Did I write, right?!

                Tish is my Bolg, you’re redaing my Bolg. Yuo are probly wundering what this crzay jumble fo words is all aoubt. Alright, so if you have been following my blog you know that my published work usually does not contain (many, if any) mistakes! You might be thinking, what the heck was that first sentence about, am I right? Well, as you might or might not know I started this blog as an assignment for my composition course. Throughout the term, I have been learning about many writing techniques, prewriting methods, proper citation for references, paper formatting, and types of editing.

As you read my first sentence you probably made changes as you edited my mistakes in your head, believe it or not this is a form of peer review (easy right?); this step of the writing process usually occurs after the first-draft and self-editing stages are complete. Peer review is when another student or colleague reviews your work and provides their feedback with the intention to help you improve the quality of your work, if possible using constructive (respectful) criticism.

Next time you are working on an important project, composition, or other type of work consider asking someone else to check it out for you. Many people cannot edit their own work because as we review we see what we meant to say/portray and not what is actually said/done.

That’s it for now, Cheers!

Get to it, you can do it!

As you all probably know, I am currently a student at Kaplan University. For the past few weeks I have been formulating a research paper about the benefits of physical activity for people with depression. As a Health Science major I am interested in this topic because it is an incredible, inexpensive, effective method of treatment! Did you know that physical activity is an antidepressant that is as effective as pharmaceuticals and other methods of psychotherapy (Bauldauf, 2009)?! Physical activity is beneficial for everyone not only people with psychological disorders!

 The reason why I picked this concept for my topic is because I know many people who suffer from depression; therefore, this is more than a writing assignment, it is a personal interest. As a student I know I am interested in medicine, but until now I was somewhat uncertain what exactly my chosen profession might be. My research about this topic has sparked my interest in depression and the various methods of psychotherapy. I am an active individual and I know that I could benefit the lives of many people as a psychotherapist who promotes the use of physical activity in collaboration with therapy sessions as a primary treatment method. I am not saying that the other treatments such as pharmaceuticals and electrotherapy are ineffective and should not be used; I am simply suggesting the use of this new alternative method!

My question to you is: If physical activity is so effective why are people still consuming large quantities of prescriptions and other expensive treatments while there is an effective, inexpensive, natural, potentially fun alternative!? What do you think?

That’s it for now, Cheers!

References

Baukdauf, S. (2009) If the gloom won't lift. U.S. News & World Report, 146(11), 70-75. Retrieved 

from Academic Search Premier Database. 

The countdown is on...

Today is December 8^th… this means it is only 10 days until my husband and I board the plane home from Germany to visit our family and friends for Christmas! At the moment I can hardly believe that we will be back in Vermont in a little more than a week; however I am hoping that I have enough time to complete all of my college assignments ahead of time so I can enjoy every minute of our brief time at home! I know I will not be able to complete (and submit) all of my assignments right now, but I am determined to do as much as I can! Thankfully, I am motivated!

                My husband Jason has been in Germany since 1 June 2010 and I got here the 31^st of July so neither of us can wait to get home! The statement, “there’s no place like home” has never seemed so true to either of us! Germany has become a comfy-cozy place to live, but Vermont will always be home.  This trip home is bittersweet because it will be SO good to be there, but the problem is we won’t want to leave!

The bad news is my husband is probably deploying to Afghanistan between January and March of 2011; therefore, this will most likely be his last time home to visit family before his unit is scheduled to leave. I will miss him, and I am incredibly proud of him, but it is his duty to serve our country and "he’s gotta do what he’s gotta do!" Many thanks to any other soldier or veteran who might be reading this post!

That’s it for now (I must get back to work)… Cheers!

Acknowledge others… and others should acknowledge you, too

As defined by Dictionary.com Stealing is “to take (the property of another or others) without permission or right […]” therefore, plagiarism, using another person’s work without acknowledging them, is stealing! I would bet that you could think of a circumstance where someone else took credit for something you did and claimed it as their own without you! Isn’t it awful?

As a student, worker, and individual I complete many tasks and assignments. Unfortunately, I have experienced a few circumstances where other individuals took my work as their own and left me with nothing. In the end, everyone dealt with the consequences.

