Time for a New Semester

It's that time again - time for a new semester of classes! In the spirit of getting you back on track, here are a few reminders to help get you organized and off on the right foot:

1. Make sure you have a calendar ready to use for the semester. If you need one, there are still extra handbooks available from Student Life. Stop by one of the Greeter tables (the one's with the red tablecloth and the "Ask me a question" signs) and pick one up. You can also stop by Georgiadis Hall Rm 206 and get one from the Office of Student Life if you miss the Greeter tables week.
2. Take some time to put all of the due dates and known assignments from your class syllabi into your calendar. Doing this will help you stay organized and on top of when things are due. You may also want to put a reminder if a big assignment is coming up the week before it's actually due. (Believe me - there's nothing worse than turning the page in your calendar on a nice Monday morning and finding out that you have a major paper or test due that day! Not a nice surprise!)
3. Check on all of your classes' pre-requisites and get a feel for what the teacher expects. If you don't meet the requirements for the class or decide that you need to switch to another time/teacher/class/etc., this week is the week to do it. Add/drop for 16 week classes comes and goes quickly (even faster for 8 weeks classes), so do it now!
4. Take the extra time to stand in lines! You'll need to count on spending extra time in both the bookstore and the ID lines. (ID's are permanently good, and parking decals need to be renewed every Fall. So, if you just took care of this in Fall 08, then there's one less line you need to worry about this semester.) You can also order and pay for your textbooks online through the college bookstore's website. They can have them bundled and ready to pick up. That can cut a few minutes off of your stay.

That's it for now. Be sure to check back, and good luck this semester!

-Prof M

Zen Habits on Breaking a Bad Habit

Check out this Blog from Zen Habits on Breaking a Bad Habit....

zen habits
Breaking a Bad Habit Shatters the Rung Beneath You
Posted: 01 Dec 2008 04:15 PM CSTEditor’s Note: This is a guest post from Sean Platt of Writer Dad.

I’ve always thought of life as a spiraling staircase, gracefully wrapping around time and achievement, as opposed to the blunt vertical found on a ladder. Comparing life’s ascension to a set of stairs is often apt, but there are moments when life as ladder is far more fitting, such as when we find ourselves stuck between rungs, mired in the middle of old pattern and new performance. This is when the decisive climb from one rung to the next must begin so that we may climb toward our tomorrow, while leaving yesterday behind.

Steps may be clambered in tandem (my wife and I often fall into reflexive harmony when we find ourselves on stairs together), but climbing a ladder is a solitary endeavor. We begin at the bottom, then spend our lifetimes reaching for the top, each rung pulling us closer to dusk and further from dawn. Destinations are determined by our daily decisions, as is our grasp and the speed of our climb.

Each of us finds ourselves at some point stuck between the rungs, pinned at an impasse. Perhaps success has halted, and our growth is no longer happening at the rate it once was. We can wrap our hands around the rung above, but we do not have the strength to pull ourselves upward. Often, it is the rung just below that is holding us hostage with insubordinate habit. It is then when we must lower our heel, shatter the habits to bits, and then continue to climb without looking behind.

It is never too late to learn a new habit; never to early to shed the old like dead, useless skin. Bad habits are formed by the slow and steady accumulation of mindless minutes. As a million years of rainfall will smooth the slope of a mountain summit, so do a million misplaced moments warp our good intentions.

We all are capable of reverse engineering our own bad behavior, but we cannot unlock the door without looking for the key.

We can start by searching for the reason in our routine. Understanding why we do something is an excellent precursor to halting the undesirable. If a bad habit is built by a sequence of negative actions, then a good habit can be formed by stringing opposite elements in an opposing direction.
New habits are most difficult at their birth. The links of our new chain are frail, and barely strong enough to hold their weight, but every moment of determination thickens our resolve.

For the last three years, I’ve run a preschool with my wife. Recently, I sailed the seas to full time writer. The needs of a cadre of kiddies are nowhere close to those of the online world, and adjustments needed to be made.

At first, it was easy to allow my old habits to swallow me. It would have been simple to swear I was doing my best, but I wasn’t. The whisper was there, and I rarely commanded his silence. You know the voice, we all have one. Mine tells me to check my email, or my analytics… or my email (it’s been five minutes after all). Telling myself I could do better wasn’t enough. I needed to reach for the rung, and pull with all my might.

