My First Business Trip

Yes, it's 2:30am. I can't sleep!

In an hour and a half, I'm gonna be a taxi on my way to the airport. I'll be heading to St. Croix US Virgin Islands for my first business trip!

Not too bad, eh? 9 days in the Caribbean.

TEMPO throws this annual bash called "TEMPO Turns" all along the Caribbean. This year, we're hitting up St. Croix and Grenada with huge headliners from the region. One of the big ones is the band up there, N'klabe.

And thanks to my biligual skills, I'll get to be helpful with translating back and forth with them during meetings and conferences.

I'll try to take as many pictures as I can, but according to my supervisors, I'm gonna be running up and down so much that I might forget I'm in the Caribbean. Because, you know....85 degree weather and blue water is something that's totally forgetful.

I can't wait to bring back some stories. Until the 19th, bye New Jersey!

Stuff After College : The Exit Interview

I may have been clueless when it came to my loans but, honestly, I thought the way to start repaying my loan was to wait for my 6 month grace period to come up.

Nope. You gotta do something called an "exit interview".

I thought, "okay..what was my entrance interview?"

the entrance interview is the session you have with your Financial Advisor when you're signing those loan contracts. The "interview" is them explaining the terms and you signing something saying you get what they're saying.

The exit interview is similar to that.

Being an advocate for doing things online, I opted for doing my exit interview online. To be honest, I liked it this way. First, you have to read pages and pages about where your loan money was applied to your degree. They explain payment and interests and terms and everything. I decided to print every page out and highlight things I feel will be important in the future. If you take the time to read it, you'll find some interesting tidbits I bet you didn't know about your loan.

For example, with my loan, there is a suprise about taking time off between semesters. If you take time off during your degree program, that time off is taken out of your 6 month grace period you have after graduation. So, let's say I took 3 months off for winter quarter. That means that I have to start paying my loan 3 months after grad instead of 6.

See? It pays to read the fine print.

According to the letter from Berkeley, it said the process can take anywhere from 30-45 minutes. So when you get your letter, grab a cup of coffee and grab yourself a comfy seat because I will take you that long. There is a lot to read and at the end, there is a quiz! (and I thought I was done with quizzes!) It's a good way for them to know you get that you have to pay this money back.

If this sounds a little too nuts to fill out on your own, you know you can always head to school and have a session with a Financial Advisor. Remember, Berkeley services extend past graduation.

The Busy College Grad

Class of 2009! We did it!

I've been a graduate for about 2 weeks, now. I just hit me today that hey...I have a Bachelor's Degree! I have a full-fledged, legitimate, college degree! I was all smiles this morning with a little pep in my step walking to my bus stop. I had accomplished that many take 4 to 5 years struggling to obtain. I did it in less than that. Only 36 months and I'm glad to say that I feel a little more prepared for the workplace than those graduating for other schools.

I'm telling you, Placement Seminar is the Berkeley Advantage. Without it, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to land in my internship. A lot of schools offer programs to learn how to interview and how to prepare a superstar resume. It's just that not a lot of people take advantage of it. Having this as a course is what truly separate the Berkeley Bulldogs from everyone else.

With this, I would like to welcome everyone to the Berkeley College ~Alumni~ Blog!

I'll be changing the layout and content a little. I will be keeping this site helpful for perspective students and yes, I'm still gonna put up some helpful tips for freshmen and upperclassmen. College never ends. Neither will learning.

Now, I'm off to work and later, rent a bunch of post-grad movies like "Reality Bites" , "Post Grad", "Adventureland", and "Post Grad".

Internetless

So here's an update on what's been going on recently.

As you all know, my financial stability is as level as the Medusa rollercoaster at Six Flags. Its up and down and up and down. Well, with the house being foreclosed and all, my brother and I decided to move into our own apartment. I used my ~Intro to Finance~ skills to budget our lives. This is month one and all monies have gone to where they were suppose to.

We just had our TV and phone installed. Now, internet on the other hand...that doesn't kick in until September 1st. So, I'm mooching off free internet at McDonalds and Pollo Tropical in Clifton. : ) I'd rather get free internet and smell like grilled chicken than pay 5 bucks for 2 hours at Starbucks. For now, at least.

