Write Stripes

My advice to future students in this class would be to not worry at first when you hear about all of the projects. It seems a daunting task, but there is plenty of time to do all of the research and plan out your goals, and if you pace yourself you will be fine. The freedom that this class allows is a very cool aspect of the class that not many others have, and as long as you don’t forget to do the blogs every week, this class will be one of your least stressful, and most rewarding ones you will have.

Over the course of this semester, I have learned a lot about what technical writing is and how to conduct research and plan out a project dealing with technical writing. I feel I have strengthened my writings skills in many ways, and have learned new, valuable tools such as writing a memo, creating an up to date resume, and learning how to reach goals as you do a writing project and yet still be able to change things on the fly when new information comes to light. I feel that this class has helped me tremendously in becoming a much better overall writer.

This semester I have learned how to write in the technical setting. I have learned what technical writing is and what it takes to make a piece of writing “technical.” I have realized through interviews and class discussions that technical writing can take on many forms and go through out many fields. I have learned that technical writing can be a little creative but bringing in too much creativity can kill a report. Mostly, technical needs to be concise and brief so that people can get the most out of the report in a short amount of time.

My advice to the future students would be to stay up to date on all of the assignments. Everything can sneak up on you and then you are trapped. The blog entries can really sneak up on you. In this class, you have to come up with the assignment. Sure you are given basic guidelines but you have to do most of the thinking. This class does not give you a basic template for everything where you just fill in the missing pieces. You have to make the template. This type of class is not the usual one so be ready but do not stress about…have fun and enjoy the freedom.

I went to my Microbiology professor for my “advice and information” session. He gave me some ideas about what employers are looking for like research and any kind of work in the field whether it be an internship or working for a professor. But he also said that any kind of work would help even if it was just a waitress job because even that shows the employer that you are motivated and that you are a hard worker. My professor also said that employers will read into the resume and assume stuff about the candidate whether that assumption is good or bad. I really enjoyed talking with my professor and hearing what he advice he had to give about resumes and finding a job.

To students coming in to this class:
Hi! Get ready for one of the most interesting classes you take at Clemson! This class allows you to expressive yourself in a multitude of ways while really diving into exploring your future. Be prepared to keep up with a schedule - it's difficult to be disciplined enough to keep up with the blogs, so be sure you do that! Also - make sure you find a fun partner like I did :) You spend a lot of time together and you have to pick a topic you really enjoy. For the voter guide project, you have to just love what you're researching because you spend a lot of time on it!
Keep an open mind and do not be afraid to ask questions, otherwise you will have no idea what you are actually doing.
All in all - work hard, keep an open mind, and you will definitely learn a lot!!

http://http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/07/AR2006120700756.html

In this article, The governor of New Mexico states his very outspoken stance towards the fence being built along the border. This man has outlined a four step plan to solve the issue of illegal immigration: securing the border, increasing legal immigration, preventing employers from hiring illegal workers, and providing a path to legalization. This man really seems to have it together and he knows all about immigration - first hand. His state sees immigration on a very regular basis. I believe Washington should take his opinion into account.

http://http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/26/world/main2130155.shtml

The above article discusses the Mexican response to the 700 mile wall being built along the US-Mexico Border. The Mexican Government is very unhappy with this decision by US Congress and has pulled 27 other countries into their group that shows concern over this decision. The Mexican Government believes that this action shows a lack of thought by the US Government. They see that this decision affects countries other than America, but they don't believe that America is considering other countries.

http://http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/04/AR2006120401153.html

The above article cites President Bush's intentnions for the border. A bill was recently signed to build a 700 mile long fence along the border. However, Bush is still working with congress to make a virtual fence that is comprised of cameras, sensors, etc. The debate is over the amount of money being spend and the effectiveness.

http://http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-12-07-texas-runoff_x.htm

In the above article, a runoff between congressional candidates in Texas has caused a lot of interest due to the lack in the mention of the immigration issue. Texas is one of the states that most of the immigration issues come from, but the candidates are doing nothing to mention this issue for fear. All of the people in this area feel very stongly about immigration, but the candidates have failed to mention it at all. Their voting records are known to the public, so obviously people have some idea as to what their opinions are. The odd fact is that they haven't publicly stated their intentions if elected.

I met with Joe Turner of Wendy's for my Job Search Document Project. This meeting was very successful. I originally intended to meet with a woman who is in Marketing for the Peace Center in Greenville. This woman was incredibly busy with the Holiday Season and unable to meet with me. Joe Turner was set up for me through a couple of people, so this was a little bit unplanned, but it turned out to be very successful. He spoke very highly of my resume and the work usage. He appreciated the way that I described my jobs and was encouraging of the possibilities in my future. He volunteered to serve as a reference when I go on future interviews and gave me the numbers of people who knows I should visit to look for an internship. He also told me to come to him when I graduate and that he would help me find a job. He kept a copy of my resume and overall I think it was a huge success! I am very pleased to have such a wonderful contact and a new friend!

