How to Be a Better College Student Alejandra Delgado, Jerica Gomez, and Christopher Hinojosa

The transition from high school to college can be one of the most daunting that someone can make. In some aspects, they are exactly the same. You have to go to class, finish homework, and study for exams. The thing about college however, is that the stakes are raised exponentially. Your performance in college will dictate the money you make and the career you get.

We’ve all heard the old saying “C’s get degrees”, but in reality this is far from the truth. Realistically speaking, employers are always going to choose a candidate that has a higher GPA because it shows them that you are a competent and hard worker. For these reasons, we have chosen to write this blog and our lecture project about how to become a better college student in order to maintain a high GPA and grow a stronger work ethic.

Jerica - My tips to becoming a better college student including taking your first semester seriously. It’s hard to adjust to the difference of being in highschool and having your hand held once you enter college you are all on your own, it's up to you to take the initiative to do your assignments and to turn them in on time. Professors are there to teach you its up to you if you want to learn. I’ve been in college for a while now and even the little things we didn’t think mattered that much our first few semester come back later when you're trying to get accepted into a program that is very competitive and you tried your best.

My second tip is to use your time wisely. Time management is probably the most important part of being a successful student. We are all busy in our crazy lives outside of school it's important to make time for the assignments and studying we have to do for school. Setting aside a specific time for school work such as studying and doing homework will be beneficial to you because you get to learn the material at your own pace and can be ahead of the game by not having to rush at the last minute.

My third tip is being organized, organization can make all the difference especially if you are taking multiple classes. I personally use different binders for each class with dividers and tabs separating the different kinds of assignments. Using a planner to  lay out your schedule of when your assignment are due and other kinds of techniques to keep yourself organized is the a great tip to be a successful college student.

My last tip to being a successful college student is to have a good support system. We need to surround ourselves with people who want the best of us and want us to succeed, and try our best not to have people who want to push you away from your future to go out and have fun. We all need a little fun in our lives but we have to put what's most important first and having fun come after.

Chris - During my first year at DACC, I was kind of just “winging it”. Whenever we had upcoming assignments I would never write them down, opting to just try to remember them and hope for this best. This would often result in me getting bad grades on quizzes that I would forget to study for.

To combat this, I did some research and realized that I can import my Canvas calendar into my Google Calendar. After this I was able to create a Google Calendar widget on my phone and put it on my home screen so whenever I unlock my phone my agenda of homework is easily viewable.

My current home screen, showing my upcoming assignments.

Along with this, my second tip to become a better college student would be to print out your syllabus’, hole punch them, and then place them into a binder so they are easy to access. This has saved me from having to take the time to log into Canvas, navigate to the class in question, and then click the link to the PDF copy of the syllabus.

Alejandra- I’m a near finishing junior at Arrowhead Park Early College High School, and have been going to DACC classes for two semesters. I’m still not very amazing at it. But I have pulled a few trips out of the little experience as a Duel Credit Student I have.

Number One, DO NOT IGNORE THE WORK. It is not like the rest of the high school classes, you have to keep track of assignments and do the work. The professors are different from high school teachers, and will expect you to pull the same weight as the adults. Let them and your classmates know that you and other kids your age can pull that weight. I have definitely faulted that a few time, and realized how horrible an idea it was. Not only does it project a poor image, it sends your grades spiraling downwards, and that is really hard to repair.

Number Two, spend your free periods wisely. The off-campus college classes are often at different times than the LCPS school schedule, so you’ll have some free time. And yeah, it’s okay to take a little time to talk, there’s also a lot of work to do so that you can graduate with a HS diploma and an Associate’s degree. Spending two or three class periods between classes gossiping and messing around can not only get you in trouble with campus security, but also with your grades.

In conclusion, it's not difficult becoming the best college student you can be. It takes hard work, hours of dedication, and a strong work ethic. We had a great time creating this blog post and lecture, and we hope that the tips we have given you help you get the degree and job that you are working towards.