Accelerated Classes are over. They lasted six weeks. Six- very accelerated- weeks. Assignments came as quickly as they went. I would suggest them for the student who can keep up with reading assignments and homework as it comes. There's no delay when it comes to accelerated. Good for those just wanting to get the class out of the way. Bad for those who sometimes delay on starting their assignments. (Like me!) I managed to pull off a B on those classes. I really wanted an A, but then again, you really can't get A's with a week of missed assignments. That grade was a total result of senioritis and lack of funds for internet service.

But, the grass will be greener in less than 3 weeks! (21 days until I get my Bachelor's!)

Stress Management in Newark Campus

I might end up going to this on Wednesday. I'm not saying I'm a ticking timebomb. I'm more of a ....wind-up toy thats slooowwwlllyyy turning off.

I know we're all on the same boat. We're the Ipod generation. Insecure, Pressured, Overtaxed and Debt-ridden In my case, I'm working 72 hours a week, trying to keep a high GPA and now, I have to find an apartment in 3 weeks because my mom's house just got foreclosed! Ain't that something!?

So now I have this weird twitch going on in my eye. I grew my first grey hair! I'm sure I have more coffee than blood running through me. You can laugh. It's kind of funny. But it means I'm stressed out.

I'm just glad I'm taking online courses. If I had to squeeze in an on-site class, I'd probably go nuts! Thank goodness for online classes.

I did check out the Newark Campus music event in at NJPAC last week. It was pretty festive! I bolted before the rain began but I enjoyed it. Newark is full of summer activities so there's always something to do near the campus.


How's everyone else doing? We're in the humpweek of the Summer Quarter.

Online Classes ACCELERATED! / Freshman Questions

Two out of my four classes this quarter are accelerated classes. Do you know what that entails? 4 Discussion boards, 3 GHAs and papers due every two weeks. Sure its stressful but it only last for a couple of weeks. Instead of the regular quarter-long class, these courses run for 8 weeks. That's 4 weeks without the extra homework!

Right now, I'm in the middle of finishing my paper for one of these classes. I figured I would tell you guys about accelerated courses. Let me go on record that its totally worth it. You get your classes done in less time than usual. That means I only have to worry about one class and internship once September comes. Good Deal!

The shirt up there is from what is probably my new favorite website, ThinkGeek.com

SideNote: I've made a sidebar of archives entrys new and perspective students might find helpful. It even includes the famous Berkeley Bluecard explaination post! Next week, I'm going to make a post answering questions a lot of freshman/perspective students ask (like where are the M rooms in Garret Mountain?, Who's my Career Counselor?, What's a Berkeley Blue Card?, What times do the shuttle buses run?) If you have any to add, feel free to email me at Vanessa-Gomez@mymail.berkeleycollege.edu

The Corzine TAG Cut

This post is going out to all the Berkeley Jersey students.

If you've opened up your Berkeley email within the last couple of weeks, you've gotten the TAG emails. Sadly, despite the numerous petition signatures and letters, TAG got cut. Berkeley College President Dario Cortez sent out an email about it.

I haven't received a letter yet. Although this is my last quarter here, the TAG cut will effect my pursuit for a Master's Degree. Also, I have a few friends who still have a few months left before graduation. I know this is affecting them too.

Berkeley is committed to helping all students afford tuition. I remember when I was enrolling, my financial advisor bent over backwards to help me out. So if you're worried about your finances for school, talk to the financial advisors. Trust me, I've spend hours in their offices to make sure school is taken care of. And they're nice, too. They won't kick you out after 3 hours. I know from experience. : )

Summer Books

Happy Summer Quarter Everyone!

This is my last quarter at Berkeley College. As excited as I am about getting that sweet sweet degree and diploma, I'm just as psyched about getting my foot into the real world workplace. The statistics and unemployment reports don't scare me anymore. I believe that all the skills I'm developed at Berkeley is giving me an upperhand! Some friends are mine feel overwhelved by the workplace job search. They feel unprepared. Thanks to Placement Seminar and popping my head into Career Services once in a while, I feel that I'm topdog when I walk into an interview.

Since it is my last quarter, I'm putting my textbooks on supersale! If you've followed this blog for the past couple of years, you know I love a sale on textbooks. Rather than waiting for September to sell them, I want to get a headstart. Here is my eBay link. http://shops.half.ebay.com/vanygomez_W0QQmZbooks I'm moving so you'll also find some fun books to read like Chuck Klosterman books and that favorite "Skinny B..." book combo everyone went crazy for.