My advice to future technical writing students:

-keep up with your work! All of the assignments are done at your own pace, and the deadline creeps up on you!
-take advantage of the resources that are given to you. Blogging is a great tool for communication and can be helpful on many levels.
-don't just think that this is a class that you need to graduate. It really helps prepare you for the real world and helps to make your writing sounds more mature and polished.
-view all the assignments as tools to make you a better communicator and informer. You'll use these skills forever!

I really enjoyed this class. It felt like a fun break from other classes!

Over the course of the semester, I have truly grown as a writer. I have learned to summarize and analyze data more by way of creating weblogs. Blogging is a good way to put information in the hands of many different people and interface with them. I also learned how to create several different kinds of media to inform an audience on certain issues. I feel that I now have a lot of experience with writing that will help me to write more confidently and clearly. Also, preparing job search documents was a great experience. It was difficult at first to put everything I wanted an employer to read onto one page, but I know realize how valuable that skill is. I definitely feel prepared to search for a position in the future!

I met with Sean Connolly of TTI this week to discuss my future career goals and my preparation to enter the workforce. Sean has been working in the packaging industry for a few years and is a Clemson grad. His work over the last couple of years has saved his company a great deal of money. Since Sean is newly out of college he was a great source of information. He looked over my resume and discussed with me how I should approach looking for a job upon graduation. He offered some great advice on interviews, my resume, and where and how to look for a position. Some great advice on my resume was that I should change my objective to say that I am looking for a packaging engineering position, not scientist, because no one in the industry refers to us as scientists, but rather, engineers. He also said that I should express my interest in seeking a packaging management position for a growing company or a quality-oriented company, because this will show that I am interested in assuming responsibility and independence and that I am interested in where the company is going. Meeting with Sean was a great way to start my job search!

My advice for future classes would be to come to class with an open mind. This class is really different in that it's not just lectures and busy work. It's looser and definitely makes you entirely responsible for your projects--no hand-holding or spoon-feeding here. Also, keep up with the blog entries and COME to class. Due dates can change, advice is offered and opportunities are given to work with your groups in class, plus, everyone in class is coming from a different background, so it's really worthwhile to come to class.

How have I grown as a writer?
I feel that I now pay attention to WHO I'm writing for--since I've learned that this is just as important as what I'm writing. Also, I have learned the technical writing is very important in EVERY part of life, not just in writing manuals and directions. Since I mostly take science classes and health classes, this class allowed me to express my creative thoughts AND develop useful skills for the workplace. I feel that I have gained so much experience that I will use so much throughout my life.

The best piece of advice I received from my interview with Dr. Sherrill, a former healthcare manager was to obtain an internship in a healthcare facility. She really was impressed by all the volunteer work that I did, but said that that hospital systems and doctor's offices are looking more for work experience rather than volunteer experience.
I was really surprised that she thought, after hearing that I paired down my resume, that I should put all my honor societies back into my resume. She suggested to fill up the rest of the white space with them instead of putting them on a different page.

Last summer, I went the INROADs talent pool training. This process involved learning how to write a resume and learning how to interview. I felt that some of the advice was very beneficial, and thus I felt the need to share. They said that during a telephone interview, be sure to use a land line phone to ensure that the call will not be dropped. Research the company so you can be prepared to talk about how you will benefit the company. Dress appropriately for the interview (meaning neutral colors, neat hair, and avoid heavy colognes and perfumes). Be sure to talk clearly and avoid filler words (like "ummmmm..."). Lastly, it's important to practice interview questions before the interview.

In an article from CNN.com, it is reported that Democrats are planning to reintroduce the stem cell research bill to Congress after they take control in January. The bill would expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research and was vetoed by President Bush. The bill fell short of the number of votes needed to override the veto, but supporters hope the new Congress will be more supportive. Nancy Pelosi, who will be the new Speaker of the House, says that the bill is scheduled to be a top priority which will hopefully be passed during the first 100 hours of business for the new Congress. Supporters of the bill claim that voters showed support for stem cell research in the way they voted in November, but opponents of the bill say that the voting patterns are based more on the war than on stem cell research. While Congress may contain more Democrats in favor of the bill, President Bush's stance has not changed, so a two-thirds majority vote would be required to override his veto if the bill gets that far.

In this article from CNN.com, Australia's House of Representatives voted to end a ban on cloning human stem cell embryos for stem cell research. In 2002 Australia's parliament decided to allow scientists to extract stem cells from spare embryos from in vitro fertilization, but forbid cloning of embryos. The new law allows a type of cloning called therapeutic cloning. This is the process of producing stem cells by splicing together skin cells and egg cells. The debate over this issue was similar to the debate going on in America. Supporters of stem cell research in Australia speak of the diseases that could be cured, and opponents speak of respect for unborn life.