I could tell you that I used the mute on my computer to silence the song of my inbox, or preach the pluses of using pen and paper, but ultimately it doesn’t matter. Not one single bit. What worked for me may not work for you. I’ve read enough tips to know. I don’t need a “How To,” I need a “Why Should I.”

It is the universal thread that’s important - our need to change, and desire to do so. When want meets willing, there is no limit to how high we can climb.

Read more from Sean Platt at his blog, Writer Dad, or subscribe to his feed.

Stress Relievers

As the semester winds down, a lot of people tend to get wound up and stressed out. So, take a few minutes to de-stress with the following:

1) Listen to some relaxing music. If you don't have any, create your own on this website: http://www.soundsleeping.com/

2) Recite the Student's Prayer:

Now I sit me down to study,
I pray the Lord I won’t go nutty.
If I should fail to learn this junk,
I pray the Lord that I won’t flunk.
Now I lay me down to rest,
I pray to pass tomorrow’s test.
If I should die before I wake,
That’s one less test I’ll have to take!
- Anonymous


3) Or, you can just sit and ponder some silly things:

• Why isn't phonetic spelled the way it sounds?
• Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?
• Why are there flotation devices under plane seats instead of parachutes?
• Why are cigarettes sold in gas stations when smoking is prohibited there?
• Why do fat chance and slim chance mean the same thing?
• Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?
• If 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why are there locks on the doors?
• If nothing ever sticks to Teflon, how do they make Teflon stick to the pan?
• If you're in a vehicle going the speed of light, what happens when you turn on the headlights?
• Why do they put Braille dots on the keypad of the drive-up ATM?
• Why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways?
• Why isn't "palindrome" spelled the same way backwards as it is forwards?
• Why is it that when you transport something by car, it's called a shipment, but when you transport something by ship, it's called cargo?
• If a black box in a plane is indestructible, why can't they make the whole plane out of it?
• Why is it that when you're driving and looking for an address, you turn down the volume on the radio?
• Why is it so hard to remember how to spell 'mnemonic'?
• If the front of your car says 'DODGE', do you really need a horn?
• When you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn?
• Does fuzzy logic tickle?
• Do radioactive cats have 18 half-lives?
• What was the best thing before sliced bread?
• Is there another word for thesaurus?
• After eating, do amphibians have to wait one hour before getting out of the water?
• Just before someone gets nervous, do they experience cocoons in their stomach?
• If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
• If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?
• Why does the word monosyllabic contain five syllables?
• Why is abbreviated such a long word?
• If you put a chameleon in a mirrored box what color would it change to?
• What should you do if you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?

(Source: http://www.doheth.co.uk/funny/ponder)

Enjoy!

Registering for Classes

It's that time again! Time to register for your Spring classes.

Before you get ready to register, take a look at your current schedule, your current obligations and what classes you still need for your major. When you set a schedule, bear in mind that you should add in 2-3 hours of study time for every hour you're in class. (And, if you're taking online classes - you can use the number of credits for a class to figure out how many hours you're expected to be in class. That's why they're called credit hours. 1 credit = 1 hour of time in class) So, plan accordingly. Taking a full schedule is not feasible for a lot of students in one semester. And, if you have multiple obligations (ie. school, work, children/family, church, organizations, etc.), then it gets even more complicated. Here's a list of steps to help you get started:

1. Get the tools you need to have at the ready - blank weekly calendar, a list of the classes you've completed so far (print off your unofficial transcript), the college catalog, and the schedule of classes. You'll also need a writing utensil - I recommend a pencil with a good eraser!
   
   
2. Make a list of your current obligations and any set times that these fall under. Add these to the blank weekly calendar.
   
   
3. Look at the college catalog under your major for the courses you still need to complete. Make a list of the next set you'd like to tackle.
   
   
4. Look in the back of the college catalog for each of the courses in your list to make sure that you've met the pre-requisites. (Update your list from step 3 if necessary.)
   
   
5. Using your list of preferred courses from step 3 (once you've checked pre-req's), find the classes in the Schedule of Classes that best fit your schedule. Write them into the weekly calendar. (Also, make a note of the 5 digit number at the front of the class, the location (campus and room number), and section number in your calendar somewhere. That way it'll be really easy to actually register when the time comes.)
   
   
6. On Monday, register for classes using your weekly calendar!

If you get stuck, stop by and talk to an Advisor. That's what they're there for! First Year students, your advisor is in the Student Success Center. Non 1st Year students, contact the division office for your major to find your Advisor's name and contact information including office hours.


