tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88577816890595379152024-02-18T22:22:58.688-08:00An Online Students TaleAs an adult, working long part -time hours, full time student and trying to balance all that with family life. It is sometimes hard to remember, "Why I am studying." I hope this blog might inspire, console act as an information resource for anyone out there who is trying to do the same thing, go back to school,online or in seat, in middle age or any age. Maybe we can share ideas, let off steam, laugh together.William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-84118597387184350852021-09-06T11:14:00.000-07:002021-09-06T11:14:18.710-07:00Notes on Poseidon
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ty_TksfMwCPZeMkPFkgifkX9MNTgtto1X2aFIoS5I9JryAMIJ6ogHjVAkJEaxnN2ds-W6B-SWfTWvDyCveTWWaoRIrmaLrsITiswZS-5ZFJKa9uTMdQNVugFtq9hDBzKuSqrxzkydIMb/s800/poseidon+on+a+throne+ashmolean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Poseidon seated on a throne with trident" border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="800" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ty_TksfMwCPZeMkPFkgifkX9MNTgtto1X2aFIoS5I9JryAMIJ6ogHjVAkJEaxnN2ds-W6B-SWfTWvDyCveTWWaoRIrmaLrsITiswZS-5ZFJKa9uTMdQNVugFtq9hDBzKuSqrxzkydIMb/w400-h299/poseidon+on+a+throne+ashmolean.jpg" title="Poseidon seated on a throne with trident attended by young man and woman" width="400" /></a></b></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-no-proof: yes;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Poseidon seated on a throne with young
woman and young man</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. Part of the John Ruskin Collection,
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford U.K.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Poseidon is the second son born to Cronos and Rhea, he
is then swallowed by Cronos after his birth and is rescued later by his younger
brother Zeus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though he is older than
Zeus, because of his “rebirth” from the stomach of Cronos he is considered
younger than Zeus in the realms of Greek Mythology (Trzaskoma, Stephen M.,
Smith, R. Scott, and Brunet, Stephen. 18)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Poseidon and Hades ally with their brother Zeus in the
war of the Gods against the Titans.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Poseidon is given command of all waters, seas, rivers
and lakes unlike his predecessors Oceanus and Tethys who each have dominion
over salt water or fresh water.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Poseidon wins dominion over all waters when he draws lots
for the realm of the waters or the underworld.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In some legends he and Hades draw straws others say Zeus held a pebble
in each hand, a Sapphire for the waters and Jet for the underworld.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Poseidon chose the hand holding the Sapphire
(Fry, 2017).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Poseidon received his weapon and symbol the Trident
from his imprisoned uncles, the Cyclopaes. The Trident was a three-pronged
fishing spear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Smashing the Trident on
the ground in anger allowed Poseidon to create earthquakes, raise tidal waves
and storms at sea. The Trident may show the symbolic aspect of the importance
of the number three to the Ancient Greeks.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Poseidon’s main centers of worship where in coastal
cities of Greece, the Greek Islands such as Kos his main center of worship was
in the region of the city of Corinth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Greeks celebrated the Pythian Games at Delphi in his honor every
three years.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Among the animals thought to represent Poseidon were
the Dolphin, the Sea Horse (this can be depicted as a hippocampus which is an animal
with a horse’s head and a fish’s body), and the horse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pine trees were also sacred to him.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He is considered to have been the creator of the first
horse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Legend of his love for Demeter
talks of him creating the horse from sea foam, or alternatively pursuing
Demeter who transformed herself into a mare, Poseidon in turn transformed into
a stallion and mated with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their
offspring were the horses (Fry, 2017).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Poseidon was the father of Triton, half man, half
fish.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Poseidon played a major role in the legend of the
Gorgon Medusa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Medusa was a beautiful
Priestess of the Goddess Athena.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Poseidon “raped” or “seduced” Medusa in the Temple of Athena.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As punishment Athena turned Medusa into the
fearsome monster with boar’s tusks, writhing snakes for hair and the ability to
turn humans to stone with one glance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Medusa
was killed in battle by Perseus when he chopped off her head. Pegasus, the
winged horse, then sprang from the stump of Medusa’s neck, a child of the
violated priestess and Poseidon (Haynes, 2021).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Poseidon and Apollo are credited with building the
walls of the City of Troy on the coast of Asia Minor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When finished King Theodon refused to honor
his agreement to pay the Gods for their labors. Apollo rained plague arrows
upon the city, while Poseidon sent a sea dragon to blockade the cities sea
trade (Schwab, 174).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ironically, after creating the cities walls and a long
war with the Greeks, the breach in the cities defenses is made when the Greeks
build a great horse, under the direction of Odysseus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given that the horse is linked with Poseidon,
a God they have already crossed, the Trojans take the Greek offering inside the
city wall, where Odysseus and a band of Greek warriors wait until nightfall,
leaving the body of the horse they unlock the gates of the city to allow the
massed Greek army to enter and destroy the city.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Poseidon takes a personal dislike to Odysseus and