In this article from foxnews.com I learned that recently scientists have been able to successfully use stem cells from the fluid that cushions babies in the womb to grow heart valves. Scientists plan to use this method to grow heart valves for babies with heart defects. The valves will be grown in the laboratory while the baby is still inside the womb, so that the valves will be ready for implant after the baby is born. Heart problems is the number one killer of babies in the first year of life, and 1% of all babies born have heart problems. Scientists hope that these new valves would be more durable than cadaver valves, which deteriorate over time. The valves would also be less prone to clotting, a common problem with artificial valves. Another advantage of this new method of growing cells is that no fetus is killed to create the heart valves, therefore there are not strong ethical problems with this procedure.

My advice for the class next semester:
1) Pick someone that you can keep a connection with to interview for the technical writing in my field project
2) Choose a topic you are really interested in for the collaborative project since this project last almost the whole semester
3) Make sure you pick a partner who will keep up with the work with you because it is so much to do. My partner was amazing:)
4) Pay attention when you discuss the job search documents, the information is so helpful and you will use it forever
5) Keep up with the blogs, you can easily lose track of them
6) Make sure you keep up with all deadlines since some projects overlap
7)Have fun with the creative project, you can really do whatever you want, take advantage because there aren't that many opportunities in college to be so free
8) HAVE FUN! This is one of the best classes I have ever taken. It teaches you to be responsible and creative. Dr. Fishman is a wonderful teacher and she has so much to teach, so enjoy this class.

This semester I have really improved my writing skills. This class showed me how important it is to think outside of the box. I now know how to be creative with my writing, even when the assignment was technical.I also learned so much about how to target my writing for different audiences. The collaborative project helped me to learn to write on my own level, since usually I write targeting a superior. Also the collaborative project helped me to learn to work with someone else properly, because in my non-honors class I always try to take control. In this class I had to rely on my partner and we worked together to make a finished product. The blogs helped me to develop a quick writing technique; I can now get more information into a paragraph or two. The job search documents were so helpful because I will use the writing skills I learned in this class to develop my resumes for the rest of my life. Overall, this class showed me how to structure various writings, which was very beneficial. I feel that I have matured as a technical writer and communicator this semester.

My interview was with Donald Arant, the city engineer for Greensboro, NC in regards to my resume for a position as an urban planner. The most significant piece of advice I receieved from him was in regards to my relevant coursework descriptions. He advised that I give more details on exactly what I learned to design in the urban context. He suggested that this would be helpful because it relates so much to the job I am pursuing. Mr. Arant was very complimentary of my resume and noted that the honors and awards section made a particularly good impression, so I know that that is a good section to continue to include in future resumes.

Attention future classes:

Be prepared to end class periods with no idea how to begin the assignment due next class – this isn’t a bad feeling, it is just a new feeling. You know what is expected in every assignment, it is just your challenge to uncover the path to getting to the finished project.

The class is very free-form. If you think a professor’s job is to lecture for the entire class non-stop, then this is not the class for you.

Last Friday, I received some very helpful advice from my interview with Rebeca Riddlespurger. We were talking about my qualifications and my ability to be trained fairly quickly. She made some suggestions that I can use during the interview process. Rather than telling a future employee that you don't know how to do something, you should claim that you are willing to learn how to do it. She said that show initiative and eagerness about the job.
I will use this advice in the future when looking for employment.

Advice for next semester:
My biggest advice for next semesters class is to keep up with the blog entries. Be sure to pay close attention to the suggestions from class and make sure you ask plenty of questions during the class period. This class can be a big help to you if you participate daily and gain knowledge from your peers. Be sure to keep the book as a valuable resource. Oh yea...and have fun!

During this semester, I have matured as a writer. I have realized the importance I writing in stages and creating ideas systematically. This course has allowed me to focus on the way I structure my documents. For instance, I've learned how to write a memo. I've also learned the appropriate documents to use when trying to express a specific idea. The job search documents allowed me to practice writing an effective resume. Before completely this project, my resume was not "meaty." Now my resume is full of information about my experiences and my educational background. Group work played a major part of this semester's grades. From this project, I enhanced my skills in displaying information in a web-page. I also learned how to successfully communicate ideas to group members. I have enjoyed my experiences in this class. Though we did not write as much, I feel as if the writing we did complete was very useful. We learned to research writing templates on our own and effectively applied them to given situations. Overall, this class was very helpful in developing me into a technical communicator and writer.

My advice for students next semester is to be very careful to keep track of all of your assignments. The blog entries are very easy to quickly lose track of and forget to do. I would suggest keeping a tally for each week and writing down what the blog assignment is and then checking it off when it is completed.