As I continue to learn about composition I understand how to utilize citations and a reference page of my own to avoid plagiarism. As a student and a professional I know the importance of giving credit where credit is due, and I now know how to react if someone else ever takes my work. For example, if someone was to use my work without recognizing me as the creator the first thing I would do is obtain some sort of proof of the duplicated material. Then, I would politely ask the duplicator to please dispose of any content they “borrowed” from me. If nothing happens as a result of this confrontation I would consult a higher power such as a professor (because I am a student) or a supervisor (if it pertains to my work/job). Hopefully, I will never experience any sort of duplication, but if I do I would especially hope that it does not go beyond this level; if it did it would be important to consult a lawyer and continue to file for copyright infringement with their legal assistance. As a student and soon-to-be medical professional I doubt that I will ever experience such a problematic situation, but you never know!

Please be conscious of your work; try to avoid copying someone else and be cognizant of your resources and other influential factors because plagiarism is theft whether it is intentional or not. Furthermore, don’t you want to be original, unique, yourself? Be proud of the work that you do, you do not need anyone else but you to be successful!

That’s it for now, Cheers!

Reference

“Stealing” Dictionary.com. (2010). http://thesaurus.com/browse/stealing

P.S. it wasn’t that difficult to give due credit now was it?!

What I think about Online Education!

This week I thought I would tell you a little bit about what it is like to be an online student! For those of you who do not know much about me, I attended a traditional “brick and mortar” college in Massachusetts for my first year. As a ‘traditional’ college student I was constantly overwhelmed and usually stressed.  Now, as an online student at Kaplan University I have become more confident in my work and myself. 

The online learning environment might seem like a joke to some people, but in reality it is just as difficult and demanding as any other college. An online student is responsible for themselves, there are no teachers nagging to get the work done; it is the individual’s responsibility to turn-on the computer and get to it! 

The typical course requirements include reading assignments, discussion board conversations, papers, projects, various other assignments, and seminar sessions.  An online seminar is just like attending a seminar in a classroom, the biggest difference is... you are sitting at your own desk! At Kaplan, online seminars include a white board where the professor can show the students a power point, a chat section for the students to interact with each other and ask the professor questions, as well as real-time audio from the professor for the students to listen to. 

My favorite part of online learning is the self-directed style of the courses. I have always been an independent person capable of self motivation and personal accomplishment. As an online student I can utilize these characteristics to be the best I can be while continuing my education to achieve the life goals I have set for myself. 

Usually, I am shy and self conscious; therefore, the anonymity of online learning has helped build my confidence not only as a student, but as a person as well. I am no longer concerned about what anyone else is thinking about me; instead I am able to focus on other things and simply enjoy life! 

The flexibility of online learning is helpful, but there are still deadlines to meet and seminars to attend. Kaplan utilizes flex seminar times, each week the students have a few options as to which Seminar you attend; it is fantastic to be able to pick what time fits my schedule the best. Online learning lets me live a somewhat normal life while still attending school. The flexibility makes work, time with my family, and other responsibilities much easier to juggle. 

Another thing that is fantastic about the online environment is the diversity of the people you meet. At the moment, I am in Germany, but I have class with people from all over the United States and the world! Some people might think that in an online classroom you don’t know the people “sitting next to you” but in reality you make many friends who will be right there with you throughout your education.

My favorite style of learning has been with Kaplan in the online environment. 

That’s it for now, Cheers!

Sie verstehen die Deutsche?! Do you understand German!?

As I mentioned before, my husband and I live in Germany for the time being. This makes my blogging experience a little more difficult than it might be if we lived in the United States. My blog dashboard (where I write things for all of you to read) is mostly in German; therefore, my biggest challenge has been trying to translate between the two languages. Hopefully I will be able to start understanding this new language as I continue to blog. I apologize if something on my page ever seems a bit crazy, it might be because I clicked on a button that looked like the right one, but it really wasn't!

Welcome to my Blog!

Hi Everyone, my name is Molly! My husband, Jason and I were married on May 12th in our hometown Wilmington, Vermont. Although we have only been married for a little while, we have had some of the best times of our life together.

My husband is a Soldier in the United States Army. A few months ago, we moved to our first duty station in Baumholder, Germany. At times, it is tough to be half a world away from our friends and family, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us.

Being a military wife is not my only responsibility, I am also a Health Science student at Kaplan University. My first assignment in my Composition course was to make my own blog. This is my first blogging experience, but I am almost certain that this assignment will probably become my new hobby.

Throughout my blog you will probably read about our new life here in Germany and how I am adjusting to becoming an Army wife.

That's it for now, Cheers!