causes him great tribulations on his return to his homeland of Ithaca.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recounted in the Odyssey. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Poseidon is the father of Polyphemus, a cyclops whom Odysseus
blinds. Polyphemus calls upon his father to punish Odysseus (Schwab, 232).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A foundation myth of the City of Athens has the
founding fathers calling on both Athena and Poseidon to bless the city with a
gift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Athena gives the city the gift of
an olive tree, useful as fuel, its lumber makes building ships and homes easier
and oil is a trade good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Poseidon
strikes a rock within the city and a spring gush forth, sadly the water is
salty and cannot be used for practical reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The city therefore is named Athens in honor of the gifts the Goddess bestowed
(Fry, 2017).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Poseidon plays a major role in the Greek great flood
myth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Zeus, angry at men for their
troublesomeness, decides to clear the worlds of men and women. Zeus strikes the
Earth with thunderbolts and his brother commands rivers to flood, earthquakes
and tidal waves and finally the sea to inundate the land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With all the land flooded only one man and
one woman live (Fry, 2017).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Works Cited</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Bineteau, P.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Print of the Decoration on a Greek Crater,
showing Poseidon with a Young Man and a Young Woman</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
Circa 1857, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. </span><a href="http://ruskin.ashmolean.org/object/WA.RS.REF.185.b"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">http://ruskin.ashmolean.org/object/WA.RS.REF.185.b</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Fry, Stephen. <i>Mythos. </i>San Francisco, Chronicle
Books. 2017</span><a href="https://amzn.to/3yOJWp6"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Amazon Link</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Haynes, Natalie. Medusa. BBC podcast. May 18, 2021. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000w4s2</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Schwab, Gustav. <i>Gods and Heroes of Ancient Greece</i>.
New York, Pantheon Books. 1946 </span><a href="https://amzn.to/2WZWpJR"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Amazon
Link</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk81651080"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Trzaskoma, Stephen M.,
Smith, R. Scott, and Brunet, Stephen</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <i>Anthology of
Classical Myth: Primary Sources in Translation</i>. Indianapolis, Hackett
Publishing. 2016. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="https://amzn.to/3DO7w9v"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Amazonn link</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p>
William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-91397682714912162902019-04-16T07:43:00.001-07:002019-04-16T07:43:44.032-07:00What is "Grade Grubbing"?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVvsN7OKwTxyEdPZrfIfaCCfKFj5bdM7rtgZ2NSVhFTXbkV0ROv9wg59wQ1nL6Faq5410X4UYYpl8yKZUvimWSW9En3hwq6L2-MArHQo9MlpoyTrqY55kCyT7P9-BzriKLsjPQfEOCMVR/s1600/books1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">D</a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Gj2UI0lBXH4wnYAIV4BRmNC3TIxtzRGBaqrTlsXvOz4qwwJIID7MgwiUlQsh_7dXktsRPc8YdAppuxCrjOA7wHFn9WFQeQlrcixPoE7TMk67ILFi0NYJfz1yxdFkA3CPWIzRZ7BwsDbq/s1600/books2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="College library shelves full of books." border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="384" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Gj2UI0lBXH4wnYAIV4BRmNC3TIxtzRGBaqrTlsXvOz4qwwJIID7MgwiUlQsh_7dXktsRPc8YdAppuxCrjOA7wHFn9WFQeQlrcixPoE7TMk67ILFi0NYJfz1yxdFkA3CPWIzRZ7BwsDbq/s320/books2.jpg" title="Books on a college library shelf" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Books on a Library Shelf</td></tr>
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Do You Know What "Grade Grubbing Is?</h2>
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<br />
I have to admit I didn't know until a few days ago.<br />
<br />
I saw the term in a question posted online and though the question asked about "Grade Grubbing" it didn't give a definition of the term.<br />
<br />
Personally I find that irritating, not defining a term when it may be unfamiliar to a reader.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
What is "Grade Grubbing"?</h3>
<br />
The term "Grade Grubbing" describes the reaction of students to their teacher or college professor when a graded paper is returned to them. "Grade Grubbers" will try to appeal to the teacher for a higher grade, claiming the grade is undeserved, the grade will cause them to lose a scholarship or accuse the instructor of out and out bias.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Can "Grade Grubbing" Ever Work in Your Favor as a Student?</h4>
<br />
Well it depends, If an instructor has made a genuine mistake, say adding points up, then O.K. that is a mistake in the students favor.<br />
<br />
But to press home an opinion of your own greatness well ...<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://qr.ae/TWTm2d" rel="nofollow">Click Here To Read What The Professors Say</a> </h3>
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William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-36772453130486690612014-02-19T14:27:00.002-08:002014-02-19T14:27:32.190-08:00Student Loan Headache<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Since finishing my classes early last year, I have been facing the exciting prospect of repaying my student loans.<br />
<br /><br />
I have however now come to realize that actually repaying the loan is harder than obtaining the loan in the first place.<br />
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Not because the cash is particularly hard to find.<br />
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But because the bureaucracy which makes the loans possible at times blocks your ability to repay.<br />
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In the course of four years study I took loans for two institutions. These two institutions then paid me the loan but can I get repayments consolidated by Sallie Mae, can I ^%&*$<br />