Another important part of the class is the collaborative project. I would recommend choosing a topic that you are very interested in for this project, because that will make the work you do for it much more enjoyable and less of a burden. To choose a topic you must be in class, so I would recommend taking special care to be present at the sign up for this project so that you do not get assigned to a group you are uniterested in. I was glad to have an interesting topic to study (stem cell research) and I hope that you are interested in your projects as well.

Good luck in the next semester!

In an article from foxnews.com, University of Louisville scientists now say it may be possible to use stem cells to create a cancer vaccine. So far the new treatment has only been tested on mice, but scientists have seen promising results. The mice were exposed to the chemicals that cause lung cancer and the results of the tests were:
Group 1: No vaccine-- 100% developed cancer
Group 2: Stem cell vaccine-- 40% developed cancer
Group 3: Stem cell vaccine with growth hormone-- 10% developed cancer
This shows significant impact of the vaccine, and there is hope that in the future this treatment could be used on humans who are at high risk of developing cancer.

My advice for people who are going to this class next year is as follows. First of all, be on top of your assignments all of the time, the class starts off pretty rough, it gets better, than it gets worse again a couple of weeks before exams. It is difficult to keep track of where you have everything for the class because you are using computers, but write down in your planner all of the due dates, and stuff that is due, which is especially important for blogs. Also, write down everything that could seem even remotely important when Dr. Fishman talks, which surprisingly does not happen that often, so pretty much everything she says is important. This last recommendation requires showing up for class, it was one of the most laid-back courses I have ever taken, Dr. Fishman is extremely nice, and really has some good real-world knowledge, so its worthwhile to go. On that note, take advantage of the class time you have, most days are just working on projects, so the more that you can get done in class, the less work you have to do outside of class, and you have the added benefit of asking Dr. Fishman whether or not something is right. And as always, participation in class is important, not only does it make Dr. Fishman like you more (even though she’ll never remember your name) it’s a large part of your grade in the class, even though I can’t really figure out how that works.

My meeting with Dr. Broderick, a local physician went well. I really did not have much to talk about, I explained the class project, but as I really am not searching for a job right now, or any time soon, we went over the resume, which then led to a discussion of medical school applications. We then actually had a very insightful and helpful conversation about the medical school application process, some of the medical schools, which ones I should apply to and what they are looking for in medical school applicants, and what to say during the interview process. We also spoke about her experiences in medical school, when she was going through the same thing, as well as why she chose her specialty, her family life, and amount of free time, as well as a number of factors. She invited me back to watch any cases that I would like to “anytime,” she said, and even offered me “any help” that she could give me during the application process, which I am hoping is meaning a letter of recommendation.

My advice to you new students is to come to class daily and keep up to date in the assignments. It is pretty simple and straight forward, but it will definitely help you stay on top of your projects and grades in this class. At any given time you have one or two projects that you can be working on so the key is to work on them a little at a time and do not procrastinate, no matter how tempting it may be. Waiting to the last minute will leave you overwhelmed with documents to write and format so doing them as the semester progresses will limit the work load at any given time and will help as you can ask questions and get help with the information and formatting on the documents. Since a lot of the work done on these projects is done in class with advice and help being given during it, attending class daily is a must and will definitely help you. Also, the due dates of assignments can change throughout the semester and going to class is the best way of knowing when projects are due. Keeping up to date on the blog is also recommended as you will have a lot of posts due by the end of the semester when you have other papers, exams, and projects due as well.

During this semester I have grown as a writer in the sense of having confidence in mimicking the styles of various documents. I saw from my work this summer, each company will have a method that they use to produce various technical documents and they key in writing these is to be able to recreate the method that company uses in relaying the information. I have grown in the sense of being able to relay the information needed in a more concise and clear way than I previously could and learned when to limit what I write as I sometimes have a tendency to write too much. I have learned that what is not said can be just as important as what is said (if you say too much the reader may not read it). Writing the memos and proposals will be helpful in producing technical documents concerning projects that I may work on as a computer scientist in the future. Being able to reproduce memos, proposals, letters, etc. will help me as I will be able to reproduce these documents in the future according to the method that the company prefers. As far as new forms of writing are concerned, I have had to do a blog for class and have done some limited technical documents in work; however, the extent to which these documents (memos, letters, proposals) were done is more than I have had experience in so those were new for me.

