Showing posts with label freshman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freshman. Show all posts
Friday, September 3, 2021
Those optimistic first-years...
3 September 2021: Anytime I think about the state of the world lately, it...doesn't make me feel great. Nevertheless, this piece from Inside Higher Ed today--showing that 90% (!!!) of first-year students feel optimistic about their future gave me a lift. It's a short article and more nuanced than what I've included would indicate. And optimism, of course, doesn't equal success, but knowing that they believe in a positive future gives me a bit more hope.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Generation gaps and stuff...
I had to put a parental block on my phone...to protect me from myself.
I had a mysterious $9.99 charge on my cell phone bill this month...for something called "Jamster." I have no idea what that is and definitely didn't intend to buy/subscribe to it. So I called customer service, told the very helpful woman on the other end of the line that I had no idea what Jamster is, and she canceled the subscription and credited my account. How cool is that?
The best I can figure is that my phone, which I keep in my work bag and which occasionally turns itself on, must be the culprit. There have been times that I take it out of my bag and find that it has gone online or something. (See, I don't even know the terminology!) The customer service rep explained, "Well usually you have to confirm those kinds of purchases on the phone's screen." I am sure she was right--I just happened to be unfortunate enough to have the random moves and jostling of my bag click "confirm" before I realized the darn thing was even turned on.
I confessed to the customer service rep that it was probably (although indirectly) something that I did, but she still credited my account. That made me happy. Go AT&T wireless!
Then, to prevent it from happening again, she put that parental control block on the phone so that I can't purchase anything over the phone. So I am all protected...from myself.
I am so not part of the texting generation. (But that doesn't mean I don't still covet an iPhone.)
Speaking of generation gaps, I posted this link on Facebook this morning and it's gotten tons of responses, so it must have touched a nerve. My initial reactions: the Buffy reference (#6) is a weird one--why refer to the movie, not the show? Also, #4 made me laugh out loud, #19 is kind of poetic, #32 is just weird, #46 is cringe-inducing, and #49 is all kinds of awesome.
About the Buffy movie thing, I get that it's probably included because the movie came out in 1992, the same year most of these freshman were born (!), but the movie references (Hemery High and Lothos) are pretty obscure compared to the show's references.
I had a mysterious $9.99 charge on my cell phone bill this month...for something called "Jamster." I have no idea what that is and definitely didn't intend to buy/subscribe to it. So I called customer service, told the very helpful woman on the other end of the line that I had no idea what Jamster is, and she canceled the subscription and credited my account. How cool is that?
The best I can figure is that my phone, which I keep in my work bag and which occasionally turns itself on, must be the culprit. There have been times that I take it out of my bag and find that it has gone online or something. (See, I don't even know the terminology!) The customer service rep explained, "Well usually you have to confirm those kinds of purchases on the phone's screen." I am sure she was right--I just happened to be unfortunate enough to have the random moves and jostling of my bag click "confirm" before I realized the darn thing was even turned on.
I confessed to the customer service rep that it was probably (although indirectly) something that I did, but she still credited my account. That made me happy. Go AT&T wireless!
Then, to prevent it from happening again, she put that parental control block on the phone so that I can't purchase anything over the phone. So I am all protected...from myself.
I am so not part of the texting generation. (But that doesn't mean I don't still covet an iPhone.)
Speaking of generation gaps, I posted this link on Facebook this morning and it's gotten tons of responses, so it must have touched a nerve. My initial reactions: the Buffy reference (#6) is a weird one--why refer to the movie, not the show? Also, #4 made me laugh out loud, #19 is kind of poetic, #32 is just weird, #46 is cringe-inducing, and #49 is all kinds of awesome.
About the Buffy movie thing, I get that it's probably included because the movie came out in 1992, the same year most of these freshman were born (!), but the movie references (Hemery High and Lothos) are pretty obscure compared to the show's references.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Advising and Registration
This year, I am helping with (and yeah, getting paid for helping with) the Advising and Registration sessions for incoming freshman. There are four two-day sessions in all and we've just finished session 3. (So one more to go--this Friday and Saturday.) I am advising English, English Education, Spanish, Spanish Education, and Communications majors.
Overall, it's been kind of fun. Those two days are quite busy and stressful at times, but it's cool to meet the incoming students and (separately) their parents. We even get a couple of free meals in the dining hall, which rocks because A) it's free B) no cooking dinner of packing lunch those days (and no dishes!) C) the dining hall is actually pretty darn good.
Most importantly, so far, despite the paucity of General Studies offerings, we've been getting people into workable schedules. Session 4 will be tough, as it will be slim pickings. But based on how well today's session went, I am a bit more confident than I was in the beginning.
And I can't make this point strongly enough: the "A-Team" (student leaders who assist with the whole process) is awesome. What a fabulous group of students! They make me even prouder to work at Shepherd. (Hmmm..that's cheesy, but genuine!)
Overall, it's been kind of fun. Those two days are quite busy and stressful at times, but it's cool to meet the incoming students and (separately) their parents. We even get a couple of free meals in the dining hall, which rocks because A) it's free B) no cooking dinner of packing lunch those days (and no dishes!) C) the dining hall is actually pretty darn good.
Most importantly, so far, despite the paucity of General Studies offerings, we've been getting people into workable schedules. Session 4 will be tough, as it will be slim pickings. But based on how well today's session went, I am a bit more confident than I was in the beginning.
And I can't make this point strongly enough: the "A-Team" (student leaders who assist with the whole process) is awesome. What a fabulous group of students! They make me even prouder to work at Shepherd. (Hmmm..that's cheesy, but genuine!)
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Class of 2012...
Check out the annual Beloit College Mindset List, a useful (if kind of scary!) tool for college teachers facing a new group of freshman every year.
Some of my favorites:
10. Girls in head scarves have always been part of the school fashion scene.
32. There has always been Pearl Jam.
38. Lenin's name has never been on a major city in Russia.
44. Caller ID has always been available on phones.
55. 98.6 F or otherwise has always been confirmed in the ear.
Feeling old yet? The insights about technology are especially useful as each year's freshman class is more wired than the year before and that affects the way they learn and the way we need to teach them. (Check out this story about a plan to put iPod Touches in the hands of an entire middle school.) I also appreciate the insights about the wonderful sense of multicultural sensitivity so many students bring with them. That should give us some hope in a crazy world that often seems too divided.
Some of my favorites:
10. Girls in head scarves have always been part of the school fashion scene.
32. There has always been Pearl Jam.
38. Lenin's name has never been on a major city in Russia.
44. Caller ID has always been available on phones.
55. 98.6 F or otherwise has always been confirmed in the ear.
Feeling old yet? The insights about technology are especially useful as each year's freshman class is more wired than the year before and that affects the way they learn and the way we need to teach them. (Check out this story about a plan to put iPod Touches in the hands of an entire middle school.) I also appreciate the insights about the wonderful sense of multicultural sensitivity so many students bring with them. That should give us some hope in a crazy world that often seems too divided.
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