Chapter 14, Thinking Positively about the Future, May 12-18

Over the years of my working with students, one of the lifetime goals most mentioned is "happiness." I worry about happiness goals because I'm not sure if we know what happiness is or when we have accomplished this goal. I just read a book on the topic, Authentic Happiness, by Martin Seligman. He is a psychologist who actually teaches college courses on this topic. The following are some excerpts from his text. Please read these excerpts, think about them and add your comments. 

Excerpts from Authentic Happiness by Martin Seligman:

Real happiness comes from identifying, cultivating and using your personal strengths in work, love, play and parenting. Seligman contrasts happiness with hedonism. He says that a hedonist "wants as many good moments and as few bad moments as possible in life." He states that hedonism is a shortcut to happiness that leaves us feeling empty. For example, we often assume that more material possessions will make us happy. However, the more material possessions we have, the greater the expectations and we no longer appreciate what we have. 

Seligman suggests some ideas to increase happiness. 1. Realize that the past does not determine your future. The future is open to possibilities. 2. Be grateful for the good events of the past and place less emphasis on the bad events. 3. Build positive emotions through forgiving and forgetting. 4. Work on increasing optimism and hope for the future. 5. Find out what activities make you happy and engage in them. Spread these activities out over time so that you will not get tired of them. 6. Take the time to savor the happy times. 7. Take time to enjoy the present moment. 8. Build more flow into your life. Flow is the state of gratification we feel when totally absorbed in an activity that matches our strengths. 

Write your comments on these ideas. What does happiness mean to you?

Share some of your intention statements for the future. You can make two posts of 100 words each or one post of 200 words. 

Your postings have been inspiring and awesome. Best wishes for the future! 

Chapter 13, Appreciating Diversity, May 5-11

One of the most exciting scientific accomplishments of this century is Human Genome Project which is the cataloging of human genes. This will lead to great understanding of the human body and advance medical science. One of the most important findings is that while human beings differ in outward appearance, the genetic structure of all human beings is 99.9% identical. These researchers agree that there is only one race, the human race. 

However we continue to struggle with the concept of appreciating diversity, and discrimination and prejudice still exist in many forms. For example, you may have been discriminated against because of your ethnic group, religion, height, weight, gender, disability, or even academic skills. For this discussion, give an example of a circumstance where you have experienced or witnessed discrimination. Any ideas on how to reduce discrimination? 

I will share an example of discrimination that I experienced. I started my doctoral program at USC when I was 8 months pregnant. After the first class the professor took me aside and suggested that I drop out of the program because of my family situation. I was really angry and decided to show him that I would finish. I am happy to report that I was one of the first three students to finish the program.

At Cuyamaca College, we have many Chaldean students who are Christians who have emigrated from Iraq to avoid religious persecution. Since the attacks of 9-11, this group has faced discrimination at our college. Whenever there is anything about terrorism in the news, many students who are from the Middle East suffer discrimination even though they have nothing to do with terrorism. Any comments on this? 

This week you can make one post of 200 words (instead of 2 of 100 words each) if you want since the topic of appreciating diversity or describing incidents of discrimination might need more words.  

Chapter 12, Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle, April 28-May 4

Chapter 12 contains health information for college students in the areas of nutrition, avoiding addictions, protection from disease, getting enough sleep and dealing with stress. It is based on the premise that we will be living longer in the 21st Century. Also a college education is a big investment and it is important to enjoy the benefits over a long lifetime. Here are some ideas for discussion. You can also add any topic related to health or college and career success. You can make one comment of 200 words or two comments of 100 words each.

These facts are well known: 

•         Smoking causes lung cancer.
•         One out of three Americans is overweight or obese.
•         Illegal drug use is addictive and limits success.
•         Not getting enough sleep is harmful to health and learning.
•         Not practicing monogamous or safe sex can lead to STD’s including AIDS.

Knowing this information, why do people continue to smoke, overeat, take illegal drugs, miss out on sleep or practice unsafe sex?

Assume that you are writing magazine article, "The Five Most Important Steps to Maintaining Your Good Health." What ideas would you include in this article?

Share some of your intention statements for maintaining your good health. 

Watch any of these videos and make a comment about one of them:

Jaime Oliver: Teach Every Child about Food

Know the Dangers of Not Getting Enough Sleep

How to Make Stress Your Friend

I wish all of you good health! 