I once again met with my boss from the summer, Mark Hastings. The meeting went well with him giving me positive feedback on my resume due to what we have learned about them and done in class. He said there was not much that he would change, but did offer a spacing suggestion slightly varied from what I had in order to make the document feel more symmetric. He also suggested that technical skills should be in order of the most applicable of the job at hand as well as in order of that which you know the most about. If they are simply listed alphabetically and an interviewer asks you about the first few and you are not real knowledgeable about those skills then they begin to question what you really do know. He also reinforced the fact from class that no spelling mistakes should be on a resume as he would personally throw one in the trash as soon as he found a mistake. He felt as though my resume was well done and that I was on my way to being well prepared for the computer science field and should continue with my coop and schooling. From the preparation I have already done in school and through a co-op assignment Mr. Hastings felt I was well prepared and that I should simply continue what I have been in order to better prepare.

This semester I have learned to become a much more independent writer. I have had to develop my own criteria for what I think an assignment requires and then correctly apply that concept to produce a finished work. In the future, the ability to take a vaguely conveyed assignment and turn it into a desirable product will be invaluable – in many ways it is the same as the real world.

I’ve had the opportunity to apply “writing” very loosely. I “wrote” a poster and flier to convey the complexities of net-neutrality and entice my peers to learn more about the subject. The knowledge that different media are just as valuable as the written report is very encouraging as I depart this class.

Hi student for next year! My advice to you is: Get a planner and update it every day in class!! There are sooo many projects that overlap and have different deadlines for different things in this class; you really need to write it down on something you look at every day to keep up. Also, look at the website but don't rely on it for due dates, etc. It sometimes isn't up to date- she just lets you know what's due when in class. So pay attention! And don't get stressed out- it seems like a lot of work, and you really need to keep up with it, but if you do you'll be fine. You actually get a lot of class time to work on stuff, but don't rely on that completely because a lot of these projects need a LOT of out of class work too. Have fun!!!! :)

As a writer, I have really grown in my ability to produce good technical pieces of work. IT may sound like a simplified answer, but I really didn't know anything about how to write technically before. I knew what memos, proposals, etc. were, but I had no idea what was in them or how to write one. I really learned a lot about the value of having that handbook we had to buy for the class. I found myself reaching for it throughout the semester even with other classes trying to find the format for technical writing documents.

The blogging was also a big adjustment for me. At first, it felt hard to summarize things we had done in a short paragraph, or to summarize a short list of project to-dos. But, now that we have been doing it for the whole semester, I realize that having the ability to just write a quick review of a project you are working on or a document you read is probably a valuable real life workplace skill. I have a tendency to write long, flowing sentences with words just all over the place and the technical writing processes we were taught really helped me be aware of that. It has also made me appreciate the value of proofreading. It is important, especially for me, to go back over my work, even when I tried to keep it short while writing, to make sure I kept it short or to find places where I run on and on.

Overall, I really learned what technical writing is, and was introduced to the different ways of producing it. Technical writing seems to be a really big part of the workplace. This class has helped me feel more prepared in general to enter the work force armed with my new technical writing abilities.

I had a wonderful meeting with Bridget Allen, a registered nurse and nurse educator. She has worked in pediatrics and has also been involved in the hiring process of incoming nurses. She said that I looked qualified for my objective so far, but as I continued with my nursing classes, I would have more to add to my resume. Mrs. Allen said that my resume looked very good, and that with the suggested changes and continuous additions, I would be prepared for job searching later on. Mrs. Allen suggested that as I complete my examinations and certifications for nursing, I should add them to my education section. This is very important, especially to add any specialties, because it shows the employer that you have a focused background in a certain area of nursing. Also, adding a section of personal information later on, such as relationship status and children, is also a great way to individualize your resume. She said that most people in her field did this, and it is useful to provide this information for introductions to lectures or presentations you might be giving. It gives the employer or audience a better look at who you are.

Mrs. Allen gave me very helpful advice in improving my current resume, as well. Her first advice was to add in some of the major events for organizations and work. This will be more important as I continue to participate in SNA events, which will have a lot to do with my future career. Also, she said that I should remove the dates listed in the organizations section. Its distracting and is unnecessary for the resume. Under the Honors section, Mrs. Allen said it would be better to say how many semesters I was on any honors list (dean’s, president’s, etc.). She then recommended that I use the more professional word childcare instead of babysitter. Finally, cultural diversity is becoming more and more important in nursing. So, she wanted me to add to my study abroad category and also to stress my education on cultural diversity in my nursing courses. Mrs. Allen recommended that I look into internships that directly relate to the field that I am interested in. Also, she suggested that I not spread myself too thin, but instead focus on quality organizations and experiences that are highly related to my interest.

Last Friday I met with Dr. Revis-Wagner, the pre-dental advisor, for the first time. He offered me some good advice about ways I can continue to prepare for my application to dental school in the coming year. He looked at my resume and said it looked good to him, and he commented that it was a good idea to have on there that I worked in a hospital for a summer. Also, he said I might want to go into a dental office and do some more shadowing, and possibly some volunteer work so I can put that on my resume (and also just for the experience so I can be sure this is the field I want to go into. He also gave me a practice DAT test and advised me on the merits of taking, or not taking a Kaplan prep course.
Perhaps the best piece of advice he gave me was about my recommendation for dental school from my professors. He told me that MUSC requires 3 recommendations, at least 2 from science professors, but he told me that I might want to get 2 recommendations from my Economics professors as well since they are smaller classes than the science classes and the professors would probably know me better. I already have been thinking about whom I will get to write my recommendations, and now I have a better feel for which professors I should ask.