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I wait anxiously each month to see which loan has been paid this month. Every month for the last six months I have received calls from Sallie Mae telling me one or other the loans has not been paid. I have asked operator after operator to consolidate both loans, or even just set up separate direct payments from my bank account. Each operator has promised me that it is fixed and the loans will be paid on the due date. Each month I get another call telling me the loan payment did not get paid. This time they took payment for the other loan.<br />
<br /><br />
It seems bad form when you want to repay, are able to repay and believe you are repaying to find that the system seems to conspire against you and foil every attempt to repay you constantly growing student loan.<br />
<br /><br />
Constantly growing? Well don't forget that the loans are subject to continuing interest.</div>
William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-63646365010471169602013-12-15T10:56:00.001-08:002013-12-15T10:56:25.485-08:00Used Bookstore<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-15891817324662980322013-09-20T04:54:00.000-07:002013-09-20T04:54:09.501-07:00Our Used Bookstore<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-86553113655341516162013-05-08T11:41:00.000-07:002013-05-08T11:41:15.620-07:00Make Your Class Lessons Useful<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the problems with lessons learned in the classroom is that they can be forgotten very quickly if that learning is not reinforced.<br />
<br />
The question is How do you reinforce the lessons that you have learned.<br />
<br />
There are several ways:<br />
<br />
1. Read and re-write your class notes. This is good to help you improve your understanding and supports the work that you have done in the classroom. But it is limited as you can become very bored very quickly.<br />
<br />
2. Build a study group with friends from class. This can work well if you and your friends can meet up in a place such as Starbucks and are disciplined enough to make an agenda and stick to it. All too often though you might find yourselves talking about your great night out instead of the math or physics problem you really meant to discuss.<br />
<br />
3. Teach someone else. Teaching someone something which you have already learned is perhaps the most profitable method of supporting your own knowledge. Ask at you college about peer tutoring one of your old classes or post a advertisement in your local public library offering to tutor a student. You may charge a fee if you wish or you can offer a free service. It is up to you, the real aim remember is to help you understand your subject. Having to explain to others is a great way to learn.</div>
William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-76494088592510195362012-03-08T17:05:00.001-08:002012-03-08T17:08:31.816-08:00Grade Posting Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I can breathe again.<br />
Today was the day when my proffessor posted the final paper grade and total grade for the course.<br />
<br />
My paper grade was A+ with a 33.5/35. Actually one of the best grades I have received in this Masters program. The class grade was a little lower at 94.75 %, an A- but I am happy with that.<br />
<br />
Going into the second quarter of classes in April I will be maintaining my A grade overall.<br />
<br />
It is always a relief to receive the final grade. It always seems to take forever to get that last part of the puzzle. Normally the week from Sunday to Thursday flies but when final grade week comes. Time drags.</div>William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-75208454538343722002012-03-07T16:33:00.000-08:002012-03-07T16:33:55.151-08:00Support Your Knowledge: Talk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A good way to strengthen and support your knowledge is to talk about your subject with either fellow students or a Tutor.<br />
<br />
Forming a class discussion group can help you find support from your fellow students. Talking about your last class, a topic in your paper or examining readings from your textbook will help you understand your subject better.<br />
<br />
Talking to a fellow student also helps you find where others have been having problems. You can help each other overcome common problems and also if several of you have the same problem in understanding, you can more confidently raise the question woth your teacher. <br />
<br />
Speaking to a tutor also helps. Tutors, particularly peer tutors have probably taken the same class as you. Your school or College often employs "A" Grade Students to act as peer tutors. So you know they know the subject and possibly the teacher too.<br />
<br />
You can always seek advice from an outside tutoring source. For instance I am available, my number is posted to the right of this post through Ether.com.<br />
<br />
Talking about what you know and what you think you don't know is a wonderful form of study. It is social and you often learn more by relating to other people. You are able to pick up on their ideas, some of which will reinforce your own ideas others may contradict those ideas. As you analyse each others understanding of the subject you will gain in knowledge and confidence.</div>William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-39030289074656261322012-03-06T17:05:00.000-08:002012-03-06T17:05:29.730-08:00Time to Rest and Prepare<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well last Sunday saw the end of another four week class.<br />
<br />
That was Seminar in US History II (Reconstruction to the End of the Cold War). Now of course is the worrying time. Teachers have two weeks to post final grades, and, Yes even at fifty years old, I still worry about my final paper grade.<br />
<br />
This last paper was also a difficult one because it was very modern. Most of the history for my choice of topic was only written in the last seventeen years. <br />
<br />
My topic was US Highway 66, or more popularly known as Route 66. It ran from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California in the years between 1926 and 1976, those are the official dates but some parts of the route are still in use as alternates to the long Interstates that replaced old Route 66.<br />
<br />
Anyway, my paper as a draft only raised a "B+" from the instructor as a draft. I took her comments to heart, but still if as a final paper it comes in at anything lower than 88% it will be my lowest grade on a paper ever!<br />
<br />