I'm glad to say that I only need two textbooks this quarter. :D I busted my hump with 21 credits last time. This time, I took it easy with a 17 credit quarter. I'm still at my Tempo Networks internship. I'm hoping I'll see a Berkeley intern soon. If you're still looking for an internship, I would suggest Tempo. Not only do you learn hands on, but you get to listen to music all day!

We'll Tweet all in your Facebook and Myspace!

Finals are right around the corner. If you're on online student like myself, that means that our keyboards are about the melt from the feverish typing going on.

Since online classes don't really have a set time to meet for a Final Exam, we are usually assigned papers that involve tons of critical thinking and cumulative knowledge for the subject. I have a couple of papers half way done. I have this weird thing where I have to work on several things at the same time to get them done. They're all done a day before I can review them before submission. My super technique has been working pretty well here at my internship.

Speaking of internships, you know how on those Berkeley College commercials, the protagonist always gets a corporate job or something? Well, its pretty legit. I'm here at my internship and they did offer me a job! Granted, I have been working hard since the first step in here. But it definitely has paid off. I would show you pictures of my nice desk and everything, but you could take my work for it, right? So yeah, they offered me a job! I would be an "Administrative Assistant." It's exactly what I majored in, too!

Aside from the commercials being so true, they're also getting kinda funny. I guess the marketing department figured out that people remember funny things. I mean, check out this commercial for Berkeley's Online Courses.



And yes, I really do throw my arms up in the air whenever I finish a challenging Discussion Board topic. Again, funny but true!


Get ready for a total technology takeover at Berkeley. We're everywhere now! Myspace, Facebook, Youtube, TWITTER! (Yeah, I said it. Twitter!) The links to all the sites are right here. Get connected! Stay connected!

Facebook!: www.facebook.com/pages/Berkeley-College/105652961998
Myspace!: www.myspace.com/berkeleycollege
Twitter! : www.twitter.com/berkeleycollege


Expect a whole lot of videos, photos and posts by real Berkeley College students.

Up and Down and Up and Down

Life has been loopy in the college student's life. It's up and down and up and down. I got to watch my boyfriend graduate from Montclair State on Friday. That's an up! The next day, the power was shut off at my house. It took two days to get it back. That's a down. Then I get offered more hours at work. That's an up! I got my power and internet back on Memorial Day. Another up! My internet isn't working at home so I have to head over to Starbucks to upload my homework, which was a one and a half late. That's a down.

Other than the trials and tribulations of power and electric corporations, my classes have been pretty interesting. Advertising and Marketing has been opening my eyes on the competitive sides of plain old commercials. It's really interesting to know what intentions are behind the messages given out. Also, I feel it has made me a smarter consumer. I pay more attention to true value of products without having their catchphrases getting in the way.

My internship has been fun too. I get to be a big part in planning out the marketing blitz for a new up and coming musical artist! How cool is that? I'm not too sure how much I can talk about the plans but I know I can mention his name. His name is Ziggy Rankin and he's a nice guy with a crazy TOUGH voice. Haha.

Happy week 8 everyone!

Grads of 2009!

Congrats, Berkeley's class of 2009! The whole ceremony can be seen online. Just head over to Blackboard and follow the link. I watched it and cheered (from my bedroom) for fellow classmates. And, like the dork that I am, I texted saying "I just saw you graduate!"

I can't wait to do the walk. I'm done with my classes in August so technically, I am part of the 2009 class. I took the 3-year curriculum so I've been a student non-stop since 2006. Some of you might think that's crazy but I think it was definitely worth it.

A bunch of my friends are graduating in a few days and it took them almost 5 years to get their Bachelors Degrees. I'm earning mine in 3. That's 3 years less tuition and 3 years headstart in the job market than the rest of my age group. Gotta be quick and smart. That's the Berkeley way!

Right now, I'm on my 'last sprint' of my college career. I'm on my toughest classes and every grade counts. I'm trying my best. 3.6 isn't too shabby.

Also, I'm LOVING my internship at Tempo Networks. I'm learning so much and get to be part of some great projects in New York and in all the Caribbean Islands. I'm planning on doing both my internships at Tempo. I can't think of anywhere else where I can have such a hands on experience in the real business world.

I have to say that these last quarters at Berkeley at definitely my favorite.

SIDENOTE:

(Apparently, this is the official class of '09 hand sign. Cute, ain't it?)