I met with Dr. Meriwther on Monday as he was preparing to leave for Alaska to review my resume. As I have worked with Dr. Meriwether extensively, he was enthusiastic to finally get an “excuse” to talk to me about graduate schools and where I should go, and who I should avoid. He also gave me the advice to use my contacts (and his) at other schools while applying. He thought the resumes looked good, but he pointed out that most schools will be desiring a comprehensive, complete, and bland CV instead.

I met with Mrs. Dawn Burns, the marketing director for Chick Fil A of Easley. First, I asked her for some general advice on how to succeed in the marketing world and how she got to her current position. We spent some time talking about her road to Marketing Director after graduation. She was very involved in many community organizations, doing grant writing and fundraising and recommended that as a great place to start when you are looking for a marketing job. That was really valuable advice to hear that you don't just graduate and waltz into a Marketing Director position. She spent a lot of time being involved with her community through the organizations she worked with and really learned a lot about how to reach out to community members. She said that experience was invaluable. I loved that advice- it was a totally new perspective on how to prepare yourself for marketing career goals.

Next, she spent some time looking at my resume. She noticed some positive things and commented on them, like my use of descriptors such as "team", "integral", and my use of examples and specific numbers (such as the Orientation Ambassador leading 2,000 freshman). She suggested the only thing my resume was missing that as an employer, she would look for, was community involvement and activities. She said the education part is really not what most employers are looking for, because in the real world, unless you are doing something extremely specific like being a doctor or accountant, your major doesn't matter because if you are a strong applicant and you have what they are looking for as far as your personality, etc., then most people will just train you if all you are missing is the "right" major.

Overall I really appreciated her feedback and enjoyed meeting with her. I gained some valuable insight into the mind of an employer.

Two posts for this week, then you're done :-)

1. Discuss how you have grown as a writer during the semester. What new forms of writing have you done (like blogging, for instance) what new kinds of things have you learned to produce, and what processes and concepts have you learned that will be helpful to your future?

2. What advice would you give to the next students in this course? (Remember, this is what they will read when they are introduced to the weblog, just as you did when the class started :-))

I've enjoyed working with you this semester and hope you will stay in touch. Remember that if you ever need a little resume or job-searching advice, you can stop by. I hope the course was useful to you.
-T. F.

I met with Rebeca Riddlespurger Friday afternoon around 5:00. Mrs. Riddlespurger is a System’s Analyst at Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation. She proved to be a great resource because her job directly correlates to some of the daily tasks that IT professionals are asked to perform. After speaking with her, I feel very confident about my options upon graduation. She went over the high points of my résumé. Mrs. Riddlespurger told me that after looking at my credentials, it is apparent that I have a very strong work ethic. My high grade point average shows that I am willing to work hard and I have a strong capacity to learn new material. Though I am not familiar with a majority of the programming languages, she said that my background in Java will show a future employer that I am able to problem solve. I should expect to be trained in other programming languages upon being hired as an entry level employee.

After discussing the résumé, I asked Mrs. Riddlespurger for some personal advice. I am nervous about entering the IT field due to the vast amount of knowledge that I am required to retain. She suggested that I learn Sequel, Cobol, and Security before graduating from Clemson. If the college does not offer these classes, it is highly recommended that I get some type of exposure to them so that I will be familiar with them before entering the working world. Also, she gave me some tips to use when interviewing for a job.

The advice that a lot of advice during our meeting. I feel as if I am ready to interview for any job that I find interesting.

After meeting with Dr. Revis Wagner, the pre-med advisor here I Clemson, I feel very prepared for taking the steps I need in my final semesters at Clemson to get into medical school. After looking over my resume, Dr. Revis-Wagner said that I looked qualified for the internship stated in my objective, but recommended I add my health science courses to my resume. He said it is good to show medical schools that I am educated about how the health field works and that I have a background in Health promotion and education. Dr. Revis-Wagner also encouraged me to take adolescent psychology courses if I want to work with children in the future. He also stressed the importance of quality over quantity on resumes for undergraduates and for my medical school application. Dr. Revis-Wagner complemented me on my resume focusing on my specific abilities and being different from others he had seen.

Dr. Revis-Wagner informed about MUSC visiting the Clemson campus next week to talk to students about applying to their school. This would be an excellent opportunity for me to talk to admissions representatives about my qualifications as a pre-med student. He also told me about an internship in Greenville for the summer that he said I seemed perfect for after looking at my resume and hearing my goals.

