST and 100W class that correlates to our chosen majors before we can take upper division classes.

Next, the peer mentors showed us some important places that we should know about, like the Student Services Center and the Bursar’s offices. They then showed us about FAFSA and getting scholarships.

The last thing that they talked about was about the summer of 2010. They advised us to apply for internships and jobs because they will look good on applications for grad school and when we get jobs in the future.

Overall, I believed that the workshop was somewhat helpful. It would have been helpful if I already didn’t know most of the information that they provided. It was mostly a workshop for students that don’t know what to do next in their college careers.

MUSE Workshop

I went to the test taking skills workshop on Dec.3, 09. The workshop gave tips on test taking strategies and on how to prepare for test. The two girls that gave the presentation gave tips such as making flash card to studying, reviewing lecture notes occasionally so it would be a refreshment to the mind when it to comes time for a big test.  Another thing that was said in the workshop was that we should always read the whole exam because there might be answers to previous questions or it can help you answer the questions. However, the first thing that should be done is on the test when handed out is out name on it and the instructions carefully. Multiple choice questions should be done first and if there is a question that you don’t understand then you should skip it and come back to it. When doing an essay test it is always best to have the outline complete just in case there is not enough time for to complete it. Always revise the work and check for spelling and grammar errors. When give the option of a take home final or in class final the preference should always be an in class final because it will be less of a challenge. Usually when assigned a take home final many people seem to leave everything to the last minute because they didn’t think it would be so challenging. Always arrive on time and with all material if extra time is on your hands than study everything and remember important formulas for math tests. If a math test does require formulas memorize them and quickly write them in the margins so that you wont forget. Having a full and healthy breakfast should always be the first thin that is done in the morning and of course have a full time of sleep. If you are hungry and sleep the chances are that distraction will be headed your way.

muse workshop: animation- religion and spirituality

Today I went to a workshop about animation. At first I did not know what to expect because I didn’t think there was much to say about it. As I went into the room though I realized it actually focused more on religion and spirituality in cartoons. They taught us that animation is a way to express yourselves or watching cartoon shows such as Simpsons or Family Guy. They show the everyday lives of humans. These shows also show religion and spirituality. Religion is the beliefs of a higher power. Spirituality is the matters of spirits, emotions, and relations in the natural world. This would include things such as happiness and hopes. During the workshop, we watched an episode of Family Guy. It was about religion and how if people had the way to make all the choices, then religion would not exist. We also found out it is possible to believe in religion and also be spiritual. I also learned that the media affects the way people think about religion. Overall I learned that religion and spirituality are shown in animation.

Muse Workshop: First in Family;stress management

The leaders of this workshop were two educational councilors, one of which specialized in first college students. They gave us information on the stress caused by being the first in the family, but also some general information on stress. Stress is our mental, physical, emotional, or behavioral reactions to demands or threats. Stressors are any potential sources of stress. When it comes to stress we have two choices; either run away or deal with it. This is called flight or fright. There are two different forms of stress. Positive stress gives you an extra burst of adrenaline. Negative stress is when you cannot return to a relaxed state. There are many signs of stress which include increased heart rate, problem eating (whether eating too much or not enough), and inability to pay attention, urges to cry, frequent headaches, and tightness in stomach. Stress can be harmful to your body. It can cause ulcers, heart problems, or headaches. With first time college students, there are some specific stressors which include parents not understanding, leaving home for the first time, not having enough money, and dealing with other responsibilities such as jobs or partners. There are things you can do to relieve stress. You can exercise regularly, learn to let things go, and manage your time. Another way to prevent stress is to write in a journal every night which I try to do on a regular basis. Some behaviors to avoid are catastrophizing, thinking you can only succeed or fail, and mind reading. Mind reading is when you think you know what someone else thinks about you. Over all I enjoyed this workshop because it taught me how to deal with my own stress here at San Jose State.

How to deal with being stressed-

I attended an event in Joe West. The even was to teach college kids to take time out in order to avoid burning yourself out. The event promoted taking time to do your nails, do a facial, get a massage and pig out. It was a great way to meet people while getting involved with an on campus activity. It showed me that it was ok to relax and kick back once in a while, as long as I take time to get my work done as well.

Test Taking Skills Workshop

The workshop that I attended onThursday, December 3rd, was the workshop about test preparation and test taking. It was hosted by two peer mentors. Overall, It was a pretty helpful workshop filled with tips to help students before and during taking tests.

The suggest that to prepare for a test, you should create lists, charts, flashcards, etc., to help you study for the test. You should try and study a little bit ahead of when the test is, just in case you have a question while you are reviewing. It is also good to make a study schedule and stick to it, in order to make sure that you’ve studied enough. For when you study specific things, you should study them for more than 30 seconds in order for it to be embedded into your memory. Another thing to remember is that if the question was a question that many other students got wrong in a test, then it will most likely be on the final to make sure that you have fully learned the concept.