Chris’ Blog: http://chrish67.blogspot.com/

Alejandra’s Blog: http://acdn240662.blogspot.com/

Jerica’s Blog: http://jericasadventures.blogspot.com/

My Start With Google- Not very Good

As a millennial who does not use much technology, I feel very out of place sometimes. We are the generation of technology know-how, I go to a high school focused in the STEM education (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics), and I have the resources; but I never became a tech person. I have used it for family connection, music and schoolwork; and even that was more CMT. Now in my current class, I am branching out; with Blogger, Twitter, YouTube and Google+. 

Google+ for so far is very weird, and I feel ridiculous saying that. I still have not used it much, starting with our group project, getting connected with the group. It is an interesting process. I’m starting to use Google Hangout, and that seems a little easier. I also have always enjoyed Google Calendar. It puts pop-ups on my phone, reminding me of doctor appointments, quizzes, and other important deadlines and such.

I really like learning about the background of Google itself. From how the founders do not really like each other, to how they run their company. Their ‘campus’ buildings are incredible. Growing up, many of my friends talked about wanting to work for Google. Be it at that time, it was solely for the fun we had seen in the company. I did a report last semester on their driver-less vehicles and the progress they had made. I personally think it is incredible technology that could prevent a lot of vehicle accidents, though not something to be put into place regularly for a long time.  To truly have accident prevention, it would need to be widely available, affordable, and used. 

But when it comes to the connection parts, I lack. But I suppose that is what this class is for. Improving my lacking social media skills, and provide background. Crossing my fingers, hand on a textbook, here’s to hoping. 

Internet History

The internet. An expanse of data and color and options a lot of us have become taken with, be it via mobiles or computers. Social networking especially, has become part of our daily lives; Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.  But to better understand the present, you must understand the past.

            In my English 211 class, we are leaning about the history of social media.  So far, we have learned about BBSs, MySpace, and Live Journal. Of those, I find the most interesting to be Live Journal.

            In Live Journal, I’ve seen that it’s not as customizable as sites like Facebook, and there are no larger multi-media groups like Buzzfeed, YouTubers, etc. Some of the steps take longer, and searching is much different.

            We thought about why it might not be as well-used, or popular. I found that slower processes, lack of multi-media groups, and lack of customization to be major hindrances. No one wants things to take longer, and why would they? Lots also enjoy following their favorite celebrities, YouTubers, and what they do in their lives. Live Journal does not have that feature. It does have communities that are nice, poetry and such.

            With MySpace, we learned about the dramatic uptake and downfall. It started through e-mail spam for recruitment of members, but once outlawed, lost its marketing technique. It also had a tight block on other apps and made users very unhappy. It is incredibly customizable, and has available anonymity from the usernames.

            However, we have started using some of the modern sites as well. Twitter, Blogger, Facebook, etc. I personally have only ever used Facebook, never getting connected to the rest of social media. I started using Facebook only as a way to keep contact with family after moving away, and it became a part of my daily life. Because of the class, I started a Twitter and Blogger. However, I’ve come to enjoy Blogger already, I am likening writing everything down, documenting what I do and learn. 

My Dog Infested Life

As a certified dog person I can say, while I love my pups to death, there are just some times I wonder what I was thinking with them.

“Mom, can we please get her?”

“Mom, Dad, can we keep him? Nobody else wants him!”

Well, now I have three dogs and the hair never goes away. I suppose I should introduce my troublemakers.

•       First came Buddy. He is a small Cockapoo that never became more than 22 lbs of spoiled. We got him back in 2008, meant for my brother, but loved the rest of us more. As a puppy he was so sweet. Loved everyone, but now hates every dog. Still loves people, but if either of the other pups look at him wrong, they’re dead. He’s our grumpy man.

•  Next we got Athena. Now she is my dog 100%. I love my parents for dealing with not just me, but my German Shepard who’s just as crazy.  We got her as a puppy in early 2013, with all intention for a mild-mannered girl. That attitude left as fast as her fur sheds. But we love her dearly, and I certainly have nothing to worry about at night with her by my feet.
  