I received so much advice and really benefited from this meeting. After meeting Dr. Revis-Wagner, I realized he will be a great tool for me utilize in the future.

Making the voter guides about stem cell research helped me understand political issues better. One thing that I realized is that there is often much more to an issue than is common knowledge. People tend to understand one element on an issue and base their whole opinion on one fact, when the issue is really much more complicated. Working on the voter guides also helped me to see past my own personal bias and understand multiple sides of issues. I learned to recognize biased sources and how factual information can be discarded by some people based solely on its source, even if the information is valid and true. I also learned to present information in a fair and informative manor, without trying to make my own personal opinion seem like the better choice. This is hard to do when you care about an issue, but people should be able to look at facts and decide for themselves, instead of being manipulated into a certain opinion based on the information that is presented to them.

While our group was creating the voter guides on the oil issue, I feel that I gained a lot of new knowledge on the subject that i did not have before. Also, i saw how college students are somewhat educated on this issue already, and yet there have many false perceptions about the true nature of how oil prices affect our economy and who benefits from high prices. Also, i think we found that college students feel that there is not much they can do to change things, and i hoped we showed some of them ways that they can, because i definitely found ways i can change my lifestyle in order to save money and reduce my use of oil and electricity.

This article is about the Democrats. Since the Democrats are in the majority in the House, there are new changes in how they are handling the bills on oil. One of the changes would be to give tax breaks to oil companies who are involved in research of alternative fuels and in helping to decrease our dependence on foreign oil.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/19/congress.energy.ap/index.html

This article is telling how rising gas prices are forcing companies to come up with alternative ways of producing energy fuels. Ethanol is talked about as the leading alternative fuel considering things like money and availability of the source of the fuel.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/2690341.html

I think producing the voter guide on health care reform in the US helped me to look at the big picture of health care along with all the components that are involved with the issue. I learned so much about health care reform and I increased my understanding of complex political issues. I realized how important it is to look at the many opinions of politicans and the different political parties and form an opinion for yourself. I now know how much health care reform impacts everyone in the US and I gained a perspective on what I am going to be going through in a few years since we targeted college students. Since we had to write in a unbiased manner, I learned to read the biased opinions of political parties and use the information in our medias in a unbiased way. I benefited from doing this project by not only gaining knowledge on health care, but I also increased the quality of my technical writing.

Creating the voter guides really helped me understand the issue of net neutrality. I felt that I was a good example of the population that we were trying to reach--uninformed college student. Net neutrality really affects more people and businesses than I first thought. It could very much make-or-break a small business that is trying to compete with a large corporation. Also, it could really affect how college students use the internet. Email could be slowed, and since many of our assignments are now online, it could hamper our ability to utilize the internet to the fullest extent.

Producing the voter guides greatly contributed to my unerstanding of one complex political issue: Gas prices. I always believed that whoever controlled the house and the Senate controlled the gas prices. Though there is some correlation between the two, every decision the president makes does not cause an increase gas prices. Gas prices are influenced by several different things. The increasing demand in China is having a significant influence on gas prices as well as the demand on oil in general. Communicating this ideas to other students, through the voter guides produced in class, allowed my to dig deeper into each of the subject. Thus, forcing me to search for objective sources and unbiased opinions about the subject as a whole. I also learned that both the Democrats and Republicans are actively creating bills and acts to conserve energy and natural resources. All the information that I researched during the course of the project was used to further increase the students understanding of gas prices and corresponding effects on consumer goods. Overall, I think that the information served to inform both the student and the viewer of the voter guide.

Producing a voter guide on health care reform really brought to my attention all of the important aspects of the issue. Before making the guide, I knew some of the main problems with our health care system, but I had little idea of just how much it affected our lives. Also, I had little understanding of how much politics affected health care. So, it really benefited me to learn more about the issue, especially since I will be dealing first-hand with the system both as a nurse and consumer.
Through the literature that I used as sources and my own material on the website, I learned a great deal about the persuasive nature of writing. I would find myself reading two completely different approaches to health care reform and agreeing with both. Most of the sites we visited were very biased, and so we had to combine different viewpoints in order to balance out their opinions. However, I still caught myself providing more information and more positive explanations of the views I accepted. So, this project will help me to be more careful in accepting everything that sounds good, as every material contains some bias.

I think you all have earned a little break. I'll see you after the holiday. Be safe.

T. F.

The voter guide project has helped me to attempt to look at ideas other than my own. I tend to be very stubborn and sure of my ways, and I form my own opinions very quickly. It definitely was good for me to truthfully explore other opinions other than my own. I realize the importance of exploring other thoughts and it will be much better in any kind of political discussion. I also found myself taking into consideration much more of the factual arguments involved in these issues. I am very easily persuaded in the emotional aspect, so it's been good for me to explore details and logic as well.