They also told us that the night before the test is when you gather your materials, like test booklets and scantrons, so you won’t be rushing and stressed out in the morning. On the day of the test, you should arrive early, eat something before, and relax. Students shouldn’t be so stressed out when it comes to tests because they are not life and death.

During the test, they recommend to do the multiple choice and all the ones that you already know first, then go back and do the ones that need more time. You need to get as many questions answered before you go back and tackle the harder questions. It is also recommended that you jot down formulas, memory aids, etc. into the margins when you first get the test so that you can remember them and use them. It’s not cheating if it comes from your memory.

If the choice comes to either a take home test or an in class test, the in class test should be chosen, because the take home test is more likely to be harder due to the fact that you have more time to think about the concepts and you are expected to use research and such. When you do a take home test, you are always supposed to speak in third person. You always should proofread your paper in the end of either a in class or take home essay. You don’t want to lose points for bad grammar!

At the end of the workshop they had us fill out a form about our study habits and what we would like to improve, then they had us have a witness sign it.

I believe that this workshop is very helpful, especially right before finals.

TOUGH GUISE

was the tough guise transcript published? i cannot find it and i needed a quote from it. ….

S:  full transcript is here

Class 12/2 – Girls Like Us

So we’ve gotten away from Buffy in particular, but talked a lot this semester about gender, race, and media in contemporary American culture.  In our last two days of class, I want to remind us that despite what the media tells us (or tries to beat into our heads), we always see/read it differently based on our individual experiences and backgrounds.  We always have the agency to interpret media, to see it for what it is–a constructed idea that someone made to convince us of their worldview. Media is not just “the way it is” but rather “the way someone wants to convince us it is”.  Media is not natural. When you know that, you are an empowered viewer, not a passive viewer.

Girls Like Us is a film about four young women growing up in Philadelphia in the late 90s. As you watch it, think about the influences in these girls’ lives, and how they choose to respond to them.  They may remind you of people you know, or yourself.  Please don’t just jump to judgement, but think about what it means to be a kid, how you make decisions, how you learn, and how you live with the consequences of your decisions.

And finally, think about the film as a constructed media.  Why did the filmmaker choose these girls to follow?  Why did she constructe the film like this?

Study guide is here – film is in the IRC – ask for XS3067.

Last minute workshops

The Peer Mentors have scheduled several last-minute workshops that they will conduct, in case any of your students procrastinated…

Wednesday December 2nd
12-1: Animation Analyzation
Clark 125

Thursday December 3rd
1:30-2:30: Test Taking Tips
Clark 118

Monday December 7th
12-1: Animation Analyzation
Clark 118

Monday December 7th
2-3: Starting off School with a new leaf
Clark 118

Remedial classes?

*What happens if I don’t pass my remedial class this fall?*

San José State University will not be able to support a second semester of remediation for students who do not pass their fall remedial course*.  If this is the case, the student will be expected to complete their requirement through a community college or other recommended institution.

Students who feel that they are in danger of failing a remedial course this fall should make plans early to take a course at a community college or other institution in the spring.   If you wait until grades are posted, you run the risk of not being able to register for an appropriate course.  You may have to take the placement test at the community college, so plan ahead.  A list of appropriate courses will be available at http://www.math.sjsu.edu/mcclory.

*Can I still attend SJSU this spring?*
You will be allowed to continue taking courses that are on the approved list in the EO 665 Handbook in the spring.  However, we caution you to not take a full load Read More »

3rd Workshop

Sorry I totally forgot about this and I know its super late!! But anyway I went to the money management workshop, Avoiding the Credit Crunch, on Friday the 20th. This workshop focused on ways a person can save money and how to use a credit card safely. First Renee Gullotto discussed that a person should separate their wants from their needs. She also discussed when to use cash or when to use a credit card. She said only to use a credit card when you remember what the value of the object is and know what it is for, and if it is actually valuable to you. And the more you use your credit card and keep up with the payments you will get good credit. She gave some examples of the benefits of having good credit. When one has good credit it is easier to rent an apartment, buy a car, there are better interest rates, and more. In addition to the pros of having a credit card, there are also risks of having one. There are fees, the risk of getting high interest rates, and a person can sometimes buy on impulse. She explained the details of having a credit card too. She talked about how having a credit card enables a grace period, this is the number of days without interest; usually between 20 days to a month. Renee Gullotto also talked about ways to manage money. She said to establish a spending plan and learn to reduce expenses. This workshop was very helpful because it taught me a lot of info I definitely did not know about and I have a credit card.

Class Monday 11/30

Peer Review Workshop

1.  Explain process;

2.  Break up into teams of two, begin with worksheet.