Chapter 11, Thinking Critically and Creatively, April 21-27

For this week, make two comments. For the first comment, give an example of a fallacy in reasoning. See my examples below. For the second comment, give your answers to the creative thinking questions below. Have fun with the creative thinking. 

Critical Thinking:

Give an example of a fallacy in reasoning. Here are some examples: 1. When my children were very young, I would tell them to brush their teeth in the evening. I told them that if they did not brush their teeth, the sugar bugs would eat their teeth all night and eventually their teeth would turn green and fall out. By predicting dire consequences, we try to influence behavior. This is an example of using slippery slope. Maybe some of you child development majors would have a better way of getting children to brush their teeth, but this worked for me. 2. Here is another example: When my daughter was in middle school, she died her blond hair black. I asked her why she did it and she said that she was tired of blond jokes. She was the victim of the stereotype that all blondes are dumb. 3. You will also find many examples of fallacies in reasoning in commercials and political speeches. Can you provide other examples of fallacies in reasoning?

Creative Thinking:

For the creative thinking part, read about creativity and brainstorming and have a little fun with this exercise. Provide at least 3 answers to these questions: 1. How is a peanut like you? Here are my answers. 1. A peanut is wrinkled, like me. 2. A peanut is curvy like me. 2. I have a hard outer shell and a soft inner shell. How is a peanut like going to college? In every classroom there are at least 2 nuts, the instructor and at least one student. The squares on the peanut remind me of rows of chairs in the classroom. 3. There is usually something good on the inside.  

Chapter 10, Communication and Relationships, April 7-13

Chapter 10, Communication and Relationships

The chapter on communication provided some ideas for improving communication. Are any of these ideas helpful to you? For the blog this week, make 1 post of 200 words or 2 of 100 words each. You can also comment or expand on another student's posting.

You can describe how you plan to apply some of the ideas in this chapter to improving communication with your children, boss, friends or parents or anyone who is important in your life.

You can also read the scenarios below and use your knowledge of personality type to suggest ways to improve the communication. For a quick review of personality type, click on Do What You Are on the front page of your portfolio on CollegeScope.  You can comment on one or more of the scenarios.  Remember to think about personality type and how it influences communication as you write your comments.  

Scenario 1 (E and I):

Mary and Carol are roommates and are discussing paying bills for the apartment that they share. Mary is upset because Carol paid the phone bill late. The more that Mary talks, the quieter Carol becomes. This causes Mary to become even more upset. Mary starts talking in a loud voice and Carol leaves the room. How can they improve communication?

Scenario 2 (S and N):

A sensing type and an intuitive type are on a first date. What is each likely to talk about?

Scenario 3 (T and F):

Rachel and Jim have been married about a year. Rachel complains to Jim that he never says, "I love you" anymore. Jim replies that he would not have married Rachel if he didn't love her. How can they improve communication?

Scenario 4 (J and P):

Students in a business class are assigned as a group project to design a business plan. This is an evening class and has mostly adults who have busy schedules with work, family and school. Mike is a highly motivated student who wants to get the group organized and complete the project quickly. Mike is getting irritated at John because he cannot decide on a topic and get going. John keeps coming up with different creative ideas for the business plan. John is getting irritated at Mike because he thinks that Mike is trying to control the group. How can this group work together to complete a successful project?

Chapter 9, Test Taking, March 31-April 6

Chapter 9, Test Taking

Please read the chapter on test taking and make comments on two of these questions:

1. Students often say, “I am not a good test taker.” What ideas in this chapter would be helpful to this student?

2. Look at this YouTube video, “Test Stress Reduction the Navy Seals Way.”  This 3 minute video shows some ways to be successful “when the world is on fire.”  Share your comments on the video.  Can the Navy Seals techniques be used in college and in life in general? (Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S9YsqERT34).  

3. What are some suggestions for dealing with text anxiety?

3. How do you study for a math test?

4. What is the ideal way to review for a test?

5. What are some disadvantages of cramming for a test and how can you avoid cramming?

6. What is your best idea for studying for exams?

7. Comment on another student's post. 

Chapter 8, Taking Notes, Writing and Speaking, March 24-30

This week read the chapter on taking notes, writing and speaking and then make two comments on any of these topics: 


Psychologist and philosopher William James said, “The essence of genius is knowing what to overlook.” How can you take steps toward being a genius by being selective at school, at work or in your personal life? 