As far as having no class on tuesday goes, i think it is one of the best ideas I have ever ever heard. Thanksgiving is a wonderful family holiday and Clemson University has to beat the Gamecocks on Saturday! Being able to leave as soon as possible to spend quality time with family will really be great! I have to come back on Friday, so being able to go home on Tuesday will be just the greatest thing in the world! Thank you so so much!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I believe we should not have class for several reasons. First, as students this semester, we have been putting forth extreme effort into our classwork (including this one) for several months now. As this semester progresses, the weight of classes begins to catch up and grades and effort tend to both drop. As such, a break would serve as a recharge for us students so that we will have the energy to put forth our best effort for the remainder of the year. No matter what the dedication is, if we students lack the energy to put forth our best effort, then we will not gain as much from our coursework for the remainder of the semester. In addition, having an extended break will help me to reflect upon what I have learned throughout the course of the semester and to give my mind a rest from the constant workload of the semester. This, too, will help in the learning process. While it is true that we recently had 'fall break', this break was not sufficient as we had to travel home if we got a chance to go home. Also, one of the days was election day on which we had to travel back to Clemson for our classes. While many of us did have a break, not all of us did. I, for one, went to New Orleans throughout all of fall break and worked with hurricane relief. This was both mentally and physically draining and I, personally, could benefit from a slightly extended break.

My contribution to the argument for no class next Tuesday is due to the fact that I have a job interview Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 in Greenville. I have been offered an interview for an internship next semester at a top Marketing and Event Management firm in Greenville. I think even if the job is not offered to me in the end, it will greatly benefit me anyway in many different and valuable ways.

First, it will give me the opportunity to practice my interview skills. Getting a job is competitive today, and in addition to the technical writing aspects of jobs I am learning in this class, it is important for me to also hone my communication abilities and personal presentation abilities. The resume is only half the fight!

It will also give me a real life chance to practice using the customized resumes we learned about last Thursday in class. We are learning how to build and tailor those to each job to make ourselves as marketable and attractive candidates as possible. What better way to learn the intricacies of this by doing resume customization for a real life job opportunity. This interview is going to give me a chance to use the skills I am being given in this class, as well as practice additional skills I will take into the job market with me when I graduate in May.

Knowing that I have not missed an important day of coursework for my interview will also give me peace of mind over the Thanksgiving holidays. Courses are very important, but so is down time. It will be hard to completely relax knowing I will have missed something important to my education. The material we are covering now is probably the most beneficial to my future of all the material thus far, and I don’t want to chance missing something important and worrying about missing it entirely or how to make it up later. I think it will also benefit my classmates by allowing them extra travel time so no one will be rushed to their destination for the holidays.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Heather

Creating the stem cell voter guides really opened my eyes to societal issues, but not in the way I expected. The biggest surprise to me was not the basic factual information I learned about stem cells and the current research and funding issues. Instead, the sources and venues for information available to the public were the most eye opening parts of the project. There are so many unabashedly biased sites, and anyone with no prior knowledge about stem cells could be led hideously astray. I learned that information, even “factual” information about something so important, is not regulated as well as I thought it would be. It seems like every Tom, Dick and Harry has a site with their "facts" about stem cells available to you. If you have no idea what is going on, a voter could be swayed to believe anything. The media is also to blame for this spreading of slanted information. There is all this debate about how stem cells could save lives, but after talking with a person that does research in a lab with stem cells, I realized that we are so far from that point it is almost dumb to even have a national debate over stem cells at this point. Stem cell research is still very primitive. Most surprisingly, and contrary to popular media messages, stem cells are NOT capable of saving anyone's life at the stage of the current research. They have NOT been widely used in humans to save the masses of humanity like we are being led to believe. They are being mainly researched in rats, and some very serious problems are emerging in the form of tumors. Scientists have not perfected the process of stopping the undifferentiated cells from continually dividing. Excess cells in your body (such as those produced by inserting stem cells in your brain or body) cause tumors. That is not good! Until scientists can devise a method for controlling the differentiation, the debates over the ethical issues of certain sources of stem cells, the funding controversies, and the many other topics that people are fighting over are just not even a valid point of contention yet. We have to first figure out how these things can work before we start creating a national firestorm about what would happen IF they did work at this point.

So, to sum it up, it was incredibility surprising to me that the sources and information available have changed up the information and presented it in such a way to lead you to believe one thing, when the facts may say another. My eyes have been opened to the importance of factual, unbiased sources and how rare they really are. I have also learned the valuable lesson not to let the TV and the news tell me what is important and what side to be on. I will in the future have to research issues more thoroughly by myself before taking a stand and becoming an informed voter.