Moving On Up at the Internship

It's my third week at Tempo and guess what? I'm guessing they like me because I got moved up to the corporate level of the building. I am the CEO's intern now! (That's him in the photo.) How cool is that? I'm still helping out with project here and there but most of my assignments are coming directly from him. I dig it. Everything's so fast paced and one day is never the same as the other.

I'm hoping I can do my 2nd internship here. I'm headed up to Garret Mountain next week to talk to my advisor if it can happen.

Aside from that, I've been staying on top of my assignments. I credit this to my giant dry erase board where I write EVERYTHING down. Its impossible to forget a deadline when it's written in purple green and hot pink.

Let the Juggling Begin!

Yesterday was the first day of the Spring Quarter. Yay! I mean, the weather didn't really yell out spring (cold winds and thunderstorms and such), but logging on to Blackboard and seeing all new classes sure did.

Yesterday also marked my second week of interning at Tempo Networks. I've gotta say that it sure feels like to be in a corporate setting once in a while. I get to use what I've learned in all those years of computer classes and business management courses.

It's only Tuesday and I've already come to a hurdle. One of my courses will have a quiz on Saturday that will only be open from 6pm to 9pm. Unfortunately for me, I work a 9 hours shift that day starting at 1pm. (I had to take less days and longer shifts at work to make room for school and interning.) I already emailed my professor well before Friday so it doesn't look like I'm being a whining slacker. Hopefully, there can be some kind of arrangement done. I mean, I took online courses because I though it would be convenient to be able to do my work when I have time during the week. I mean, isn't that why online classes were invented?

Unless I'm reading it wrong. It says "6:00 to 9:00pm" ...If she means 6am, I'm saved. If she means 6:00pm, I'm in a rut.

Maybe I'm stressing out too much? (You tell me.)

So, I'm here crossing my fingers that I can still be able to take this test.

And it's only day two of Spring Quarter. Man, oh, man.

So readers, how's Spring Quarter working out for you? Send me an email. I always read 'em.

Oh man! I Got the Internship!

This is the company I will be interning for starting on Monday! Tempo Networks is a Caribbean tv station and online station set on bringing together all of the Caribbean Islands and establishing the culture in the world today.

I'm so excited for this intership! During the interview, I got a tour of the Tempo Headquarters. It's huge! There's studio room where the entire room is green (thus, the green screen) where the shows are filmed. There is also tons of editting rooms, libraries, offices, everything! The place was buzzing with people running left and right. They all took a second to introduce themselves to me which was really appreciated. I can't tell you how excited I am to help out with such a cool company.

Also, it's in Newark! So, I'm a mere 10 minutes away from headquarters! (I live in the next town over in Belleville.) How great is that? I can keep my part-time AND intern AND go to school *(thanks to taking all my classes online this quarter.)

I'll be posting a whole bunch during these next couple of weeks since I'll be glue to this computer for assignments, lessons, and keeping a log of what's up at Tempo.

Big Thanks to Ms. Ortega-Cubas and Mr. Castro in Career Services for finding me this little gem of an internship!

Placement Seminar is the Berkeley Advantage!

So far, I've received straight A's! A good amount of peeps happened to have done pretty well this quarter. I think it finally hit everyone how you have to stay on top of your game if we're gonna do well after graduation.

Also, my interview for interning at Tempo Networks is on Tuesday. Nervous?...Kinda. Placement Seminar was a big help in improving my interview skills and the way I present myself. They taught us stuff you usually have to learn from mistakes in real life. For example, when being interviewed, don't get super personal (because this person is not your buddy, they're your potential boss.) Also, always bring enough (meaning many) copies of your resume because you don't know how many people will be meeting with you that day. When you take Placement Seminar, take it seriously. The class is there to help! It's a Berkeley exclusive! Take advantage!

Yeah, I finally got what that whole "Berkeley Advantage" thing means now. : )

Chillax Week AKA Last Chance Week!

To be honest, this is the most pressure I've felt during a pre-finals week. Interships must be finalized and its my last chance to do the GPA pickup. I've been doing pretty good on that one. I've been pulling A's in all my classes! (internet high fives, everyone!)

Other than that, interships have me worried. I had one lined up but it ended up not working out in the end. Ain't that somethin'? Well, I entered my resume into CareerZone and applied to places here and there and all over NJ/NY. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I get a ~great~ one with tons to learn!

For everyone stressing out about the grades, ASK FOR EXTRA CREDIT! The worst thing that can happen is a professor saying "no." No biggie. You'll get 'em next time. Just remember to do better! Attend those 8am classes and submit those assignments on time!

