Technology

The technology we used definitely helped our project come together.  We used the group pages on Blackboard to add files, such as minutes, our proposal, and other documents, so that they could be accessed by all group members.  We also used the email tool under group pages.  This allowed us to send one mass email out to each group member, without having to type in everyone's email address.  We also used other technology such as the Internet to create our website, Facebook to obtain research, and PowerPoint to create our presentation.  Overall, I think the technology we used was extremely helpful with our project, making it easier to complete.  

Ethics

I thought the memo about the Holocaust that was presented in class was disturbing.  I was shocked to find out that the memo was actually talking about children.  It was a good example to show in class though because it demonstrates how language can be used to dehumanize a situation when it is unethical.   The memo used words such as merchandise and pieces to refer to the children, and it opened my eyes to the power of words and how they can be used to mask unethical decisions. 

I have strong ethical beliefs and values, and I plan to stick to those beliefs when I am in the workplace or graduate school.  Peoples' lives mean more to me than making money, and I would never make an unethical decision that would harm someone else in any way just to make money. Integrity and doing what is right is extremely important to me.  If at any point during my career I am pressured to make an unethical decision just to stay in school or to keep a job, then I would just leave.  To me, a certain job or career, regardless of its prestige, is not worth compromising my convictions.  

Miscommunication

I have not yet had job, so I don't have any experience with miscommunication in the work setting.  However, I did play tennis in high school and learned the importance of communication within sports.  Whether you play singles or doubles, communication is an important aspect in tennis.  If you are serving, it is important that you yell out the score after each point to make sure that both you and your opponent are on the same page. It's also necessary to clarify if the ball was out.  You can't assume that your opponent can always discern from the other side of the court if their ball was in or out.  If you don't clarify, he or she might think it was in and give themselves that point.  While playing doubles, communication between teammates is extremely important.  We were always told call the ball so we wouldn't either run into each other or just let the ball go with out being hit.  I remember specifically when I was playing doubles one game, neither of us called it, and we lost that point.  I think we eventually lost the game also.  Not calling the ball and letting it go with out an attempted hit is an unnecessary way to lose points.  If we had called our balls and communicated better with each other during the plays, we would have had a much better chance at winning the game.  Communication is necessary in all parts of life, and is extremely important for things to run smoothly within a work place, as well as in sports.  

Presentations/ Online Portfolios

My favorite presentation from the last group was given by Jimmy.  I really enjoyed his presentation because I love the beach and would like to go on a tropical vacation at some point.  I thought the information given on his PowerPoint was helpful since it included costs, activities, and pictures of each location.  I also liked his handout with the pictures.  

I have not had a lot of experience with online portfolios.  Since I have not started on my e-portfolio for Clemson yet, my only experience with online portfolios has been with my English 103 class.  For this class, I completed a learning record which included samples of my writings from the class as well as my commentary about each writing sample.  Completing the learning record was a good experience because it allowed me to gain an understanding of how to create a portfolio.  Because I have not had a lot of experience with  online portfolios,  it would be helpful to have an overview in class about how to put together the portfolio draft. 

Presentations

I really enjoyed all the presentations this week.  My three favorite ones were from Melesha, Ally, and Brandon.  I thought Melesha's presentation about the drive- thru process was really interesting and entertaining.  I liked all of her advice, and I thought that her handout brochure was really effective.  Now, whenever I go through the drive- thru I make a point to follow her tips, such as waiting for the cashier to repeat the order.  Ally's presentation really interested me because I drink coffee every morning.  I enjoyed learning about the history of coffee, and I thought her handout about the coffee options was very helpful.  Sometimes, I'm not sure what type of coffee to order when I want something special, and knowing what is in each one from her handout will help a lot.  Brandon's presentation was fun and informative.  I had never heard of a sugar glider before, and it was cool to learn about them.  I thought bringing in an actual sugar glider was really effective.  It was neat to see one in person.  

Cover Letter

After reading the advise from collegegrad.com, I feel like I have a better understanding of how to write a cover letter.  I agreed with most of the advise that was given such as tailoring the letter to match the company, not sending out mass cover letters, and not addressing it "To Whom it May Concern."  However, I did not agree with writing a P.S. at the end.  I think that would make the letter seem unprofessional.  If I were hiring and received a cover letter that had a P.S. , handwritten or not, I would think that person did not really care about the job and did not spend a lot of time or put a lot of thought into writing the letter.  They forgot to say something in the letter, and instead of revising the letter they just added a note to the end.  That would not go over well with me, so I think that was bad advise. 

  "The Reality of Cover Letters" and "The Best Use of a Cover Letter" were the most helpful sections to me.  I didn't realize that cover letters were read after the resume and that most of them didn't get read at all unless the company was really interested in you.  I also learned that the cover letter is more about the company  than yourself, and it should address the benefits that you will bring them.  I am going to take all of this advise into consideration when writing my cover letter. 

Client Project

The client visit was very informative.  I learned a lot about what she was expecting with this project, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to work on improving the health of our campus.   I like the idea of incorporating the student organic farm into our project.  Before the visit, I had not heard of the farm, and I still don't know where it is located.  Therefore, I think we should try to promote the farm and focus on making the students more aware of it.  I also think it would be neat if we could create some kind of farmer's market on campus where students could buy fresh, local vegetables.   I know I would buy the vegetables from the farm if they were sold in a convenient location.  I'm still not so sure I completely understand the client's specific goals with this project, and I'm not sure where to begin.  However, I think that as a group, we will be able to work together to make this project a success. 