  

• Finally, we got Thor (The God names, I know). The cubby black & white American Pitbull Terrier belonged to my father’s friend up until a year ago, when they moved and left him with us. We meant to foster him, but his intense laziness, licking, and cuddling pushed its way into my older brother’s heart. He became part of the family. After he left last month, Thor cuddled up to me.

Each of these dogs is amazing their own way, and is gold in my life, but how much I wish sometimes that they weren’t so stupid.

For example, most of being a dog owner is 

(a) Pulling things out of their mouth or 

(b) Making sure they won’t die from what they just ate. 

My Shepard has eaten so many things, I’m certain she’s invincible. This dog has eaten a tin of cupcakes, a loaf of bread, a cake, ½ lb. of butter, ten double chocolate cookies with mint chocolate chips, two pork chops, a jar of Vaseline, powdered cement, liquid cement, set cement, easy 4 lbs. of dirt, and the stuffing out of a few stuffed animals. Every time, I’d stare at her and go WHY?

Buddy was more complacent. He loved everyone, and was so fluffy no one could get mad. As we got more dogs, we discovered that he did not like being a sibling. Stomping over puppy Athena, and nipping at her, he gained the nickname “The Grumpy Old Man”. He regretted that once she grew bigger. Now he barks at the two bigger dogs and flees to his room.

Thor was always a gem. A fat gem, but one nonetheless. He loves to cuddle, and though looks vicious outside the door, once in, you can discover he’s a very lovable, licking menace. He gets excited and forgets how big he is, and sometimes ends up tackling people when trying to get some lovin’. He’s a simple dog, not too many stories with him yet, excepting his licking addiction. He once licked my brother’s face all night, and he woke up with a very raw face.

But even with all these quirks, I could never get rid of them. The best part about owning these dogs? The bonds we share, and the happiness we give each other. 

Life Hurts Sometimes

As a continuing high school student, I've had big dreams in mind. From Geologist, to Marine Biologist, to Writer, to Teacher, I've wanted to be something great. Who hasn't? But there's always something that gets in the way. For me, like many people, it was Depression. It's been around for long enough now, it's like a familiar friend. It most certainly does not help with my dreams.

It hit in middle school, following me to where I am now, and it is a persistent little parasite. Bullying never made any victim  feel good, and my case is no different. It started with just one boy who thought it'd be fun, and spread to the entire school deciding I was a fat girl that had no future, no purpose. The teachers became my closest allies. Along the way, it's destroyed my self-confidence, my relationships with people around me, and my faith in Christ, which used to mean everything to me. I cannot count anymore the times mental scars through myself became physical, and how many times I tried to leave it all behind. I've been told I look like a broken etch-a-sketch. Depression is monster I don't wish on anyone. In high school, it destroyed my grades, my work ethic becoming a near zero, and not finding the strength to do anything, nonetheless spend 4 hours on my various schoolwork. My dreams started fading, I began hating the sciences, maths, basically everything except English, because writing became my salvation, posting poetry online for people to read and say, "I'm in the same place. I understand." That too faded from interest, I stopped writing. I learned that life hurts.

I have yet to gain a valiant story as to how I became my own knight in shining armor, slaying the towering beast of nagging voices and hateful words. I'm working on it though. Freshman year I got a therapist. She listens to me, and actually gives helpful exceptions, despite what a lot of people tend to think, they do give a crap about you. I also found a group at school that supports me when I'm sad, mad, or fine. I went back to church, and found myself friends in my Youth Group leaders and members, weekend camps being holy retreats that help me get closer to God. I found faith. The biggest thing I've done is make myself happy with me. I lost weight, got rid of acne, got braces, and changed my hairstyle until I reached a point that I could feel happy just being me. And that changed so much on it's own.

I'm happy with me!

While I still have yet to heal completely, I am on my way. With medication being a hopeful in the near future, I expect a turn around. I found fire to fight in my family, my church, my friends. Despite what I used to think, life hurts only sometimes. Not always.