Nrmally, I have excelled at papers. I put it down to my British education, there in the 1970's when I went to school the emphasis was upon essay writing in examinations. We did not do multiple choice very much in those days, and I still hate those tricky little blighters even today. Give me the meat of an essay and I will always do well.<br />
<br />
So here I am poised, waiting, I need 26 out of 35 to get an "A" I only dropped one point in all my other work that counted in this class. But still I tremble and worry. Still I want that "A" again.</div>William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-29389858003224125622012-02-14T16:36:00.000-08:002012-02-14T16:39:33.811-08:00Decideing Upon My Master's Thesis.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I began my MA classes I knew I had to come up with a Master's Thesis paper. The paper would have to be a detailed piece of work which "expanded the depth of knowledge of the academic community." As I quipped to a former Under graduate friend who is also studying for her MA in History, "The only thing so far that I have expanded is my waistline!"<br />
<br />
Anyway. All this sounded impressive and I first thought to look at the origins of the American Revolution as a dispute over differing views of the English Constitution. Having contacted the school a a professor informed me that such a paper had been published in only April 2011 and was far better than a graduate student could ever produce. So with that idea shot down there was not much to interest me I thought.<br />
<br />
But recently I began researching a class paper for US History from the Reconstruction until the End of the Cold War. My class paper is about the role of US Route 66 in the Depression migrations and World War II.<br />
<br />
Going over some of the resources, which includes John Steinbeck's novel <em>The Grapes of Wrath</em>, I learned of the Farm Securities Administration and labor camps created in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. Then ideas started to come together. Living in the San Joaquin Valley I live right on top of this history, sources are relatively close and I think that I can pick out something new on the subject.<br />
<br />
I then had to approach the head of the school again with my idea and he passed me on to a professor who would be my advisor if the paper looks like working out.<br />
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At this stage I am just doing basic research. Finding out possible sources.<br />
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I will consider looking to local library archives in the county libraries.<br />
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State legislature archives.<br />
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Newspapers.<br />
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Books as secondary sources.<br />
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There may also be Federal resources too which I can turn too.<br />
<br />
I am also finding by mining book bibliographies other books on the subject.<br />
<br />
There are also resources available such as local history groups and also academic collections, I have found the Library at Berkely has a collection of documents from members of Federal sponsored reporting groups and also Oakland Public Library shares part of that same collection.<br />
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This project does not have to be completed until November 2013. But already I am building up some data to help on this great journey of detection.<br />
<br />
It also shows if your first idea does not work out, stick to your desire to gain the prize of an MA. You just need to shift your gaze a little and a new idea will come to you.</div>William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-53984924663129938912012-02-11T16:22:00.000-08:002012-02-11T16:22:21.474-08:00Thesis Paper<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One part of completing any degree wheter a BA or MA is a final Thesis Paper.<br />
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Choosing your Thesis paper topic is vital to your success.<br />
<br />
Choose the wrong topic and all your hard work could be for nothing.<br />
<br />
What topics are worng topics?<br />
<br />
First of all any topic which you are not interested in is a wrong topic. You will need to work on a Thesis paper for at least two months and at a MA level up to one year.<br />
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Maintaining an interest in a subject for that long is hard even if you are interested in the subject. Choosing an idea in which you have little interest leads to at best boredom and swapping mid paper, at worst submitting a paper which does not show your work at its best.<br />
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Choose an advisor who can work with you and whom you can work with. If you don't like an advisor and can't discuss a matter with them then accept any criticism without feeling personally insulted then you will not produce good work. An advisor is there to keep you focused, to help hold your hand as you prepare your thesis. They are not there to write your paper for you, nor are they trying to sink your thesis at every turn. <br />
<br />
An area of research where there is not enough information makes a bad thesis paper. If you cannot find previous research it may be a signal to look elsewhere, unless you are writing a thesis paper at the cutting edge of scientific discovery. Then you may just be on your way to a Nobel Prize for a new discovery.<br />
<br />
Choose a topic in which you feel some passion. That will drive your interest, choose some area where you really want to know more. Proving you have discovered something new can be a vital part of a thesis paper. Find an advisor you can work with, but don't expect them to do your work for you. Finally as with all study plan, write, edit, pan and edit again.</div>William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-23903015434938638712012-02-04T05:42:00.000-08:002012-02-04T05:44:05.307-08:00Keep the Prize in Mind<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As you progress on your course it can become easy to get so involved in the day to day business of study.<br />
<br />
This blinkered view can lead you into just going through the motions of studying. You read, take notes, write papers, over and over again week after week.<br />
<br />
Now and again set yourself the goal of reminding yourself that you are studying for a reason.<br />
<br />
Whatever your personal reason is.<strong> Remind yourself, </strong><br />
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Your personal reason maybe for self-satisfaction, to encourage your children or to help gain a promotion or change career. This is your own personal prize.<br />