Many students have difficulties with writing assignments because of writer’s block. Read the section on writer’s block in the text and comment on some ideas that you can use to overcome it. 

Write some intention statements about what you will do to become a better writer or note taker.

Do you have any ideas about how to relax while speaking in public?

Ask a question or discuss any aspect of college success that is relevant to your college experience at this point.     

Make a comment on another student's post. 

Chapter 7, Improving Memory and Reading, March 17-23

I enjoyed reading about all your goals and time management strategies on the blog last week. Many of you have challenges with work, family, school and social life. Keeping your focus on your priorities, breaking the tasks into small parts and finding a reward will keep you on the right path.

For this week, read the following situations and comment on two of them using ideas from Chapter 7, Improving Memory and Reading. Have a great week.

1.            You just read the assigned chapter in economics and cannot remember what you read. It went in one ear and out the other.

2.            In your anatomy and physiology class, you are required to remember the scientific name for 100 different muscles in the body.

3.            You signed up for a philosophy class because it meets general education requirements. You are not interested in the class at all.

4.            You have a mid-term in your literature class and have to read 400 pages in one month.

5.            You must take American history to graduate from SDSU. You think that history is boring.

6.            You have been introduced to an important business contact and would like to remember his/her name.

7.            You are enrolled in an algebra class. You continually remind yourself that you have never been good at math. You don’t think that you will pass this class.

8.            You have noticed that your grandmother is becoming very forgetful. You want to do whatever is possible to keep your mind healthy as you age.

9.            Comment on any other students' posts.  

Chapter 6, Managing Time and Money, March 10-16

This new chapter is about time management and is one of the most powerful chapters in the text. For this week's discussion, share one of your lifetime goals and describe the time management techniques you will use to accomplish this goal. If there are obstacles in the way, how will you deal with them? 

For your second post, read another student's post and make a comment about it. Sometimes it is helpful to read about other students' goals and how they are managing to accomplish them. The first post can be longer and the second one can be shorter. 

I will share with you one of my lifetime goals and how I used the ideas in this chapter to accomplish it. My lifetime goal was to write a book on how to be successful in college because I struggled as a young college student and learned how to be successful. Then I taught the topic for 30 years. I had some time off from work and set as my goal to write the text. I found myself distracted by things around the home. I would get up in the morning and exercise, make myself a nice breakfast, read the paper and do a few household chores. Soon the day was gone and I had not accomplished my goal. I decided to work on my goal first and then reward myself with exercise and other things that I wanted to do. It was just a matter of rearranging my tasks. I still found it difficult to get started. I used the idea of a leading task. I would just sit at the computer, fill my head with ideas and start to write. Then I would refine the writing the next day. Within 6 months I had the first draft of the text written. Today it is used in about 60 colleges across the country. The CollegeScope material is my latest project. 

Ok, I have shared one of my goals and how I accomplished it. Now it is your turn. Tell about something you accomplished in the past or something you hope to accomplish in the future. See if you can use some of the time management ideas in the text.  

Chapter 5, Planning Your Career and Education, March 3-9

The chapter for this week is "Planning your Career and Education." It has some useful information as you think about your future career. 

Choose any topic below. You can choose 2 topics of 100 words each or one topic for 200 words.

Make a comment about how this semester is going for you. Are you facing any challenges or roadblocks? How can you deal with them?

Add your comment to another student's posting. Can you relate to what they are saying and can you share similar experiences?

What is your generation? Baby Boomer? Generation X? New Millennial? How will your generation affect your future career choices?

Review the employment trends presented in the career chapter. How will these employment trends affect your future career plans?

What tips would you give to a friend before he or she interviewed for a job that was really important?

Go to www.assist.org and explore this site. This site is designed to help you understand the courses needed to transfer to a four year university. Share with the group what you found there.

Go to http://www.cuyamaca.edu/transfer_center and explore this site. This is our Cuyamaca College Transfer site. Share with the group what you found at this site.

Feb 24-March 2, Chapter 4, Exploring Interests and Values

Chapter 4, Exploring Interests and Values

For this week, choose any two topics below.

Comment on a successful decision you have made and how it matched your values.

Comment on an unsuccessful decision you made and how it did not match your values.

Comment on another student's post. Can you add to their comment or raise new questions?

