jvstanley's blog

I had never had any experience whatsoever with anything military.  My knowledge of it was slim to none.  I didn’t understand the rules, regulations, customs, behavior, nor the different world that the men and women of the armed forces lived in.  In a way, going from quaint girl who dates geeks to a girl who is engaged to a geeky soldier…let’s just say it has taken some getting used to.  I can relate Army life much like I can relate it to my move to the Upper Peninsula.  I grew up in lower Michigan, relatively close to the city, everything was in easy reach and there was that blessed anonymity.  When I moved to the U.P., however, that anonymity went straight out the window.  You know those teeny-bopper books and T.V. shows about the ‘new girl in school’ where everyone knew her and her backstory before she even walked through those double doors?  Yep, that was me, and I felt like a sideshow freak.  Its very unnerving having someone walk up to you, give you the third degree then walk off and tell their friends and discuss whether or not you are worthy of being part of their little clique.  Read more »

I’ve seen a lot of articles on writing the perfect resume.  There are many websites that are dedicated to the successful completion of the perfect fine-tuned resume.  Some of these websites charge a nominal fee for their services which is why a lot of times students opt to write their own.  With the job market still being at a lull, there are a lot of students, such as myself, that remain unemployed.  That resume is the key to your job searching existence.  What you put out, is what you will get back and in today’s market-image is everything.  Now, let’s say you spend hours tweaking and pruning your resume until it sparkles.  You have provided professional quality work, listed everything that you are qualified for and even have references that will leave you feeling awesome.  You think you’re finished, right?  Sure!  So you go ahead and start submitting your resume online.  A lot of employers have transferred their applications online out of convenience and paper applications are very nearly obsolete.  Then, after spending hours filling out online applications and submitting your gorgeous resume that you spent hours perfecting, you realize *gasp* there is a huge gaping ugly error just staring you right in the face and sticking out its tongue going 'Na, na!'  Read more »

Most online students live a life of both convenience and a time constraint.  Whatever the reasons a student opts for an online campus rather than the traditional campus varies considerably.  But what about further involvement in student activities?  What does an online university have to offer in addition to the forum posts and copious amounts of reading and studying?  College in of itself is a necessary requirement to attain a job in specific fields of study, but the extracurricular activities are enriching and also assist in further learning and experience.  How does an online student then become more involved with academics through outside activities? Read more »

When it comes to setbacks and stress, the toll it takes upon a student can have a wide variety of consequences.  You get a bad grade on a paper, you disagree with someone’s viewpoint, feel that you are being treated unfairly, or you are overwhelmed by responsibilities.  Some students feel the need to deflect their emotions onto other people, while others are more inclined to use critical thinking and contemplate options and otherwise look introspectively to formulate viable solutions to these setbacks. 

What is the definition of cheating, exactly?  Obviously, plagiarism is a big no-no for when you take someone else’s work while giving yourself the credit that constitutes as cheating, right?  While learning, you only gain what you put into it, therefore, you gain nothing when you utilize the efforts of someone else to benefit yourself.   Peeking over someone’s shoulder while filling out those sheets with all the bubbles in a regular classroom is the thought that comes to mind when I imagine a cheater.  Sadly enough, it seems as though people are willing to take the easy route and basically fail upwards in order to get by in life, but in reality, all those individuals are doing is cheating themselves. Read more »