<br />
Reminding yourself occasionally what your prize is will help you to do better.<br />
<br />
You will be happier in your studies if you can see the prize getting closer. Planning your education will help you to break up your classes into areas where you can see rapid progress.<br />
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Seeing progress will help you maintain a positive outlook towards your courses.<br />
<br />
In my time studying online I have noticed a few common factors. Most students begin a course in a blaze of enthusiasm. By the end of the second week I see the students fall into two groups, the early posters, and the wait till moments before the midnight deadline posters.<br />
<br />
Which of those are you?<br />
<br />
But guess which group always do better? Yes. The early posters. I can almost guarantee by the end of the course it is the last minute poster who is no longer in class. Whether dropped or just not posting.<br />
<br />
They seem to have lost the view of their own prize. By the time that final paper in the last week is due. They have gone. What a waste.<br />
<br />
Weeks of work gone for nothing. A waste of their time and money.<br />
<br />
So take time to stop and remind yourself of the prize. It is your prize. You are getting closer to it each day.</div>William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-75123644887841894262012-02-02T10:10:00.000-08:002012-02-02T10:10:27.267-08:00Office Hours<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the great things about taking classes online with National University is their class live program.<br />
<br />
Class live is an interactive portion of the class. You can take part using a headset and microphone to talk to your instructor and any class mates or you can type in items rather like an instant message.<br />
<br />
The real beauty of the system is that you can get to talk with your instructor in real time and if you don't understand something in the course you can clarify the matter. If you are very lucky you can get a whole session for yourself.<br />
<br />
Imagine finding yourself in a bank, the safe wide open and all the cash to hand. You know you can take all the treasure you want and it's free of consequences. Well if you use your instructors office hour properly, this is the very situation that you are in.<br />
<br />
Like all situations with regard to your education, it is up to you to put some effort and prepare for office hours or class live sessions.<br />
<br />
Your instructor will be pleased to offer help and talk over matters. Matters to do with the course that is. Did you see something in a text which you thought significant, then ask your instructor. It shows you are questioning and trying to learn. Share an insight into a portion of the class. Again it shows you are working.<br />
<br />
<strong>Learning is not a passive occupation, you are not some water jug which the instructor needs to fill in order for you to pass the class. The more you work and the more you show that you are working, the more you will encourage your instructor to teach you.</strong><br />
<br />
If your instructor doesn't find you prepared to work, why should they bother to try to help you? And no just because you pay for the class is not a good answer!<br />
<br />
Showing up for an office hour is just part of your strategy. Yes the instructor will notice you, but it is not a session to talk about the weather, save that for after or before class. Prepare questions or share an insight. You might find that your insight was the key which your instructor had hoped you would see. If not, you may also pick-up on that extra clue as to what your instructor expected. Maybe you also show your genius by discovering a piece of information or insight which the instructor hadn't considered, then you can see the "a" grade registering in the instructor's mind.<br />
<br />
Congratulations. You just passed the class with honors.</div>William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-9433936006384669632012-01-30T05:14:00.000-08:002012-01-30T05:14:16.196-08:00Second Class Almost Over<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well here I am again, facing yet another final week.<br />
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Since joining National University in November 2011 I have taken two classes.<br />
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That is a lot of work for just eight weeks study time.<br />
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One thing which will be new to me is that this present class, A Seminar in Modern China, finishes on Saturday and my next class, Seminar in American History II, starts next Monday.<br />
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That only gives me time to watch the Superbowl on Sunday and I am off again.<br />
<br />
It was this regime that convinced me to add a break month every third class. Conveniently every third session coincided with not many choices of class for me. Funny how that works.<br />
<br />
So I get a break in March.<br />
<br />
In my previous college we had two weeks between our eight week sessions to recover a little. It will be interesting to see how I feel when I do a full twelve weeks and three classes, April-June.</div>William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-13518173949575875712012-01-27T05:53:00.000-08:002012-01-27T05:53:16.608-08:00Mid- Class Blues<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There is a time in all students careers where they come to a point of collapse.<br />
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You see nothing but classes trailing behind you, like the chains dragged by Marley's ghost, and a long and winding road of classes ahead of you and your heart sinks into the pit of your stomach.<br />
<br />
You are coming to the Mid-Class Blues. Believe me they can hit you hard. It is at this time you need your inner strength to take you forward and the help of fellow students is one of the best morale boosters you can get.<br />
<br />
Your fellow students know what it is like to go through these struggles.<br />
<br />
You have lost the initial enthusiasm of your Freshman days, and graduation can seem further away than ever and you have to take more classes. Why?<br />
<br />
Many students hit the blues and throw in the towel and quit. It can be that serious, but then like Marley's ghost you drag around that chain of wasted classes forever, you may mention that you have college credits on a resume or in an interview, but then what reason do you give to show your not finishing? Almost anything you say will come out badly for you. Even if you don't talk about them you know they are there, you will question everyday why you gave up.<br />