Read the following 2 scenarios and comment on one of them. Based on the individual’s values, give your opinion about what would be the best decision.

Scenario 1: What should be my major?

Shawn is twenty years old and has completed two years of college. He has been trying to decide whether to major in engineering or music. He has completed all of his general education requirements as well as several courses in music, math, and physics. As a child, Shawn was interested in science and dreamed of making new inventions. He always took things apart to see how they worked. Math was always easy for Shawn, and he received awards for achievement in science. He also took part in band throughout his school years and learned to play several instruments. As a teenager, he had a garage band and became so interested in playing the piano that he spent two hours a day practicing. Shawn’s dilemma was that he was becoming stressed out trying to do both majors and
no longer had time to do well in both music and engineering. He also wanted to have time to get a part-time job in order to become more independent. Shawn’s top five values are being independent and living on his own, having a secure future, doing interesting work, achieving something important, and being able to relax. Based on his values, what major should Shawn choose?

Scenario 2: Should Maria continue her education?

Maria is a married mother of two young boys ages five and seven and a part-time college student. Maria and her husband, Juan, are very proud of their Mexican heritage and value their marriage and family. They both think that it is important for Maria to spend time with the children. Maria learned to speak English as a second language and has made sure that her children speak both English and Spanish. While the children are in school, Maria has been attending college part-time with the goal of becoming a teacher’s aide in a class for bilingual children. She has some experience as a teacher’s aide and gets a great deal of satisfaction from helping the children. Juan works in construction, and the family has sacrificed to come up with the money to pay for Maria to attend college. Maria has struggled to earn her associate’s degree and is proud of her accomplishments. She values her education and wants her children to do well in school. Now Maria is considering continuing her education to earn the bachelor’s degree so that she can become a teacher. She would enjoy having her own classroom, loves working with children, and would have a higher income as a teacher than she would as a teacher’s aide. Maria’s husband is concerned that she will spend too much time at college and will not be home for the children. He is also relieved that Maria has finished college and plans to work part-time to supplement the family income while the children are in school. Should Maria continue her education and earn a bachelor’s degree?

Chapter 3, Learning Style and Intelligence, Feb 17-23

Chapter 3, Learning Style and Intelligence

Remember to make 2 postings of at least 100 words each this week. You can comment on these scenarios using what you have read about learning styles and personality type, reply to other student's comments or write about anything related to college and career success. 

1. You have just been assigned a 10 page term paper. 
2. You have to study for a challenging math test.
3. You have to write up a lab report for a biology class. It includes drawing of a frog you have just dissected.
4. You are taking a required course for your major and it is taught by only one professor. You dislike this professor.
5. You are taking a business class and have been assigned a group project to design a small business. It is worth 50% of your grade. One of the group members wants to control the group and the others seem to be rebelling.
6. You have signed up for an economics course and find it difficult to stay awake during the lecture. 
7. You signed up for a philosophy course to meet a humanities requirement. The vocabulary in the course is unfamiliar. 
8. As part of the final exam, you have to prepare a five minute presentation for your art history class. 

Chapter 2, Exploring Your Personality and Major, Feb. 9-16

I was inspired reading all your blog posts on motivation.  Motivation sets the stage for success.  Many of you mentioned careers and the economy as motivators for going to college.  You are more likely to be employed and to like your career if you have an education.  One of the keys to success is what you do on a daily basis, so do a little of your homework each day and it all adds up to success.  

Chapter 2 began with the Do What You Are (DWYA) personality assessment which has a 4 letter code used to summarize your personality type based on your answers in the assessment.  For example, my code is ISTJ which stands for introvert, sensing, thinking and judging type. 

Posting 1:

Choose one of your letters and write 100 words about this aspect of your personality focusing on the positives of your type. Remember that one personality type is not better than any other.  Each type has different talents that can be useful in your personal or career life.  You may think that you are a combination of 2 different types.  It is OK to describe your unique combination. 

Here is a sample of about 100 words:

Based on the DWYA, I am a judging type.  I know that this is true because I can only feel relaxed when things are orderly and organized.  I plan my work and think about priorities when managing my time which helps me to accomplish my goals.  I even plan out my vacations in advance and like to have everything planned so I can relax and have fun.  I have met some opposite types in my lifetime and try to appreciate their differences.  I have found that perceptive types can usually introduce an element of fun in the situation and they motivate me to be a little more spontaneous at times.  I’m still most comfortable with my plans and don’t like to change them.