Time to hit the books. Week 11, hello spring!

25 Copies of your Resume for FREE!

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/business&id=6700693

Today (meaning, right now) , Kinkos has a promo where you can print out 25 copies of your resumes! Their stance is that they understand that ink isn't cheap and neither are 25 printing credits. So hurry over to a Kinkos with your flashdrive and get your resumes!

My mom just went and printed hers out. They were nice enough to give her my 25 copies since I'll still be on campus by the time they close.

So hurry! Free stuff!

Sleep is Good. Really!

The past two weeks went by like a blur so sorry for the lack of updates. Works piled up like crazy and my job slammed me with some crazy hours. Can't say its been boring though!

Today marks day 17 of the Omega 3 Challenge and I have to admit, except for the fishy burps, not much have changed. Then again, these pills are more for a preventative purpose than healing or rejuvenating purposes. Its an investment in my future health. B12 vitamins, on the other hand, are the nifty little pink gelcaps that give me a little pep in my step in the morning. 5am wakeups are less and less difficult and I'm not passing out by 10am.

Also, I've given myself a curfew.
That's right. 21 with a sleep curfew. Sleep is so important for us college students. Sure, all-nighters are a common thing but man, a night without sleep stinks! Check out WEBMD.com's list of effects.

• Decreased Performance and Alertness: Sleep deprivation induces significant reductions in performance and alertness. Reducing your nighttime sleep by as little as one and a half hours for just one night could result in a reduction of daytime alertness by as much as 32%.
• Memory and Cognitive Impairment: Decreased alertness and excessive daytime sleepiness impair your memory and your cognitive ability -- your ability to think and process information.
• Stress Relationships: Disruption of a bed partner's sleep due to a sleep disorder may cause significant problems for the relationship (for example, separate bedrooms, conflicts, moodiness, etc.).
• Poor Quality of Life: You might, for example, be unable to participate in certain activities that require sustained attention, like going to the movies, seeing your child in a school play, or watching a favorite TV show.
• Occupational Injury: Excessive sleepiness also contributes to a greater than twofold higher risk of sustaining an occupational injury.
• Automobile Injury: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates conservatively that each year drowsy driving is responsible for at least 100,000 automobile crashes, 71,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities.

There' s a reason why the new couches in the student center as so comfy. That's right. ~ naps ~

The Omega-3 Challenge!

According to good ol' WebMD.com, "...the benefits of omega-3s include reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke while helping to reduce symptoms of hypertension, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), joint pain and other rheumatoid problems, as well as certain skin ailments. Some research has even shown that omega-3s can boost the immune system and help protect us from an array of illnesses including Alzheimer's disease."

So I'm, participating in the Health and Fitness class challenge. A couple of people are doing in from the 8am class and the 9:30am class. It's the "Omega-3 Challenge!" All we have to do is take a supplement of Omega-3 once a day and jot down any positive or negative changes in mood or energy. This is my day one.


Day One: I burped and it tasted like nori (seaweed used on onigiri and sushi). That's it so far.

Tax Time

If you know what's good for ya, and you receive Financial Aid to go to school, you're going to get up and do your taxes right now.

I did my taxes this past Wednesday. It was pretty quick and painless. (And I'm not getting paid to say this or anything but Jackson-Hewitt has a pretty good student discount on filing taxes.)

All you have to do is make sure you have all your W-2's and school documents if you pay anything out of pocket. According to my tax guy, that's a big mistake a lot of students make. If you pay any part of your tuition out-of-pocket, bring it up during your tax filing! It's probably a good idea to google "college student tax filing" to see if you get any special deductables. C'mon. A little prep work can go a long way (especially if it means a bigger return.) Remember, this is your own money you're getting back. Why not try to get as much as you deserve?

Right now, I'm updating parts of my FAFSA online. That's another helpful hint, FAFSA online saves the info you put in last year to make filling it out this year a lot faster. All you have to do is update your income info, update scholarship info and anything else that's changed financial between this year and last year. All you need is your PIN and your 1040 (and maybe your parents' tax info if you're still living at home.)

Don't wait for your Advisor and Financial Aid Counselor hunt you down to file this stuff out. It's fast, it's simple, and it's a great way to get rid of that giant "finance for school" weight off your shoulders.

