How to be successful in English 304

First of all, your teacher is a great resource! Angie is there to help, and she is by far the easiest professor to talk to about any problems you are having with assignments. She will answer your questions and help you go over any papers or assignments you are having trouble with. If you are unsure about something, just ask her!

Your group project is a huge part of ENGL 304. If you don't get along with your group, you're in trouble. Make sure you enjoy hanging around group members and agree with the way they work. If you have a good group who does their work, the project is fun and easily accomplished. It's also good to have a diverse group. Having five people who are all great writers but no one who can do graphic design can be a problem. You need all aspects from the group, so having diversity is key. Having someone who loves putting things together is great so you have someone to compile everyone's work.

The other advice I can give to prospective students is to go to class. There is an attendence policy and what needs to be done as far as projects and assignments go is covered thoroughly in class. It is a valuable resource.

Dual Coding Theory

The first thing I notice are the large words in red that say "Practice Like Champions". The second grouping of words is "We Believe" which is written in black and is on a different part of the room featured in the picture. The image of the football locker room complements the words. The contrast of colors helps to separate two ideas but the setting of the locker room brings them together. This is an effective Nike add because it incorporates two ideas and makes a story that relates to sports. It shows the worn locker room and the inspiring words, implying that true athletes can be found anywhere as long as they are dedicated.

Miscommunication

I work at a veterinary clinic that has a boarding facility for dogs as well. I work mainly in the kennel portion. My job is extremely easy to say the least. All you do is play with the dogs, clean the runs, scoop poop, clean the drains, feed the dogs, keep everything organized, and make sure everyone is happy.

One day when I got to work it was a mess. There is a morning shift and an afternoon shift, and generally you can tell when the person in the shift before yours has not done their job. I work two nights out of the week and every other Saturday, and my good friend has two of the other night shifts. But one of the nights that I get there someone else has taken care of the kennel for the previous two days. Needless to say I was not happy. There was poop everywhere in the yard. The drains were so clogged that there was water backed all the way up to the cement. None of the runs were locked, and when I had got there a dog was running around in the fenced in back yard. The boards had not been updated for two days with dogs that had left and dogs that had arrived. I generally am the only one up at the kennel, but occasionally other workers will come to get dogs or other random things.

That particular day a coworker came and saw the mess that was left and thought it was possibly me. Needless to say my boss heard of the mess and I had to clear it up with her. Initially they had thought that I had left all the poop out, but when they realized there was no way the dogs could have made that much of a mess in the hour I had been there they talked to me about it. I was more than happy to point out the complete lack of work that had been done the previous two days because it was infuriating to me that someone was getting paid to not do their job. The other worker got a talking to as a result and now I'm happy to say the morning work is generally completed as it should be now.

Reflection on Interview

1. Were you nervous? How did you deal with this?

I was actually not very nervous at all. If I'm comfortable or already know the person doing the interview and if it's something I am knowledgeable on, I'm generally very calm.

2. Did you get any questions that threw you? How did you handle those questions?

I did get one or two that I had to think about more so than the others. I just thought about them for a minute until I came up with an answer to those questions.

3. If you could do the interview again, what would you do differently?

I would wear nicer shoes ;)

4. What did you learn from this experience?

Come prepared and know what you want to do with your life.

Free Topic Week

Obviously I'm an animal lover as you've probably noticed. One of the biggest things that bothers me is when a person or family brings a pet into their home without being prepared. I've heard too many stories of people who get a dog or a cat, then two weeks later it has pooped in the house or peed or scratched something or chewed something so they get rid of it. Animals need training, and they are not disposable. The worst is when I see someone in a pet store asking questions. I once saw a girl asking the fish lady at Petsmart about keeping a goldfish. She had a little bowl that was maybe 1/2 a gallon and told the lady she wanted a fish. The Petsmart employee told her goldfish need bigger tanks with a filtration system because they will do poorly otherwise. The girl said "I don't care if it dies I just want a fish for now".

I just don't understand what goes through some people's heads. I've also heard stories of people adopting a dog from a shelter after asking questions and the shelter worker advises them against getting the dog because they do not seem like a dog would fit their life. Then they keep the dog, chain it in the backyard because it scratches a child, keep it for a year until it's too big and too untrained to be dealt with by most people, and then return it to the shelter. Well duh that once adoptable puppy that could've been trained into a great dog now has almost zero shot of getting a home. It just infuriates me, and I've just had some exposure to some of this recently is why I am bringing it up now.

Cover Letters

It is interesting to me that cover letters are not read until after the resume. That seems like a valid point, why waste time reading a cover letter when the resume is worthless? Also making it fit the specific job and company is great advice. It shows that you have done your research and are interested in that particular job. That basic formula is very useful as well. The description of the three parts of the body of the letter are good for reference. Writing a P.S. and also the advice to write it by hand was something I would have not thought to do. It definitely adds a personal touch and shows that you put in extra time and consideration. Anything you can do to show how much you are willing to put forth an effort for the company will be taken into account. A company wants to hire someone who is willing to put forth that extra something, because it means they will put in that extra something when they work for the company.

Interview Process

"How to Answer the Toughest Interview Questions"

I was drawn to the title of this article, because it seems like it would be helpful to answer the questions that would be the most likely to cause your interview to sour. The tips on answering the "future" question were helpful. Talking about your values more than actual job positions is very useful but something I would probably have not thought to do. Having a salary range in advance is also something that is very useful. I know a lot of jobs I have taken have a standard salary and don't even ask that question. However I have been thrown off by that question before. Answering the "Why" question before the interview and making sure you don't sound too boastful or unsure of yourself is helpful. Knowing that your interviewer may ask a silly question such as "what tree would you be" and knowing there is no right answer is good insight. Just being prepared to think abstractly is very valuable for an interview.

"It's Your Turn: What to Ask an Interviewer"

This caught my attention because it's something I've run into before. One job interview I had told me almost nothing and asked me no questions. Instead two minutes into the interview they asked me if I had any questions and I was just in shock and froze because I wasn't expecting to have to ask EVERYTHING. It's interesting that this article states you shouldn't ask about salary, benefits, vacation, or a 401k because it makes you look like you are simply wanting compensation rather than the actual job.

Depending on who you are talking to for the interview, there are appropriate and inappropriate questions. Recruiters will answer questions about the hiring process and give you the overall picture of the company. Asking about the actual interview process, the company environment, and what type of people they typically employ are the best questions for the recruiter. The hiring manager will be your boss if you are hired, so it is important to ask them questions such as what skills are most important for the job, what is an ideal candidate, and what is the common career choice for someone in the position you are applying for within the company.

The executive can answer questions about the company's future. Asking where the company will be in five years, why it is better than other companies, and how it plans to overcome it's biggest challenge in the industry are all good questions. You can also be interviewed by a coworker. This is the time to ask questions about daily tasks and the work environment. They will give you the best idea on how the typical work day really is more so than what the manager will describe.