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Talking to others will help you through the mid-class blues. If only to realize that you are not on your own.<br />
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And if someone approaches you and talks about bad times with classes. Don't mock them, don't give advice. <br />
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Sit down, listen, share time and listen. Maybe share that you have felt the same in the past or that you can see they are bothered. If you haven't known what the mid-class blues are like you are not really in a position to give advice. If you have had the mid-class blues you know you don't need advice, just someone to listen.<br />
<br />
Getting through the mid-class blues is a new lease on life. You feel the enthusiasm for classes again and that long chain of old classes no longer clainks and rattles but is as light as a feather. Better still you can see the cap and gown already in your closet.<br />
<br />
The reward for all the work you put in is knowing you earned your degree. Any employer now can see you will not quit.</div>William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-12867245171729997222012-01-25T17:34:00.000-08:002012-01-25T17:34:36.958-08:00What Smart Students Know<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I returned to school four years ago I was at a loss, new country, new education system. I knew nothing of the US way of teaching. I knew though that I needed to learn and to do so fast.</div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=B7A8A8&IS2=1&bg1=B7A8A8&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=hodoiin-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=tf_til&asins=0517880857" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<br />
This book saved me a lot of time and effort. It showed me what teachers expected and how to structure my work and study time. <br />
<br />
It has been an invaluable help to me and I refer to it still.<br />
<br />
The book is easy to read, pick it up open a page and find the very question you are asking. Ansers are written in a matter of fact way with good examples of real world problems that every student finds in their life, whether you are in a traditional college or sat hunched over a computer at home taking online classes, this book can help.<br />
<br />
Did it make me a 4.0 GPA graduate? Maybe, it certainly helped me to get good grades because it taught me how to cope with school.</div>William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-1606409481433602272012-01-07T06:37:00.000-08:002012-01-07T06:37:52.238-08:00Busy Time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, here we are at January 7, 2012. Classes begin again Monday next week.<br />
<br />
If you are like me this time is met with all sorts of feelings, some excitement, some concern. What will the teacher be like? What will my classmates be like? Hoping you don't make a fool of yourself with your first post, maybe worried that everything will work ok if this is your first online class.<br />
<br />
First, a few words. DON'T PANIC! If this is your first online class, something always goes wrong somewhere along the line, hopefully it is minor, an internet outage for an hour or two, not something serious like the teacher disappearing for six weeks and no real instruction. That did happen to me once. No explanation the instructor vanished, no reply to e-mails, no grading, the class meandered on as the students pulled together to try and help each other. At one time a positive experience and a very frustrating time. In the end grades were good, but I never did hear from the instructor herself.<br />
<br />
For the most part all of your fellow students will be like you. Nervous and eager. Don't worry about making mistakes, no one will see your blushes, no-one will recognize you in the street as the person who made a gaff in class. But remember to read your posts aloud, or be like me and use a screen reader to check that they make sense when read aloud. People use their inner voice to read their own work and sometimes their inner voice doesn't read exactly what is written, but what it thinks was written. Meanings can become confused very easily when you are writing on a computer screen.<br />
<br />
Remember to use the apostrophe when shortening words. People like me, the blind, who use screen readers, can get easily irritated and so will your teacher when they read Ill instead of I'll or well instead of we'll for the twentieth time in a day.<br />
By now you should be prepared to begin your classes. All your books neatly ordered, paper at the ready for notes and a supply of pens for writing those notes. Most of your preliminary reading should be done and you might even have ideas for your final papers. Given that you have one day to relax and have fun before the headlong rush towards your class ends. Take time for yourself. Go see a movie, go shopping, go to the ocean, mountains, fishing, cycling. Spoil yourself. You will need the rest.</div>William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-89844145897633128862012-01-02T10:01:00.000-08:002012-01-02T10:01:10.399-08:00Improve Memory by Building Links<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When you study, it helps to add to your existing knowledge by building links between new ideas and what you already know.<br />
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Ideas and knowledge do not occur in a vacuum. All ideas can be linked in some way or another to each other.<br />
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At college many years ago I endured a series of classes telling me how to create "mind-maps." It was the latest thing in the late 70's and for me it was totally useless. Why? Because I am not a visual learner. I was always an auditory learner. I could listen to instructions and follow them. Seeing a jumble of colored lines and speech bubbles on a page meant nothing to me, even when I created it.<br />
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What rocked my boat was actually making up lyrics to songs.<br />
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Think about songs for a moment. They began as a means to help story tellers and ancient poets memorize the story. Sing a favorite song to yourself, I'd bet you have a catalogue of several thousand songs in your brain right now. You have learned them through a lifetime of just living, maybe some you have learned for special occassions. But I'd also bet every song will give you a picture, even bring back memories of feelings, emotions and memories of a particular time.<br />