Interview Mistakes

I like receiving advice from others so I can better prepare myself for a situation, and I thought that this article was helpful in pointing out interview mistakes that can be avoided.   Those mistakes were big and important to avoid, such as asking stupid questions, giving false information, and treating the secretary poorly.  However, I don't think that these are the only biggest mistakes that could be made in an interview.  I think that mispronouncing the interviewer's name, arriving late to the interview, being inappropriately dressed, chewing gum, or acting rude or conceited are all big mistakes to avoid.  

I have never had a job interview, but I do think that being adequately prepared for the interview will be a benefit.  If I were preparing for an interview, I would search for the frequently asked questions and prepare my answers in advance.  In addition, I would do as much research as I could about the company, the interviewer, and the specific position for which I was applying.  I would also practice interviewing with a friend or family member and make sure I had an appropriate outfit.  

Taken for Granted?

I watched the movie The Duchess this weekend, and it really made me appreciate being a woman in today's society.  Women back then, especially the king's wives, duchesses, etc, really had a sad life.  They had very little choices or say in any decision.  In the movie, the Duchess, played by Keira Knightley, made a comment that the only way women could express themselves was through their clothes and hats, and that the men had many ways of expressing themselves.  When the Duke married the Duchess, she thought that he was marrying her because he loved her, but later on in the movie, the Duke told her that her purpose as a wife was to be loyal and to give him a male heir.  Her response to this was, "Just like your dogs."  Throughout the movie, the Duke hardly ever talked to the Duchess, and he had many mistresses.  One of them was the Duchess's best friend who even lived in their house with them.  The Duchess knew all about his mistresses, but could not do anything about it.  She ended up falling in love with another guy, but when the Duke found out about their affair, he threatened to kill the guy and take the Duchess's children away from her.  It was ok for the Duke to have affairs, and it was even expected of him, but if the Duchess even attempted to have one, there would be extreme consequences.  Sometimes women were even beheaded for this act.  There was such a double standard at this time.  I got angry watching how she was being treated.  The Duke basically walked all over her, and she could do nothing about it.   I wanted her to slap the Duke or get a divorce or something!  I wouldn't put up with any of that.  However, during that time she couldn't get a divorce, and it was her duty to put up with it all.  Nobody really cared about her happiness or her feelings at all.  The movie didn't end like I had hoped it would, and I was disappointed.  However, it was based on a true story, and, sadly, this was how their lives really were. 

Watching this movie and seeing the Duchess's emotions and the turmoil she was going through really made me appreciate being a woman today.  Women have really come a long way since those days.  We can vote, make our own decisions, decide who we want to marry, and if it doesn't work out, get a divorce.  It is not expected or accepted for our husbands to have affairs.   We have the freedom be whomever we want and to do whatever we want, and we don't have to put up with being treated horribly by others.  I think sometimes we take our freedom and our ability to choose for granted because we can't imaging it any other way.  The reality is, though, that we didn't always have this freedom, and that women's lives back in the 1700s were far different from our lives today.  We all have been blessed to live in this century and to have the lives that we do, and we need to be thankful for that each and every day.   

  

10 Years From Now

In ten years, I will be thirty and hope to be well into my career as a physical therapist.  I'm not sure as to whether I want to work in a hospital or clinic, but wherever I end up, I know I want to be working with the patients as much as possible.  I also want to be married by this time and possibly have a family.  When I do have children, I want to be able to work part-time, at least for a little while, so I can spend more time with my kids because family is extremely important to me.  I would still like to live in the south, somewhere not too far from the beach.  Ideally, I would like to live in a suburb of a bigger city.  I want to own my own house with a nice yard and a dog and be involved with a church.   However, these are just my general ideas of what I think my life will be like.  I have know idea what all God has planned for me.  I am just living life day to day, working toward my goals and remaining open to anywhere God leads me.  

Web 2.0

I thought this video was interesting. It opened my eyes to a lot of things about the web that I had not thought about before. I think the title "The Machine is Us/ing Us" means exactly what it says; the machine is us, and the machine is using us. We are the machine because we are the ones who are placing and transferring all of this information on the web. However, the machine is also using us because with every move we make on the web we are teaching the machine how to do more, and, in essence, we are making it more powerful.

Web 2.0, without a doubt, affects all people in the workforce. For those just entering the workforce, the web can be a source for finding potential job opportunities and submitting online resumes. Those who are already in the workforce use the web in many different ways. It is used for communication with co-workers and clients, is a method for conducting research and accessing databases, and is a storage site for important information. The web is also used for advertising a product or business, as well as much more. In a sense, the web is making the workforce more efficient because it allows one to perform multiple tasks quickly and simultaneously.

During the video, a comment is made that we will have to rethink everything. I think this means that as the web keeps growing, our lives will become even more dependent on it, and the way we do things now will eventually have to change.

About Me!

Hey! My name is Eugenia, and I'm a sophomore majoring in Pre-Professional Health Science.  After I graduate from Clemson, I plan to attend MUSC to pursue a career in physical therapy.  I'm from a small town, Cheraw, SC.  I have an older brother who graduated from Clemson and a younger sister who is a freshman at Converse.  My sister is my absolute best friend, and I love spending time with her.  I'm really into health and fitness.  I love to work out and play sports, especially tennis.  I really hate fast food, and I try to avoid it as much as possible.  I would much rather cook and eat fresh fruits and vegetables.  When I have time, I like to read books by Nicholas Sparks, paint, and draw.  I also like to watch old, classic movies, and one of my favorites is Breakfast at Tiffany's.  I love the beach, and I spend a lot of time there during the summer. Other than that, I love hanging out with my friends and family, laughing, and helping others any way I can.   My faith in God is most important in my life, and I enjoy learning more about Christ's love and mercy.