Thank You, Mr. Castro, For the Wake-Up Call

On Tuesday, the career counselor in my placement seminar, Mr. Castro, said something that picked my hopes up with the whole "oh man, am I gonna have a job after graduation?" freakout. He said "Okay. 7% of the country is unemployed. You know what that means? That means that 93% have jobs!" He pointed out that there are jobs out there. You just have to find them.

After that, I did a little search on job placement. Apparently, only about 3% of available positions are posted online. A huge reason why people hear about jobs are either physically search the field or word-of-mouth. Newtorking, people! It' s more important than you think!

It was Obama - Rama!

This is a picture of the Inauguration poster 10 minutes after the MSNBC broadcast. The student center was packed! By 11:30, all the seats were filled and students were squeezing into the room so we could watch history happen. I sat with my friends and we were all excited to hear that our brand-new President had to say. There were a few giggles when Aretha Franklin's hat popped up on the screen but the room roared once the president's pledge was over. During the speech, you can see eyes glaze over and faces look up in hope that everything's going to be alright. Having everyone in the college that close to each made me realize that the change is real. If everyone in that room, and the rest of the country, puts a little effort towards change, there's nothing this country can't do. We can get outta this slump. We can get back to being the land of the free and the home of the brave. You know what I mean? His speech made me so hopeful and optimistic! I wrote that on the poster. :D
Afterwards, there was buffet that included pizza, cake, cookies, chips and tons of bubbly soda. There were glittery red white and blue hats, and Obama '09 bracelets.
Besides being part of one of the biggest days in American history, it was nice to feel like you were part of something bigger than yourself. Everyone in the school was cheerful and smiling. It was great.

Recession 2009: Will My Degree Really Mean Anything?

Every morning, America wakes up to the news that Asian markets are plummeting, and their status acts as a forecast as to how our markets will do once they open up. There's no denying that the recession is here and its all over.

This national crisis has been hitting everyone's lives. Some of my family and friends have been laid off from their jobs in companies that we said to be "recession proof". Sure, there are some great sales going on, but what difference does it make if there's no money to be spending?

From the looks of things, I would have to say that my careerpath might be put into a halt for now. Business magazines and newspapers are reporting that the job market is progressively getting worse in all sectors.

What does that mean for the graduation class of 2009? Are you guys as worried as I am?
Send an email or leave a comment with your thoughts.

I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer or anything, but this is serious business, people!

New Year, New Quarter, New Everything!

Hello and Happy New Year Everyone! Hope 2009 has been smashing for you. Mine has been pretty fun. My winter break mainly consisted of lots of sleep, work and family funtime. This year, we were lucky enough to have a long winter break. High five all around!

Yesterday was my first day for Winter quarter. I woke up early, prepared my backpack and headed out the door with a fresh motivation to take on this quarter. As soon as I stepped off the train in downtown Paterson, I saw the Berkeley shuttle...and it was surprisingly packed. You don't expect the 7:30am bus to be so full! Poor Mr.Pete (the morning shuttle driver) had to leave a couple of students behind. He did call for a backup van to come pick us up, but either way, we were going to be late for our 8:00am classes. :-\ I texted a friend of mine to save me a seat if the class started filling up. At around 8:15, Mr. Willie showed up and gave us a few laughs on our mad dash to the campus. I ran into my Business Strategy and Policy classroom and luckily, my friend saved me a seat in a full class. I spoke to my professor and he was pretty cool about my lateness. Hopefully, the shuttle will start either getting a little less packed or they'll start sending down BOTH vans rather than making some students miss classes, buses and trains because we have to wait for the second trip from one van. (Hint hint.)

The rest of the day went as scheduled. My second class, Health and Fitness with Dr. Williams, already blew my mind. We get to make weekly presentations on anything related to health. As soon as he mentioned the assignment, I came up with a bunch of topics! Most of my Christmas presents were vegan cookbooks so I have a few things in mind to present.

My third class is Global Social Change. Unfortunately, the computer was down so the first day was only a general overview of the quarter. The lessons are gonna be based on current events so we will be relying on new articles and weekly journals for resources.

My last class is probably the one I'm most nervous about. Placement seminar is the class you must take before internship. This is where we learn how to survive in the business world. Everything from attire, resumes and speech will be taught, reviewed and polished. Placement seminar, for me, marks the beginning of my career path. At least, thats what Dr. Belowich and Mr. Castro made it feel like.

It was a great first day back. Winter Quarter '09 is gonna be nuts!






P.S.
Did anyone see that new TV in the student center?! WHOA.