Important Information:

• Early Bird Registration begins Monday, 11/10!!!
• To check tuition due dates, go to: http://reynolds.edu/jsr_ar/paying_for_college.htm
• College Catalog: http://www.jsr.vccs.edu/catalog/ Check here for course pre-requisites and for a list of the courses that you need to complete for your degree.
• Schedule of classes - Pick one up outside the Student Success Center or view it online athttp://reynolds.edu/_schedules/default.htm

Tools to help you set up and meet your goals

Check out the new site by Noomii - www.noomii.com

The site allows you to create a profile for free. By answering some questions, it gives you a visual representation of your life's goals and how well you're meeting them. You can then update things as they change. The site also offers a "Coaching Page" where you can set up specific goals and action items for each goal - all with due dates. The "Coaching Page" also allows you to schedule a specific time to either self-coach or coach with a partner of your choosing. (You invite a partner to work with in a separate section.) During the partner coaching sessions, you take turns coaching each other and checking on each other's progress. This helps provide some motivation and a nice visual way of keeping track of your progress!

Who are you?

After talking to a couple of students recently, I'm reminded of something I had forgotten - a lot of students don't really know who they are or where they're going. So, a lot of you haven't declared a major, and many more of you are likely to change your major. That's ok. The whole point of college is to find out who you are and how to get there. That's one of the reasons behind the SDV class that you're required to take. As a part of the class, you complete the Career Assignment to help you select a major. You get advised on what classes to take for that major. And, you even go through some activities to figure out what type of learner you are or what type of personality you have. But, there's a lot more to who you are than just what you can get in one short class. Everyone should have at least a basic idea of what's important to them and some sort of moral code. It's important to take some time and think about things like this - ponder, ponder, ponder. After all, how can you figure out where you're going if you don't even know who you are?

Well, after some serious soul-searching of my own this past weekend and thirty-something odd years of trials and experiences, I think I've finally figured out some things of my own. I've come up with a list of "rules" for myself. Now, you can take them as your own, or leave them. It matters not to me. I just thought you may find it useful to see what someone else has come up with - and, just how many years/how long it's taken them. And, bear in mind - these are subject to change. I'm not saying any of my own little "rules" are perfect or won't get outdated (- or that they'll even work for someone else). So, keep in mind that you will need to periodically sit down and ponder through all of this again. And, remember - "Not all who wander are lost." Some of the greatest bits of knowledge and insights come from the process and pondering. That's one of the fun parts of life and of college. It should be an adventure - both fun and scary - but, still an adventure. Anyway, here's my list. Good luck on creating your own!

1. Any problem can be solved with some thought and a good glass of wine. (And - of course - I am NOT advocating that you drink. Alcohol is optional and should be consumed in moderation by those of legal drinking age. 'nuf said!)
2. Breathe. Oxygen is a good thing.
3. Follow your heart - until it's time to follow your head.
4. Look for alternatives.
5. Trust your instincts - even if they don't seem justified.
6. Things will go wrong. You will screw up. Do the best you can and learn from your mistakes.
7. You can always improve.
8. Never stop learning.
9. Appreciate good friends. They are few and far between.
10. Try not to make excuses. Be honest to yourself at least.
11. "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." (Emerson) Don't be afraid to change.
12. "To be great is to be misunderstood." (Emerson) Get over it.
13. You are stronger than you think. Test your limits. Try new things.
14. Don't forget the importance of taking care of yourself sometimes.
15. The little things are important. "Details Matter." (Alberti)
16. Allow people to give you what you need.
17. It's painful, but it's only a growth spurt. This too shall pass.
18. Quit trying to be everything to everyone else. Just be yourself. They can take it or leave it.
19. You do not need to explain yourself to anyone.
20. It can always be worse.

Goal Setting & Time Management

For those of you looking for some ways to change your habits and make better use of your time, here are a couple of helpful links.

http://www.studygs.net/schedule/Weekly.html
This site can help you figure out where you're spending all of your time. It's also good for setting up a schedule on how to spend your time in the future and creating a To Do List (see the links at the top of the page above the scheduling tool.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seven_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People
This site gives a brief description of Covey's book. Each of the 7 habits is described, and all are a great way to make progress in anything that you do.

http://zenhabits.net/2008/10/10-simple-ways-to-live-a-less-stressful-life/#more-1437
Finally, check out one of Zen Habit's latest articles on how to live a less stressful life. The whole point of time management is so that you can have more free time, less stress, and some sanity!