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This is the same thing as creating mental links. Read or watch something to do with your course and try to link it to a particular series of thoughts.<br />
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If you are like me, make up a song, compose your own tune or go for lyrics to a favorite song. It's up to you. <br />
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You can create a story, put in a favorite actor or actress, make yourself the leading role, make it memorable. But build in the ideas you most want to remember.<br />
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As your knowledge in a class expands you can add to your favorite song or story. By constant reviewing of your favorite method you can build stronger links. Then suddenly ome day you will sit in the exam room and you can replay your method in your mind. The story will be so familiar that you will recall most of your knowledge with ease and there it will be on your answer paper.<br />
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</div>William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-85969993256769302702012-01-01T06:01:00.000-08:002012-01-01T06:04:38.013-08:00A Key Strategy: Planning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the things we forget to do as students is to plan.<br />
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We meander through classes, wait until due dates to produce an essay which may scrape us a "C" if we are lucky. <br />
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All this builds stress and causes us frustration. The best stress reliever available is to create a plan.<br />
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Planning ones classes has been shown to increase overall grade performance. Students who have a planned series of courses are more focused on studying because they can see a route of study and can see an end. Students who move from class to class without a plan get lost in the system and spend more time stressing about where their school career is going and are unable to focus on an end point. <br />
<br />
In essence it is like going on a journey with no real idea of a destination. How can you know how to get somewhere and how would you know that you have arrived.<br />
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As soon as you can, talk to someone who can help you create a learning plan. This will save you time and stress in the long run.<br />
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With individual classes, prepare as much as you can before classes start. Read through the text books, not in detail perhaps just skim chapter introductions and summaries. Look for links in ideas from other classes. Get hold of a copy of the syllabus and read it for course objectives and see if you can link those to your knowledge. Also look for an interesting feature in your class that may be expanded into a final paper. The earlier you choose a paper topic the better, all your study can be aimed at creating a paper which will knock your teacher out of the ball park for a class capping "A".<br />
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Planning for the class and the course is vital. Don't struggle and stress along with everyone else. Create various plans and stick to them best as you can. <br />
A plan is not set in stone and need not be rigidly followed, but it does help you see where you are going and lets you know when you get there.</div>William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-1144752954545523472011-12-24T11:01:00.000-08:002011-12-24T11:01:47.271-08:00A Masters in History<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This week saw the close of my first class in the Master's program at National University.<br />
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My major will be in History. National put students under quite a bit of pressure, you get one class every four weeks. My first class was World History.<br />
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World History? You may think that this is a long list of various treaties and monarchs from around the world, maybe even a war or three? Not a bit of it. Such histories tend to fall into national or regional histories,<br />
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World History is bigger than those subjects. The class was more of an historiography of World History, historiography being the study of the ideas which historians use to create history.<br />
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World history incorporates ideas such as regional studies, interractions of societies over time and in it's greatest for the phenomenon called "Big History", a wonderfully simple but complex interdisciplinary study of everything since the Big Bang. Now who'd have thought to see a astrophysicist or biologist teach history, well David Christian thought that very thought and it does make a lot of sense for a student to break away from national history and think in broader terms.<br />
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If you want to take a look at World History ideas I'd reccommend <em><strong>The Human Web: A Bird's Eye View of World History J.R. McNeil and William H. McNeilW.W. Norton & Company. New York 2003. The McNeils produce a very tradable book which gives a broad view of human history (5 million years) in less than 400 pages. It is a very good read.</strong></em><br />
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My next class will be Modern China, that begins on January 9, 2012. I am also now in the process of looking into final paper ideas for that class and for my Master's Thesis, that paper will be due sometime in Mid 2013. Or not at all if the History Channel, Nostradamus, and the Mayans were right after all. I will be pretty annoyed if they are right!<br />