Posting 2:

Read another student’s posting who has the same personality type as yours and write a response to their post.

Here is a sample response of about 100 words:

I am a judging type also.   I could relate to your need to be orderly and organized.  I generally plan my time and like to have all my things organized.  I get stressed when things are out of order.  I have also met some perceptive types and I have to admit that they drive me a little crazy.  I like your idea of appreciating their differences and just trying to have fun with them.  I know that these opposite types think I am too set in my ways.  Being a judging type has lots of positives.  I plan to major in accounting and this seems to be a natural fit for my personal strengths. 

Just as a quick review, here is a brief definition of all types on DWYA.  Please review these definitions before you make your comments.

Introvert: private, likes quiet for concentration, likes to think before speaking

Extravert: social, likes variety, sometimes speaks before thinking

Sensing: works step-by-step, learns from experience, trusts what is concrete and certain

Intuitive: values imagination and innovation, focus on possibilities, creative and imaginative

Thinking: calm and objective, makes decisions based on logic, analyzes emotions, likes debate

Feeling: makes decisions based on personal values, values empathy and harmony, caring, emotional

Judging: orderly, organized, work first and play later, follows a routine, meets deadlines (Note: it does not mean to judge others!)

Perceptive: spontaneous, go with the flow, play first and do the work later, dislike routine, difficulty meeting deadlines

Chapter 1, Understanding Motivation, Feb 3-9

It was great meeting you on the blog last week and learning about your educational journeys. We have a great variety of students in the class and many different educational backgrounds. This diversity makes for interesting discussion and sharing of ideas.

For this week, share your ideas on motivation with other students in this course. 

Please read Chapter 1 in CollegeScope before commenting on any of these questions. You can also write or ask questions about anything related to college and career success or comment on others students' postings. Remember to make 2 postings of 100 words minimum for each posting to get the full 20 points for the blog this week. Postings for this week are due before 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Feb 9.      

1. How do you motivate yourself to be successful?

2. Are there some new ideas on motivation in Chapter 1 that you find interesting or helpful?
3. If you are thinking about dropping this class or dropping out of college, how can you motivate yourself to continue?
4. What are some roadblocks to your success and how can you overcome them?
5. Read comments posted by other students. Are any of their ideas useful to you?

You can also write anything about your experience in starting college or beginning this course. 

Orientation January 27-Feb 2

Hello students and welcome to Counseling 120, College and Career Success! Take a look at my video introduction above.  Please make 2 postings this week.  For the first posting, introduce yourself by telling us about your interests, hobbies and what is important in your life and maybe share a photo or video of yourself. As your second posting, tell us about your educational journey, why you are taking this class and your goals and dreams for the future.  You can also comment on other students' postings. 

This class is especially useful for those of you who want to understand yourself better and choose a major and career that matches your gifts and talents. The class also meets a general education requirement for transfer to state universities. If this is your first class in college, you are off to a good start. If you are a continuing student, there are some great benefits. You will become familiar with some new learning tools that will make your future education easier. 

Since the course is online, you can do the work anytime or any place during the week. For best results, be sure to set aside time for working on this class each week and not wait until the last minute to do the work. I look forward to working with all of you this semester. 

Marsha Fralick’s Introduction

Here is an example of a 100 word introduction: 

I am your professor for Counseling 120. I retired from Cuyamaca College where I worked from 1978-2007 as a counselor and instructor for this course. I play many roles in life. I am a Grandmother with 2 young granddaughters. I enjoy taking care of them frequently and watching them grow. My own children are grown up and have their own careers and homes. I have my own business and work with colleges across the country in training faculty to teach college success courses.  I am also the author of your textbook.  In my leisure time I enjoy traveling and being active.  I traveled to the Greek islands, Turkey, Italy and Hawaii over the summer. It was great!

Marsha Fralick’s Educational Journey

Here is an example of a 100 word posting.

I attended a small country high school in New Mexico and was a good student. When I went to the University of New Mexico, I found that it was a whole new world and I was not prepared for it. I struggled to be successful in college and had to learn how to listen to lectures, take notes and prepare for exams. I also had uncertain career goals. When I started working at a college, I remembered those years that I struggled and decided to invent a course that would help students to be successful. It has been a fun and rewarding adventure for the last 33 years.