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Well for now, Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.</div>William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-16724647893321431632011-08-22T16:00:00.000-07:002011-08-22T16:03:29.196-07:00Succeed as a Student. : Tips By an Honors Student.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div closure_uid_d339qy="118">Succeed as A Student, the experience and simple tools to allow you to become an "A" Grade Student. From an Honors (4.0 GPA) Student <a closure_uid_d339qy="120" href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8291131/succeed_as_a_student_graduate_with.html?cat=4">CLICK HERE!</a></div></div>William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-2282053824175550142011-07-18T14:51:00.000-07:002011-07-18T14:51:19.551-07:00Succeed as a Disabled StudentThe aim of all students is to gain that accredited certificate.<br /><br />Being a disabled student just means that you need to use different resources and work a little harder than most.<br /><br />Here are some tips from a 4.0 GPA graduate. Simple, free and effective methods that can help you to succeed.<br /><a href="http://bretsuki.hubpages.com/hub/Succeed-as-a-Disabled-Student">Succeed as a Disabled Student</a>William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-62779589763533966602009-09-12T09:55:00.000-07:002009-09-12T10:09:43.357-07:00In the DoldrumsIt is the end of week five of a pair of eight week courses. This is to my mind the toughest week. It always seem at this time my energy levels fall and the end of the courses look as far away as ever. To make it worse it is all up hill to the end.<br /><br />Midterms are done and grades are almost back. One class was an 'A' grade so looks nice. The other was a four essay exam. Fine for me, but my poor teacher, four essays of twenty odd students. I don't blame him for taking time to post the results!<br /><br />The bad part of the uphill bit is not that final exams are just over two weeks away, 17 days, 408 hours or 24,480 minutes. You get the drift! But NO! before that comes the dreaded Term Paper or Research Paper.<br /><br />OK at this point I have the books and an idea for the subjects. I have an idea for the thesis and that has been cleared by my instructors. The bad part is the first crisp white screen which will stare at me as I gaze at the tree in the yard and I think. "Where do I even start? I have ten pages to write." Ten pages; 250 words a page; 2,500 words to impress my instructor. "Oh! Why do I do this to myself?"William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-49409544893772786982009-09-10T06:03:00.001-07:002009-09-10T06:47:31.746-07:00Being a successful online student.Online students come in many forms, workers returning to school to gain more qualifications, high schoolers looking to gain credit for college, people who study for fun. I work almost full-time hours, so in seat classes aimed for students who don't work during the day are useless. I am also visually impaired so travel to a large campus for evening classes is not practical. Online suits me because I can work at home, I love history and no local colleges offered that online, but I found a good school Columbia College (ccis.edu) which gave me a chance to go for a B.A. in History completely online. They also work with my local community college to provide me with proctors for my exams.<br /><br />There are at least ten pieces of advice I would give to new online students.<br /><br />1: Don't think it is easy. It isn't. You need to keep working classes around your life, you have feadlines for posts, essays, papers and exams. You will work harder than you think because you need to read everything.<br /><br />2: You will gain new skills, most online courses require you to use powerpoint, or work with e-mail as basic requirements. Some require database searches and use You Tube and other social networks to view news stories or documentary films.<br /><br />3: It can seem a long road to the degree. Sometimes you just feel it is not worth anymore effort. But then you get that spark of inspiration that your online teacher must praise you for and for a few more weeks you work with wings on your fingertips as you type.<br /><br />4: As much of the work is done via e-mail like services you are not tied to the moment as you are during in-seat classes. If you don't have a great idea for a post online you can get up walk away, have a coffee, do the dishes, vacuum the house and come back when that fantastic answer is in your mind.<br /><br />5: In seat classes restrict total involvement by everyone. You just don't get to hear everyones opinion. Online everyone must give an opinion. You get a variety of people the early posters, the last minute posters, you get the detailed posters and the one line poster. But try to read everyones post. You will learn a lot from your fellow students as you read their ideas on the texts.<br /><br />6: One caveat:- Beware the plagiarist. One of my first online classes was spoiled for me by someone who blatantly copied and pasted not only my work but several others in the class. In the end we wrote to the instructor and the dean. Another good reason to read everyone elses post.<br /><br />7: Organize your life around the class work if you can. Try to schedule parties for weekends when you know you won't have a ten-page term paper to work on. The syllabus should give you ALL due dates so you can see well in advance what is required and when.<br /><br />8: Use all your colleges online assistance, advisors, teachers even other students can help sort out problemsgive advice on classes. I have asked fellow students if they have taken a class and what they thought of it. Like you they are fellow consumers and if they find the product faulty you might too.<br /><br />9: Weeks go by very quickly when you are taking classes. I often look down the tunnel at the start of each of my eight week sessions and it seems such a long road. Blink and you are at the midterm. Pause and finals week is upon you with the mad rush to finish papers and get exam times sorted. There is little time to set aside other commitments but you cannot ignore family gatherings and friends might not understand if you refuse every invitation. So make time for those too. It's all in the planning.<br /><br />10: Set a goal. Know why you want to study. You don't have to even be going for a degree; it can be a single class that interests you. If you have a goal it drives you to success. On the way enjoy the journey, don't see it as a chore or labor to be endured. In the words of one of my teachers, "Study is what gives you the education. Not passing the exam."<br /><br />So a few ideas as to what you need to do to succeed in online learning. Most of all though enjoy the experience. If you enjoy it you will succeed.William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8857781689059537915.post-35715537122679865202009-09-04T14:31:00.000-07:002009-09-04T14:38:53.588-07:00Midterms Almost done.The benefit of online for me is doing ones school work when one can not at set times.<br /><br />For instance one of my class teachers had set the midterm for this weekend. Ouch! I had planned a weekend away for Labor Day. My teacher was great about it when I explained the situation. He gave me the exam early. Now I can just relax over the holiday weekend and forget about school for a couple of days.William Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09354385239634757529noreply@blogger.com0